232 rate's day with the old horse 



So saying, the master turned his horse and set 

 himself at the place where the wall looked lowest. 

 Kate had been bred in a hunting country, but 

 truth to tell, her heart hung on that leap. 



" One thrust to his hat and two to the sides of 

 his brown," and then he shot to the front, seat 

 steady and hands well down. Eight bravely the 

 horse rose at the leap, but the bank broke as he 

 rose, his knees caught the coping stone with a 

 jarring thud, and man and horse lay stunned on the 

 other side. 



To the wild cry of " George, George ! " no answer 

 came back, and then it was for the first time that 

 poor Kate knew how irretrievably her heart had 

 been lost to her dashing cousin. 



To gallop to the gate was useless, though she 

 essayed it. The gate was six barred and locked, 

 moreover, the wall and its guarding stream still 

 ran on beyond the gate. Kate had lost her head 

 and her heart, but not her pluck. 



" Just one more try, Joe," she whispered, and 

 with a rush that seemed born of the last energies 

 of a gallant heart the brave old horse faced and 

 cleared the coping stone. Many fresh horses might 

 have cleared that wall ; but they talk of that leap 

 still in Gonaway. Nearly five feet of hard stone 

 and a biggish brook in front was no small feat, they 



