The Bell-Ringer of Angel's, and Other StoriesHarte, Bret
General
The Bell-Ringer of Angel's, and Other Stories
Harte, Bret
American fiction -- 19th century; Short stories; Western stories
He leaped lightly to the ground. Chu Chu, standing watchfully at a
little distance, was evidently astonished at his appearance. She threw
out her hind hoofs violently, shot up into the air until the stirrups
crossed each other high above the saddle, and made for the stable in a
succession of rabbit-like bounds--taking the precaution to remove the
saddle, on entering, by striking it against the lintel of the door. “You
observe,” said Enriquez blandly, “she would make that thing of ME. Not
having the good occasion, she ees dissatisfied. Where are you now?”
Two or three days afterwards he rode her again with the same
result--accepted by him with the same heroic complacency. As we did not,
for certain reasons, care to use the open road for this exercise, and as
it was impossible to remove the tree, we were obliged to submit to the
inevitable. On the following day I mounted her--undergoing the same
experience as Enriquez, with the individual sensation of falling from a
third-story window on top of a counting-house stool, and the variation
of being projected over the fence. When I found that Chu Chu had not
accompanied me, I saw Enriquez at my side. “More than ever is become
necessary that we should do thees things again,” he said gravely, as
he assisted me to my feet. “Courage, my noble General! God and Liberty!
Once more on to the breach! Charge, Chestare, charge! Come on, Don
Stanley! 'Ere we are!”
He helped me none too quickly to catch my seat again, for it apparently
had the effect of the turned peg on the enchanted horse in the Arabian
Nights, and Chu Chu instantly rose into the air. But she came down this
time before the open window of the kitchen, and I alighted easily on the
dresser. The indefatigable Enriquez followed me.
“Won't this do?” I asked meekly.
“It ees BETTER--for you arrive NOT on the ground,” he said cheerfully;
“but you should not once but a thousand times make trial! Ha! Go and
win! Nevare die and say so! 'Eave ahead! 'Eave! There you are!”
Luckily, this time I managed to lock the rowels of my long spurs under
her girth, and she could not unseat me. She seemed to recognize the fact
after one or two plunges, when, to my great surprise, she suddenly
sank to the ground and quietly rolled over me. The action disengaged
my spurs, but, righting herself without getting up, she turned her
beautiful head and absolutely LOOKED at me!--still in the saddle. I felt
myself blushing! But the voice of Enriquez was at my side.
“Errise, my friend; you have conquer! It is SHE who has arrive at the
ground! YOU are all right. It is done; believe me, it is feenish! No
more shall she make thees thing. From thees instant you shall ride her
as the cow--as the rail of thees fence--and remain tranquil. For she is
a-broke! Ta-ta! Regain your hats, gentlemen! Pass in your checks! It is
ovar! How are you now?” He lit a fresh cigarette, put his hands in his
pockets, and smiled at me blandly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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