@@@@@I haven't ridden horseback for so long that 191
@@@@@I haven't ridden horseback for so
long that anything with spirit would throw me for sureHow I used to
love to ride when the stables at Tara were fullPa
was so proud of his horsesSuellen had hands like anvils,
she could ruin the mouth of an alligatorAnd Carreen was afraid, even
of her ponyBut I used to race with Pa, hell for leather on the
roads, almost winning sometimes"Katie Scarlett," he'd say, "you ve
got the hands of an angel and the nerve of the devil himselfIt's the
O'Hara in you, a horse will always recognize an Irishman and give his
best for himTara's woods smelled sharp, just like
these, pine prickling in my noseAnd the birds singing and the
rustling leaves underfoot and the peace of it allI wonder how many
acres Rhett's got? I'll find out from RosemaryShe probably knows
right down to the square inchI hope this Miss Ashley isn't the
dragon Rhett makes her out to beWhat was it Rhett said? She looks
like she drinks vinegarHe is funny when he's nastylong as it's not
about me"Scarlett! Catch up, we're almost there
Rosemary's call came from aheadScarlett flicked the neck of her
horse with her crop and it walked marginally fasterRhett and
Rosemary
were already out of the wood when she reached themAt first all she
could see was Rhett, sharp-edged clear in the bright sunlightHow
handsome he is, and how well he sits his horse, not a sluggish old
thing
like mine, but a real horse with plenty of fire to himLook at the
way the horse's muscles are twitching under hisskin, yet he's still as
a statue, just from the grip of Rhett's knees and his hands on the
reinsRosemary gestured, catching Scarlett's eye, directing it
to the scene ahead, and Scarlett caught her breathShe had never
cared about architecture, never noticed it
