Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-09-20
CHAPTER 10


and two grooms, the process OF sad
ding seemed unbelievably slow be-
cause unluckily, Bellarion seemed to
have chosen that one particular morn
ing to be playful. Again and again
he tossed his head to evade the bride
then plunged and reared, when Jarvis
tried to cast off his blanket.
STEADY, Bellarion," pleaded Helena
white, breathlessly and lowering out
side the box stall. "Oh, please hur-
ry!"
Would they never get that saddle
on? Every motion seemed to take
hours. Then the voices of two grooms
standing outside came in through the
open window. "And here's where the
fun begins. Hear 'em, Joe? Just
like says while back-they've found
at Llewelyn's Corner"
Fearfully, Helena called out to the
man called Joe. "Quick! Tell me about
the short cut to Llewelyn's Corners!
Every minute counts! I've bet"
The groom nodded. "Sure enough,
Miss Marvin, but hadn't you better
plan to meet 'em below Vengeance?
The fox's turned and they'll be going
through there pretty soon now"
"Oh, can't" snapped Helena dss-
perately. "Does that short cut run
across the Turner farm?"
"Sure huff, Miss Merwin, then
'cross the road toward Lindsey's place
But it's mighty bad going; the runs
pretty full and Bill here was a-telling
me they've wired couple o. fences"
Sharp resentment was in the
groom's tone, for there is no sin great
er than wiring a fence in hunting
country. "a hunter, be it known,
unless especially trained, will see stone
wood and brush, but wire he either
does not see or thinks negligible.)
Honest, 1 wouldn't go by way of
Turner's, Miss Merwin," earnestly put
in the man Joe. "Them fences is
terrible high, and even so, think you
amt got time to catch 'em above Rem
merits Vengeance. You'd better play
safe and meet 'em down below"
But at that moment Bellarion, mag
nificently eager, was led dancing from
his stall, masterpiece of hunters.
While the amazed grooms shouted
warnings, Helena hurled herself into
the saddle. Without taking time to
catch stirrups, she sped down the
stable, and darted out into the sunlit
yard, conscious of only one idea-that
somewhere out there the man she low
ed was galloping joyously toward a
horrible death.
ooh, 1 must get there" she sobbed
and cut Bellarion savage slash with
her crop. The whole stable force
came running out, to watch her clear
the corral fence in one terrific bound
and then to thunder wildly off towards
the faint bugling of the invisible fox
hound.
Faster and faster rushed Bellarion,
supremacy exultant to be free in the
crisp morning air and away. The
surge of his powerful muscles was as
smooth and certain as the stroke of
pistons and his flashing hoofs beat
steady drumming tattoo that sent
the landscape flashing by.
Helena was deadly calm now, truly !
clear-headed for perhaps the first
time in three days. Expertly she
picked a course over the dangerous
footing of a rocky meadow, from the
distance sounded the even cry of the
pack telling her that the chase had
veered as the fox broke from covert.
The wind screamed about Helena's |
ears, wrenching at her derby hat, and
making listening next to impossible,
but, as the interval closed somewhat
she came to the conclusion that the
fox was swinging wide and, by i'll
luck, away from her, but nevertheless
heading for that fatal gap.
"Peter! Dearest Peter" = the
words formed a refrain in the girls
brain, synchronized to the cadence of
the hoof beats.
A fence doomed near and Helena's
heart faltered at the height of it. Gail
of 5 feet s." she calculated, "stone
at the bottom with rails set on top"
Mentally noting point for the take
off, she collected Bellarion and bal
anced forward. Now!
Up! up! 1t seemed that Bellarien
was suddenly possessed of wings, so
smooth was the motion. Down! Her
slim body Strengthened as the dark
bays forefeet struck earth with a
hardly perceptible break in the rhy-