The La Jara chronicle., 1906-08-17
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 Duttesthorn. stout
old Sir Simon hurley, tho Scotch knight
errant. the Earl OF Angus, and sir Rich
ard Chuston, all accounted among the
bravest knights In the army. together
with sixty veteran men-nt-arms. and
three hundred and twenty archers Sples
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
BurEos, having with him twenty thou
sand horse and forty-hve thousand foot
\ dry-wood hre had been lit and round
this the leaders crouched the glare
beating upon their rugged faces, while
the hardy archers lnunged and chatted
amid the tethered horses, while they
munched their scanty provisions.
For my part" said Sir Simon Bur
ley 1 am of the opinion that we have
already done that which we have come
for. For do 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 I have come on this venture be-
cause II is a long time since | have
broken a spear in war, and. certcs, 1
shall not go back until ] have run a
course with some cavalier OF spain
II Will not leave you, Sir william"
returned Sir simon Burlcy; and yet. as
an old soldier and one who hath seen
much of war. I cannot but think that II
IS an I'll thing for four hundred men
to find Themselves between an
of sixty thousand on the one Side and
q broad river on the other
yet" said Sir Richard Causton. I'VE
cannot for the honor Of England 60
back without 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 We're very
worthy gentlemen among the Scots,
and huc skirmlshiuE TO he had upon
their border. Bethink you. Sir simon,
that We hive this news from the Tips
OF common spies. who can scarce tell
US as much Of the enemy and "f his
forces as tho prince would wish to
hear
All night they led their horses.
stumbling and cropping through Wild
defles and rugged alleys, following the
guidance of a frightened peasant who
was strapped by the wrist to Black ST.
mons stIrrup-leather. With the carly
dawn they found themselves in dark
ravine, with others sloping away from
it on either side. and the bare brown
crags rising in long bleak terraces all
round them.
III 1t please you. fair lord" said
Black simon, this man hath misled US,
and since there Is no tree upon whlcn
we may hang him. IT might lie well
bur him over wonder Cliff.
The peasant reading the soldiers
meaning In his fierce eyes and harsh
accents dropped upon his knees, scream
How comes it. dog" asker Sir Will
lam FELTON, in Spanish, Where Is this
camp to which you swore you would
lead us?"
BY the sweet Virgin, BY the blessed
Mother of God" cried the trembling
peasant, swear to you that in the
darkness I have myself lost the path.
AT the instant, there rose The
scream of a hundred bugles. with the
deep rolling OF drums and the ciashinE
of cymbals. all sounding together in one
deafening uproar. Knights and areh-
ers sprang to arms, convince
some great host was upon them; but
the guide dropped upon his knees and
thanked Heaven for It's mereies,
1--WE have found them cabnlleros:
he cried This is their morning call
AS he spoke he scrambled down one
OF the narrow ravincs, and. climbing
over a low ridge at the further emo. he
led them into short valley with
stream purling down the centre OF ~
and very thick growth of elder and
boo upon either side Pushing their
way through the dense brushwood. they
looked upon a scene which made their
hearts beat harder and their breath
come faster.
In front of them lay a broad plain.
-{,,.g Inc Fw.n ms
covered with grass, stretching away to
where in the furthest distance, the
towers of Burgos bristled up against
the light blue morning sky. over all
this vast meadow there lay a great city
OF tents-thousands upon thousands OF
them. laid out in streets and squares
like a well-ordered town. High stlken
payilions or colored marquees' shoot
ing up from among the crowd OF mean
er dwellings, marked where the great
lords and barons OF Leon and CASTLE
displayed their standards. while over
the white roofs. as far as eye could
reach, the waving of ancients, paNons
pensils and banderoles, with nash OF
gold and glow of colors, proclaimed
that all the chivalry Of iberia were
mustered in the plain beneath them.
Far of, In the centre of the camp,
huge palace OF red and white sllk
with the royal arms of CASTLE waving
from the summit. announced that the
gallant Henry lay there in the midst
of his warriors
As the English adventures, peeping
out from behind their brushwood
screen, looked down upon this wondrous
sight. they could see that the vast army
in front OF them was already afoot The
first pink light of the rising sun gilt
tered upon the steel caps aud breast
plates OF dense masses OF singers and
crossbowmen, who drilled and marched
in the spaces which had been left for
their exercise. A thousand columns
of smoke reeked up into the pure
morning air where the faggots were
piled and the camp-kettles already
simmering. In the opcn plain. clouds
of light horse Ealloped and swooped