Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-08-22
THE SPLENDID SPUR.
Being Memoirs of the Adventures Of Mr. ohm Marvel a
Servant of His late Majesty King Charles in the
years 1642-3; written by himself
Edited in Modern English by 60"


folding up his map, addressed me again;
Master Marvel the fight today will lie
ut little with tho horse-or so I hope. You
will do we'll if your wish be to serve us best
| TO leave your mare behind. The troop which
my Lord Mohun and | command together
| is below But Sir Bevill Grenville who has
seen and is interested in you, has the first
| claim; and would not deny you the delight
TO fight your first battle under SO good mas
ter. His men are, with Sir John Berkeley's
troop, little 10 the westward; and if you
! arc ready viii 20 some distance with you,
and put you in the way to find him. My lord,
may we look for you presentlyn
The Lord Mohun nodded, surely enough;
so, Billy's cider being now drunk and Molly
| given over to an oster, we set out down the
hill together, Billy shouldering a pike and
walking after with the groom that led Sir
Ralphs horse. BE sure the generals courtly
manner of speech set my blood tingng. |
| seemed to grow full two inches teller; and
when, in the vale, we parted, he directed me
to the left, where through gap l could see
! Sir Bevils troop forming at some five hun
dred PAGES distance, felt very desperate
warrior indeed and set off at run, with
Billy behind me.
Twas an open space we had to cross, dot
ted with gorse bushes, and the cuemy's regi-
ments, plain to see drawn up in hnttalia on
the slope above, which here was gentler than
TO the south and west But hardly had we
gone ten yards when | puff of white
smoke above, then another, and then the
summit ringed with flame, and heard the
noise Of its roaring in the hills around. At
the first sound pulled up, and then began
running again at full speed; for | saw our
division already in motion and advancing up
the hill at n quick pace.
The curve of tho slope hid all hut the near
est; but above them saw steep earthwork,
ard thereon three or four brass pieces Of ord
nance ElttcrinE whenever the smoke lifted
For here the artillery was plying the brisk
est pouring down yolley on volley; and four
regiments at least stood massed behind, ready
to fall on the Cornishmen; who, answering
with a small discharge of muslietry, now ran
forward more nimDly.
To catch up with them | must now turn
my course obliquely up tho hill, where run
ming was pretty toilsome. We were painting
along when suddenly a shower Of sand and
earth was dashed in my face, scattering mo
all over Half blinded, looked and saw n
great round shot had plowed trench in the
ground at my feet and lay there buried.
At tho same moment, Billy, who was ruu
J ming at my shoulder, pumps down on bis
knees and begins to whine and moan most
e pitiably.
Art hurt, dear fellowl" asked ], turning
ooh, Jack, Jack-I have 40 stomach for
this! 4 cool, wet death at sea do not fear.
only to have these great hot shot burning Ia
a mans belly-'tiS terrifying. | hate a sWltr
death! Jack, be a sinner will confess; !
lied to thee yesterday-neyer kissed the three
maids ] spoke uf-never kissed but one i my
81. t~f. Il
face for t, an so don't properly count. | bt
a very boastful mHn!'
Now | myself lad felt somewhat cold in
side when the guns began roaring; but thu
set me right in a trice. whipped a pistol
ont of my sash and put the cold ring to hi,
ear; and he scrambled up, and was very
lion all the rest of the day.
| But now we had again to change our
course, for to my dislnay saw n line OF
2harpshooters moving down among the gor-e
bushes TO take the Cornishncn in flank
And twas lucky we had but little way far
ther to 60 for these skirnlshers, thinking
l perhaps from my dress and our running thus
r that we bore some message opened fire on
| us; and, though they We're bad narksmen
I twas ugly to see their bullets pattering into
? the turf to right and left.
We caught up the very last line Of the as
, cendng troop-lcan, hungry looking men
vita wan faces, but shouting Justify. | thini
3 they were about three hundred IN all. "COMt
4 on, lad >" called out bearded fellow with
G bandage over one eye, making room for MT
= at his side; there's work for plenty more!"-
= and minute after a shot took him in th'
ribs and he screamed out "Oh, my God
4 and, fuging up his arms, leaped a foot in th'
X, air and fell on his face.
2 But in the midst Of this skurry heard The
sound Of cheering Twas Sir John Berke
g ley's troop tiIl now posted under cover of th'
hodges below that had come to our support
Sc and the rebels, fearing to advance too far
: must have withdrawn again behind thei
eaTthWork, for after "A while tue pressure
Il eased a bit and, to my amaze, the trool
st which but a minute since was u mere huddle,
crowd formed in some order afresh and ono
Il more began to climb. This time | had
thick set pikeman in front Of ne, with biz
wen at the back of his neck that seemed t
l. fix all my attention. And up We went
counting the beat Of my heart that was al
y ready going hard and short with the work
and then, amid the rattle ana thunder c
IL their guns, we stopped again.
it ] had taken 10 notice OF 1t, but in the con
D, fusion of the first repulse the greater part q
G. our men had been thrust past me, SO TIM
20 fourth rank, and at the very foot of Tia
IS earthwork up the which our leaders wcr
70 flung like a wave, and soon was ,crambln
after them, ankle deep in the sandy earth
d tho man with the wen just onead, grndn
IS my inStep with his heel, and pokiHg his pill;
staff between my knees as he slipped.
| And just ct the moment when tho top q
our wave was clcaying small breach aboy
ts us he fell on the Hat Of his pike with his nos
buried in the gravel ard his hnnd, ciutci
s ing. Looking up, ! saw II tail rebel strac
ding above him with mls;at dubbed 80 bes
his brains out, whom with an effort ] cauSl
n hy the boot, and, the bank slipping at tht
4 instant, down we all slid IN heap, "A julnp
IN of arms ami legs, TO the very lotion.
n Before had the sand well out Of my eye
Is my comrado was up and had his pike loos
ID and in a twinkling the rebel was spite
through the middle and writing. Twi
K sickening; but before | could pull out my pi
g, toll and end his pain las | va, minded bac
nc came our front rank atop Of us again, an
e. down they were driven like sheep, my con
* nanion catching up the dead mans .musk'