HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1931-05-21, Page 6SP
PAGE SIX
CHAPTER .II,
The Baiting of the Sparhawk.
".Bring in the Danish Sparhawk,
and we will bait him!" said Werner.
"We have shown our guests but a
poor entertainment. Bring in the
Sparhawk, I say!"
At this there ensued unyoked mer-
riment. Each stout lad, from one end
of the hall to the other, undid his belt
as before a nobler course and nudged
his fellow.
"Ware, I say, and stand clear!
Here comes the Wild Boar of the Ar-
dennes, the Wolf of Thuringia,. the
Bear from the Forests of Bor-Russia!
Stand clear—stand clear!" cried Wer-
ner von Orseln, laughing and pretend-
ing to draw a dagger to provide for
his own safety.
The inner door which led from the
hail of the !nen-at-arms to the dun-
geons of the castle was opened, and
all looked towards it with an air of
great amusement and expectation.
!Now we shall have some rare
sport," each man said to his neighbor
and nodded.
"The baiting of the Sparhawk! The
Sparhawk comes!"
Dorian and Boris looked with inter-
est in the direction of the door
through which such a remarkable
bird was to arrive. They could not
understand what all the pother could
be about.
"'What the devil—?" said Dorian.
And, not to be be'hindhand, "What
the devil—?' echoed Boris. For
mostly these two ran neck and neck
from drop of flag to winning -post,
Through the black oblong of the
dungeon doorway there came a lad of
seventeen or eighteen, tall, slim, dark-
browed, limber. He walked between
a pair of men-at-arms, who held his
wrist, firmly at each side, His hands
were chained together, and from be-
tween them dangled a spiked ball that
clanked heavily on the floor as lie
stumbled forward rather than walked
into the room. He had black hair
that waved from his forehead in a
backward sweep, a nose of slightly
Roman shape, which, together with
his bold eagle's eyes, had obtained
him :he name of the Spar or Sparrow -
hawk. And on his face, handsome
enough though pale, there was a look
of haughty disdain and fierce indigna-
tion such as one may see in the de-
° meanor of the newly prisoned bird of
prey, which hath not yet had time to
forget the blue empyrean spaces and
the stoop with half-closed wings upon
the quarry trembling in the vale.
"Ha, Sparhawkl" cried Werner,
"how goes it, Sparhawk? Any less
bold and peremptory than when we
last met? Your servant, Count Mau-
rice von Lynarl We pray you dance
for us the Danish dance of• shuffle-
board, Count Maurice, if so your Ex-
cellency pleases,'
'.Che lad looked up the table and
down with haughty eyes that deigned
no answer.
!Werner von Orseln turned to his
guests and said, "This Sparhawk is a
Tittle Dane we took on our last ex-
cursion to the north. It is only in
that direction we can lead the foray,
since you have grown so law-abiding
and strong in Plassenburg and the
Mark. His uncles and kinsfolk were
all killed in the defence of Castle Ly -
nal, on the Northern Haff. We know
snot which of these had also the claim
of fatherhood upon hint. At all ev-
ents, his grandad had a manor there,
and came from the Jutland sand-
dunes to build a castle upon the Bal-
tic shores. But he had better have
stayed at home, for he would not pay!
the Peace Geld to our Henry. So the
Lion roared, and we went to Castle
Lynar and made an end—save of this
spitting Spanhawk, whom our master
would not let us kill, and whom we
now keep with clipped wings for our
sport."
The ladlistened with erected head
and haughty eyes to the tale, but an;
swered not a word.
"Now," cried Werner, with; his cup
in his hand and his brows bent upon
the youth, "dance for us as ou n -1
to do upon the Bal ic, when -the maids
carie in fresh from. their tiring and
the newest kitties were donned.
Dance, I say! Foot it for your life!"
The lad Maurice von Lynar stood
with his bold eyes 'upon his;tormen-
tors, "Curs of Bor=Russia," he said
at last; in speech that trembled with
anger, "you may .lex the soul of a
Danish 'gentleman 'with your - asper-
sions, you may wound- his body, but
you, will never be able to stand-up to
him in battle. You will never be
worthy to eat or drink with him, to
take his hand in comradeship, or to
ride a tilt with, him. Pigs,of the sty
you are, man by man of you !Vends
and boors, and no king's gentlemen."
• "Bravo!"' said Boris, under his
breath, "that is none so dustily said
for a junket.'"
