coun'-cil of war, meeting to consider prai'-rie, a large tract of land, with- lar'-i-at, a long cord with a noese, used in catching wild animals. prime, best; finest. pack-hors'-es, horses which carry (1) under- means beneath, below; as undervalue, to value below its worth; underground, beneath the ground. (2) Up- means motion upwards; as upstart, to start upwards; uproot, to tear up by the root. 2. Analyse and parse the following: "The pack-horses were now taken into the woods and firmly tied to trees, lest in a rush of wild horses they should break away.' 3. Make sentences of your own, and use in each one or more of the following words: Ornament, repose, officious, circuit. RINGING THE WILD HORSE-II. 1. The flanking parties were quietly extending themselves out of sight, on each side of the valley, and the residue were stretching themselves like the links of a chain across it, when the wild horses gave signs that they scented an enemy; snuffing the air, snorting, and looking about. At length they pranced off slowly toward the river, and disappeared behind a green bank. 2. Here, had the regulations of the chase been observed, they would have been quietly checked and turned back by the advance of a hunter from the trees. Unluckily, however, we had our wild-fire, Jack-o'-lantern little Frenchman to deal with. Instead of keeping quietly up the right side of the valley, to get above the horses, the moment he saw them move toward the river, he broke out of the covert of woods and dashed furiously across the plain in pursuit of them. 3. This put an end to all system. The halfbreeds, and half a score of rangers, joined in the chase. Away they all went over the green bank. In a moment or two the wild horses reappeared, and came thundering down the valley, with Frenchman, halfbreeds, and rangers galloping and yelling behind them. It was in vain that the line drawn across the valley attempted to check and turn back the fugitives. They were too hotly pressed by their pursuers: in their panic they dashed through the line, and clattered down the plain. 4. The whole troop joined in the headlong chase, some of the rangers without hats or caps, their hair flying about their ears, and others with handkerchiefs tied round their heads. The buffaloes, which had been calmly ruminating among the herbage, heaved up their huge forms, gazed for a moment at the tempest that came scouring down the meadow, then turned and took to heavy, rolling flight. They were soon overtaken; the promiscuous throng were pressed together by the contracting sides of the valley, and away they went, pell-mell, hurry-skurry, wild buffalo, wild horse, wild huntsman, with clang and clatter, and whoop and halloo, that made the forests ring. 5. At length the buffaloes turned into a green brake, on the river bank, while the horses dashed up a narrow defile of the hills, with their pursuers close to their heels. Beatte passed several of them, having fixed his eye upon a fine horse that had his ears slit and saddle marks upon his back. He pressed him gallantly, but lost him in the woods. 6. Among the wild horses was a fine black mare, which in scrambling up the defile tripped and fell. A young ranger sprang from his horse, and seized her by the mane and muzzle. Another ranger dismounted and came to his assistance. The mare struggled fiercely, kicking and biting, and striking with her forefeet, but a noose was slipped over her head, and her struggles were in vain. 7. It was some time, however, before she gave over rearing and plunging, and lashing out with her feet on every side. The two rangers then led her along the valley, by two strong lariats, which enabled them to keep at a sufficient distance on each side to be out of the reach of her hoofs, and whenever she struck out in one direction she was jerked in the other. this way her spirit was gradually subdued. 8. As to Tonish, who had marred the whole scheme by his precipitancy, he had been more successful than he deserved, having managed to catch a beautiful cream-coloured colt about seven months old, that had not strength to keep up with its companions. The mercurial little Frenchman was beside himself with exultation. It was amusing to see him with his prize. The colt would rear and kick, and struggle to get free, when Tonish would take him about the neck, wrestle with him, jump on his back, and cut as many antics as a monkey with a kitten. 9. Nothing surprised me more, however, than to witness how soon these poor animals, thus taken from the unbounded freedom of the prairie, yielded to the dominion of man. In the course of two or three days the mare and colt went with the led horses and fug'-i-tives, the flying horses. scour'-ing down, running wildly. EXERCISES.-1. The Saxon prefix con-tract'-ing, narrowing; closing in. brake, a place overrun with bushes. de-file', road; valley. muz'-zle, mouth. noose, a running knot which ties the firmer the closer it is drawn. sub-dued', overcome. marred, spoiled. scheme, plan; purpose of the chase. with- means away, from, against; as withdraw, to draw away; withhold, to hold from; withstand, to stand against. 2. Analyse and parse the following: 'It was in vain that the line drawn across the valley attempted to check and turn back the fugitives.' 3. Make sentences of your own, and use in each one or more of the following words: Contract, subdue, docile, panic. THE SONG OF THE SHIRT. [This piece, by Thomas Hood, poet and humorist, first appeared in Punch in 1844. It revealed the sorrows and sufferings of the poor London needlewomen, and was successful in arousing the benevolent feeling of the public.] 1. With fingers weary and worn, with eyelids heavy and red, A woman sat, in unwomanly rags, plying her needle and thread: |