Part 21 (1/2)

I bowed and explained to her , and ently and turned to Curtis

'Fare thee well, , or on thy soldiers' spears' {Endnote 19}

Sir Henry said nothing, but turned his horse to go; perhaps he had a bit of a luets over it afterwards, but these sort of partings are trying when one has only been reet thee when ye return in triumph

And now, my lords, once one a hundred and fifty yards or so, we turned and perceived her still sitting on her horse at the sa out after us beneath her hand, and that was the lastof her About abehind us, and looking round, saw aNyleptha's ht

'The Queen sends the white stallion as a farewell gift to her Lord Incubu, and bidshorse in all the land,' said the soldier, bending to his saddle-bow before us

At first Sir Henry did not want to take the horse, saying that he was too good for such rough work, but I persuaded hi that Nyleptha would be hurt if he did not Little did I guess at the time what service that noble horse would render in our sorest need It is curious to look back and realize upon what trivial and apparently coincidental circureat events frequently turn as easily and naturally as a door on its hinges

Well, we took the horse, and a beauty he was, it was a perfect pleasure to see his and thanks, we proceeded on our journey

By reat army of which Sir Henry then formally took over the command It was a heavy responsibility, and it oppressed him very much, but the Queen's injunctions on the point were such as did not adreatness has its responsibilities as well as its glories

Then wewith any opposition, al anybody, for the populations of the towns and villages along our route had for the ht between the two rival arrain between the upper and the nether stones

On the evening of the fourth day, for the progress of so great a multitude was necessarily sloe cae I have spoken of, and our outposts brought us word that Sorais with all her poas rolling down upon us, and had pitched her caht ten ly before dae sent forward fifteen hundred cavalry to seize the position Scarcely had they occupied it, however, before they were attacked by about as many of Sorais' horseht ensued, with a loss to us of about thirty men killed On the advance of our supports, however, Sorais' force drew off, carrying their dead and wounded with them

The main body of the army reached the neck about dinner-tiive battle in, especially to a superior force

The road ran down a round too broken to ad of any considerable force, till it reached the crest of a great green wave of land, that rolled down a gentle slope to the banks of a little streaentler slope to the plain beyond, the distance fro a little over half a mile, and froth of this wave of land at its highest point, which corresponded exactly with the width of the neck of the land between the wooded hills, was about two miles and a quarter, and it was protected on either side by dense, rocky, bush-clad ground, that afforded a most valuable cover to the flanks of the army and rendered it almost impossible for them to be turned

It was on the hither slope of this neck of land that Curtis encamped his army in the same forenerals, Good, and reat pitched battle which now appeared to be ihly speaking, divided as follows In the centre was a dense body of twenty thousand foot-soldiers, armed with spears, swords, and hippopotamus-hide shi+elds, breast and back plates {Endnote 20} These formed the chest of the army, and were supported by five thousand foot, and three thousand horse in reserve On either side of this chest were stationed seven thousand horse arranged in deep, htly in front of the about seven thousand five hundred spears of the arent of some fifteen hundred cavalry This makes in all sixty thousand men

Curtis commanded in chief, I was in coht wing, which was commanded by Good, and the other battalions and squadrons were entrusted to Zu-Vendis generals

Scarcely had we taken up our positions before Sorais' vast aran to swarm on the opposite slope about a mile in front of us, till the whole place seeround shook with the tramp of her battalions It was evident that the spies had not exaggerated; ere outnumbered by at least a third At first we expected that Sorais was going to attack us at once, as the clouds of cavalry which hung upon her flanks executed soht better of it, and there was no fight that day As for the forreat forces I cannot now describe it with accuracy, and it would only serve to bewilder if I did, but Ifeatures it resereater

Opposite our right wing, and for men, armed with sword and shi+eld only, which, I was infore hillsmen

'My word, Good,' said I, when I saw thee!' whereat Good not unnaturally looked rather anxious

All day atched and waited, but nothing happened, and at last night fell, and a thousand watch-fires twinkled brightly on the slopes, to wane and die one by one like the stars they reseatheredhosts

It was a very wearying night, for in addition to the endless things that had to be attended to, there was our gnawing suspense to reckon with The fray which tohter so awful, that stout indeed must the heart have been that was not overwhel upon it, I own I felt ill, and it athered for destruction, sier of a woman This was the hidden pohich was to send those denselike huether the fierce battalions as clouds when hurricane ht, and set one wondering about the responsibilities of the great ones of the earth

Deep into the night we sat, with pale faces and heavy hearts, and took counsel, whilst the sentries traenerals carim and shadow-like

And so the tihter; and I lay down and thought, and tried to get a little rest, but could not sleep for fear of theforth? Misery and death, this was certain; beyond that we knew not, and I confess I was very much afraid But as I realized then, it is useless to question that eternal Sphinx, the future From day to day she reads aloud the riddles of the yesterday, of which the puzzled wordlings of all ages have not answered one, nor ever will, guess they never so wildly or cry they never so loud