The Columbian fountain., 1846-03-20

Grow de dow, dow ! Row de dow Row
de dow, dow!"
"Roger Dutton-gay Roger Dutton |!
Long live Roger Dutton!n
Such were the sounds, or at least few
of them, that soon accompanied the young
nobleman on his march through the fair.
Never was such hullabaloo heard-never
was sucha scene of confusion--never were
so many heads thrust out Of the windows
never did so many men run out Of the
doors; the wild enthusiasm seized upon
every body-it was like the frenzy Of the
Bacchantes; every body was ready to go,
and to tear to pieces any one who hesita-
ted; so that at length by the time he had
made the complete round of the fair, and
reached the place to which the horses and
arms from the castle had been brought, full
seventeen hundred men were ready to fol-
low him to death, and Allan, the harper,
changing his verse, sang in louder and
gayer voice than ever,
sRoger Dutton leads to fight
The bold iddlers and their crew;
If he meets the Welsh to night
He will give the devil his DUE"
CHAPTER ".
THE BEsIEGED CASTLE.
"Cheer up, cheer up, Edith cheer up
Mary" cried Ranulph, Earl of Chester,
rushing in, fully armed, TO rest for mo-
ment or two in the ladies' bower of Rothe-
Ian. "What! faint hearts-faint hearts and
white faces No fear! 1t is these blub-
bering girls of yours who keep round you,
like flock of sheep, that sink your hearts
down, and make you think the castles lost
before it's well beleagued. Whip me
such whimperers Why, there's that
great gaping girl, Margery, with her eyes
as red as thee inside of baron beef, and
her mouth wide open, as if all her courage
had jumped out of it; why, girl, if there
was hole as big as that in the castle wall,
we should have all the Welshmen in. Come
get the gone fetch me cup OF sack and a
luncheon of bread, this exercise makes one
hungry. One should have a siege, or
battle, or tournament, or something Of
that kind, at least every month";. to keep
ones spirits up and ones limbs active. |
am growing old now and creaky, Edith,
and must be reused every now and then.
What pity you wern't boy, now! You'd
fight in my stead 20
"Would to Heaven were!" cried Edith,
a gay, light-hearted, pretty girl, fiji to make
a capital soldiers bride Of" but my dear
father it is hopeless now | have prayed to
ST. Hilda the last three years, to make boy
Of me, but it's all in vain-girl | am, and
girl ! must remain But | can fight for
you, for all that, if you will give me bow
and arrow | can wing shaft as well as
any archer on the walls !"
The good Earl laughed and kissed her
cheek, saying "get thee gone for a saucy
hussy don't love thee bit. But we
don't want such baby archers, it would but
encourage these insolent Welshmen, to see
that we brought out our women to fight
them. The vagabond scum! Oh when
my ratcatchers come, / will soon rid the
country of the vermin. Come, come, Ma
ry, look up! What, are you thinking OF
Roger Dutton dare say we shall soon
have gay Roger among US, with his lance
in the rest, and your good father, too. 1t
won't be told half an hour that Rothelan is
besieged by the Welshmen, before old de
Lacy has his foot in the stirrup."
''But you ferget, my dear uncle," said
Mary, ''that you and the king made him
swear he would not be one night out OF
Chester Castle during the fair-time."
"An unlucky oath, by St. James and St.
Jude y cried the Earl, with grave look.
esBut, tut never mind; he will send Roger
Dultou, at the head of his men; and that
will do as well, for gay Roger is good sol
der. Ha the sack; come Margery, tast,
the cup. You must shut your mouth then
but what makes you shake your head Sc
sadly, Mary' Yours used to be merr,
heart as ever beat under silk bodice, ant
you must have seen strife in your day will
your good father; he was always in tn
heat of it. What makes you shake you
head, ] says"
"Why, my dear uncle" replied Mary, II
a sad tone, awhen my father sent me here
he could but spare twelve spears to escor
me, and know there were very few me
IN the castle
"T'ish :" cried the Earl, 'they were out