. General Nelson's scout. d neck the horses ran, neitherseemingly able to gain an inch on the goal grew alarmingly near. Each rider bentover the neck of his flying steed, and urged him onwith word and spur. The tree was scarcely twentyyards away. Now, Prince, if ever, cried horse seemed to understand. With a tremen-dous effort, he plunged forward, and passed thegoal half a length ahead. Won! cried Fred, but his huzzah died onhis lips. The excitement of the race had made theboys careless, and they ran into a squad of horse-men who were passing along the other road. Fredcame n
. General Nelson's scout. d neck the horses ran, neitherseemingly able to gain an inch on the goal grew alarmingly near. Each rider bentover the neck of his flying steed, and urged him onwith word and spur. The tree was scarcely twentyyards away. Now, Prince, if ever, cried horse seemed to understand. With a tremen-dous effort, he plunged forward, and passed thegoal half a length ahead. Won! cried Fred, but his huzzah died onhis lips. The excitement of the race had made theboys careless, and they ran into a squad of horse-men who were passing along the other road. Fredcame nearly unhorsing the leader of the squad, aheavy-set, red-faced man with bushy hair that stoodup all around his large head. He was dressed inthe uniform of an ofificer of the United States for Calhoun, he entirely unhorsed a blackgroom, who was bringing up the rear of the squad. The darky scrambled to his feet unhurt, andforgetting his fright in his enthusiasm, shouted:Golly, massa, dat was a race, suah. Dat a hoss. He plunged forward, and passed the Goal half-a-length ahead. THE MEETING WITH NELSON. 23 woth habin. Like a true Kentucky negro, heloved a fine horse, and gloried in a race. But with the officer, it was different. As soonas he could quiet his horse, he let fly such a volleyof oaths that the boys sat on their horses too dum-founded to say a word. The officer swore until hewas out of breath, and had to stop from sheer ex-haustion. At the first opportunity, Fred took off his hatand politely said: We beg a thousand pardons, sir, but I was rac-ing for the old flag, and had to win, even if I hadhad to run over the commander-in-chief of thearmy, instead of a lieutenant of the navy. Lieutenant of the navy! lieutenant of thenavy! roared Nelson, for it was he, I will showyou, young man, I command on dry land, as wellas on the water, and the air once more grew sul-phurous. Really, dryly remarked Fred, if you fightas well as you swear, Kentucky will soon be clearof rebel
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