“Say, Jack,” she cried; “is not this better than love of women?”
“In Heaven’s name,” I called out, “take care!”
But ’twas too late. The green valley here melted into a treacherous bog, in the which her bay was already plunging over his fetlocks, and every moment sinking deeper.
“Throw me the rein!” I shouted, and catching the bridle close by the bit, lean’d over and tried to drag the horse forward. By this, Molly also was over hoofs in liquid mud. For a minute and more we heav’d and splashed: and all the while the dragoons, seeing our fix, were shouting and drawing nearer and nearer. But just as a brace of bullets splashed into the slough at our feet, we stagger’d to the harder slope, and were gaining on them again. So for twenty minutes along the spurs of the hills, we held on, the enemy falling back and hidden, every now and again, in the hollows—but always following: at the end of which time, Delia call’d from just behind me—
“Jack—here’s a to-do: the bay is going lame!”
There was no doubt of it. I suppose he must have wrung his off hind leg in fighting through the quag. Any way, ten minutes more would see the end of his gallop. But at this moment we had won to the top of a stiff ascent: and now, looking down at our feet, I had the joyfullest surprise.
’Twas the moor of Temple spread below like a map, the low sun striking on the ruin’d huts to the left of us, on the roof of Joan’s cottage, on the scar of the high road, and the sides of the tall tor above it.
“In ten minutes,” said I, “we may be safe.”
So down into the plain we hurried: and I thought for the first time of the loyal girl waiting in the cottage yonder; of my former ride into Temple; and (with angry shame) of the light heart with which I left it. To what had the summoning drums and trumpets led me? Where was the new life, then so carelessly prevented? But two days had gone, and here was I running to Joan for help, as a child to his mother.
Past the peat-ricks we struggled, the sheep-cotes, the straggling fences—all so familiar; cross’d the stream and rode into the yard.