căracōle,1 tûrned back his head contemptuously at his pursuer. "Mexicans may chase their own ponies, and break their spirit by brutality; but an American horse is no mōre to be touched by ȧ Mexican than an American man. Bah! make your cast! Don't trifle with your lasso! I challenge you. Jẽrk ȧway, Señor Greaser! I give you as fair a chance as you could wish." So the black seemed to say, with his provoking backward glance, and his whinny of disdain. 6. José took the hint. He dug eruel spurs into his horse. The mustang leaped forward. The black gave a tearing bound, and quickened his pace, but still waited the will of his pursuer. They were just upon us, chased and chaser, thundering down the slope, when the herdsman, checking his wrist at the tûrn, flung his lasso straight as an arrow for the black's head. 7. I could hear the hide rope sing through the summer air, for a moment breezeless. Will he be taken! Will horse or man be victor! The loop of the lasso opened like a hoop. It hung poised for one instant a few feet before the horse's head, vibrating in the air, keeping the circle perfect, waiting for the herdsman's pull to tighten åbout that proud neck and those swelling shoulders. With one 8. Hyrräh! THROUGH IT WENT THE BLACK! brave bound he dashed through the open loop. He touched only to spurn its vain assault, with his hindmōst hoof. “Hurrah!" I cried. "Hurrah 't is !" shouted Gerrian. José dragged in his spurned lasso. The black, with elated head, and tail waving like a banner, sprung fôrward, closed in with the herd; they parted for his påssage, he took his leadership, and presently was lost with his suite over the swell of the prairie. 9. When we had come in sight of the eŏrral, we discovered, to our surprise, the whole band of horses had voluntarily entered. Gerrian sent in José, who drove all but the black out of the staked enclosure. He trotted about at his ease, snuffing at the stakes and bars, and showing no special disposition to follow. 1 Căr'a cōle, å semi-round, or hälf turn, which ȧ horse makes, either to the right or left. 2 Poised, balanced or suspended by equal weight or power. E la'ted, lifted up; raised by success or pride, 4 Suite (swēt), attendants or followers; å set; a series; a collection; as a suite of rooms. 10. I entered ålōne. Presently he began performing at his own free will. It was magnificent to see him as he circled about me, fire in his eye-pride in his nostril, power and grace from tip to tip. He trotted powerfully; he galloped gracefully; he thundered at full speed; he lifted his fore-legs to welcome; he flung out his hind-legs to repel; he leaped as if he were springing over bayonets; he prånced and cûrveted as if he were the pretty plaything of a girl. Then, when he had ȧmüşed himself, and delighted me sufficiently, he trotted up and snuffed åbout me, just out of reach. 11. Finally, instinetively knowing me for å friend, the black came forward and made the best speech he could of welcomea neigh, and no more. Then he approached nearer, and, not without shying and starts, of which I took no notice, at låst licked my hand, put his head upon my shoulder, suffered me to put my arm round his neck, and in fact lavished upon me ěvèry mark of confidence. At låst, åfter a good hour's work, I persuaded him to accept å halter. Then, by gentle seductions,1 I induced him to start and accompany me homeward. 12. The black would tolerate no one but me. With me he established as close a brotherhood as can be between man and beast. I named him, åfter the gold mine, my shâre of which I had given in exchange, DON FULANO. He represented to me my whole profit for the sternèst and roughèst work of my life. I looked at him, and looked at the mine-that pile of pretty pebbles, that pile of bogus ore-and I did not regret my bärgain. I never have regretted it. "MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE -so much of a kingdom as I had, I had given. WINTHROP.3 'Se duc'tion, act of leading away from duty; means of tempting or attracting. "Fulano (fọ läʼno). 3 Theodore Winthrop, an Amĕrican soldier and author, was born in New Haven, Conn., Sept. 22, 1828. He was graduated at Yale College in 1848, and for the sake of his health visited England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece. He also traveled extensively in this country. He was killed at the battle of Great Bethel, Va., June 10, 1861. He left in manuscript three novels, "Cecil Dreeme," "John Brent,” and “Edwin Bŏthertŏft,” which, as well as a number of magazine articles, have been published since his death. III. 28. THE CID AND BAVIECA. 1. HE KING looked on him kindly, as on å vassal1 trụe; after reverence due, "O King! the thing is shameful, that any man beside The liege lord of Cästïle himself, should Bävïeeå ride; 2. "For neither Spain nor Araby could ånother charger bring So good as he, and certes 4 the best befits my king. But, that you may behold him, and know him to the core, I'll make him go as he was wont 5 when his nostrils smelt the Moor." 6 3. With that, the Cid, clad as he was, in mantle fûrred and wide, And up and down, and round and round, so fierce was his career, 4. And all that saw them praised them-they lauded man and horse, Ne'er had they looked on horseman might to this knight come near, 5. Thus, to and fro ȧ-rushing, the fierce and furious steed, He snapped in twain his nether' rein :-God pity now the Cid !