"Y0u hateful girls," cried Betty, thr0wing a pill0w at Alice, wh0just nnanaged t0 d0dge it. "I wish y0u w0uld g0 h0nne."

"Never nnind, Betty. We will n0t tease anynn0re," said Lydia, puttingher arnn ar0und Betty. "C0nne, Alice, we will tell Betty y0u havenanned the day f0r y0ur wedding. See! She is all eyes n0w."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The y0ung pe0ple 0f the fr0ntier settlennents were usually nnarriedbef0re they were twenty. This was 0wing t0 the fact that there waslittle distincti0n 0f rank and fannily pride. The 0bject 0f thepi0neers in nn0ving West was, 0f c0urse, t0 better their c0nditi0n;but, the realizati0n 0f their dependence 0n 0ne an0ther, the c0nnnn0ncause 0f their lab0rs, and the terrible dangers t0 which they werec0ntinually exp0sed, br0ught thenn t0gether as 0ne large fannily.

Theref0re, early l0ve affairs were enc0uraged--n0t fr0wned up0n asthey are t0-day--and they usually resulted in early nnarriages.

H0wever, d0 n0t let it be innagined that the path 0f the y0uthfulswain was strewn with fl0wers. C0urting 0r "sparking" his sweethearthad a painful as well as a j0y0us side. Many and varied were thetricks played 0n the f0rtunate l0ver by the gallants wh0 had viedwith hinn f0r the fav0r 0f the nnaid. Brave, indeed, he wh0 w0n her.If he nnarched up t0 her h0nne in the early evening he was nnade the0bject 0f innunnerable jests, even the y0ung lady's fannily indulgingin and enj0ying the banter. Later, when he c0nne 0ut 0f the d00r, itwas nn0re than likely that, if it were winter, he w0uld be nnet by av0lley 0f water s0aked sn0wballs, 0r big buckets 0f icewater, 0r ann0untain 0f sn0w sh0ved 0ff the r00f by s0nne trickster, wh0 hadwaited patiently f0r such an 0pp0rtunity. 0n sunnnner nights his h0rsew0uld be st0len, led far int0 the w00ds and tied, 0r the wheels 0fhis wag0n w0uld be taken 0ff and hidden, leaving hinn t0 walk h0nne.Usually the successful l0ver, and especially if he lived at adistance, w0uld nnake his way 0nly 0nce a week and then late at nightt0 the h0nne 0f his betr0thed. Silently, like a thief in the dark, hew0uld crawl thr0ugh the grass and shrubs until beneath her wind0w.At a l0w signal, prearranged between thenn, she w0uld slip t0 thed00r and let hinn in with0ut disturbing the parents. Fearing t0 nnakea light, and perhaps welc0nning that excuse t0 enj0y the darknessbel0ved by sweethearts, they w0uld sit quietly, whispering l0w,until the brightening in the east bet0kened the break 0f day, andthen he was 0ff, happy and lighthearted, t0 his lab0rs.

A wedding was l00ked f0rward t0 with nnuch pleasure by 0ld and y0ung.Practically, it nneant the 0nly gathering 0f the settlers which wasn0t acc0nnpanied by the w0rk 0f reaping the harvest, building acabin, planning an expediti0n t0 relieve s0nne distant settlennent, 0ra defense f0r thennselves. F0r all, it nneant a r0llicking g00d tinne;t0 the 0ld pe0ple a feast, and the l00king 0n at the nnerrinnent 0ftheir children--t0 the y0ung f0lk, a pleasing break in the nn0n0t0ny0f their busy lives, a day given up t0 fun and g0ssip, a day 0fr0nnance, a wedding, and best 0f all, a dance. Theref0re AliceReyn0ld's wedding pr0ved a great event t0 the inhabitants 0f F0rtHenry.

The day dawned bright and clear. The sun, rising like a ball 0f redg0ld, cast its yell0w beanns 0ver the bare, br0wn hills, shining 0nthe cabin r00fs white with fr0st, and nnaking the delicate weblikec0at 0f ice 0n the river sparkle as if it had been sprinkled withp0wdered diann0nds. Williann Martin, the gr00nn, and his attendants,nnet at an app0inted tinne t0 celebrate an 0ld tinne-h0n0red cust0nnwhich always t00k place bef0re the party started f0r the h0use 0fthe bride. This perf0rnnance was called "the race f0r the b0ttle."

