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Show 284 TIOEDUOK. out frorn there alone. Irnincdiately he started, with a few followers, in ptn·Rui t of her. .i\. soon as she becarne convinced that she was pursued and suspected that Paln1er 'vaB muong the purRners, Rho put Arab to his utrnost speed. Tho cavalry behind her nseLl their spurs freely. Paltner, da. l1ing oii' before the others, carne on at a fur ions gait. Julia, a practiced horse-,voman, on a fleet nnd spirited horse, coul<.l not e[lsily be overtaken; but, for three or four 1nile ~, the chase pre . ed Arab to his 1nettle. The gallant horse, excited by the race, seen1ocl to share the detcr1nination of his ri<.lor to dist[l.nce the pursuers. GraLlually he widened the space between hitn and the forcn1ost of the eavalry. l~elying upon his qnaliLics, Julia rode 'vith steady courage, until, suddenly, she beheld a cloud of dn. t rising fro1n the road before her. Suspecting at once that there was a larger bocly of Fodernl cavalry in front of her, ancl that no chance of e. cape 'vas left, her heart sunk for a motnent. But she looked hack, and the sight of Palrnor, in eager })Ursuit, ren1inded her that, 'vhatever 1night be before J1er, she 'vas leaving her most cruel enemy behind. She resolved to go forward. Ornvard she flew. IIer rapid flight soon brought her in sight of five or six horsernen \Vho 'vere approaching on the road before her. Otnvard still she flew. She 'vas very near then1 before she could di cern, under the dn. t which covered th01n, that their unifonn' 'vere of Confed-erate o-rey. Checkin o- her horse she cried out io b b ' them-" I atn pursued by J.1"oderal cavalry.'' "II ow n1any '?" "I have seen t or twelve. One of them rides fnr in ad vance of the rest. There! lie co1nes in sight." ROEllUCK. 285 "Ride on, n1aclatn. Yon are safe. Colonel Fitzhugh's regi1nent is not far behind us. We must 1novc forwarLl.'' They started nt a b:i k trot. \Vhen Palmer saw thmn first, he thought they n1ust be Federals. lie ,vas ahnost among thcn1 before he discovered hi mistake. Then, 'vltecling hi ' hor~e, he 'va~ punmed in his turn. Julin Flaw no 1nore of him. ltic1ing slowly on, and " 'ondering at the chance " rhich brought her so unexpectedly out of danger jnto the protection of Ilnrrh Fitzhurrh she saw a cloud of clnst, which, at a .:::> n ' . conRiderable distance, indicated the npproaeh of Ins regin1ent. A spring, ncar tl1e side of the road, attracted her attention, ancl she .topped to rest nnd refresh her.·eJf. She sat down on the grass, near tho .·pring, and, afLer drinking, she bathed her brows with her h~nds. ~ho spring ,vas shaded by trees and vines. \V1th the Instinct of a 1von1an, expecting a lover, she arranged her hair and dress, while she waited for the regiment to come up. vVhen the l1ead of the colmnn d_rcw near, she stood upon a grnssy knoll near t~1e spnn_g, under a canopy of vines. She held the bndle, while her horse, ,vith distended nostrils, ears erect, an~ arched neck, gazed at the 'varlike array. Iler v_etl ,vas thro,vn back, her fair c01nplexion was ro :y wtth excitmnent, her hazel eyes were moistened With the nlystery of tears that were not. ~veeping,. anc~ _h e.r graceful fornt stood a picture of hvmg lovehnes!:i lll .t frame of sylvan beauty. When Ilugh Fitzhugh, turning fronl the duBty roatl t o tl1 e spn.n g, sudde·n ly beheld her, he 'vas ·a ma1ze d, enraptured , a Ia rmed . "My Juli·a ' " he excl:u. met ,. :1. ~ he leaped frOJn his horse, and ran towards hm. II.t~- |