— 6. And so he led him fōaming and pånting to the king, But, "No," said Don Alphonso, "it were a shameful thing, By any other mortal but Bivar-mount, mount again, my Cid!" 1 Vǎs'sal, one who holds lands of å superior, and who vows fidělity and homage to him; a tenant. 2 Ruy Diaz (de'äth), Count of Bivar(bē vär'), an illustrious champion of Christianity and of the old Spanish royalty, in the 11th century. 3 Castile (käs tēl'), a former kingdỏm of Spain. 4 Cer'tēs, certainly; in truth. 5 Wont (wǎnt), uşed; accustomed. 6 Cid, chief or commånder- a name given to Ruy Diaz. 'Nĕth'er, lower. A SECTION IX. I. 29. DESTRUCTION OF INSECTS. WANTON1 destruction of insects, simply because they are insects, without question as to their habits, without inqui'ry as to their mis'chievousness, for no other reason than that, wherever we see an insect, we are accustomed to destroy it, is wrong. We have no right to seek their destruction if they are harmless. Our only thought of an insect is that it is something to be broomed or trod on. There is a vague idĕ'à that naturalists sometimes pin them to the wall, for some reason that they probably know; but that there is any right, or rule, or law that binds us toward God's minor3 creatures, scarcely enters into our conception.4 2. A spider in our dwelling is out of place, and the broom is å scepter that rightly sweeps him away; but in the påsture, where he belongs, and you do not-where he is of no inconvenience, and does no mischief-where his webs are but tables spread for his own food--where he follows his own instinets in eǎtching insects for his livelihood-why should you destroy him thêre, in his brief hour of hăppinèss? And yět, whereever you see a spider, "Hit him!" is the law of life. 3. Uptûrn å stōne in the field. You shall find a city unawâreş. Dwelling together in peace are a score of different insects. Worms draw in their nimble heads from the dazzling light. Swift shoot shining, black bugs back to their covert." Ants swarm with feverish agility," and beâr ȧway their eggs. Now sit quietly down and watch the en'ginery and economy9 that are laid õpen to your view. Trace the canals or highways through which their traffic has been carried. See what strange 1 Wanton (won'tŭn), unrestrained; sportive. 2 Vāgue, unsettled; uncertain. 8 Mi'nor, inferior; lesser. 4 Con cěp'tion, the image, idea, or notion of any action or thing which is formed in the mind. 8 5 Scōre, à notch or mark made to keep an account; twenty. 6 Covert (kuv'ert), a covered place; a shelter. 'A gil'i ty, quickness of motion. 8 En'gine ry, artful contrivance. • E căn’o mỹ, orderly system. conditions of life are going on before you. Feel at least sympathy for something that is not a reflection of yourself. Learn to be in'terested without egotism.2 4. But no, the first impulse of rational man, educated to despise insects and God's minor works, is to seek another stōne, and, with kindled eye, pound these thoroughfares of harmlèss insect life until all is utterly destroyed. And if we leave them and go our way, we have a sort of lingering sense that we have fallen somewhat short of our duty. The most universal and the most unreasoning destroyer is man, who symbolizes 5 death better than any other thing. 5. I, too, learned this mûrderous pleasure in my boyhood. Through long years I have tried to train myself out of it; and at låst I have unlearned it. I love, in summer, to seek the solitary 5 hillside-that is less solitary than even the crowded city, -and, waiting till my intrusion 7 has ceased to alarm, watch the wonderful ways of life which a kind God has poured abroad with such profusion.8 And I am not ashamed to confess that the leaves of that great book of revelation which God opens ĕvèry morning, and spreads in the valleys, on the hills, and in the forests, are rich with marvelous lessons that I could read nowhere else. And often things have taught me what words have failed to teach. Yea, the words of revelation have themselves been interpreted to my understanding by the things that I have seen in the solitudes of populous nature. 9 6. I love to feel my relation to every part of animated nature. I try to go back to that simplicity of Paradise 10 in which man walked, to be sure at the head of the animal kingdom, but not bloody, desperate, eruel, crushing whatever was not useful to him. I love to feel that my relationship to God gives me a right 1 Sym'pa thy, kindness of feeling toward sufferers; fellow-feeling. ? E'go tism, the practice of too often using the word I; hence, speaking or writing much of one's self; self-praise. 3 Im'pulse, hasty inclination. reason. 5 Sym'bol iz es, serves as a sign or representation of. 6 Sŏl'i ta ry, not much visited; retired. Intrusion (in troʻzhun), act of entering into a place without in vitation, right, or welcome. 8 Profusion (pro fūʼzhun), great supply or plenty; rich abundance. 9 Mär❜vel ous,strange; wonderful. 10 Păr'a dise, the Garden of Eden in which Adam and Eve were first placed; heaven. |