Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-12
CHAPTER XII.
That rises urmost, when the nation 6oils Is,

its park Roy of Caiverton waited with d
hundred about him for the passing OF the
rebels 1t was o'clock on sunny morn
ing: dulcet music of the bells called the
citizens to the Abbey mass. All the content.
all the sweetness of day seemed breataed
in that good hour The distant city clear
to be seen upon the horizon, lifted sunllt
spires and flashing windows to heaven or
blue BY here and there, unconscious OF
that which was passing. travellers went
northward southwark. to the river and the
villages Peace touched the scene with her
golden brush. giving to the sparkling mead
ows a freshness of her dews, to the leaves
tremor as of the gentle springtime. Even
cattle brOwsed within hundred PAGES or
that ambush.
The hundred lay concealed in the thlcket,
and so had tneir leader placed them that
one passing on the high road might not so
much as espy a glimmer of the sunshine
upon their helmets. a flash OF the Lincoln
green amid their ltafy bower. Aware now
of the issue. they spake but III whispers,
The hour of truce wrought upon their
nerves as an hour of waiting intolerable.
Impatient horses chancped and whinnied,
impatient riders asked when they might
Think We that they Gomez Roy of Cal
vertOn alone asked questions Of no men.
I'VE will not discover until the word be
spoken" he said. grown sure in that COM
nsnd which the night had gwen him. Il
command your patience, comrades We are
but a hundred against four thousand, and
naught but stratagem Will save US this day.
Let ii be our business that Wyatt shall
pass in to my Lord of Pembroke with as few
ct his back as judgment and opportunity
shall permit. ! would not have We forget
hat hos he.
hath misled. They think to strike blow
for England. but strike only at that which
IS cur good security Do so to them as We
would IL were done to you If you were in
Ike case God bear me witness, l will
have no butchers work this day
Many assented with murmur of their
praise Had you pressed them for rea-
son. perchanCe they knew not why they
were there at all. If it were not that Roy of
Calverton had hidden them. And the hui
NOR of their employment was not to be for
gotten by any man Hear Meagre' the
dwarf. as he handles the jest:
God save law and order and them that
go TO and fro in forests, said he: Il am
all for the sherir's men, whose ears Your
worship nailed To the pump at Nottingham
Ay. masters. would We be as ravening
wolves hieing YOU TO Sherwood again when
the right royal nobility claps your honors
on the back and says 'Godspeed! Put me
In d pages doublet and l will serve Sir Roy
Of CalvertOn, Ho. no. there was one OF
his name that my Lord of Stowe did call
the outlaw sorry word for him that will
cave in bishops rOchet when the day
cOmesr'
And then. remembering their needs. he
cried. Speak. comrades. will We not hold
your tongues when all the cry is 'tip-toes,' !"
Roy. who loved the dwarf. suffered his hu-
NOR patiently, as ever he did in SherwOods
stronghold.
And thou dost not fulfill the behest. law
and order shall put you in yon brook pres
entity
He tweaked the dwarf by the ear and
pointing to the tree above him he bade
him climb ii.
Thou limb of Satan. get We up upon yon
branch and tell me what thou seest on the
1Cad. Ride any in, must law and order
tarry yet?''
Now the dwarf pulled himself I'D from
his saddle and being hidden by the leaves
he began TO tell them of that which befel
There is road. sirs, and yOn is the river
blood of Paul. they stand where they
stood an hour ago."
Thou devils scarecrow, who rides upon
the road?''
The wind. your worship God knows
will cast a broomstick II thou hast the
mindr'
A little while they waited and then he
spoke again
There be swine upon four legs and 9TH
ers upon two; hide yourselves, my mas
tiers, lest they claim acquaintancer'
Some one lifted haIberd and made pre-
tense 10 prick him as he sat: but his mock
cry was hushed upon his lips and he that
held the hdllberd withdrew il.
Thou sesst something spawn
The road there, the meadow is there:
and, God reward We. / bid you draw mas
ters- Ay. hearken, hearken, Like We the
music? We shall hear more presently, for
yonder be those who would marry the
queen"
1t was no frolic of his jest Those who
erstwhile had dared the laugh or the lest
now fell to grim silence. Swords leaped
from their scabbards, caIivers were up
lifted. bows Were strung. pixies slung up:
the very horses seemed to stand as at some
call of duty In the branch of the tree
the sage.
II see man upon a white horse and A
hundred that ride about him. There are
pennons for the breeze; but they be of rags,
masters. Would ye carry a hedge pole less
bravely for that? Yonder Is the wagon bv
which Mary shall pass for WAITS bride:
they have gotten a husband for her and
stuffed his belly with shavings, l like the
man Here comes a lord bishop whose
paunch you shall drum upon. There be 800
dancing in the fields and sheep makes
psalms for them, Lord have mercy upon
us this day, Saw one ever such muddy
hoofs, Go give them water for charity's
sake, Now. there be these three, faith,
hope
They dragged him from the tree to silence
him. and the discordant music coming on
the breeze to tell them of WAITS near an
proach, Roy himself pressed forward ia
the thickets edge and watched that caval-
tdut ~ ny never uiu man look
spectacle so sorry. This horde. which would
have pressed on 10 the very throne truly
was charity its need. Worn and weary
armored in mud. its horses dropping its
weaklings falling to dewy beds its stoutes,
hearts tormented by hunger and by thirst
Its very hope ebbing on the threshold of its
goal. madness alone still cried Onward
For let us look at the manner of il and the
aspect IL wears upon the threshold of Lon.
don city Here. you shall see a bevy OF
urchins to herald il. They wave boughs
boughs cover their nakedness. Or lool
again and number that naked bevy whose
rags stream as banners. whose very faces
are smeared with dirt VIII such win Lon
don for Wyatt. will such drive the Span
ia-ts out2 Harken TO the ribald priests
as. incorporating in tattered alb and dirty
maniple. they scOff the mass, deride the
Offices Nor let the brighter trappings
of ambition deceive you. a brave picture
shall Wyatt show upon his good white
horse; brave shall be his words; brave his
bearing; but the shadow Of the ak loom.
upon him and his fellows; the very voice.
are too weak to cry. 'L0ndon. Londonr
The burden has bent the yeomans bach
downward to the ground he sprang from
The breeze has torn the ribald banners ant
Knocked their bIazon; the road the people