FEATS OF HORSEMANSHIP 221 



picture of beauty and strength. As he was turned 

 from us we could just see his small ears peeping 

 above a mane that descended on both sides his mas- 

 sive, arching neck, down to his knees, as from time 

 to time he shook it, and plaj^ed with two mares, a 

 gray and a chestnut, which drank and meekly admired 

 their lord from a little distance, while another black 

 mare moved slowly up a cattle j)ath towards the 

 mountains, with a yearling colt trotting at her heels. 

 Charley had to get clear from the spreading branches 

 of a fallen tree before he could be seen. The stallion 

 looked up as a bough cracked loudly, and Charley's 

 horse appeared within twenty yards ; then, turning, 

 he stared for a moment with his fierce, fiery eyes 

 through his wet, hanging locks, and with a shrill 

 neigh of warning that re-echoed from the mountains 

 like the voices of a hundred horses, the steed of 

 steeds dashed up the breast of a precipitous mountain 

 track, followed by the black mare, the others flying 

 in an opposite direction. At the same moment 

 Charley's spurs were dashed into his horse's sides, 

 his head turned up a shorter and easier exit from 

 the stream, and quick as thought he was at speed, 

 thundering and rolling down stones and gravel upon 

 us. More leisurely we followed; the hunter and the 

 hunted disappeared behind the first hill, to reappear 

 almost immediately on a narrow path worn by wild 

 cattle along the mountain side — a glorious, frightful 

 sight. But we neither saw nor felt any danger. 



