The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-15

pdhVuct nuin YOUR iiicHu oiuuoh Sou'
Your friend"
And Denis, prone on the floor, was
sobblng now. for his pride was
broken.
But Bertram only moved like
dead thing to the blows. The
air stank with the reek OF his
doublet burning against the brazier,
AYE this should wake him." said
Percy, and poising livid iron was
about to plunge II In Bertram's face.
All bound as he was, Denis flung
himself forward, and the iron slipped
kissing down his shoulder and arm as
he fell, With foul oath. Percy de
Vigne turned upon him-when 10! up
from his very feet started Bertram,,
bound. indeed, still by the legs, but
from his great arms he shook the
bonds, burnt and charred, and
hoped back, and shouted,
The great brazier of red charcoal
he tore from the ground and lifted
high, and hurled it at them, and they
sprang back and away pell-mell. curs-'
ing under the rain of fire. whistling
blow of the empty brazier stretched
Percy de Vigne on the stones, and,
snatchlng a red iron from the other
brazier, Bertram fell on his chest and
cried:
Out, hounds, or III blind him.
And now it was Percy himself whose
eyeball the red iron scorched.
bid your hounds out! Else" closer
and closer yet lowered the smoking
iron, and Percy screamed;
Away! Out! Away! Out! 5 On, my
lord, twas, but a Jest BY the Vir-
gin, /. swear twas but Jest" The
men stumbled to the door and there
stood gazing.
Bertram, watching always the face
OF Percy de Vigne, and holding al
ways the iron close, drew Percy's dag
ger with his left hand. and cut the
bonds of his legs and those of Denis,
who straightway released the fair
Enid
Shut the door, Denis" said Ber-
tram.
Tottering, numb and stiff, Denis
rose and stumbled to the door The
men swore at him, but burst no more,
and the door was shut and bolted.
Now we wait the deeds OF Bedi-
vere,' quoth Bertram, and chuckled
again.
"Bedivere?' cried Enid.
MY good horse" said Bertram.
Him they did not capture
For Sir Bertram. falling, had let
go his bride rein. Bediyere, rearing,
had turned, and Bertram had heard
the sound of his galloping hoofs.
Fast Bedivere galloped back, and
came TO the door Of Sir Bertrams
quarters and whinnied loud. Out came
Bertram's Squire Arthur and caught
the bride and swore aloud: felt the
hot, heaving sides. muttered: "A two
mile gallop Three haply." Shouted
then within to the n1en-at-arms: sad
die, saddle. Sir Bertram Is taken!
then vaulted on Bedivere and galloped
off to the quarter of Sir John OF
Netherby-he that was John Bowlegs.
Now. Sir John, who went early to bed.
was just reused to hear the plant OF
a woman that his daughter was car
ried away by the Welsh, and Sir John
came waddling in In his bedgown to
Ends father and Arthur the squire
Scarcely were the two brief stories
told when Sir John puts his head out
OF window and shouts: 'Trumpets!
Ho. rogues trumpets Sound 10 morse!
Kick me up two-score bowmen! HUI
bert my breeches Dick, the mail!
Go back now to the torture-room,
where Bertram sits smiling to MINI
self: where Denis sits with Ends
hand in his arm, dlstraught, ashamed.
Some sound came from without
the dull tramp of feet, the clatter OF
steel Bertram ran TO the narrow
slit that served for window. The
crag was alive with men. The Whick'
er of arrows sounded soft and clear.
Then came some who tapped nj
that torture room, screaming: MY
lord. what is to do? My lord! but
Percy dc ' lkub CUulu iiinht ho oSN''N'
Bertram put the sword in Denis
hand. "'Tis over light said he, and
took two red irons from the brazier.
Lady. your pardon Look from the
window said he Torn from the
hinges. the door burst inward, and the
irons and the sword fell to work with
a shout. The long irons kept the
threshold clear; who lodged beneath
them met Denis, and Denis had his
honor to win again.
And soon up the stair came shouting
the men of the kings house. and
Percy de Vignes men were driven up
to their death.
But | remember ! have not told
how Denis was made knight. The next
dav when the sun was setting, the
king held court-so that day
neither Denis and Enid might be I'M
der the oak tree, nor Bertram ana
Flinor by the sweet-briar hedge. The