Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-08-17

ing up With CONSERVATION upon bis face.
'Aylward tells me that there are not
ten score arrows left In all their sheaves.
seel they are springlng from their horses,
ana cutting their sollereta that they may
rush upon US. Night We not even now
make retreatY
My soul Will retreat from my bodv
arst. cued the little Knight. faore
aua, aud here blde, while COD giyea me
strength 10 ne q sword"
AND 81 say II shouted Sir oliver,
throwing his mace high Into the air and
catching IL again by the handle.
40 your arms, menl cried Sir Nigel.
Shoot while you may aud then out sword,
and let us live or die togetherl"
Then uprose from the hill Ia the rugged
Calabrlan valley a sound such as had NOT
been heard IN those parts before, nor was
again. until the streams which rippled
amid the rocks had been frozen By over
four hundred winters and thaWed BY as
many returning springs. Deep ana fun
ana strong i Numbered down the raVlne,
the heree battle-call VI a warrior race, the
last stern welcome 10 who so should joln
with them la that World-old game where
the stake Is death. Thrice It sWelled forth
and thrice It sank away, eehoing and re-
yerberatlng amidst the erags. Then. with
/
/ storm OF stones, and looked down upon the
thousands who sped swiftly up the slope
against them. Horse and spear had been
set aside, but on foot with sword and bait
| tle-axe, their broad shields slung 10 front
OF them, the chlvalry OF Spain rushed 10
the attack.
And now arose a struggle so fell, 80 long,
so evenly sustained that even now the
memory or II IL handed down amongst the
Calabrian mOuntalneers, and the ill-omen-
ed knoll Is stlll pointed out BY fathers 20
their children as the "Altura de los Ingle-
sos where the men from across the seas
Fought the great fight with the knights
OF the south. The last arrow was quickly
shot, nor could the singers hurl their
stones, 50 close were friend aud foe. From
SIDE TO side stretched the thin line OF the
English lightly armed and qulck-footed
while against II stOrmed and ragged the
pressing throng OF fiery Spaniards and OF
gallant Bretons. The clink Of crossing
sWord-blades, the dull thudding OF heavy
blows, the painting aud gasping OF weary
and wounded men, all rose together IN
wild, long-drawn note, which swelled
upwards to the ears OF the wondering
peasants who looked down from the edges
OF the Gins upon the swaying turmoil OF
the batte beneath them. Back and for
ward reeled the leopard banner, now
borne up the slope by the rush and
weight Of the onslaught. now pushing
downwards again as Sir Nigel, Burnley.
ana Black Simon, with their veteran mem
alarms, flung themselves madly into the
fray. Alleyne, at his lords right hand,
found himself swept hither and thither IN
the desperate struggle, exchanging savage
thrnsts one instant with & Spanish cavn-
Her and the next torn away by the whlrl
OF men aud dashed up against some new
antagonist! To the right Sir oliver, AyI-
ward, Horde john and the bowmen OF
the Company fought furlously against the
monkish Knights OF Santiago, who were
led up the hill by their prlor-a great-deep-
chested man, who wore a brown monastlc
habit over his suit Of mail. Three archers
he slew in three giant strokes, but Sir
oliver flung his arms round him, and the
two, staggering and strainng, reeled back
wards and fell, locked in each others
grasp over the edge of the steep cliff
which fianked the hill. In vain his knights
stormed and raved against the thin line
which marred their path; the sword of
Awkward and the great axe OF John CLEAN
ed In the forefront Of the battle and huge
Jagged pieces Of rock, hurled by the
strong arms of the bowmen, crashed and
hurtled amid their ranks. Slowly they
gave back down the hill, the archers stii
hanging upon their skirts, with a long
litter Of writing and twisted figures to
mark the course which they had taken.
At the same instant the Weshmen upon
the left, led on by the Scotch earl, had
charged out from among the rocks which
sheltered them, and by the fury OF their
outfall had driven the Spaniards in front
OF them In headlong flight down the hill
In the centre only things seemed to be
going Ill with the defenders. Black Simon
was down-dying, as he would wish to have
died, like a grim old wolf in its lair with
ring Of his slain around him. Twice Sir
! Nigel had been overborne, and twice AL
leyne had fought over him until he had
staggered to his feet once more Burley
lay senseless, stunned by a blow from a
! mace, and half Of the men-at4arms Law
Uttered upon the ground around him Sir
NigePs shield was broken, his crest shorn,
his armor cut and smashed, and the vizor
, torn from his helmet; yet he sprang hither
, and thither with light foot and ready
hand, engaging two Bretons and a Span
: lard at the same instant thrusting, stoop-
; ing, dashing in, springing out-whlle Al
, leyne still fought by his side, stemmlng
/ with a handful Of men the fierce tide
which surged up against them Yet It
would have Jared iii with them had not
the archers from either side closed in upon
the tanks Of the attackers, and pressed
i them very slowly and foot by foot down
lhG Aonb SlOpeS until luCy were OH lue
! plain once more, where their fellows were
already rallying for fresh assault.
But terrible indeed was the cost at
which the last had been repealed. OF the
p three hundred and seventy men who had
= held the crest, one hundred and seventy
q two were left standing, many OF whom
: were sorely wounded and weak from loss
I of blood. Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, Sir
4 Richard Causton, Sir Simon Burnley, Black
4 Simon, Johnston, a hundred and fifty
4 archers, and forty-seven men-at-arms had
. fallen, while the pitiless hail Of stones
was already whizzing and piping once more
i about their ears, threatening every In
. slant to further reduce their numbers
Sir Nigel looked about him at his shat
i tered ranks, and his face flushed with a
4 soldiers pride.
by st. Paul!' he cried, 81 have fought
y in many little pickering, but never one
4 that l would be more 10th to have missed
o than this. But you are wounded, Alleyneq'
4 1T is nought," answered his SQUIRE
: stanching the blood which dripped from
h a sword-cut across his forehead.
o These gentlemen OF Spain seem to be
T most courteous and worthy people. / see
4 that they are already forming to continue
3 this debate with us. Form up the bowmen
a two deep instead Of four. BY my faith!
\ some very brave men have gone from
q among US. Awkward, you are a trusty SOL
e der, for all that your shoulder has never
!, felt accolade, nor your heels worn the
d gold spurs. DO you take charge Of the