THE CUTTING-ANT OF TEXAS. 231 



battle, picking up a croquet mallet as I ran. Young 

 Townes followed, armed with his riding-whip. The 

 discords of the fight grew fiercer, and then for a moment 

 ceased at the sound of a woman's voice, heard above 

 the din in sharp command. 



My heart leaped to my throat. What woman could 

 be so hardy as to interfere in such a contlict ? "We 

 turned the corner of the house, and saw Abby Bradford 

 standing between the two dogs. She had grasped them 

 by the leather collars around their necks, and held them 

 aloof by main strength. The animals stood at full 

 height upon their hind-legs, and struck at and struggled 

 to reach each other with their forepaws and fangs. 

 They Avere face to face, with glaring eyes and foaming 

 mouths, while horrible growls issued from between 

 their white teeth. 



It was a splendid sight : the maiden's erect form^ 

 whose every muscle Avas swollen by the eftbrt to hold 

 the fierce beasts at bay, crowned b}' the pale face, set 

 with the intensity of emotions, under whose play every 

 feature was illumined with new beauty. It is strange 

 how a human face lights up and transforms under the 

 agitations of a high and courageous deed ! I have 

 never seen a sharper and more significant contrast 

 between the moral faculties as represented by man, and 

 the animal passions characteristic of the brutes, than 

 that exhibited by the tableau which came into view 

 that morning as we entered the front yard — those ram- 

 pant and angry dogs struggling in the hands of that 

 brave, comely young woman 1 



