The Delta independent., 1906-08-17
CHAPTER XIV.

cFllteU ms RANKS Win the i"p hA4i
dred members of the original White
Company. from the woods near Mont
peZard, joined the army and received
the honorable commission from the
Prince to push ahead into Spain and
discover the location and strength OF
the Spanish and French army under
King Henry of Transtamare. The lit
tie band wound through the passes OF
Navarro and int, the rugged land OF
Spain.
Sir Nigel had with him Sir William
FELTON,, Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, stout
old Sir Simon Burey. the Scotch knight
errant. the Earl of Angus. and Sir Rich
ard Causton, all accounted among the
hravest knights in the army, together
with sixty veteran men-a alarms, and
three hundred and twenty archers Spies
had been sent out in the morning. ana
returned after night-fall to say that
the King of Spain was encamped some
fourteen miles of in the direction or
Burgos. having with him twenty thou
sand horse and forty-fve thousand foot.
A dry-wood fire had been lit. and round
this the leaders crouched, the glare
beating upon their rugged faces. while
the hardy archers lounged and chatted
amid the tethered horses. while they
munched their scanty provisions
For my part" said Sir Simon Bur-
ley, | am of the opinion that we have
already done that which we have come
for. For do we not now know where
the king Is. and how great a following
ney." @
True" answered Sir William FELTON,.
but I have come on this venture be-
cause IL Is a long time since | have
broken spear in war. and. certes. L
shall not go back until ] have run a
course with some cavalier Of Spain"
Il will not leave you, Sir William.
returned Sir Simon Burley; and yet as
an old soldier and one who hath seen
much OF war. ! cannot but think that 1t
is an i'll thing for four hundred men
to fnd themselves between ar
OF sixty thousand on the one side and
a broad river on the other.
Yet" said Sir Richard Causton. I'VE
cannot for the honor Of England go
back without a blow struck.
Nor for the honor of Scotland.
either" cried the Earl OF Angus.
BY Saint Paul! you have spoken
very WELL" said Sir Nigel .'and | have
always heard that there were very
worthy gentlemen among the Scots.
and fine skirmishing to lie had upon
their border. Bethink you. Sir simon,
that We have this news from the lips
Of common spies. who can scarce tell
US as much of the enemy and OF his
forces the prince -'ould wish to
hear" D,
All night they led their horses.
stumbling and cropping through wild
guidance of a frightened peasant who
was strapped by the wrist to Black ST.
mons stirrup-leather. With the early
dawn they found themselves in dark
ravine, with others sloping away from
IL on either side. and the bare brown
crags rising In long blea'' terraces all
round them.
" It please you. fair lord said
6iack Sfmor. this man hath misled us.
and since there is no tree uron which
we may hang him. 1t nigh. be well
TO hurl him over yonder cliff
The peasant. reading the sc.dler's
z ming in his fierce eyes and harst
ITS dropped upon his knees. scream
How comes it, dog" asker Sir WILL
i'm FELTON, In Spanish. where is this
camp to which you swor-. YOU would
lead us?'
BY the sect Virgin: BY the blessed
Mother Of Cod cried the trembling
peasant ! swear to you that In the
darkness have myself lost the path,
I-"At the instant, there rose the
scream OF hundred busles. with the
deep rolling Of drums AMI the clashins
Of cymbals. all sounding together in one
deafening nrr"ar knights and arch-
-rs sprang to arms. convince
some great host was upon them' put
the guide dropped upon his knees and
thanked Heaven for its mercies.
we have found them caballeros.
he cried. This is their morning call.
AZ he spoke lie scrambled down one
OF tho narrow ravines, and. climbing
over a low ridge at the further end, he
led them into short valley with
stream purling down the centre or II.
and very thick growth of elder and
box upon either side, Pushing thelr
way through the dense brushwood, they
looked upon a scene which made their
hearts beat harder and their breath
come faster.
In front Of l.em lay a broad plain.
watered by two winding streams and
covered with grass. stretching away to
where. In the furthest distance. the
towers Of Burgos bristied up against
the light blue morning sky. over all
this vast meadow there lay great city
of tents-thousands upon thousands OF
them, laid out in streets and squares
I'VE weIl-ordered town. High silken
or colored marques, shoot
iux u, geo.g e. -"ng the crowd OF mean.
sP dwellings, uIaI -.Ge where the great
lords and barons of Leon a--' Castle
disp,aysd their standards, while oy--
the white roofs, as far as eye could
reach, the waving OF ancients. pavons.
psnsfls, and banderoles, with fash OF
gold and glow of colors, proclaimed
that all. the chivalry of Iberia were
mu/tsred In the plain beneath them.
Far off, in the centre Of the camp, a
huge palace of red and white SILK,
with the royal arms of CASTLE waving
from the summit announced that the
gallant Henry lay there In the midst
Of his warriors.
A. the English adventures. peeping
out from behind their brushwood
screen, looked down upon this wondrous
sight, they could see that the vast army
in front OF them was already afoot. The
first pink light Of the rising sun gilt
Tered upon the steel caps and breast
plates Of dense masses Of singers and
cpossbowmen. who drilled and marched
In the spaces which had been left for
thsir exercise A thousand columns
OF smoke reeked up into the pure
morning air where the faggots were
piled and the complexities already
simmsring. In the open plain. clouds
Of light horse salloped and swooped
with swaying bodies and waving jave-
lins. after the fashion which the Span.
ish had adopted from their Moorish en-.