The Delta independent., 1906-08-17

| CalutraSa answered. ici''"' ,
| And the oAe upon the rlsht' ,
..It marks the kuignts OF Sahtihso anu
| | see by the banner That tue s'"nu n
| ter rides III their heau. .,a
| You are right, for l can also see
| them. There Is much spanish p'aAo'9
also il | could but read IL. Don Dieso'
you know the arms OF your own eouh''9
and VINO ure they VINO have done Us Do
much honorf - ,,, o,,i-
taut eyes upon the deep and serried fahAS
! OF nis country men
by Saint James he said. III ye fail
yhis day, ye fall by no mean hands Tor
the flower of the army OF CASTLE ride
under the banner Of Don Tcllo. with the
| chivalry OF Asturlas, Toledo. Leon. Cor
| dova Galicia and Seville and the knights
OF France and Aragon. II you VIII take
my rede. you will come To compost
ton with them. for they will give you
such terms as you have given me. ..
Nay, 10y Saint Paul, 1t were pity II
so many BRAY. men, were drawn together
and no little deed of arms come Of II. Ha'
William. they advanc, upon us and hv
my soul 1t Is sight "uftL GOlnIns over
the seas To witness"
| As he spoke the two wings OF the Span
Ish host, consisting OF the knights Of
Calatrava ON the one side aud OF Sa' '!a-,
on the other came swooplng swiftly down
the valley. while the main body followed
more slowly behind. The vanguard halted
Il long bow-shot from the hill, and with
waving spears and vauntlng shouts chal-
lenged their enemies to come forth. Will"
two cavaliers. pricking forwarh ''' "'.
| .lttering ranks, walked their horses slow
! ly between the two arrays with targets
hraced and lances In rest like the chal-
] langprs In tourney.
by Saint Paul. cried Sir Nigel. with
his eye glowing like an ember, 'th"s"
appear to lee two very worthy and d"ho-
| nair gentlemen. ! do not call To mind
when ] have seen any people who seemed
OF SO great heart and so high Of cntef-
/ prise. We have our hUrscs, Sir William:
shall he not relieve them OF any vow which
| they may have upon their soulsT'
Felton's reply was TO bound upon his
charger. and 10 urge II down the slope.
while Sir Nigel followed not three spears
lengths behind him. II was rugged
course. rocky and uneven, yet the two
knights. choosing their men. dashed on
wards nt the top OF their speed. VIII!
the gallant SpnnIaTds New as swiftly To
meet them. The one to whom FELTON,
found himself opposed was a tall stripllus
with n stng's head upon his shield. while
Sir SiEcl's man was broad and squat. with
plain steel harness. and pink and whit.
tors. bound round mis- helmet. The nrst
struck FELTON, on the target with such
force ms to split It from side TO side. bot
Sir Williams lance crashed through the
CANAL which shielded the Spanlnrd' :
throat. and he fell. screaming hoirscly. to
the ground. Carried away lay the heat and
madness of fight. tn. EnIlish knight never
drew rein, hut charged 81 aight on into the
array OF the Knights Of CRlutrava. Long
time the silent ranks upon the Hill could
swirl .nnd eddy deep down In the
heart OF the Spanish column. with
circle Of rearing chargers aud nashlnE
blades. Here and there tossed tn" white
plume of Ii. English helmet. rising and
falling like the foam upon wave. with
tn. fierce CLEAN AMI sparkle ever clr~ling
round II, until Mt last 1t hnd sunk from
view. and another hraN" man had turned
war TO peace.
sir Nigel, meanwhile. had found foe.
man worthy Of his steel. for his opponent
was non. other than Sebastian Gomez, the
picked lance Of TIA. m"nklsh knights Of
santiago. who hnd won fame IN hun.
dred bloody combais with tn" M""rs OF
Audnlu-Ia. So fierce was their meeting
that their spears -hiysrcd NJ TO tn. very
grasp, and the horses reared backwards
until II seemed that they must crash down
upon their riders. Yet with consumnnt~
horsemanship they both swung round In
long curv.t. nnd then plucklng out their
swords they Iashcd at each other like two
iusty smiths hnmm"ring upon their anvil.
The chargers spun round each others. bit
Ing and striking. while the two blades
wheeled and whlzE.d aud clrclci In gleams
Of dazzling light. Cut, parry, and thrust
The eye could not follow them. until at
last coming thigh to thigh. they cast their
arms around each other and rolled on
their saddles TO the ground, The heavier
SpnnInrd threw himself upon his enemy
and pinning him down beneath him raised
his sword to slny him. Will. n shout OF
triumph rose from the ranks Of his count
rym.u. But the fatal blow never fell. for
even ns his arm Iuiycrcd befor. descend
ing. the SpnnInrd gave n .huid"r. md
f..I
his side, with tn. blood gushing from his
nrm-plt and from the slit OF his yizor. Sir
Nigel sprnng to his feet with his bloody
dagger In his left hand and gnzei down
upon his adversary. but the fatal aud
sudden stab In the vital spot. which the
Spaninrd had exposed by raising his arm.
had proved Instantly mortal. The Eng
llshman lcapcd upon his horse aud una 1c
for tn. hill, Mt the very instant that n yell
Of rag" from n thousand voices and III"
ciang Of n scor. OF bugles announced tb.
Spanish onset.
CHAPTER XVII
But the Islanders were ready and eager
for the encounter. with feet nriniy
planted, their sleeves rolled back to give
free play To their muscles. their long
yellow bow-stnves In their left hands. and
their qulyers slung to the front, they had
waited In the four-dccp harrow formation
which gave strength to their array, and
yet permitted every man to draw his arrow
freely without harm to those In front.
on swept the Spnniards. over the level
and mp to th" slope. ere they met the
| binding storm OF the English arrows
Down went the whole ranks In n whlrl
OF mad confusion, horses punging mud
kicking. bcwild"red men falling. rising.
| staggering on back. whHc ever new
| lines OF horscmen came squirting through
| the gaps and urged their chargers up tn"
fatal slope. All around him, Alcync could
| hear the stern. short orders OF the master
| bowmcn. while the air was filled with
| the keen twauging OF the strings and the
swish and pntter OF the shafts Right
| across the foot OF the hill there had
sprung up II long wall OF struggling horses
| and stricken men, which ever grew and
heightened as fresh spuadrons poured on
| the attack. So for Ave long minutes the
gallant horsemcn OF Spain and Of France
| strovc ever and again to force u passage.