Curses and cries and a gnashing of teeth, A grapple and stab on the slippery heath, And Sir Richard leaped up on the fool that went down, Proud as a conqueror donning his crown. They broke them away through a flooding of fire, Trampling the best blood of London to mire, When suddenly rising a smoke and a blaze, the dragon's sons in amaze: Made all I've left it rent-paid to the villainous HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX. 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 pace Neck and 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, Re-buckled the check-strap, chained slacker the bit; Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit. 'Twas moonset at starting, but while we drew near Lokeren, the cocks crew, and twilight dawned clear; At Boom, a great yellow star came out to see, |