My gallant horse soon gave proof of his superior qualities. One after
another of my companions was passed; and as we cleared the avenue and
entered a second prairie, I found myself mixing with the hindmost of the
_wild_ mares. Pretty creatures some of them were; and upon any other
occasion, I should have been tempted to fling a lazo over one of them,
which I might easily have done. Then I only thought of getting them out
of the way, as they were hindering my onward gallop.
Before we had quite crossed the second prairie, I had forged into the
front rank; and the mares, seeing I had headed them, broke to the right
and left, and scattered away.
All were now behind me, all but the white steed; he alone kept the
course, at intervals uttering that same shrill neigh, as if to tantalise
and lure me on. He was yet far in advance, and apparently running _at
his ease_!
The horse I bestrode needed neither spur nor guidance; he saw before him
the object of the chase, and he divined the will of his rider. I felt
him rising under me like a sea-wave. His hoofs struck the turf without
impinging upon it. At each fresh spring, he came up with elastic
rebound, while his flanks heaved with the conscious possession of power.
Before the second prairie was crossed, he had gained, considerably upon
the white steed; but to my chagrin, I now saw the latter dash right into
the thicket.
I found a path and followed. My ear served to guide me, for the
branches crackled as the wild-horse broke through. Now and then I
caught glimpses of his white body, glancing among the green leaves.
Apprehensive of losing him, I rode recklessly after, now breasting the
thicket--now tracing its labyrinthine aisles. I heeded not the thorny
mimosas; my horse heeded them not; but large trees of the false acacia
(_robinia_) stood thickly in the way, and their horizontal branches
hindered me. Often was I obliged to bend flat to the saddle, in order
to pass under them. All this was in favour of the pursued, and against
the pursuer.
I longed for the open prairie, and to my relief it at length appeared,
not yet quite treeless, but studded with timber "islands." Amid these
the white steed was sailing off; but in passing through the thicket, he
had gained ground, and was now a long way in advance of me. But he was
making for the open plain that lay beyond, and this showed that it was
his habit to trust to his heels for safety. Perhaps with such a
pursuer, he would have been safer to have kept the chapparal; but that
remained to be seen.
In ten minutes' time, we had passed through the timber islands, and now
the prairie--the grand, limitless prairie--stretched bee us, far beyond
the reach of vision.
On goes the chase over its grassy level--on till the trees are no longer
behind us, and the eye sees nought but the green savannah, and the blue
canopy arching over it--on, across the centre of that vast circle which
has for its boundary the whole horizon!
The rangers, lost in the mazes of the chapparal, have long since fallen
off; the mustangs have gone back; on all that wide plain, but two
objects appear--the snow-white form of the flying steed, and the dark
horseman that follows!
It is a long wild ride, a cruel gallop for my matchless Moro. Ten miles
of the prairie have we passed--more than that--and as yet I have neither
used whip nor spur. The brave steed needs no such prompting; he, too,
has his interest in the chase--the ambition not to be outrun. My motive
is different: I think only of the smiles of a woman; but such motive ere
now has led to the loss of a crown or the conquest of a world. On,
Moro! on! you must overtake him or die!
There is no longer an obstacle. He cannot hide from us here. The
plain, with its sward of short grass, is level and smooth as the
sleeping ocean; not an object intrudes upon the sight. He cannot
conceal himself anywhere. There is still an hour of sunlight; he cannot
hide from us in the darkness: ere that comes down, he shall be our
captive. On, Moro! on!
On we glide in silence. The steed has ceased to utter his taunting
neigh; he has lost confidence in his speed; he now runs in dread. Never
before has he been so sorely pressed. He runs in silence, and so, too,
his pursuer. Not a sound is heard but the stroke of the galloping
hoofs--an impressive silence, that betokens the earnestness of the
chase.
Less than two hundred yards separate us; I feel certain of victory. A
touch of the spur would now bring Moro within range: it is time to put
an end to this desperate ride. Now, brave Moro, another stretch, and
you shall have rest!
I look to my lazo; it hangs coiled over the horn of my saddle: one end
is fast to a ring and staple firmly riveted in the tree-wood. Is the
loop clear and free? It is. The coil--is it straight? Yes; all as it
should be.
I lift the coil, and rest it lightly over my bridle arm; I separate the
noose, and hold it in my right hand. I am ready--_God of heaven! the
steed_?
It was a wild exclamation, but it was drawn from me by no common cause.
In arranging my lazo, I had taken my eyes from the chase, only for a
moment: when I looked out again, _the horse had disappeared_!
With a mechanical movement I drew bridle, almost wrenching my horse upon
his haunches; indeed, the animal had half halted of his own accord, and
with a low whimper seemed to express terror. What could it mean? Where
was the wild-horse?
I wheeled round, and round again, scanning the prairie on every side--
though a single glance might have served. The plain, as already
described, was level as a table; the horizon bounded the view: there was
neither rock nor tree, nor bush nor weed, nor even long grass. The
sward was of the kind known upon the prairies as "buffalo-grass"
(_Sesleria dactyloides_), short when full grown, but then rising
scarcely two inches above the soil. A serpent could hardly have found
concealment under it, but a horse--
Merciful heaven! _where was the steed_?
An indefinable feeling of awe crept over me: I trembled; I felt my horse
trembling between my thighs. He was covered with foam and sweat; so was
I--the effects of the hard ride: but the cold perspiration of terror was
fast breaking upon me. The mystery was heavy and appalling!