CHAPTER XXIV.

ISRAEL'S EVENING RIDE.

ABOUT this time Israel did a thing that excited no little comment among his neighbours, and afforded them no little amusement. He appeared one day on the road from Leath, after the annual cattle-market, mounted on a powerful and reasonably good-looking brown mare.

When any acquaintance met or passed him, and smiled, nodded, or made some remark about his new purchase, he answered the nod, smile, or remark with imperturbable good humour; and went his way, aware that everyone stopped and looked after him, to study such an unwonted spectacle. But he did not get nervous therefore, or appear restlessly shifting his seat, or stiffening himself to sit more upright, or seeming to be so much at ease that he could afford to busy himself in the study of the landscape, like other equestrian novices on their first essay, when exposed to criticism.

Whether he had taken lessons on some of his necessarily frequent visits of business to Leath, no one knew; but after the first general laugh at the oddity of his appearance, it was decided by common consent he would ride well enough in time, because he was so lithe, and so fearless.

And then too it began to be discovered, with that wisdom after the event that so happily characterises the world of gossipers, that a horse must be very useful to Israel in his new position, and they only wondered he hadn't thought of so sensible a thing before.

Had they known why Israel chose that precise period of time to begin to ride, their interest in his movements would have been marvellously quickened just when they began to slacken in their observation. An incident revealed the truth about the horsemanship to at least one person, Mr. Griffith Williams.

Just a week had elapsed from the time of Israel's discovery of how his boy had been treated by the Squire, and it was beginning to be supposed at home that he had forgiven, or forgotten the offence in his many absorbing occupations.

It was market-day at Leath, and drawing towards evening-a cool, delicious summer's evening-just such a one as might be supposed to tune men's hearts to peace and accord, and leave it impossible for feuds or strifes of any kind to exist for the time being. At this hour, when earth and sky seemed to vie with each other in serene tender beauty, when the sun had just gone down, but left much of his splendour behind him, and the moon was just rising faint, but inexpressibly sweet, and seeming to call forth one by one the lovely and interminable procession of stars around her, it was then that Israel appeared just under the shadow of some lofty trees, sitting his brown mare like a statue, with uplifted hand holding his heavy riding whip at the lash end, the handle resting on his knee.

But he started into sudden activity when a horseman approached, going towards Leath. He advanced to meet him, shook hands, became curious, for a wonder, as to where his acquaintance was going, but relapsed into his own thoughts, and went back to his place of shelter, the moment he found the horseman was not going more than a few yards before he would turn off towards his own farm.

'He knows us both, aud would be sure, if they had met, to say he had seen me, and here,' Israel commented to himself as he again glanced through the tall brushwood against which he stood, and looked along the road.

He had thus waited, perhaps nearly three quarters of an hour, when he heard a loud cheery voice calling out, and others farther off answering it.

Ah! All right!' he thought, as he felt and shook the reins, took his whip by the handle, and leaning just a little forward, listened intently, and once more motionless.

He could hear by the things they said, by their jovial

laughs that any trifle sufficed to call forth, and by the tone of their voices, they were all somewhat elated by liquor, and coming along in a very irregular fashion-cantering, trotting, walking, all within a very short distance.

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They must stop, anyhow, to pass round the corner,' Israel said to himself, as he gently moved his horse a pace or two forwards-in fact as far as he could go without being seen.

'Well, good night, gentlemen!' called out a voice exceedingly near-and that the voice of Mr. Griffith Williams. 'I shall leave you and gallop off home!'

'Good night!'-' Good night!' replied some halfdozen voices in chorus, and Griffith puts spurs to his horse, and dashed into the partial shade made by the angle of the road and the over-arching trees.

But almost as suddenly as he started did he stop, throwing his horse on to his haunches by the violence he used, for he saw a horseman advance from the brushwood on the right, almost as if he leaped into the road, turn, and face him—so exactly in the line of his own movement as to show he meant mischief.

A second glance showed who the horseman was, and then Griffith understood what was the true meaning of Israel's new accomplishment-it was simply to facilitate getting at him, who was almost always on horseback, riding about the country for sport or exercise, or for the agreeable duties of his farm.

The laugh that was his first impulse died out when he saw the look and attitude of Israel, and he remembered, almost like a thing that had happened long ago, how he had treated David.

He glanced back, before either had spoken, and saw his companions just at his heels, and thought it would certainly be well, if possible, to avoid the disgrace of a vulgar personal contest.

Thus he was for the moment silent and still, though his mettlesome steed struck the ground repeatedly, as if to ask if his master wanted to gallop, why didn't he?

Israel's steed, on the contrary, was like its mastersilent, motionless, grim.

The other gentlemen, mostly persons of Griffith's own rank, or large tenant farmers, now noticed the two men thus facing each other in so still and remarkable a manner, and instantly the cry went round-Israel Mort!' What does the fellow want?" "Let's ride him down!'

'Two words to that, before you try,' said the hard voice of Israel. I have no quarrel with you, nor you with me. Go your way. This gentleman and I have a little private business to do together, which I think he would prefer being done in private.'

Seeing, however, their only reply was a general laugh, and then a hurried discussion among themselves, he addressed himself to Griffith.

It was not a very manly thing, Mr. Griffith Williams, to horsewhip my boy-to lash him so that even yet the marks are to be seen; but I do you the credit to believe you are, in spite of that ugly fact, not quite so mean or cowardly as to shelter yourself behind all these respectable gentlemen, to whom I say once more-Pass on, and leave us alone to the settlement of our account.'

Then in a louder, sterner, and almost excited tone, he said- You see, do you not? I don't attack him as he attacked my boy, by surprise. I leave that to squires and gentlemen. No, I come here armed with my wrong, and this riding whip. He has the same kind of weapon, and I here offer to exchange with him if he thinks I have played any foul tricks with mine. But go from here he does not, nor do I, till I have larned him something or he has larned it to me!'

'And suppose,' said Griffith, whose choler was fast rising, 'I don't choose to degrade myself in such a fashion?' Then I choose to do the job for you.'

'On, gentlemen! Out of the way, rascal!' shouted Griffith, spurring his horse, intending by the sudden onset to overthrow Israel, if the latter did not move but he, also spurring his mare, a more powerful animal than the blood chestnut ridden by his antagonist, drove sideways

against the other and shook the animal and its rider so violently, that for the moment it was all Griffith could do to retain his seat: and that moment Israel used to strike him- -so fiercely, that he felt his face and brow were cut; the blood gushed forth, blinded him, and before he knew well what he was doing or should do, he had fallen heavily to the ground, and was rolling in the dust of the summer road, while his horse madly galloped away, and was lost even to the sight of the gentlemen who witnessed the

scene.

Before they had time to decide what they had best do, Israel had siid from his mare, and at the very moment that Griffith, stupefied, had risen a little on to his hands and knees, Israel was over him, and lashing him with the strength of an arm that made every blow a severe injury, an intolerable torture.

He had struck thus perhaps half-a-dozen times when he found himself surrounded by the other gentlemen, and his motions impeded, while one hand even clasped his wrist.

He became at once collected, calm, and said almost with a smile

'Don't be alarmed, gentlemen, enough's as good as a feast. I have done. I ask you all to report the facts as they have happened, just as they happened!'

He looked at every one of the scowling, angry faces, which showed the owners would like to horsewhip him in return, or arrest him as a malefactor; but as he passed through them, recommending them to see to their friend, they did nothing, and he went to his brown mare, got up, and rode off, never once looking behind.