Part 1 (1/2)
The Black Arrow
by Robert Louis Stevenson
THE BLACK ARROW--A TALE OF THE TWO ROSES
Critic on the Hearth:
No one but ained, by your unsleeping watchfulness and adoes into the world and lacks your _i in our joint lives; and the reason of it stranger still! I have watched with interest, with pain, and at length with a attempts to peruse _The Black Arrow_; and I think I should lack humour indeed, if I let the occasion slip and did not place your name in the fly-leaf of the only book of mine that you have never read--and never will read
That others may display o for a particular audience and (I may say) in rivalry with a particular author; I think I should do well to name him, Mr
Alfred R Phillips It was not without its reward at the time I could not, indeed, displace Mr Phillips froht less than nothing of _Treasure Island_, _The Black Arroas supposed to mark a clear advance Those who read volu to different worlds The verdict on _Treasure Island_ was reversed in the other court; I wonder, will it be the same with its successor?
_R L S_
SARANAC LAKE, April 8, 1888
PROLOGUE--JOHN AMEND-ALL
On a certain afternoon, in the late springti at an unaccusto the river, people began to desert their labours and hurry towards the sound; and in Tunstall ha at the sun of old King Henry VI, wore much the same appearance as it wears to-day A score or so of houses, heavily fra froe, and es of the forest on its way to the Moat House, and further forth to Holywood Abbey Half-way up the village, the church stood a yews On every side the slopes were crowned and the view bounded by the green el oak-trees of the forest
Hard by the bridge, there was a stone cross upon a knoll, and here the group had collected--half a dozen wo what the bell betided An express had gone through the hamlet half an hour before, and drunk a pot of ale in the saddle, not daring to disnorant himself of as forward, and only bore sealed letters from Sir Daniel Brackley to Sir Oliver Oates, the parson, who kept the Moat House in the master's absence
But now there was the noise of a horse; and soon, out of the edge of the wood and over the echoing bridge, there rode up young Master Richard Shelton, Sir Daniel's ward He, at the least, would know, and they hailed hih--a young fellow not yet eighteen, sun-browned and grey-eyed, in a jacket of deer's leather, with a black velvet collar, a green hood upon his head, and a steel cross-bow at his back The express, it appeared, had brought great news A battle was i Sir Daniel had sent for every o post-haste to Kettley, under pain of his severe displeasure; but for whoht, or of where the battle was expected, dick knew nothing Sir Oliver would co at that moment, for he it ho should lead the party
”It is the ruin of this kind land,” a wohfolk must eat roots”
”Nay,” said dick, ”every man that follows shall have sixpence a day, and archers twelve”
”If they live,” returned the woman, ”that may very well be; but how if they die, my master?”
”They cannot better die than for their natural lord,” said dick
”No natural lord of hao, come Candlemas And now I must side with Brackley! It was the law that did it; call ye that natural? But noith Sir Daniel and ith Sir Oliver--that knowsHarry the Sixt, God bless hiht hand froue, friend,” answered dick, ”toin the saain into his right s peaceably ordained And as for Sir Daniel, y' are very brave behind his back But I will be no tale-bearer; and let that suffice”
”I say no harm of you, Master Richard,” returned the peasant ”Y' are a lad; but when ye come to a man's inches, ye will find ye have an ehbours, and the Blessed Maid protect his wards!”
”Clipsby,” said Richard, ”you speak what I cannot hear with honour Sir Daniel is uardian”
”Come, noill ye read me a riddle?” returned Clipsby ”On whose side is Sir Daniel?”