The San Francisco call., 1905-01-01

/ had come to this struggle Tor .iiie
d their lady's honor, Wulf, whose
ngue was commonly SO ready. had
q awn strangely silent, ar:i fierces
I ed also.
Listen. Rosamund. and do not turn
Y, tir eyes," said Goodwin. There IS
bi one chance for YOU. ana. poor as
ii s. YOU must choose between !e and
ca ,ttsre, since we. cannot kill YOU:
TIE gray horse you ride is strong and
tr,e. Turn him now and spur into,
The water of Death Creek and SWIM
IL. IL Isl broad. but the incoming tide
will help you. and pecchancc you w'it
mo- drown
I Eosanadnd listened and moved her
hef backward toward the boat. Then
w, # spckc~-9cw words and sharp:
: legolle. gsyl. we guard the boat.
e heard. and her dark eyes filled
wit teaass. and her stately head sank
for a nlpIncnt almost Ia the horses
ma e. :,
would YOU die for me: Well. if God
Wills it, SO it must be. But this 7
swear. that il 80" die. iiiat no man
shall be aught to :ne who have your
memory. hnd IL you live" And she
looked yat them confusediy, then
Bless us. and besone." said Cod
win,
Sol she blessed ;:,em in words low
and holy: then of q sudden wheeled
Iourld the great, gray horse. and strik-
ing the spus into ity flank, drove
straight at the deep water. A mo-
merit the stallion hung. then from the.
duag-head sDrang out wide and clear.
Deep it sank, but not for long, for
presently its riders head rose above,
the water. and regaining the saddle,
from which she had tioated. Rosamund
sat firm and headed 1t straight for the
distant bank. Now shout of WONDER
ment went up from the woman thieves,
for this was deed that they had new.
er dreamed girl would dare. But the
brethren laughed as they saw that
the horse swan WELL and. leaping
from their saddles, ran forward few
paces-eieht or tcn-along the mole to
where 1t was narrowest, as they went.
tearing the cloaks from their should
ers, and since they had none, throw
ing them over their left arms to serve
as bucklers. The band cursed sullenly.
only their captain gave an order to his
spokesman. who cried out:
"Cut them down, and to the boat:
We shall take her before she reaches
shore or browns"
For a moment they wavered, for the
tall twin warriors who barred the way
had eyes that told of wounds and
death. Then with a rush they came,
scrambling over the rough stones: but
here the causeway was: so narrow that
while their strength lasted, two men
were as good as twenty, nor, because
of the mud and water, could they be
got at from either side. So after all it
was but two 10 two, and the brethren
were the better two. Their long swords
flashed and smote, and then Wulfs
was lifted again, once more 1T was red
y Hs<r1a
in the sunlight, and a man fell with
heavy splash into the waters of the
creek, and wallowed there till he died.
Godwin's foe was down also, and, as
il seemed. sped.
Then. at a muttered word, not wait
lns to be attacked by others, the byeth.
rem sprang forward. The huddled mob
in front OF them saw them come, and
shrank back but before they had gone
q yard the swords were at work be-
hind. They swore strange oaths, they
caught their feet among the rocks,
ard rolled upon their faces. In their
confusion three .of them were pushed
into the water, where two sank in the
mud and we're drowned, the third only
dragged himself ashore, while the rest
made good their escape from the cause
way But two had been cut down, and
three had fallen, for whom there was
fight. but the linen masks tapped about
their eyes, so that their blows went
wide. while the long swords of the
brothers snote and smote again upon
their helms and harness as the ham,
nlers of smiths snite upon. an anvil.
until they rolled over silent and stir
less.
Back" said Goodwin, "for here the
road is wide and they will get behind
us"
So back they moved slowly, with
their faces 10 the foe, stepping just
in front of the first man whom Goodwin
had seemed to kill, and who lay face
upwards and with arms outstretched.
$50 far we have done well" said
Wulf, with a short laugh. Are you
hurt?"
Nay answered his brother. but
boast not till the battle is over, for
many are left and they will come on
thus no more. Pray God they have no
spears or bows"
Then he turned and looked behind
him. and there. far from the shore
now, swan the gray horse steadily,
ard there upon its back sat Rosamund
Yes, and she had seen. since the horse
must swim somewhat sideways with
the tide. for look, she took the ker-
chief from her throat and waved it to
them Then the brethren knew that
she was proud Of their great deeds,
and thanked their saints that they
had lived to do even SO much as this
for her dear sake.
Goodwin was right Although their
leaGer commanded them in stern
voice, the band sank from the reach of
those awful swords, and, instead.
sought for stones to hurl at them. But
here was more mud than pebbles, and
the rocks of which the causeway was
built were too heavy for them to lift,
so that they found but few, which
when thrown either missed the breth-
rem or did but. little hurt. Now, after
some while, the man called master"
spoke through his lieutenant. and cer-
tain of them ran into the thorn thicket,
and thence appeared again bearing the
long oars of the boat.
Their counsel is to batter us down
with the oars. What shall we do now,
brother?" asked Goodwin.
What we can" answered Wulf. TT
matters little if Rosamund is spared
by the waters, for they will scarcely
take her now, who must loose the boat
and man it after we are dead
As he spoke Wulf heard a sound
behind him, and of sudden Goodwin
threw UP his hands and sank to his
knees. Round he sprang. and there
upon his feet stood that man whom
they had thought dead, and in his
hand a bloody sword. At him leaped
Wulf, .nd so fierce We're the blows he
smotc that the first swept through his
sword arm and the second shore
through cloak ard mail deep into the
tbief's side; so that this time he fell.
CIT IN, I.o loo lxaI