The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-24

TWELFTH CENTURY.
BY HENRY WILLIAM HERBERT.
CHAP; H.
The Rescue
ria merry It's merry, in good green wood
When mavis and merle are singing
when the deer sweeps by and the hounds in cry,
And the huHters horn is ringing.
There is something exceedingly singular in
the depth of almost palpable silence which
seams 70 fall upon a tract of woodland country,
on the sudden cessation of full cry of stag
hound, which cry has in itself apart from its
stirring harmony of discords, something of
cheeffalness and sociality, conveyed by its
sound. even to the lonely wayfarer.
Although during that hush of the woods, the
carol Of the birds, the hum of insects, the
breezy voice of the tree. tops the cooling of the
r,ngiove. the murmur of falling waters, and
all the undistinguished harmonies of nature
unheard before, and drowned in that loud brat.
Ting sound forth and I'LL the listeners ear, yet
thew disturb it not, nor seem to dissipate, but
rather to augment the influence of the silence.
Leofenoth had not the educated sentiments
which lead the most highly civilized Of men to
sympathize most deeply with the beautiful
sounds and sights of nature. Yet still, as is
mostly the case with dwellers in the forest or
on the wild mountain tops he had certain
uututored eye to take in and note effects--an
unlearned ear with which to receive pleasant
sounds, and acquire fuller pleasure from
them than be could perfectly comprehend or
explain to his own senses. And now, when the
tumult of the chase had fallen asleep, he leaned
against the gnared and messy trunk, with his
boar spear resting listlessly against his thigh
and quiet, meditative expression replacing on
hi grave, stern features the earnest and excited
gaze with which he had watched the approach
Of the hunt
The check, however, lasted not long; the
clear, shrill challenge Of favorite hound soon
rose from the woodlands, accompanied by loud
cheers "Taro, Tar6, Tantaro!" and followed
by the full crash of the reassembled pack, az
they rallied to their leader, and struck again
on the hot and steamipg scent.
Nearer and nearer came the cry, and ever
and anon uprose, distinct and mellow, the ca.
denced fiourishcs of the clear French horns
sEinS new life 70 the crackers of the deer, and
ming the hearts Of the riders with almost
mad excitement. Ere long, several cushats
might be seen wheeling above the tree-tops
disturbed from their procreant cradles by the
proximity of the fierce din below them. A mo
ment afterwards, dslodged from their feeding
grounds along the DOGGY margin of the Idle
iouf or five woOdcock tapped up from the alder
bushes near the brink, and came drifting
along before the soft wind, on their feebly
wblstling pnions, and, futtering over the heac
OF the watcher, dropped into the shelter of the
dlngle in his rear, with its thick shade. of var
nshed holes and, the next instant, a superb
red deer with high branching antlers, leaped
with mighty bound over and partly through
the crashing branches Of the thickct, and swept
with long, graceful bounds across the clear sa-
wanna. single shout, "Tayho! !" announced
the appearance of the quarry in the opens, and
awakened responsive clangor of the horns
which, al at once, sounded their gay tantivy
while The sharp, redoubled clang of the whips
and the cries of "arriere arriere!" which sue
ceeded told Leofenoth that the varlets and at
endants of the chase were busy stopping the
slow hounds, whose duty was accomplished SC
soon as the stag was freed into the field and
which were now to be replaced by the fleet and
hery alaus, used to course and pull down the
quarry by dlnt Of downright strength and
speed.
The stretch Of green savanna, of which ]
have spoken rs running along the northern
margin of tie Idle, below the wooded ridges o!
the lower hills could not have been less than
oar miles in length and was traversed by two
sandy paths, unguarded by any fence or hedge.
row, which intersected each other within few
huud,ed feet of the belt of underwood, whence
the hunted deer had broken covert AT this
point of intersection, known as the four lane
ends general term in Yorkshire for such
crossroads, stood gigantic oak short boughed
out OF vast diameter, with gnarled and tortuoui
branches sweeping down almost to the rank
grecnsward which surrounded it, and conceal
ing any person VINO stood within their circum
terence, as completely az il he were within ar
artificial pavilion
That way, winged by terror, bounded the
beautiful hart royal; for no less did his ten
tined antlers, with their huge cupped tops, de
note him; and, though it presented no real OBJ
stacle to his passage, when he saw the yellow
road, winding like a rivulet through the deer
grass he gathered all his feet together, made
iOur or five quick, short buck-leaps, and then
soaring into the air. like bird taking wing
swept over it and alighted ten feet on the
ni'her side, apparently without an effort
miracle Of mingled grace, activity, and beauty
AS he alighted, he paused a moment turned
a'S long, swan-like neck, and gazed backward
Tor lew seconds with his large, lustrous, mel
aoceoy eyes, until, seeing no pursuers, MOI
nearing any longer the crash which had aroused
l'''h from his harbor, he tossed his antler'
pro'dly, and sailed easily and leisurely across
Tue gentle green.
but at this moment Eadwulf the Red who
~, s@ stationed beneath that very oak tree with
sb 3D. IfS' relay of grayhounds, uttered long
sLnaa "hoop, and, casting loose the leashes
rPpcu the two snow-whitc alans on the quarry
~noop was answered Immediately, and, a.
enout nall q miles distance from the spo,
shere the deer had issued, two princelv.look,ne
Norman mobiles clearly distin a;rhobIs a. anal
by their r'chly-iarred short hunt;ny Coat. t;ob,
nose, and golden spurs Of knighthood cam,
INTO sight, squirting their noble Anda,usian
sur'ers--at tn. period the feetest strain n
Tue world, ~ Oh combined high blood with tn,
oAPici,y to endure the weight IF msn-at arm,
~ ns full panoply-to their fullest speed and
moved by a long train Of attend ants--some
"n'an1ed, some On foot huntsmen and verdurerr
aui yeonen prickers, with falconers, and run.
lug iootmen, some leading alans in the leash
~" some with nets and spears for the chase Of
wv" 1e VIA boar, which still roamed not unfre.
~ III the woody swamps that intersectec
Ia lover grounds and lined many of the river
'e,'a OF Sherwood.
o " Was gay and stirring scene. The mead.
w. tate 30 quiet ia its uniform green garniture
glit,.,o" alive with autteriog plumes and
many .ooiored scarfs and cassocks
cbSs,n ''eeas OF all hues, blood bay and golden
blacr. uappled and roam, and gleamy
ana one, on which rode the foremost oi