The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-11-10

watchers turned tner ehKer oyce eAPoOsinS
the more eagerly as, at times the distant
woods before them-lying beyond q long
stretch Of native savanna, made probably by
the beaver, while that industrious animal yet
figured in the British fauns-seemed TO moan
aud labor with deep indefinite murmuring
sound, half musical half solemn, but liker to
an echo than to any known utterance of any
living human being; too varied for the noise
of falling waters, too modulated for the wind
harp of the west, which was signing fitfully
among the branches Eagerly they watched,
with a wild look of almost painful expects-
ton in their keen light-blue eyes, resembling
in no respect the lively glance with which the
ioyial hunter awaits his gallant quarry for
there was something that spoke Of apprehen-
sion in the haggard eye, perhaps of the fear of
i'll performing an unwilling duty.
And if it were So it was not unnatural
not at that day, alas! uncommon, for dress,
air, aspect and demeanor, ali told them, at
first sight, to be Of that most wretched, IT not
most abject, class, the Saxon serts OF England
They were both clad alike in short close-cut
frocks, or tunics, of tanned leather, gathered
about their waists with broad buff belts fasten-
ed with brazen buckles in each of which stuck
long buckhorn- HATED two edged Sheffield whit
tie both were bare headed, both shod with
heavy clouted shoes and both wore riveted
about their necks, broad brazen dog. collars,
having the brand of their condition. with their
own names and qualities and that and the
condition of their master
Here, however ended the resemblance even
of their garb for, while the taller and better
formed man of the two, who was also some
what the darker haired and finer featured,
wore species of rude leather gauntlets, with
buskins of the same material reaching as high
as the binding of the frock, the other man
was bare-armed, and bare-legged also, with
the exception of an inartifcial covering of
thongs of boar-hide, plated from the ankle to
the knee upward The latter also carried no
weapon but a long quarter staff, though he led
a brace Of noble snOw-white alans-the wire
haired grayhounds of the day--in a leash of
twisted buckskn; while his brother-for so
strong was their personal resemblance that
their kinship could scare ely be doubted-car
ried a short steel-headed javelin in his hand,
and had beside him, unrestrained, a large
coarser hound, of a deep brindled gray color,
with clear hazel eyes and, what was strange
to say, in view of the condition of this man,
UNNAMED, according to the cruel forest code
of the Norman kings.
This difference in the apparel, and it may
be added in the neatness, well being, and gen.
orally superior bearing of him who was better
armed, might perhaps be explained by glance
at the engraving ON the respective collars.
For while that of the one and he the better
clad and better looking bore that he was
"Leofenoth, the dark, thral Of the land to Ay-
merry de Mortemar," that of the other stamped
him Eadwulf, the red, gros thral" of the
same Norman lord.
| D1kl e.. af fhn cd NArfh
race, which, largely intermixed with Danish
blood produced nobler, larger-limbed, loftier
and more athletic race than the pure Saxons
of the southern counties, they had fallen, with
the properties of the Saxon thane to whom
they had belonged in common, into the hands
of the foreign conqueror. Yet Leofenoth was
of that higher class--for there were classes
even among these miserable beings--which
could not be sold or parted from the coil on
which they were born, but at their own OPP
ton; while Eadwulf, although his own twin
| brother, for some cause into which it were
needless to inquire, could be sold at any time,
or to any person, or even snapped for an ami
NAL, or gambled away, at the slightest caprice
of his owner.
To this may be added, that, probably from
caprice or perhaps from some prediction for
his personal appearance and motions which
were commanding and even graceful, or for his
bearing, which was evidently less churlish than
| that of his countrymen in general his master
had distin guished him in some respects from
the other serfs of the soil and, without actu-
ally raising him to any of the higher offices
reserved to the Normans among whom the
very seryitors claimed to be, and indeed were,
gentlemen, had employed him in subordinate
stations under his buntsman, and intrusted
him 30 far as occasionally to permit his carry
ing arms into the field.
With him, as probably is the case in most
things, the action produced reaction; and what
had been the effect of causes, came in time to
DO the cause of effects Some real or sup
posed advantages procured for him the exceed
ing small dignity of some poor halfconceded
rights and those rights, the effect of perhaps
an imaginary superiority, soon became the
causes of something more real--of a sentiment
of half independence, desire of achieving
perfect liberty.
In this it was that he excelled his brother
but we must not anticipate What were the
characters Of the men, and from their charac-
ters what events grew, and what iates fol-
lowed, it is for the reader of these pages to de-
cipher.
After our men had tarried where we found
them, waiting till expectation should become
certainty for above half an hour, and the morn
ing had become clear and sunny, the distant
indescribable sound, heard indistinctly in the
woods, ripened into that singularly modulated,
all sweet, but half-discordant crash, which the
practiced ear is not slow to recognise as the
cry of largo pack of hounds, running hard
on hot scent in high timber
Anon the notes of individual hounds could
be distinguished now the sharp, savage treble
Of some feet brach, now the deep bass Of some
fouthron talbot, rising above or falling far be-
low the diapason Of the packard now shrill
and clear, the long keen flourish of Norman
bugle.
At the last signal, Leofenoth rose silently
but quickly to his feet while his dog, though
evidently excited by the approaching rally Of
the chase, remained steady at his couchant po-
sitiOn, expectant of his masters words. The
snow-white alans, on the contrary, fretted, and
lea. hes, while Eadwulf sat still, stubborn or
stupid and animated by no ambition, by no
hope, perhaps scarce even BY fear.
But as the chase drew higher, Up, Fad
wulf!" cried his brother, quickly, sup, and
away Thou'lt have to stretch thy legs, even
now. 10 reach the four lane ends, where the
relays must be when the stag crosses Up,
man, say! Is this the newer spirit you spoke
of but now this the way you would earn lar
gers whereby to win your freedom Out upon
| L that | should say 40 of my own brother,
but thou'lt win nothing but the shsckles IL not
the thong Away lest my words prove trothn
Eadwulf the Red arose with scowl, but
without a word shook himself like . water
dog and set of at logged swinging troll, tho
beautiful high-bred dogs bounding before his
steps like winged creatures and struggling
with the leashes that debarred their perfect
freedom-the man degraded, by the conscious
ness of misery and servitude into the type Of
soulless brute--the brutcs elevated, by high
breeding hiph cultivation. and high treatment