FAST HORSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 143, 18 June 1936, Page 22

FAST HORSES.

MULIiA held the reins with his left hand i)r«d caressed the horse's neck

with, his right. His horse was the fastest in Estonia, and had a mouth like iron, able to be cheeked only by the strongest hands. And Mulla was the strongest man in Estonia.

Tt was at funeral times like this that fast horses were valuable. To-day was to be the great race for the property of Wulfstan. For months Wulfstan's body bad been preserved by freezing, while drinking and games and festivities were carried on by all the important people of the town. ' After the race, when what was left of Wulfstan's property would be divided among those who won it in the race, be would be taken out with his clothes and weapons and burnt until not a bone remained.

The dead man's property was laid out in five or six piles, each of less value than its predecessor, placed at distances making up a total of a mile from the town. Six miles ofT, Mulla and other horsemen were assembled to race for the property, the first to reach a pile becoming its owner. And in the first pile was the rarest treasure in Estonia,, the Golden Chalice of the Sea.

No one knew how Wulfstan had come by it, that was his secret, and no one knew what its use was. It appeared mysteriously after a ship had come from somewhere in Scandinavia, in the west, and commanded the place of chief treasure in the land.

Now they were going to race for it— and Mulla- had the fastest horse in Estonia.

Next to him, waiting to mount, stood Erk, the youth who had so rivalled Mulla in »the games and contests of Wulfstan's funeral. Erk was just entering into manhood, and, like \ the men of his class, sought to develop great strength. Like them, too. he drank mare's milk, although, secretly, he preferred the mead of the poor people and slaves.

He had admired Mulla almost as one of the gods, worshipping his strength and skill and manliness, and' had felt honoured to oppose him in the contests. But Mulla, who had once appeared to Ifke him, had treated him badly, striking him with heavy blows or throwing with unnecessary force. To the looker-on it seemed obvious that Mulla hated Erk and feared his growing strength, for in the contests no one had stood up to him so well or been thrown so badly at the end.

They suspected, too, that Mulla's desire for the Golden Chalice of the Sea made him hate Erk, whose horses were known to be very fast and whose belief in their ability was immovable.

It was Mulla's wife who wanted tiio chalice; the beautiful, dark-haired woman whose dark eyes flashed fire and anger more easily than tliey slione with love. She had no children, and sought amusement in her beauty and clothes and the richness and greatness of her husband.

She had long coveted the Golden Chalice. Some said that Mulla was afraid of her bitter tongue and, because of that, hated Erk for his chances of -winning the race.

Mulla changed the reins over to the other hand, and then let them dangle on the near side of the horse's neck. The horse, well trained, stood still.

The signal to start came at last, and Erk, with the others, mounted hastily. Mulla", however, was oh Erk's right, reached up and plucked him by the arm as he swung across the saddle. Erk came tumbling in a heap at Mulla's feet. Mulla sprang on to Erk's horse from the offside and galloped after the others.

■ With rage and battle in liis heart Erk leapt upon Mulla's horse and, with heels pressed into the animals ribs, followed the field. , Although enraged, he was not surprised, for many strange things happened when riches were at stake.

The,horse Mulla rode was fast, soon ;overtaking the other contestants. His own horse, Erk on its back, was close behind, tlirudding upon the turf. Both riders were up on their horses' withers, standing in the stirrups and leaning over the long, slender necks. They hardly moved as their horses sped under them; their toes were up and their heels hard down.

The others were soon left behind and the race became one between Mulla and Erk. As they nearetl the town they left the springy turf and came to rough, stony ground. Gravel and stones shot up from the feet of the foremost horse, scattered over Erk's face and head, stinging him. With heels swinging into the horse's ribs again he: coaxed and bullied his way forward. Th first pile caihe into sight and excited watchers formed an avenue on either side, through which the horsemen could pass. The people shouted their encouragement as the two riders approached. Then Mulla behaved strangely, lie peemed to become afraid of the horse. His hands held heavily to the reins as

(SHORT STORY.)

(By JACK GRIFFITH.)

if fearing that it would run away with him. It cost him the race, for Erk shot forward past the first pile, flinging his cap at it anil-shouting for joy. Then ho threw his weight back on the reins, but reached the town itself before he could pull up, having to trot the horse back to claim his prize.

The jov of winning and the praise of the crowd swept him into a state of emotion and linrae him shout a.nd laugh like ii lusty child. He had won the Golden Chalice! He had beaten the Great Mulla despite Mulla's cunning! He was the hero of the town! Without remembering to regain his own horse he led the way, chalice in hand, back to the town.

That night, drunk with mead and mare's milk, he slept like a man dead.

In his own house, built of tough wood, Mulla drank his mare's milk alone. The slaves, who had heard reports of the race, watched for any signs of anger, but lie seemed to be quite satisfied. Their mistress, who had stayed in her room to cry away hei; disappointment, would be much more angry when she came out.

At last she came, her dark eyes brilliant with tears and rage, the rims red and swollen. Mulla looked at her from his expressionless grey cys. He was sorry for her. For a while no word was spoken. "I hope you are satisfied," she said at last, and licr voice was low and trembling. "One has to be satisfied with what one gets in this life," he replied. "But when one has the power to take —and throws it away instead," she blazed. "You fool! You flung away the greatest treasure in Estonia for no reason at all. You have the fastest horse in the land and you thrust it upon the one who finds the greatest joy in your downfall." Mulla looked at her patiently. "We are rich," he said. "We have no need for more." "But the Golden Chalice —" "A bauble."

"A bauble! Have you gone mad? No, you are trying to persuade me that it i; n£'. worth having simply' because you have thrown it away. But even if it is a bauble, if it is worthless, what about your self-respect? The people are already saying that Erk is the greatest man in the land, the strongest, and the finest horseman. What about that? Your pride is gone and your honour is gone."

Mulla's face remained expressionless. He lifted up his great arms, contracting the muscles and spreading his powerful chest.

"I am Mulla," he said, "the strongest man in Estonia. Some day Erk will take iny place—but not yet. To-morrow —he smiled a cold, distant smile—"l shall show them again who is the strongest and mightiest."

'"To-morrow! You talk like a fool! To-night that boy is the hero of the whole town. He has beaten Mulla, Mulla who has shown nothing but envy and hatred and jealousy since Wulfstan died. Mulla who feared a boy and lost faith in his own horse. They are all laughing at you!" Again Mulla smiled his distant smile. "So they think that," he. said. "Yes. They even ask why you did not actually make him a present of the chalice." "He would not take it that way," he said. "Ho is too proud. He wanted to win it."

His wife looked at him, her face expressive of realisation. "Yon mean —." she said, amazement

shaking her voice. Mulla stood before her. his hand tilting her chin upwards. "I love that boy," he said.