The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-08-10
CHAPTER XIV.

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 into the rugged land of
Spain.
Sir Nigel had with him Sir william
FELTON,, Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, stout
old Sir Simon Burley the Scotch knight
errant, the Earl OF Angus, and Sir Rich
ard causton, all accounted among the
bravest knights in the army, together
with sixty veteran men at arms. ana
three hundred and twenty archers. Spies
had been sent out in the morning, and
returned after night-fall to say that
the King of Spain was encamped some
fourteen miles of in the direction OF
Burgos. having with him twenty thou
sand horse and forty-five 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 Following
he hath, which was the end of our jour
ney."
''True,' answered Sir william FELTON,,
but ! have come on this venture be-
cause 1t is long time since / have
broken spear in war and, certes, I
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, I cannot but think that 1t
is an III thing for four hundred men
to and themselves between an arr
of sixty thousand on the one side and
broad river on the other
Yet" said Sir Richard Causton, 1--WE
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 WE'LL, said Sir Nigel, "and / have
always heard that there were very
worthy gentlemen among the Scots,
and fine skirmlshlng to be 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 as the prince would wish to
hear"
All night they led their horses,
and cropping through wild |
detiles and rugged alleys, following the |
guidance OF 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
1t on either side, and the bare brown
rrags rising In long bleak terraces all /
round them.
IF 1t please YOU fair lord" said
Black Simon, this man hath misied us,
and since there is no tree upon which
we may hang him, II might be well
10 hurl him over yonder cliff
The peasant. reading the soldiers
meaning in his fierce eyes and harsh
accents dropped upon his knees, Scream
Ing loudly for mercy.
How comes 1t, dog?" asker Sir Will
lam FELTON, in Spanish. Where is this
amp to which you swore you would
lead us?"
by the sweet Wright BY the blessed
Mother of Godi' cried the trembling
| sweaaedo you that in the
darkness j have myself lost the path,
the instant, there rose the
scream of hundred bugles, with the
ieep rolling Of drums and the clashing
VI cymbals. all sounding together in one
leafenng uproar knights and arch
RS sprang to arms convinced
some great host was upon them but
he guide dropped upon his knees and
banked Heaven for it's mercies.
we have found them caballerosi
he cried. This is their morning call.
As he spoke he scrambled down one
u the narrow ravnes. and, climbing
,ver a low ridge at the further end, he
ed them into short valley with a
stream purling down the centre of II,
Ind very thick growth of elder and
,ox upon either side Pushing their
way through the dense brushwood, they
ooked upon a scene which made their
learts beat harder and their breath
ome faster.
In front Of them lay a broad plain,
yatered by two winding streams and
overed with grass, stretching away to
where. in the furthest distance, the
overs OF Burgos bristled up against
he light blue morning sky. over all ;
his vast meadow there lay great city
( tents-thousands upon thousands Of
hem, laid out In streets and squares
Ike a well-ordered town. High silken
avilions or colored marques, shoot
ng up from among the crowd of mean
r dwellings,, marked where the great
ords and barons of Leon and CASTLE !
displayed their standards, while over /
ne Wnlte IoOlS, as lar dS eye Codiu I
each, the waving OF ancients, pavons,
ensils, and banderoles. with fash OF /
old and glow OF colors. proclaimed I
hat all the chivairy of iberia were !
austered in the plain beneath them.
'ar on, in the centre Of the camp. q I
uge palace of red and white silk, |
With the royal arms of CASTLE waving
rom the summit announced that the !
allant Henry lay there In the midst ,
Z his warriors. {
AS the English adventures. peeping 7
Ut from behind their brrssssf5Ts-ssSd
,reen looked down upon this wondrous
lght they could see that the vast army
4 front OF them was already afoot The .
rst pink light OF the rising sun gilt J
cred upon the steel caps and breast !
iates OF dense masses of singers and 1
who drilled and marched
! the spaces which had been left for '
aeir exercise A thousand columns
Z smoke reeked up into the pure !
corning air where the faggots were
lied and the complexities already :.
mmering IN the open plain. clouds !
I light horse galloped and swoopad F
18th swaying bodies and waving iave- o
MS. after the fashion which the Span u
h had adopted from their Moorish en- =
mics All along by the sedgy banks y
Z the rivers long lines Of pages led =
leir masters chargers down to water, "
hiie the knights themselves lounEed 7,
gayiy-dressed groups about the doors Il
, their pavilIons. or rode out with
ieir falcons upon their wrists and "
"A bol