The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1897-09-25
CHATTER Y.

the bold fancy pleased them, and forth.
with I was disguised as ragged out.
cast, with a SLOUGH hat and sorry coat
and dirty gartered legs, with worn wolf.
skin sandals; my yellow hair was knot
ted up and hidden in my cop. my face
was daubed gray and lean with ash and
mud, and with little paint good We'd.
rey put q sore or two upon my naked
arms such as might come by want and
long travel, and with touch Of red and
green made to look most hldeously new
o long-healed wound or two had upon
my bosom. I seemed when 1t was done
30 miserable and lean and put 30 pitiful
q whine into my voice and leant SO
heavy on my long ash staff that all my
jolly vikings fell a.laughinR, and
laughed 30 loud they hushed the dron-
ing Of the blue pigeon breeding on her
eggs and started the shaggy, green
eyed sea crows from their rocky pin
naoles mile away, and then they
rowed me to q 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, !,
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 II, and how the ap-
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 elumber the shine OF It's many
roofs a-basking in the April sun, the
blue-eyed children rolling In frolic sport
about the grassy court-the twitterfng
love songs Of the new-come swallows on.
the roof ridge-and then athwart my
sleep the black column OF avenglng
smoke leaps to the star-lit midnight
sky, the cruel tongues Of leaping GRIM
som fame 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 M old
and unstrung ears!
Ay, 1t seemed sweet place that un-
touched. ancient English citadel as /
hobbled out from the hazels and humble
and decrepit as became me, craved Its
hospitality. All inland - stretching
away into the dim blue distance--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 q gently rising promontory
the princes castle stood. 1t stood up
on the very topm0st fiat OF the hill, and
was approached from below by a rough
track fashioned OF beams laid side by
side, which clrcled up through the gorse
and fern to its outer fence. Getting
out upon that track walked up the hill,
secretly noting as went each stock and
stone OF cover, and soon came to the
first sweep OF outer stoekade. 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 q 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 OIL had to walk halfway round
the grassy fat between these two before
L found gate to pass the second tim
ibers. 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 eco 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 q thrashing floor, and there we'll
with rope and bucket, yonder o row Of
ovens and drinking trough and much
else. Then came q grassy green and
next, along the verge, little aloof
from all, the princes house. A fine
wide house 1t stood upon the crag, with
terraces and courts, doors and windows,
strong stone outer walls and timbered
arches, q goodly place, indeed, with the
sun shining on 1t, good wind-cock
twlrling about, red hsh-tail tiles upon
the roofs, brass studs upon the doors,
and a 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 cir on the very verge OF
the cliff from the more pc aceful dwell