"Silence with that tongue of yours!"
muttered his mate. "Dost want to be
yawing out of that window presently
with the wind spinning you about like
a capon on a jack -spit? They are un-
canny folk, these of the woman's
castle—not to trust to: One knows
not what they may do, nor where
their jest may end."
"Hans Trenck, lift this springald's
pretty wrist -bauble!" said Werner.
A laughing man-at-arms went -up,'
his partisan still over his shoulder,
and laying hishand upon the chain
which depended between the -manacl-
ed wrists of the boy Maurice, he
strove to lift the spiked hall.
"O,\that!" cried Werner, "canst thou,
pap -hacked babe, not lift that which
the noble Count Maurice of Lynar has
perforce to carry about with him all
day long? Down with ypur weapon,
man, and to it like an apothecary coin-
pounding some blister for stale fly-
blown rogues!"
At the word the man laid down his
partisan and lifted the ball high be-
tween his two hands.
"Now dance!" commanded Werner
von Orseln, "dance the Danish milk-
maid's •coranto or S ,will have him drop
it on your toes. Dost want them jell-
ied, man?"
"Drop, and be damned in your low-
born souls!" cried the lad fiercely,
"Untruss my hands and let me loose
with a sword, and ten yards clear on
the floor, and by Saint Magnus of the
Isles, I will disembowel any three of
you!,
"You will not dance?" said Werner,
nodding at him.
"I will see you fry in hell fire first!"
"Down with the ballHans Trenck!"
cried Werner. "He that will not
dance at Castle Kernsberg must learn
at least to jump."
The man-at-arms, still grinning,
lifted the ball a little higher, balanc-
ing it on one hand to give it more
farce. He prepared to plump it
heavily upon the undefended feet of
young Maurice.
'"Ware toes, Sparhawk!" cried the
soldiers in chorus, but at that moment
suddenly , kicking out as far as his
chains allowed„ the boy took the
stooping lout on the face, and incon-
veniently widened the superficial area
of his mouth. He went over en his
back amid the uproarious laughter of
his fellows,
"Ha! '
,Hans Trenck, the Sparhawk
hath spurred you, indeed! A brave
Sparhawkd Down went poor Hans
Trenck like a harndoor fowl!"
The fellow rose spluttering angrily.
"Hold his legs, some one," he said,
"I'11 nark his pretty feet for him. He.
shall not kick so free another time.",
A couple of his companions took
hold of the boy on either side, so that
he could not move his limbs, and
Hans again lifted high the ball.
"Shall we stand this? They call
this sport!" said Boris; "shall I pink'
the brutes?" le
"Sit down and shut your eyes. Our
Prince Hugo will harry this nest of
thieves anon. For the present we.
must bear their devilry if we want to
escape hangings
"Now then, for marrow andmashed'
trotters!" cried Hans, spitting the
blood from the split corners of his
mouth.
"Halt!"
THE SEAFORTH NEWS.
:CHAPTER ILT,
Joan Draws First Blood
The sword of command came full
and strong from the open doorway of
the hall.
:Hans Trenck came instantly to the
salute with the hall- in his .hand. He
had no difficulty in lifting it now. In
fact, he did ,,not seem able to let it
down. Every man in the hall except
the two captains of 1?lassen'burg had
risen to his feet and stood as if carved
it marble. -
For there in the doorway, her slim
figure erect and exceedingly com-
manding, and tier beautiful eyes shin-
ing with indignation, stood` the Duch-
ess Joan of (Hohenstein.
"Joan of the Sword Hand!" said
Dorian, enraptured. "Gott, what a
wench!"
In stern silence she advanced into
the hall,, every man standing fixed at
attention.
"Good discipline!" said Boris.
"Shut your mouth l"°responded Jori -
an,
"Keep your hand so, Hans Trenck,
said their mistress; "give ine your.
sword, Werner! You shall see whe-
ther I ani called Joan of the Sword
Hand for naught. Yon would torture
prisoners, would you, after what I.
have said? Hold up, I say, Hans
Trenck l"
And so, no man saying her nay, the
girl took the shining blade, and, with a
Preliminary swish through the air and
a balancing shake to feel the elastic
return,- she looked at the poor knave
fixed- before her in the centre of the
hall with his wrist strained to hold the.
prisoner's ball aloftatthe stretch of
bis 'arm. 'What wonder if it wavered
like a' branch in an uncertain wind?
"Steady there!" said. Joan.
