Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1893-02-02


| was daubed gray and lean with ash ant
mud, and with little paint good We'd
rey put sore or two upon my NAKED
arms such as might come by want AnC
| long travel, and with u touch OF red ant
green made TO look most hldeously new
o ng-healed wound or two had upoI
my bosom, / seemed when 1t was done
so miserable and lean and put 80 pltiiu
q whine into my voice and leant sc
heavy on my long ash STAFF that all my
jolly vikings fell a-laughlng, and
laughed 80 loud they hushed the dron'
ing Of the blue pigeon broodlng on hel
eggs and started the shaggy, green.
eyed sea crows from their rocky pin
nacles mile away, and then they
rowed me to a landing, and with jest
and sage advice sent me on my danger
Gus errand.
1t was sweet place, that English
burgh. Even now, long years after l,
old and wrinkled, still dream in the win
ter nights Of the warm incense OF that
afternoon, and how the grateful sun
drew fragrance from out the earth,
and how sweet the yellow meadow fow-
ers did smell about 1t, and how the APP
pies blossomed on the hanger; and then
across my evening vision even now there
comes the black reek Of its burning
thatch and the hot steam OF the blood in
the hall by the banquet tables-ay,
conjure again all these years after in
restless slumber the shine Of its many
roofs a-basking in the April sun, the
blue-eyed children rolling in frollc sport
about the grassy court-the twittering
love songs OF the new-come swallows on
the roof rldge-and then athwart my
sleep the black column Of avenging
smoke leaps to the star-lit midnight
sky, the cruel tongues Of leaplng Grim
som flame spring up, and The fierce,
gasping cry Of stricken men, the pierre
Ing shrek Of women, and the low wall
of butchered little ones alright my old
and unstrung ears
Ay, it seemed a sweet place that UNI
touched, ancient English citadel as I
hobbled out from the hazels and humble
and decrepit as became me, craved its
hospitality. All inland - stretching
away into the dim blue dlstance-lay
fertile fields and woods, shining greener
than any other woods can shine, with
brooks and streams between them flash
ing in the light, and splendid herds,
enough to feast an army for year, knee
deep In the many colored grasses, and
then all this richness swept round by
the shore OF little crescent bay to here
where on gently rising promontory
the princes castle stood. 1t stood up
on the very topmost fiat Of the hill, and
was approached from below by rough
track fashioned OF beams laid side by
side, which circled up through the gorse
and fern to its outer fence. Getting
out upon that track walked up the hill,
secretly noting as l went each stock and
stone OF cover, and soon came to the
first sweep Of outer stockade This was
a great circle Of pointed timbers sloping
outward over ditch from the crest Of a
tall earthen rampart-strong fence, in
deed, and one that twenty men might
hold against a hundred. I entered
through the open gate Of this and right
in front rose another rampant and an
other palisade that made me sigh to
look on had to walk halfway round
the grassy fat between these two before
l found gate to pass the second tim
bers. But this latter entrance gained,
it made me master Of the place. Those
two tall fences, strong in oaken tim
bers, messy gates and iron rivets, shut
in the whole hilltop, Of which the other
boundary was the sheer cliffs that
dropped steep down into the sea below
And all this space was full of sheds and
buildings, and huts and houses, and
granaries Of corn and stacks Of fodder
for the beasts, and corn for soldiers, and
here thrashing floor, and there we'll
with rope and bucket, yonder a row Of
ovens and drinking trough and much
else. Then came a grassy green and
next, along the verge, little aloof
from all, the princes house. A fine
wide house it stood upon the crag, with
terraces and courts, doors and windows,
strong stone outer walls and timbered
arches, a goodly place, indeed, with the
sun shining on it, a good wind-cock
twirling about, red flsh-tail tiles upon
the roofs, brass studs upon the doors,
and colonnade round it with wide pro-
jecting caves supported by unsmoothed
pillars Of oak, to which solid oak logs
made steps all round. Partly behind
this was the strong place Of the fort,
tall, rough tower Of solid masonry rising
sheer into the air on the very verge of
the cliff from the more peaceful dwell