The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-25

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssss stood the mechanical" viewed with fsa. by the soldiers.
 The neeromancers of the Duchess of Bedford had convinced her that Warner had made charms to bring victory to Warwick and they had brought him to the battlefield that they might counter act his incantations and at the fitting mo- ment destroy his terrible familiar demon.
 Sybill looked on the dreary omens of the awful day with despair, not only for her fathers plight, but for her own. On tho very eve of battle she had learned that Hastings, who rode with the King, false to his VOWS to her, had married another. The gloomy smokes of mist that wreathed around her were not more gloomy than her breaking heart.
 Thus. dragged inexorabry into the whirl- pool of Warwieks mighty fate, all scat tered 7rivuets of life seemed to hasten at last to merge.
 Tn polished mail, with his head bare so that his golden locks shone through the haze, Edward rode between his lines, cry ing: Spare not either knight or com monsi No quarterl Stay all Stay all
 Warwick saw the hosts of Gloucester charge. He swung the terrible battle ax and galloped headlong to meet the shock. Through the mists the blood red mantle and the grinning boar's head that Rich ard of Gloucester wore above his hemlet flashed and gleamed flercely. Blood fol- lowed the path of the sinister figure. Tide on tide of riders fell on Warwick's men, but ever the Earls black armor, black plume, black steed, gloomed forth like a thunder cloud in the midst of a dismal heaven. The steed itself was scarcely less terrible to encounter than the rider. Pro- tected by coat of steel the spike which projected from its barbed frontal dripped with blood as it secured along.
 Even in that moment, however, War wick spared Richard again and again as they met. contenting himself with ward ing off his blows.
 Gloueester's forces began to melt away. Edward, who had driven the forces of Somerset before him, charged to the at tack on Warwick. And now the mists played their part of doom. Oxford charged on the King. His silver standard dimly seen in the fog by Warwick's men was mistaken for the Sun of York on Ed- wards banners. Friend fell on friend. The fearful cry, Treason! Treasonl'' rang through the curtained battlefield.
 Before Warwick and Montagu could rally their army Oxford was in flight. Ex- eter lay dead Somersets men, scarcely reformed, were fleeing again, hopelessly this time, and Edward, Gloucester, Clar- ence and Hastings came driving down to- gether, concentrating in one black tu- mutt against Warwick and his brother.
 Yet even then a single sword almost served to turn the flood of battle Three times did Warwick penetrate into the very midst of Edwards bodyguard, fell ing all before him. He smote down the Kings standard bearer. unhorsed Hast ings, killed Lord Cromwell and the Lord of Say, and Edward, setting his teeth in stern joy, met the ax of the Earl with his enormous mace, as thunder might en- counter thunder.
 But a hundred knights rode to the rescue. More and more did the multi tudes of spears and axes mass to the lions death. Inch by inch Warwick was driven back to the covert, where his ! archers had massed to protect his re- treat.
 "The mists are needed no more' cried the necromancers who had made incanta- tions to hold them over the field. At Q. signal from them the soldiers drew on the cord and swung Adam Warmers body into the air. Sybill shrieked and fell. Heaven was merciful to her, for in that moment her soul parted from her body. The ne- cromancers fell on the dreaded engine and broke it into fragments.
 While science was thus perishing from the earth, the might of the barons of England was perishing not far away Be- fore some great oaks Warwick and Mon
 
 turned their visors on each other in fare well. For moment their hands clasped. Then the throng of foes came on. Everywhere else the battle had ceased. But around that one small spot there cen tered still war. Knight after knight rode at the grim pair. Knight after knight fell to add to the mound of corpses that 1 marked the last stand of the Last of the Barons.
 But numbers rushed on numbers. Mon tagu was beaten to his knees. Warwick covered him with his body. A score of axes resounded on his casque. A dozen swords searched at the joints of his ar | nor. Then a great and half-awed cry was raised; and when Gloucester pressed through the circle. the knights stood mute as executioners Side by side, ax and l sword still gripped in their iron hands, lay Montagu and Warwick. And over them unused the dark and plot | ting Gloucester: "So perishes the age of force Low lies the last baron who could 1 control the throne and command the peo- pie. Happy, henceforth, he who can plot and scheme and smile"
 l Turning to the knights, the splendid dssimulator said as in sad reproof: 'sYe have been over-hasty, knights and gen. 1 tlemen! The house of York is mighty | enough to have spared such noble foes. 1 Sound trumpets Fall in file. Way there, way! King Edward comes! Long live 1 the King!'
 l Next Sundays one-page classic will ba ''The Two Admirals.'' by James Fent