Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-08-18
CHAPTER NY.

ne 1TluCt with MS IsuElNu duh bdH
con army moved swiftly southwark in
battle array and Sir Nigel having re-
cruited his ranks with the two nun
bred emberS OF the original White
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, and
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 off in the direction OF
Burgos. having with him twenty thou
sand horse and forty-five thousand foot.
\ 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
IL II NV all 80 'h'AAt
For my part" said Sir Simon Bur
ley. l 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 a Following
he hath. which was the end of our jour
ney."
True. answered Sir William Felton,.
but l have come on this venture be
cause it is a long time since | have
broken a spear in war. and, certes, |
shall not go back until | have run a
course with some cavalier of Spain"
II Will not leave YOU, Sir William"
returned Sir Simon Burley; and yet. as
an old soldier and one who hath seen
much of war. | cannot but think that 1t
Is an i'll thing for four hundred men
to find themselves between an
Of sixty Thousand on the one side and
a broad river ON the other
yet" said Sir Richard Causton, we
cannot for the honor of England go
TACK 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 l have
always heard that there were very
worthy gentlemen among the Scots,
and fire skirmishlng to he had upon
their border. Bethink you, Sir simon,
that we have this news from the lips
Of common spies, VINO can scarce Ten
Us as much of the enemy and OF his
forces as the prince would wish to
hear"
All night they led their horses.
stumbling and cropping through wild
dehles aud rugged alleys, following the
guidance Of a frightened peasant who
was strapped by the wrist to Black ST.
mons stirrup-leather. With the early
dawn they found themselves in a dark
ravine. with others sloping away from
It on either side. and the bare brown
crags rising in long bleak terraces all
round them.
IF 1t please YOU. fair lord said
Black Simon, this man hath misled us,
and since there is no tree upon which
We may hang him. it might be well
to hurl him over yonder cliff
The peasant. reading the soldiers
m meaning in his fierce eyes and harsh
accents dropped upon his knees, scream
Ing loudly for mercy.
How comes ii, dog?' asker Sir Will
lam FELTON, in Spanish, where Is this
camp to which you swore you would
lead u.s.
BY the sweet Virgin. BY the blessed
Mother Of God!' cried the trembling
" | swear to You that in the
darkness | ave myself lost the path,
I-"At the instant, there rose the
scream of a undred bugles, with the
a eEn OlliDE OI III lllS III AAt A'AAAA
~ cvmbals all sounding together in one
deafeninp uproar knights and arch
sprang to arms, convinced
some great host vas upon them; but
tho pnfds droppad upon his knees and
hanked Heaven for it's mercies.
I'VE have found them caballerosf
10 cried This is their morning call
AZ he smoke he cramble down one
Of tbe narrov rayines. and. climbing
over a low ridqe at the further end. he
led them into a short valley with a
stream purling down the centre OF it,
and a very thick growth of elder and
hoy unon either side Pushing their
Wv through the dense brushwood, they
looked upon A scene which made their
hearts beat harder and their breath
come faster.
Il front NJ fbtu Law a broad plain.
vatered by two winding streams and
with grass. stretching away to
ubora In the fnrthest distance the
.na ~ puroos hristled IN against
49, uabt bI,a morning sky over all
-. 49, L.. b., ,,raat ritv