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

landscape.
Gasping for breath she urged her
mount on to even greater speed. Bel
larion plunged through copse of sap
lings, then branch slashed her cruel
ly across the face and mOmentarlly
blinded her as it wrenched off her
derby.
Swaying, clinging to the saddle, Hell
ena forced herself to keep her seat,
for ahead was one of the wired fences.
eff he hits the wire, Peters lost"
was her distracted thought, as. with
even deeper anxiety, she noted the
wickedly long barbs on the wire. To
foul that meant dangerous if not fatal
wounds-those barbs could destroy her
beauty in a twinkle. How long and
sharp they seemed!
Down the little hill she galloped,
praying that, for Peters sake, she
might be spared. "Bellarion! Up!"
Tightly clutching the reins she stead
led the gelding for the fence, pressed
her heels firmly to his sides, and with
the mighty rush of catapult's arm,
she felt him take off. Like a new
Pegasus the hunter shot into the air
and cleared the murderous wire by
good 2 feet.
"Thank God!" sobbed Helena.
Ever louder rose the clamor of fox
hounds, hot on the scent and in a
minute now she should see them across
the valley. Riding like an Amazon
she raced past some laborers working
in a field. They yelled at her and
ran forward, stupidity waved their
arms, no doubt, thinking it runa-
way. In an instant they were far
behind.
On raced Bellarion over a series of
breath-taking water-filled bitches that
tried even Helena's splendid horseman-
ship to the limit. All! Tearing across
a distant green hillside the girl beheld
number of tiny white specks, the
hounds! And there, still quite far
ahead ran the fox! A hand, cold as a
polar gale, squeezed her heart as she
realized how very near to Llewelyn's
Gap ran that little whisp Of reddish
brown. Strung out behind, like petit
soned packing cases in the wake of a
pursued ship, came the line of hounds,
belling for dear life, "Yoy-yoy-
yoy!", their black, white and tan bod
les showing up sharply against the
brilliant spring grass.
Another wired fence claimed Hell
ena's attention before she caught sight
of any riders. This time Bellarion, in
jumping uphill, barely cleared the in
visible wire for sharp musical tang,
as a hind hoof struck the strands,
warned the breathless wild-eyed girl
of how very narrow had been her es-
cape.
Her course was straight now, down
hill almost the whole way. To her
left was reared the pine crested bulk
of that stone ridge which lay like a
great barrier across the countryside,
at right angles to the valley down
which the fox was running, and there
was the tiny pass, Llewelyn's Gap!
Fighting for breath, Helena found
she could actually see the black chasm
of Renard's Vengeance-yawning to
swallow the man she loved. The sight
gave strength to her weary back and
legs.
But the terrific pace also commence
ing to tell on Bellarion, his powerful
stride was not so springy, his neck
was now dark with sweat and broad
streaks of white commenced to ap-
pear where the reins came in contact
with his coat.
All, the field! Far in advance of
the rest flashed the cleaning pink Of
the M. F. H., riding at an extended
gallop in the wake of the hounds.
Next, like flankers on either side, there
brust over a hill crest two scarlet
coated Huntsmen, paralleling the M.
F. H., brief pause, then in riot
of scarlet, blue, green and black came
a flood of riders flashing into view.
She saw that the half dozen experien-
ced huntsmen making up the first
flight were punched together like
steeple casers in midcourse. And at
the sight Helena's lips curled in
agony. One of them must be Peter!
Another must be the british Martin
James, who watching, jockeying for
position, waited his moment with the
deadly intentness of cobra preparing |
to strike.
Suddenly before the dizzied, breath
less girl doomed the barrier of Tur-