The Black Arrow


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her seat and ran like an arrow to her lover's side.  
"
Here, Dick!" she cried, as she clasped his hand in hers.  
But Dick still stood irresolute; he was yet young to the more deplorable  
necessities of war, and the thought of old Lady Brackley checked the  
command upon his tongue. His own men became restive. Some of them  
cried  
on him by name; others, of their own accord, began to shoot; and at the  
first discharge poor Bennet bit the dust. Then Dick awoke.  
"
On!" he cried. "Shoot, boys, and keep to cover. England and York!"  
But just then the dull beat of many horses on the snow suddenly arose in  
the hollow ear of the night, and, with incredible swiftness, drew nearer  
and swelled louder. At the same time, answering tuckets repeated and  
repeated Hatch's call.  
"
Rally, rally!" cried Dick. "Rally upon me! Rally for your lives!"  
But his men--afoot, scattered, taken in the hour when they had counted on  
an easy triumph--began instead to give ground severally, and either stood  
wavering or dispersed into the thickets. And when the first of the  
horsemen came charging through the open avenues and fiercely riding their  
steeds into the underwood, a few stragglers were overthrown or speared  
among the brush, but the bulk of Dick's command had simply melted at the  
rumour of their coming.  


Page
332 333 334 335 336

Quick Jump
1 88 177 265 353