the guests listened breathlessly , for they felt that they would never hear such wonderful music again . and so it fell out . for that very night , after all the nobles had gone back to their tents , a soldier on guard saw , in the moonlight , a snow - white hart and hind moving slowly down the road that ran past the camp . there was something so unusual about the animals that he called to his officer to come and look at them . and the officer called to his brother officers , and soon there was quite a crowd softly following the dumb creatures , who paced solemnly on , as if they were keeping time to music unheard by mortal ears . " there is something uncanny about this , " said one soldier at last . " let us send for thomas of ercildoune , perchance he may be able to tell us if it be an omen or no . " " ay , send for thomas of ercildoune , " cried every one at once . so a little page was sent in haste to the old tower to rouse the rhymer from his slumbers .
he wanted to know if the animals were an omen .
why did the soldier want to call for thomas ?
why did the soldier want to call for thomas ?