Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-09
Nulf, with a short laugh. "Are you

WILL, Will u short iauSh' hTe you
hurt?"
Nay" answered his brother, but do
not boast till the battle is over, FOR
many are eft and they will come on
thus no more. Pray God they have no
spears or bows"
Then he turned and looked behind
him, and there, far from the shore now,
Ewam the gray horse steadily, and there
upon its back sat Rosamund.
Goodwin was right. Although their
leader commanded them In a stern
voice, the band sank from the reach of
those awful swords and instead sought
for stones to hurl at them. But here
lay more mud than pebbles, and the
rocks Of which the causeway was built
were too heavy for them to lift. Now,
after some while the man called mas
ter spoke through his lieutenant, and
certain Of them ran into the thorn thick
a., and thence appeared again bearing
the long oars of the boat.
"Their counsel is to batter us down
with the oars. What shall we do now,
brother?' asked Goodwin.
"What we can" answered Wulf. at
matters little If Rosamund is spared
by the waters. for they will scarcely
take her now"
AS he spoke Wulf heard a sound be-
hind him, and of a sudden Goodwin
threw up his arms and sank to his
knees. Round he sprnng, and there
upon his feet stood that man whom
N1a- InI t1,,,,,rIt .1An a,,1 Il, lit, 1a~I
n bloody sword, At him lcaped Wulf,
and so fierce were the blows he smote
that this time he fell. never to stir
again. Then he looked at his brother
and saw that the blood was running
down his face and binding him.
Save yourself, Wulf, for l am Sped"
murmured Goodwin.
NAY or You could not speak" And
he cast his arm round him and kissed
him On the brow.
Then Il thought came INTO his mind,
and. lifting Goodwin rs though he were
n child, he ran back to where the
horses stood and heaved him on to the
saddle.
Hold fast" he cried. "by name ard
pommel. Keep your mind and hold
fast, and l will save you yet"
Passing the relns over his left arm,
Wulf leaped upon the back of his own
horse and turned ii. Ter seconds more
II the pirates, who were gathering
with the oars where the paths Joined
at the root of the causeway. saw the
two great horses laundering down upon
them-on one n sore wounded man,
his bright hair dabhled with blood, his
hands gripping name and saddle, and
on the other the warrior Wulf, with
starting eyes and n face like the face
of Il fame, shaking his red sword and
for the second time that day shouting
aloud: "A Darcy! A Darcy Contre
Darcy, contre Mort"
They saw, they shouted, :lley massed
themselves together and held up the
oars to meet them. But Wulf spurred
f1erccly. and. short rs was the way, the
heavy horses, trained to tourney, gath
cred their speed. Sow they were on
them. The oarc were swept aside like
reeds. al round them flashed the
swords. and Wulf felt that he was
hurt, he knew not where. But his
sword flashed also, one blow-there
was no time for more-yet the man be-
meath 1t sank like IN empty sack.
BY st. Peter, they were through, and
Goodwin Still swayed upon the saddle,
and yonder, nearing the farther shore.
the gray horse with its burden still
battled in the tide. They were through:
they were through, while to Wulf's
eyes the air swan red, and the earth
seemed rs though it rose up 10 meet
them. and everywhere was flaming fire.
But the shouts had died away behind
them. and the only sound was the
sound of the galloping of their horses
hoofs. Then that also grew faint and
died away, and silence and darkness
fell upon the mind of Wulf.