The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-01

In the former, the eye, as the heart, and the
pulse, ana the ear, are all bent alott, up! up!
with the straining, towering birds; while the
steed must pick its own way over smooth or
rough, and the rider take his leaps as they
chance to come, unseen and unexpected.
Such was the glorious mystery of Rivers!
The wind, what little of it there was when
the heron rose, was from the southwark, and
the bird flew before it directly toward the cot
tage of Kenric, rising slowly but strongly into
the upper regions of air. The two falcons,
which were nearly half mile astern of the
quarry when they were cast off, flew almost as
it seemed, with the speed of lightning, in paral-
lei lines about fifty yards apart, rising as he
rose, and evidently gaining. on him at eveyy.
stroke of their long sharp pinious III pursuit.
And in pursuit of these their riders sitting well
back IN their saddles, and holding them hard
by the head, the high-blooded horses tore across
the marshy plain, driving fragments of turf
high into the air at every stroke, and sweeping
over the drains and water-courses which OBJ
structed their career, like the unbridled wind.
1t was glorious spectacle group of un-
rivalled splendor, in coloring, in grace in vi
vncity, motion, fire, sweeping through that
panorama of unequalled mountain scenery.
! The day was clear and sunny, the skies soft
and transparency blue, but, ever and anon,
huge clouds came driving over the scene cast
| ing vast purple shadows over the green mead
ows and the mirrored lake. One of these now
came sweeping overhead, and toward it tower
| ed tho contending birds. The heron, when he
| saw that he was pursued, uttered louder and
| harsher cry, and began to scale the sky in great
aerial circles. Silent, in smaller circles, tower
ed the falcons, each emulous to out-top the
others. Upl up higher and higher Neither
| victorious yet, neither vanquished. Now!
| ha ia lov -ith nd
| again rings the changing shrek of the wild
| water-bird, and he redoubes his last effort He
rises, he out-tops the hawks, and all vanish in
| an instant from the eyes of the pursuers, swal-
lowed up in the depths of the great golden
cloud.
Still the harsh clanking cry is heard; and
now, as they and the cloud still drift northward,
they reappear, now all descending, above the
| little esplanadc before the cottage door, where
Edith stands watching.
The heron is below, falling plumb through
the dir with his back downward his wings flap
ping at random, his long neck trussed on his
breast, and his sharp bill projecting upward,
perilous as the point of Moorish assagay.
The falcons both above him, towering for the
swoop, Aradas' Helvellyn the topmost.
| He pointed to the birds with his riding rod
triumphantly, and glancing an arch look at his
mistress. "Helvellyn has it," he said. "Pal
estine or no Palestine, on the stoop!"
| son the hawks |! " she replied "and Heav-
| en- decide it,"
81 will wear the glove in my casque in the
first career" and, as he spoke, the falcon closed
his wings and came down with a swoop like
lightning on the devoted quarry. The rush of
his impetuous plunge, cleaving the air, was
clearly audible, above the rustling of the leaves
and the noise of the pursuers. But the gallant
heron met the shock unfinching, and " Hell
vellyn," gallant "Helvellyn," came down like
catapult upon the deadly beak of the fierce
wader, and was inpaled from breast to back in
second. There was minute of wild convul
sive auttering, and then the heron shook off his
assaillant, who drifted slowly down, writing
and struggling, with all his beauteous plumes
dishevelled and bedropped with gore, to the
dull earth, while, with clang of triumph, the
victor once more turned to rise heavenward.
The cry of triumph was premature, for, even
as it was uttered, brave Diamond made his
stoop. Swift and sure as the bolt of Heaven,
he found his aim, and, burying his keen singles
to the sheath in the back of the tortured water
fowl, Glove his scull at single stroke of the
| trenchant bill.
"Hurrah! Hurrah brave Diamond" cried
the delighted girl. "No Palestine! no Pales-
tine! For this, your bells and iesses shall be of
gold, beautiful Diamond, and your drink of the
purest wine of Gascony"
| And giving head to her jennet, the first of
all the train she reached the spot where the
birds lay struggling on the grass within ten
yards of kenrics door, and, as she sprang
from her saddle, was caught in the arms Of
Edith.
Goods blessings on you! welcomed welcome
dearest lady," cried the beautiful Saxon, rain
ing down tears of gratitude.
"Thanks, Edith; but, quick! quick help
me save the falcon, lest the heronshaw hurt
him. My life was at stake on his flight and
he hos saved my lifel"
"The heronshaw is dead enough, lady, he
will hurt nothing more" said the Saxon, follow
| ing her lady, nevertheless, to secure the gallant
gosshawk, which in a moment sat pluming his
rufaed feathers, and glaring at her triumphant
y with his clear golden eye, as he arched his
proud neck to her caresses, on the wrist of his
fair mistress.
1t seemed as though he knew that he had
won her wager.
The hour of the MONDAY meal had now fully
arrived, and the sumpter mules were soon
brought up, and carpets spread on the turf, and
TASKS and barrels, pasties and brawns and
huge boar's heads unpacked in tempting profu-
sion, and all preparations made for meal in
the open air.
|
whom she owed more than life, whom she loved
more than her own life, would honor her hum
BILE roof, would suffer the choicest of the viands
| to be borne into her pleasant, sunny room, and
taste her home-brewed mead, that Guendolen,
who was in rapture at her triumph, readily con-
scented, and Aradas, who was pleased to see
Guendolen happy, made no opposition.
So, while amid loud merriment, and the clang
of TASKS and beakers, and the clash of knives
and trenchers, their train Jared jovialy and
Justify without, they Toasted daintily and hap
PLY within the Saxon's cottage.
| And the sunny room was pleasant; and the
light played cheerfully on the polished pewter
| trenchers on the dresser, and the vanished
holly and scarlet berries and bright wild flow
ers on the wall; and the sparkling wood fire
was not amss after the gallop in the clear air !;
and Guendolen preferred the light, foaming
mead of the Saxon housewife, to the wines Of
| Gascony and Bordeaux; and all went happily
and well.
| Above all, Edith gained her point. She got
| occasion to tell the tale of Eadwulfs flight, ar
rival, and departure, and obtained a promise of
protection for her husband, in case he should
be brought in question for his share in his
brothers escape; and even prevailed that no
search should be made after Eadwulf provided
he would keep himself aloof, and commit no
offence against the pitiless forest laws, or dep
relations on the people of the dales.
Many strange emotions of indignation, SYM
patty, horror, alternately swept through the
mind of Guendolep, and were reflected from
her eloquent eyes; and many times did
Aradas twirl his thick moustache, and grippe
his dagger's hilt, as they heard the vicis-
STUDIES of that strange tale-the base and das-
tardly murder of the noble and good Sir Philip
de Morville; the staying of the bailif by the