249 Faith and Fate

TO horse, my dear, and out into the night!

Stirrup and saddle and away, away!

Into the darkness, into the affright,

Into the unknown on our trackless way!

Past bridge and town missiled with flying feet,

Into the wilderness our riding thrills;

The gallop echoes through the startled street,

And shrieks like laughter in the demoned hills;

Things come to meet us with fantastic frown,

And hurry past with maniac despair;

Death from the stars looks ominously down—

Ho, ho, the dauntless riding that we dare!

East, to the dawn, or west or south or north!

Loose rein upon the neck of Fate—and forth!