TRANSCRIPT

The Country Dance
A short story from 'Pioneer Tales and Other Human Stories'
By H.B. Adshead

Part 8

You kicked when you came to 'David.' So grabbing each other round the waist, off we went, and when we joined hands for the hop around, boys, what a grip she had. I don't think I swung her around. I rather thought she was doing the swinging.

But being a tall lady, after a few rounds, she was not satisfied with having her arm around my waist ; she suddenly placed her arm around my neck and imprisoned it as in a vise in the joint of her elbow. Although I couldn't turn my head around, I could hear that the rest of the dancers had retired and we had the floor to ourselves, the center of admiration, as it were. We needed plenty of room, anyway. This was mine hostess's opportunity for a good dance, and the music not being as quick as she would like, she called out to the fiddlers, 'Hoop 'er up, boys, hoop 'er up.'