The Rangers | Page 8

thoughts was quite a different
person from what they had been led to expect.
"His dress, to be sure, is rather coarse," observed Miss Haviland to her
companion, in a low tone; "but he is no boor; nor can every one boast
of--" Here she threw a furtive glance at Peters, when she appeared to
read something in his countenance which caused her to suspend the
involuntary comparison which was evidently passing in her mind, and
to keep her eye fixed on his motions.
The arrogant personage last named, wholly unconscious of this scrutiny,
now began to incite his horses afresh, frequently applying the lash with
unwonted severity, and then suddenly curbing them in, till the spirited
animals became so frantic that they could scarcely be restrained from
dashing off at a run. The young farmer, in the mean while, finding
himself closely pressed by those behind him, without any apparent
disposition on their part to turn out and pass by him, now veered partly
out of the road, to give the others, with the same change in their course

to the opposite side, an opportunity, if they chose, of going by, as might
easily have been done with safety to all concerned.
"Mr. Peters!" suddenly exclaimed Miss Haviland, in a tone of energetic
remonstrance, at the same time catching at his arm, as if to restrain him
from some intended movement, which her watchful eye had detected.
This appeal, however, which was rather acted than spoken, was
unheeded, or came too late; for, at that instant, the chafing and
maddened horses dashed furiously forward, directly over the exposed
corner of the young man's vehicle, which, under the iron-bound feet of
the fiercely-treading animals, and the heavy sleigh runners that
followed, came down with a crash to the ground, leaving him barely
time to clear himself from the wreck, by leaping forward into the snow.
Startled by the noise behind him, the frightened pony made a sudden
but vain effort to spring forward with the still connected remains of the
jumper, which were, at the instant confined down by the passing
runners of the large sleigh; when snorting and wild with desperation, he
reared himself upright on his hinder legs, and fell over backwards,
striking, with nearly the whole weight of his body, upon his doubled
neck, which all saw at a glance was broken by the fall.
With eyes flashing with indignation, young Woodburn bounded
forward to the head of the aggressing team, boldly seized the nearest
horse by his nostrils and bridle curb, and, in spite of his desperate
rearing and plunging, under the rapidly applied whip of the enraged
driver, soon succeeded, by daring and powerful efforts, in bringing him
and his mate to a stand.
"Let go there, fellow, on your peril!" shouted Peters, choking with rage
at his defeat in attempting to ride over and escape his bold antagonist.
"Not till I know what all this means, sir!" retorted Woodburn, with
unflinching spirit.
"Detain us if you dare, you young ruffian!" exclaimed the sheriff,
protruding his harsh visage from one side of the sleigh. "Begone! or I
will arrest you in the king's name, sir!"
"You will show your warrant for it first, Mr. Sheriff," replied the
former, turning to Patterson with cool disdain. "I have nothing to do
with you, sir; but I hold this horse till the outrage I have just received is
atoned for, or at least explained."
"My good friend," interposed Jones, in a respectful manner, "you must

not suppose we have designedly caused your disaster. Our horses,
which are high-mettled, as you see, took a sudden start, and the
mischief was done before they could be turned or checked."
"Now, let go that horse, will you, scoundrel?" again exclaimed Peters,
still chafing with anger, but evidently disturbed and uneasy under the
cold, searching looks of the other.
"Hear me first, John Peters!" replied Woodburn, with the same
determined manner as before. "I care not for your abusive epithets, and
have only to say of them, that they are worthy of the source from which
they proceed. But you have knowingly and wickedly defrauded me of
my farm; unless I obtain redress, as I little expect, from a court which
seems so easily to see merits in a rich man's claim. Yes, you have
defrauded me, sir, out of my hard-earned farm; and there," he continued,
pointing to his gasping horse,--"there lies nearly half of all my
remaining property--dead and gone! ay, and by your act, which, from
signs I had previously noticed, and from the tones of that young lady's
exclamation at the instant, (and God bless her for a heart which could
be kind in such company,) I shall always believe was wilfully
committed. And if I can make good my