The Gallop of Death (1913)
The story opens with the arrival of the honeymoon couple in America. The wedding trip of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan had been a tour around the world, and while in India, Mrs. Bryan had become very much attached to a trained tiger which her husband purchased for her, at the same time arranging for the services of a Hindoo trainer and caretaker. They opened up their home in a suburb near New York City. Then the ghost of divorce appeared. It came in the guise of a letter from Mrs. Bryan's first husband, whom she had separated from in England. He had learned of her second marriage, which was in violation of her agreement not to marry again. He had come to America and had sent her a request to meet him. To guard against any exposure of her past, particularly to Bryan, she consents to meet the man at the place designated by him. He implores her to leave Bryan and return to England with him, and when she refuses he threatens her. In his growing anger, he attempts to use force and she strikes him with her riding crop and gallops off. The man, a cad at heart, determines upon a scheme of revenge. Fearing exposure, she persuades Bryan to offer their home for sale. He consents and this becomes a means whereby the divorced husband gains entrance to their home. He comes on the pretext of being a buyer and times his call when only the servants are in. While being shown through the bathroom, he secretly pours some vitriol into a basin of toilet water. He thanks the caretaker and leaves, gloating over the success of his devilish plan of revenge upon the woman. Returning from her ride she goes to bathe her tired and dust-filled eyes in the basin of water usually prepared for her. She screams out in pain; the servants rush in: the Hindoo caretaker also follows. He finds a handkerchief on the floor and the peculiar odor arouses his suspicions. He takes it at once to the tiger, who has been trained to follow a scent, releases the beast and they make for the trail of the guilty man. They tree him and at the point of a gun the Hindoo forces the wretch to the suburban station house. The woman, in the meantime, believes she has been blinded for life, and rather than that Bryan shall know her past, she decided to take her horse and dash over the Hudson cliffs to death in the waters below. She compels her groom to saddle her horse for her and place her on its back. Then she starts on her "gallop to death." But no, not death, for Bryan returns unusually early that day. He hears of his wife's plan and follows. Savagely she whipped and spurred her steed on. And behind her rode Bryan, who never raised his whip nor touched his spur, but he begged his horse to go faster, faster, faster, and the beast understood. And now he comes in sight of her, grabs her from the saddle and rears both horses up and away from the edge of the precipice. And but a few weeks later the threatening veil was raised from her eyes and sight returned once more, and happiness too.
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| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Henry J. Vernot | Director |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Alec B. Francis | |
| Lamar Johnstone | |
| Nancy Avril |
