The Greeley tribune., 1906-08-16

ten score arrows iett III ull their shs,,u0' WI
See! they are sprinxing from their hn,,a
aud cutting their sOilerets that th,,r rsea'
rush upon US. Might we not even IaI
make retreati wv
My soul VIII retreat FROM mv
first. cried Tue uttie kniyut. 'li,rIs NV
am, aud mere biue. while Luu xlv,'
strength to Hit IL sworu.' us
| And 50 say II shouted Sir DIV.
throwing his uace high into the an ,,s
catching IL AGAIN Dy the handle. 4uu
TO your arms, men. crieu Sir Ma,
Shoot while you may aud tnen out ,w,sS,
| and let US 1--we or die together,
| Then uproso from the hui In the ,,,r,.
CalaDrian valley sound such as ,n,, sew
been heard In those parts before, nor u wv
| again, until the streams which rjn%s'
| amid the rocks had been frozen l,, Pp'N
| four hundred winters and thuw.d "u
| many returning springs, Deem and .,
! and strong 1t numbered down the r,.' SUI
| the fierce battle-call OF u warrior rnc,, sue
last stern welcome to who 30 shonII w
| with them In that word-old gam Vl
| the stake Is death. Thrice 1t swel,d "e's ,'s
| and thrice II sank away. echolnc and :.
verberatlng amidst the craKs. Then VII,
set faces the Company rose up among ~.
storm of stones. and looked down upon Wv
| thousands who sped swiftly up tho sl,"
against them. Horse and spear bni iop'
sci aside, but on foot. with sword ana by
tle-axc, their broad shields slunY In f,@..
Of them, the chivalry OF Spain rusbsI "
! the attack.
And now arose struggle so fell so Io,
SO evenly sustained. that even now ~,
memory OF 1t Is handed down amonsst IN,
'n'abr,nn monntaineers, and the ill-omeg.
ed knoll Is stll pointed out by fatbars :.
their children as the ''Aitura de los Incia
sos where the men from across Tho sa.,
fought the great fight with the spIrs,,
Of the south. The last arrow was on,cL,'
shot nor could the singers hurl rhsi,
stones so close were friend and foe From
side t" side stretched the thin line Of IN.
| English. lightly armed and quick footed
while against 1t stormed aud ragged IN.
pressing throng of fiery Spaniar,is and 4.
gallant Bretons. The clnk of cr,,Si,,
sword-blades. the dull thudding OF hc,y,
and wounded men. all rose foyetho-
a wild. longdrawn note which sveJl.
| upwards to the enrs OF the wonderi,.
peasants who looked down from tho ed,e,
of the cliffs upon the swaylng turmoil y,
the battle hcnenth them. Bnck and fo.
ward rceled the leopard banner nnr
horne mp the slope by the rush and
weight of the onslaught. now pn,bin,
downwards again as Sir Nigel. Burle,
and Black Simon, with their veteran mon
at-arms, flung themselves madiy into m,
fray, Alieyne, at his lords right hand
L
the desperate struggle. exchanging sava,,
thrnsts one instant with Spanish cay,
Her. ana the next torn away by the Whit
OF men and dashed up against some ner
antasonist. To the right Sir Oliver, AyL
ward. Horde John, and the bovm.n n
the Company fought furiously against N,
nonkish knights of Santiago. who wen,
led up the hill by their prlor-a grear.ieep
chesteu man. who wore a brown mauase
habit over his suit OF mail. Three archer
he slew in three giant strokes. but 81
Oliver flung his arms round him. and n
TWO. staggering and straining. reeled hacs
wards and fell. locked In each other
grasp. over the edge of the steep "a
which hanked the hill. In vain his knIrht
stormed and raved against the thin fp
Which marred their path; the sword
Aylward and the great axe of j Ohm yeay
ea IN the forefront OF the battle and ha;s
Jagged pieces OF rock hurled by n,
strong arms of the bowmen, crashed aHx
hnrtled amid their ranks SLOWLY th,1
gave hack down the hill. the archers Sd
hanging upon their skirts, with os
litter Of writhing and twisted figures
marx the course which they had taxa
Az the same Instant the Weishmeu Wp
the Ieft. led on by the Scotch earl bs
eh"Ieeu our from among the rocks Nhd
sheitered them. and by the fury of fHef
outiaii mad driven the SpAniaris iu irOh
OF them In headloux fiight down the hid
gong Ill with the defenders. Black Simc
was down-dying. as he would wish to hat.
uieu' IKE grim old wolf In its lair Wiis
ring OF his slain around him. Twice 81
Nigei mad been overhorne. and twice Al
ieyne had fought over him until he hal
staggered to his feet once more Rnrle1
lay sepseless. stunned by a blow from
nihce' ana half Of the men-at-a Ia
uttered upon the ground around him s.
Nlgei shield was broken, his crest shcrn
ms armor cut and smashed, aud the yt1o
torn from his helmet; yet he sprany hiths
and thither with light foot aud read
hand. engaging two Bretons aud Span
iard al the same instant thrusting. stcol
ing. dashing In, springing out--while
leyne sttll fought by his side, stemmt7
win handful of men the fierce IL
which surgcd up against them Yet
would have fured nj with them had u
,ne archers from either side closed In uP
me hanks of the attackers. and press
them very slowly and foot by foot dct
me me long slope. until they were on
pam once more. where their fellows We
already rallying for a fresh assault
But terrible indeed was the cost
which the last had been repealed. of
three hundred and seventy men who
heid the crest. one hundred and seyen
TWO were left standing, many Of VIII
We're sorely wounded and weak from
or blood. Sir Oliver Buttesthoru,
Richard Cnuston. Sir Simon Burey. Blu
simon. Johnston. hundred and
hrchers, and forty-seven men-at-nrms
'ailen. while the pitiIess hail Of sca
was already whizzing and piping ono" ~
about their ears, threat tenlng every
stant TO further reduce their numbers
Sir Nigel looked about him at his 81
tered ranks. and his face flushed w''h
soldiers pride.
BY ST. Paul,' he CRIED. 81 have foas
IN many a little pickering. but never
that ! would be more 10th to have mis-
than this But you are wounded, Aliey|
1T Is nought.'' answered his Slnp
stanching the blood which drppcd ~
sword-cut across his forehead.
These gentlemen of Spain seem 70
most courteous and worthy people
that they are already forming to sontp
this debate with us. Form up the how
Two deep Instead Of four. BY my fa
some very brave men have gone
among us. Aylward, you are a tflsS i,
dier. for all that your shoulder has oe