And she drew back her arta for the
stroke.
The young Dane, who, since her
entrance; had looked at nothing save
the radiant beauty of the figure before
him, now cried out, , "For ,Heaven's
sake,' lady, do not soil the skirts of
your dress with his villain blood. He
but obeyed his orders. 'Let me be set
free, and I will fight him or any man
in the castle. And if I am beaten, let
then torture me till I am carrion fit
only to he thrown into the castle
ditch,"
The Duchess paused and leaned our
the sword, holding it point to the
floor.
"By whose orders was this thing
done?" she demanded.
The lad was silent.. He disdained
to tell tales even on his enemies. Was
he not a gentleman and a Dane?
"By mine, my lady!" said Werner
von Orseln, a deep flush upon his
manly brow.
Tie girl looked severely at hon. She
seemed to waver. "Good, then!"
she cried, "the Dane shall fight Wer-
ner for his life. Loose hien and chafe
his wrists. Ho! there—bring a dozen
swords from the armoury!"
The flush was now rising to the
boy's cheek.
"I thank you, Duchess," he said. "I
ask no more than this."
"Faith, the Sparhawk is not tamed.
yet," said Boris; "we shall see better
sport ere all be done!
"Hold thy peace," growled Jorian,
"and look" - -
* * * *
"Out into the ,light!" cried the
young Duchess Joan, pointing the
way with Werner's sword, which she
still held in her hand. And going
first she went forth from the hall of
the soldiery, down the' broad stairs,
and soon through a `low -arched door
with a sculptured coat -of -arms over
it, out into the quadrangle of the
courtyard.
"And Dow we will see this prisoner
of ours, this cock of the Danish
marches, make good his words. That,
surely, is better sport than to drop
caltrops upon the toes of manacled
nen
Werner followed unwillingly and
with a deep flush of shame upon his
brow.
"My lady," he said, goingupto his
mistress, "I do not need to prove my
courage after I have served Kerns -
berg and Hohenttein for thirty-eight
years—or well-nigh twice the years
you have ve lived—fougtlnt for you and
your farther and shed my blood in a
score of pitched battles,to say noth-
ing of forays. 01 course I will fight,
but surely this young cockerel might
be satisfied to have his comb cut by
younger hands."
"Was yours the order concerning
the dropping of the hall?" asked. the
Duclhess Joan.
The grey -headed soldier nodded
grimly,
"I gave the order," he said briefly. -
"Then by St. Ursula and her bone
yard, you must stand to it!" cried this
fiery young woman. "Else will I drub
you with the flat of your own swotdl".
!Werner bowed with a slightly ironic
smile on his grizzled face.
As your ladyship wills," he said;,
"I do not give you half obedience. If
you say that I am to get down on my
knees and• platy cat's cradle with the
Kernsberg bairns, I will do it."
Joan of the Sword here looked
calmly at him with a certain austerity
THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1931.
ONTARIO
A Message from the Premier
on the subject of
Highways and Highway Safety
Probably no single development in the history of our province has had
more widespread influence upon the lives and habits of our citizens than
the automobile. .
Ontario was one of the first provinces to recognize the importance, of
this modern means of transportation, and first, also to adopt a progres-
sive policy of road building and road maintenance.
Today, of Ontario's 72,000- miles of roads, more than 38,000 miles are
improved gravel, 7,000 miles are paved, and 69 per cent of all roads are
surfaced. . ' -
These roads are not only a remarkable convenience, but, as well, they
are a responsibility. The seriousness of the responsibility is evidenced
by the fact that in Ontario last year, 524 persons lost their lives through
automobile accidents. All 'available statistics would seem to indicate
that most of these accidents were avoidable—and were caused by either -
thoughtlessness or wilful violations of the common-sense rules of the
road.
The Ontario Department of Highways is about to publish in the (cress
of Ontario, a series of educational advertisements, inwhichan effort
will be made to keep drivers and pedestrians alike, alive to the necessity
for the continuous exercise of care, courtesy and common-sense in the
use of our highways. Suggestions made in these announcements will be,
in effect, a digest of all the information gathered from every section of
the world - which has been found to be of assistance to drivers and
pedestrians in avoiding highway accidents and making these same high •
-
ways of inestimably greater value and benefit to every citizen.
The -first of the announcements referred to will be published at an
early date. Your attention is invited thereto, and your co-operation in
snaking our streets and highways safe is earnestly solicited.
Premier.
in her glance.
