INCIDENT OF THE FRENCH CAMP
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ou know, we French stormed Ratisbon deg.: deg.1A mile or so awayOn a little mound, NapoleonStood on our storming-day;With neck out-thrust, you fancy how,Legs wide, arms locked behind,As if to balance the prone browOppressive with its mind. Just as perhaps he mused "My plansThat soar, to earth may fall, 10Let once my army-leader Lannes deg. deg.11Waver at yonder wall"--Out 'twixt the battery-smokes there flewA rider, bound on boundFull-galloping; nor bridle drewUntil he reached the mound, Then off there flung in smiling joy,And held himself erectBy just his horse's mane, a boy:You hardly could suspect deg.-- deg.20(So tight he kept his lips compressed.Scarce any blood came through)You looked twice ere you saw his breastWas all but shot in two. "Well," cried he, "Emperor, by God's graceWe've got you Ratisbon!The Marshal's in the market-place,And you'll be there anonTo see your flag-bird flap his vansWhere I, to heart's desire, 30Perched him!" The chief's eye flashed; his plansSoared up again like fire. The chief's eye flashed; but presentlySoftened itself, as sheathesA film the mother-eagle's eyeWhen her bruised eaglet breathes."You're wounded!" "Nay," the soldier's prideTouched to the quick, he said:"I'm killed, Sire!" And his chief beside,Smiling, the boy fell dead. 40 * * * * * "HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX" [16--] I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew;"Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through;Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,And into the midnight we galloped abreast. Not a word to each other; we kept the great paceNeck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique right, 10Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit. 'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew nearLokeren deg., the cocks crew and twilight dawned clear: deg.14At Boom deg., a great yellow star came out to see; deg.15At Dueffeld deg., 'twas morning as plain as could be; deg.16And from Mecheln deg. church-steeple we heard the half-chime, deg.17So, Joris broke silence with, "Yet there is time!" At Aershot deg. up leaped of a sudden the sun, deg.19And against him the cattle stood black every one, 20To stare through the mist at us galloping past,And I saw my stout galloper Roland, at last,With resolute shoulders, each butting awayThe haze, as some bluff river headland its spray: And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent backFor my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;And one eye's black intelligence,--ever that glanceO'er its white edge at me, his own master, askance!And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anonHis fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on. 30 By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, "Stay spur!Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her,We'll remember at Aix"--for one heard the quick wheezeOf her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank. So, we were left galloping, Joris and I,Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky;The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,'Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff; 40Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white,And "Gallop," gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight!" "How they'll greet us!"--and all in a moment his roanRolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;And there was my Roland to bear the whole weightOf the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,And with circles of red for his eye-sockets' rim. Then I cast loose my buff-coat, each holster let fall,Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all, 50Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear,Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer;Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good,Till at length, into Aix Roland galloped and stood. And all I remember is,--friends flocking roundAs I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground;And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent. 60 * * * * *
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