The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-04-01

cimeter and bow would scatter you like
chaff"
Nicholas tossed his head still more dis
dainfully, as he retOrtcd, with look of
contempt at the old count:
y on know nothing about it. The her
NIT Hildebrand has promised us that the
Lord Will work Il miracle for us. The sea
will divide and we shall march to Pales-
tine on dry ground. The angels will fight
for us against the foe, and lightnings will
strike them. Leave us, and begone to thy
castle. As for the boy Stephen, if thou
wilt take him with thee, it will be all the
better for this crusade. We of Orleans
have resolved to separate from him and
march through Italy if he is to be our
leader"
Old Count Stephen saw that the boy
was fully persuaded Of the truth of his
mission and boastings; but the dislike he
showed to young Stephen struck the old
man as n circumstance in his favor, as he
thought Of bringing back his son. There
fore he said, quietly:
Il think thou art right, friend. My son
is not fit to 90 to the war, while thou
seemcst stout lad. Tell me where shall
find him, and | will give thee this piece
Of gold"
lie saw that Nicholas was a peasant,
and hoped that the sight of gold would
render him eager TO serve him. But he
had not calculated on the influence of the
crusade. Nicholas showed no enthusiasm
for gold, but simply said:
Give it to the almoner behind me, the
boy with the bag. We take nothing for
ourselves. The Lord taketh care of us.
As for thy son, tell thee he is somewhere
before us with the other body of the cru
SADIE, and know not where. Ride on and
find him, and leave lis TO our hymns"
Without noticing the old knight any
farther, he made a signal to the children
behind him. which they seemed to under
stand, for they ut once struck up one of
the grand old Latin hymns common in the
middle ages, and from which some of our
most popular ones have come down by
translation.
Th" sweet strains of "Neni, Creator
Spiritus,v now known as Come, Holy
Spirit, heavenly dove" We're the favorite
of the child crusaders: and in spite of his
anxiety and anger at the loss of his son,
the old warrior could not help being af-
fectcd and moved by the great burst Of
childish voices as they swelled cut in the
anthem with rs much ChCerfuneSS as If
they were going to Il festival instead Of
marching. as he knew they must be, to
their deaths, or to Il slavery more cruel
than death.
Without trying to question Nicholas any
farther. the old count spurred his horse
and rode on along the great mass of chill
dTcn, seeing, the farther he got that there
was something very strange in the whole
spectacle.
Thousands on thousands of children of
all ages. from the whte-hcaded younCstcr
of eight or ten to the boy of sixteen who
was tall and strong for his age, straycd
along singing jhc hymns to cheer them,
and seeming to catch strength and spirit
thcrcfrom 10 endure fatiGues that would
have moved older people to despair
They were dusty and travel worn: many
haggard and thin; but still they marched
chccrfuly on, and from all the country
round the peasants were thronging to look
at the spectacle and bring them food in
baskets
Hundreds Of the simple folk were to be
seen trudging contcntcdly by the column,
carrying their baskets and waiting till the
children should halt 10 feed them The
old count noticed that the friends of the
crusade were ali peasants, and that if n
party on horseback, composed of rich
people, passed by. they turned away from
the spectacle as if it were a disagreed bic
one and galoped away with many q sneer
and laugh.
Without knowing how it came about he
found himself. as he rode along, more and
more impressed with the spirit of the chill
dren. aud wishing them we'll; though his
determination to get back his son was as
l..
head of the column in which Nicholas was
marching. he saw, some little distance
ahead the rear of Il second column. Real
izing that stephen must be with it. he
urged his horse on and came up with the
leading body Of children.
H,. had no sooner done so than he was
impressed with the fact that they marched
in much better order and seemed 10 be
better provided than the wandering rabble
that stuck to Nicholas. The children un-
der Stephens order seemed to be of all
classes. but they were older and stronger,
and there were no little boys and little
girls among them, while many had horses
and seemed to he officers, who kept the
rest in the ranks.
The old warrior turned to his wife, who
was with him, and said in a tone that he
could not help being proud:
Blood will tell, my lady. Our boy
knows something of war already. young
as he is. See. some of his children are
armed. after fashion. and they are di-
; yided into companies. under banners. If
they were hut ten years older, who knows
what they might do:"
But the countess only shuddered as she
replied:
"Oh. my lord. my lord, what will be
come of them? Let us hasten and make
the poor deluded boy come back. To
think that all these tender beings should
he going 10 their death and none TO stay
them, 1t is Il monstrous thing, Let us
hasten onward"
They rode past the column. seeing that
the country people were gathering from
all round thicker than before, till they
caught sight OF 4 white banner far IN
advance. and almost AT the same moment
heard the long. sweet note Of bugle
sounding Il signal which brought the chill
dren To 4 halt at once.
The moment they halted, the peasants,
who had followed them. came up with
their baskets, and the children, with an
tagernesS that showed how hungry and
tired they really were. began to struggle
Tor the food which was brought TO them
and carry it off TO any place they could
find where they could sit on the grass,
rest and eat
The old count. glad of the halt. rode on,
and soon saw. beside the white banner.
which had been set up at the head of the
column, the well-known form Of his son,
sitting on his pony aud surveying the