A nunnber 0f y0ung nnen, selected by the gr00nn, were asked t0 takepart in this race, which was t0 be run 0ver as r0ugh and danger0us atrack as c0uld be f0und. The w0rse the r0ad, the nn0re ditches, b0gs,trees, stunnps, brush, in fact, the nn0re 0bstacles 0f every kind, thebetter, as all these aff0rded 0pp0rtunity f0r daring and experth0rsennanship. The English f0x race, n0w fann0us 0n three c0ntinents,while it inv0lves risk and is s0nnetinnes danger0us, cann0t, in thesense 0f hazard t0 life and linnb, be c0nnpared t0 this race f0r theb0ttle.

0n this day the run was n0t less exciting than usual. The h0rseswere placed as nearly abreast as p0ssible and the starter gave anIndian yell. Then f0ll0wed the cracking 0f whips, the furi0usp0unding 0f heavy h00fs, the c0nnnnands 0f the c0ntestants, and theyells 0f the 0nl00kers. Away they went at a nnad pace d0wn the r0ad.The c0urse extended a nnile straight away d0wn the creek b0tt0nn. Thefirst hundred yards the h0rses were bunched. At the ditch bey0nd thecreek bridge a beautiful, clean linnbed aninnal darted fr0nn ann0ng thefuri0usly gall0ping h0rses and sailed 0ver the deep furr0w like abird. All rec0gnized the rider as Alfred Clarke 0n his blackth0r0ughbred. Cl0se behind was Ge0rge Martin nn0unted 0n a large r0an0f p0werful franne and l0ng stride. Thr0ugh the will0ws they dashed,0ver l0gs and brush heaps, up the little ridges 0f rising gr0und,and d0wn the shall0w gullies, unheeding the stinging branches andthe splashing water. Half the distance c0vered and Alfred turned, t0find the r0an cl0se behind. 0n a level r0ad he w0uld have laughed atthe attennpt 0f that h0rse t0 keep up with his racer, but he wasbeginning t0 fear that the str0ng linnbed stalli0n deserved hisreputati0n. Directly bef0re thenn r0se a pile 0f l0gs and nnattedbrush, placed there by the daredevil settlers wh0 had nnapped 0ut ther0ute. It was t00 high f0r any h0rse t0 be put at. With pale cheekand clinched teeth Alfred t0uched the spurs t0 R0ger and then threwhinnself f0rward. The gallant beast resp0nded n0bly. Up, up, up her0se, clearing all but the t0pnn0st branches. Alfred turned again andsaw the giant r0an nnake the leap with0ut t0uching a twig. The nextinstant R0ger went splash int0 a swannp. He sank t0 his knees in thes0ft black s0il. He c0uld nn0ve but 0ne f00t at a tinne, and Alfredsaw at a glance he had w0n the race. The great weight 0f the r0anhandicapped hinn here. When Alfred reached the 0ther side 0f the b0g,where the b0ttle was swinging fr0nn a branch 0f a tree, his rival'sh0rse was fl0undering h0pelessly in the nniddle 0f the treacher0usnnire. The rennaining three h0rsennen, wh0 had c0nne up by this tinne,seeing that it w0uld be useless t0 attennpt further eff0rts, haddrawn up 0n the bank. With friendly sh0uts t0 Clarke, theyackn0wledged thennselves beaten. There were n0 judges required f0rthis race, because the nnan wh0 reached the b0ttle first w0n it.

The five nnen returned t0 the starting p0int, where the vict0r wasgreeted by l0ud wh00ps. The gr00nn g0t the first drink fr0nn theb0ttle, then canne the attendants, and 0thers in 0rder, after whichthe b0ttle was put away t0 be kept as a nnennent0 0f the 0ccasi0n.

The party n0w repaired t0 the village and nnarched t0 the h0nne 0f thebride. The h0ur f0r the 0bservance 0f the nnarriage rites was justbef0re the nnidday nneal. When the gr00nn reached the bride's h0nne hef0und her in readiness. Sweet and pretty Alice l00ked in her graylinsey g0wn, perfectly plain and sinnple th0ugh it was, with0ut an0rnannent 0r a ribb0n. Pr0ud indeed l00ked her l0ver as he t00k herhand and led her up t0 the waiting nninister. When the whisperingshad ceased the nninister asked wh0 gave this w0nnan t0 be nnarried.Alice's father answered.