Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-03-08


besiegers' powers, and to keep the
business of pageants and state craft
and MARKINGS turning on easy
wheels. But with rebel soldiers al
ready inside the city land hordes of
others doubtless pressing on their
heels), the affair took a different
| light. It was no moment for further
delay, and Phorenice was the first to
admit it. The glow that had been in
her eyes changed to the glare of the
fighter as the fellow who had run
up squalled out his tidings
I stood and stretched my chest.
seemed in need of air. Here" I said,
sis work that I can understand more
clearly. I will go and sweep this
rabble back to their burrows, Pho
renice."
'But not alone, sir. I come too. It
is my city still. Nay, sir, we are too
newly wed to be parted YETI
"Have your WILL" 1 said, and to-
! gether we went down the steps of
the throne to the pavement below.
Under my breath 1 said a farewell
to Nais.
Our armor-bearers met us with
weapons, and we stepped into filters,
and the slaves took us off hot foot.
The wounded man who had first
brought the news had fallen in a
| faint, and no more tidings was to
be got from him; but the growing
din of the fight gave us the general
direction, and presently we began to
meet knots of people who dwelt near
/ the place of Eruption running away
in wild panic, loaded down with their
household goods.
1t was useless to stop these, as
fight they could not; and if they had
stayed they would merely have been
slaughtered like flies, and would in
all likelihood have impeded our own
soldiery And so we let them run
screaming on their blind way, but
forced the filters through them
with but very little regard for their
coward convenience.
Now the advantage of the rebels,
when it came to be looked upon by
a soldiers eye, was a thing of little
enough Importance. They hau driven
a tunnel from behind covering
mound, beneath the walls, and had
opened it cleverly enough through
the floor of a middle-class house.
They had come through into this,
cole citing their numbers under its
shelter, and doubtless hoping that
the marriage of the empress (of
which spies had given them informa-
tion) would sap the watchfulness of
the city guards. But it seems they
were discovered and attacked before
they were thoroughly ready to
emerge, and, as a fine body of troops
were barracked near the spot, their
determination would have been mere
" a matter of time, even if we had
not come up.
1t did not take trained eye long
to decide on this, and Phorenice,
with laugh. lay back on the cush-
ions of the litter, and returned her
weapons to the armor-bearer who
came painting up to receive them.
eve grow nervous with our married
life, my Deucalion," she said. eve
are fearful lest this new-found hap
piness be taken from US too sud
denly"
But I was not to be robbed of my
athing-space in this wise. "Ler
me crave a wedding gift of you," I
said.
''It is yours before you name it"
''Then give me troops, and set me
wide city gate a mile away from
here"
"You can gather 500 as you go
from here to the gate, taking 200 of
y those that are here. If you want
more, they must be fetched from
other barracks along the walls. But
where is your plan?"
''Why, my poor strategy teaches
me this: these foolish rebels have set
all their hopes on this mine. and all
their excitement on it's present sue
cess. If they are kept occupied here
by a Phorenice, who will give them
some dainty fighting without check
ing them unduly, they will press on
to the attack and forget all else, and
never so much as dream of a sortie.
And meanwhile a Deucalion with his
troop will march out of the city well
|
drum or blare of trumpet, and fall
most unpleasantly upon their rear.
After which a Phorenice will burn
the house here at the mines head,
which is of wood, and straw
matched, to discourage further
egress, and either go to the walls to
watch the fight from there, or sally
out also and spur on the rout as her
fancy dictates?''
"Your scheme is so pretty, I would
I could rob you of it for my own
credits sake; and as it is I must kiss
you for your cleverness. But you
got my word first, you naughty fell
low, and you shall have the men and
do as you ask. Eth, sir. this is sad
beginning of our welded life if you
begin to rob your little wife of all
the sweets of conquest from the out
set"
She took back the weapons and
target she had given to the armor-
bearer, and stepped over the side of
the litter to the ground. "But at
least" she said, ''if you are going to
fight, you shall have troops that will
do credit to my drill" and thereupon
proceeded to tell off the companies
of men-at-arms who were to accom-
pany me. She left herself few enough
to stem the influx of rebels who
poured ceaselessly in through the
tunnel; but, as I had seen, with
Phorenice heavy odds added only to
| her enjoyment.
But for the empress, will own at
the time to have given little enough
of thought. My own proper griefs
were raw within me, and 1 thirsted
j for that forgetfulness of all else
which battle gives, SO that for awhile
I might have a rest from their gnaw-
ings.
1t made my blood run freer to
hear once more the tramp of prac-