`"Why, of course
said simply. i
Meanwhile the lad had been freed
from his bonds and stood with a
sword fn his hand stippling himself
for the work before him with quick
little guards and feints and attacks.
There was a proud look in his eyes,
and as his glance left the Duchess and
roved round the circle of his foes, it
flashed full, bold and defiant.
!Werner turned to a palish lean Bo-
hemian who stood a little apart.
"Peter-Balta," he said, "will you be
try' second? Agreed! And who will
care for my honourable opponent"?
'Do not trouble yourself ---that will
arrange itself!" said Joan to her chief
captain.
With that she flashed iightfoot into
one of the 'low doors which led into
the flanking turrets •of the quadrangle
and in a tierce of seconds site was out
again, in a forester's -dress- of green
doublet and broad pleated 'ki,tle .that
came to her knee. ,
'^i. tmyselif," she said, ch'allenging
thein with her eyes, 'will be this
young man's second, in this. place
where he 'has so many enemies and
no friends."
As the forester in green and t-he:pri-
softer stood up together, the guards'
murmured in astonishment at the
likeness between them, - -
"Had 'this (Dane and our Joan been
brother and sister, they- could not
have favoured each other more," they
said.
lA deep blush rose to the youth's
swarthy face.
"I am not worthy,"' he said, and
kept 'his eyes upon the -lithe figure. of
the girl in its array ofwell-fitting- vel-
vet, "I- cannot thank you!" .he said
again, -
"Tut," she answered; "worthy—un
worthy—thank—unthank—+what, avail
these upon the mountains of Kerns -
berg and in She 'Castle of Joan o'f the
'Slword Hand? A good heart, a merry
fight, a quick death! These are more
to the purpose than many thanks and
compliments. !Peter Balta, ere you
seconding Werner? Come hither. Let
us try the swords, you and I. Will
not these two serve? ,Guardl Well
smitten!' There, enough, What). you
are touched out the sword arm? Faith,
man, for the moment I forgot that it
was not you and'1 who were to 'drum.
This tickling of steel goes to nary head
like wine and I am bound to forget. 'I
and sorry --abut, after all, a day or two'
in a
sling will put your arm 'to rights
you would!" she
again, Peter. These are good swords.
Now then, 'Maurice von Lynar-!Wer-
net. At the salute! Ready! Fall to!"
'The burly figure of the Captain
Werner von Oracle and the slim ar-
rowy swiftness of Maurice the Dane
were opposed in the clear shadow of
the quadrangle, where neither had any
advantage of light, and the swords oftheir second's kept them at proper dis-
tance according 'to the fighting rules
of the time.
"I give the Sparhawk five minutes,"
said !Boris to Jorian, after the first
parry. It was little more than formal
and gave no token of what was to fol-
low. Yet for full twenty minutes
Werner von Orseln, the oldest sword-
er of the north, from the marshes of
Wilna'to the hills of Silesia, could do
nothing but stand on the ,defensive, so
fierce and incessant were the attacks
of the young. Dane.
But Werner did not give back. He
stood ground, warily, steadfastly, with
a half smile on his face, a wall of
quick steel in front of him, and the
point of, his adversary's blade ever
missing hint an inch at this side, and
coming an inch short upon that other.
The Dane kept as Steadily to the at-
tack, and made his points as much by
his remarkable nimbleness upon his
feet as by the lightningrapidity of his
sword -play.
"The.Kernsberger is 'playing with
him!" said Boris, under WS breath,
Dorian nodded, Hehadno breath
to waste. •
(To 'Be Continued.)
SHE WAS FROM MISSOURI
!Professor Jordan, the corn expert
of the Missouri College ofAgricul-
ture, tells a story illustrative of the
suspicion with which people often
view new ideas and inventions, In
pioneer days a settler near the present
town of Albany, Missouri, b'ought for
his wife the first cook -stove ever seen
in that part of the state.
It was an object of great curiosity,
and the woman's next-door neighbor
—who lived ten miles away—came to
see how it would work.
!Without comment she sawthe din-
ner cooked; she -ate the meal with
judgment held in reserve, and then
remarked, with' a shake of the head:
"'Well, Sarah, it cooks all right,
and the victuals taste good, but I
don't believe it will ever be a suc-
cess."
SSomefish, says a writer, grow at a
terrific rate. Especially those that
just manage to get away from
anglers.
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THE
IEIIFOkTH DEWS,
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