The Armourer's Apprentice — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

2 RE I ee a st ees HE BATT 2 8 Stephen. "See, Will, this short and heavy make, comes from a Saracen _bowman; but this long fellow with the three feathers, and sharp steel point was made in Merry England. By this we can ' tell that Sir Ridulp teagued with the foe.” | __ “ The miserable traitor! But see! yonder they come. Bowmen, look to your bows, _ Pikeman, stand steady! plunge your pikes into the breasts of the horsesif they attempt ' to leap the palisade. Now, boys, ‘ Strike for St George and Merry England!’”. ~ “St. George and Merry England !” shouted th s brave fellows, and settled to their work. The charge of the Saracen horse was ~ bows to the arrow head, and sent the shafts ~“ pw ry , ‘ ’ armour, and sent many e horse riderless _ over the plain. | Leaping on the to Stephen fought with desperate courage, _ No one seemed to be able to stand up before him, En lish or Saracens, it mattered not, al fell before his redoubtable arm. ___*8o ho, traitor!” roared Sir Stephen to Sir Bidulph, whom he perceived mounted on a splendid black horse and cheering his Men on to the attack. “So ho, traitor! if thou hast a spark of manhood in thee, come _ hither and meet mein fair combat. Coward! es y- would you fly me?” | “Thou braggest, boy!” replied Sir _ Bidulph, “Think ‘you, then, that I would _ fear thee? No, thus do I revenge myself mupon thee!” ©. 2 os _ Putting his lance in rest and plunging his ‘spurs into his horse, he dashed furiously - at the palisade, intending to transfix our hero; but Sir Stephen swiftly swung his _ battle-axe round and cut the tough lance in _ twain, and then, with a dexterous turn of _ the wrist, brought the back of the axe down - with such force on Sir Bidulph’s helm that he dropped the butt of his lance and fell a8 anseless on his horse’s neck, 3 _ “Victory—victory !” shouted Sir Stephen, _ a8 he leaped off the palisade and tried to - catch the reins of the horse; but before he cou d do this some fifty Saracens, mounted on their beautiful horses, charged down to _ the fallen knight’s rescue, so that Stephen had to let the knight escape whilst he de- ee (:) nded himself, ; S . _ Brayely as all the English fought—and - despair had lent them more courage—still t 1¢ combat seemed hopeless, for the Sara- cens came in clouds over the sandhills. As they charged they uttered their flerce ery of “Allah illah allah!” and flashed “their urved swords aloft. The English re- # 3 as Lo ‘ — - oe Ng ‘et awl of + — 3 Sa a , ~~ s - rw" A a4” 3 . ~~ © “ oo) ie tad * \ : -* | >i : , : 7 7 “. . - , ’ j . . : OF THE SAND-HILLS. 7 . 7 ‘| “ , " ad ‘ 7 Se ' i At de Boischene is now ‘terrible ; but the English archers drew their 80 well home thet they pierced the infidels’ of the stockade, Sir hem. But these wild sons of the “ - 2 c 7 - ~ or “99 o _— desert were lile the stinging flies ofthehot — plains of their native place, and were only driven off to return with more fury and in greater force. aa “Thank Heaven! the dawn is coming,” said Will, who had placed himself close by our hero, determined #hat if he could not save at least to die with him. “But, there! what does that matter? We shall have light enough to ses how to die.” “Nay, Will, never give way; there is hope yet,’ replied Sir Stephen, who had now such a heap of dead round him that he positively had to fight over them. “ It shall never be said that J, a Christian knight and an Englisuman, turned before the rabble rout of infidels. Ho, there, my Jads! Give them @ good hearty cheer for St. George and Merry England, and cling to their throats like our brave bulldogs.” “St. George and Merry England!” shout- — ed the brave little band. , re To the surprise of all the cry wastaken — Be wa 7 up at some distance along the shore, and that, too, by evidently a vast number of — men. Never did a pleasanter cry soundto the ears of those gallant fellows who fought so bravely against such odds. — “Shout again, my merry men,” roared Sir Stephen. “St. George and Merry Kng- land to the rescue—to the rescues!” = “St. George and Merry England!” was cy cea back, and then the cry followed of— , = “Richard to the rescue—Richard to the rescue!” sz At the sound of the name of their well- — beloved king, although they could scarcely ~~ = - » * ws _ believe their ears, the soldiers sent upw. tremendous cheer. ‘As this name sent fresh vigour into the arms of the English, and hope and courage into their hearts, so diditseemitocimllthe — ardour of the foe. The main body were seen to be instantly moved back, whilst the charges which the light horse still made seemed more for the purpose of covering a retreat. And now, by the light of the morning sun as it rose in the east, the royal banner of England could be seen advancing, and then a vast army, headed by the valiant Richard Coeur de Lion himaelf, came dash- ing down, eager to commence the war with the infidels. | “Smite and spare not!” cried Richard, as wielded his ponderous battle-axe, which, it is said, no other man could lift, “Down with the infidel dogs!” But the infidels had no mind to fight now that the odds were turned against them. The main body moved off rapidly, utter- ing wild cries of defiance, whilst the light horse hovered here and there, flitting about — COMMIC! DOO] KS com