``Well,’’answeredtheTemplar,``anthouwilttarrythere,rememberIhaveredeemedwordandglove。Bethehawkswheretheywill,methinksthewallsofthePreceptoryofTemplestowewillbecoversufficient,andthitherwillI,likeherontoherhaunt。’’
  Havingthusspoken,hegallopedoffwithhisfollowers。
  Thoseofthecastlewhohadnotgottentohorse,stillcontinuedtofightdesperatelywiththebesiegers,afterthedepartureoftheTemplar,butratherindespairofquarterthanthattheyentertainedanyhopeofescape。Thefirewasspreadingrapidlythroughallpartsofthecastle,whenUlrica,whohadfirstkindledit,appearedonaturret,intheguiseofoneoftheancientfuries,yellingforthawar-song,suchaswasofyoreraisedonthefieldofbattlebythescaldsoftheyetheathenSaxons。
  Herlongdishevelledgreyhairflewbackfromheruncoveredhead;theinebriatingdelightofgratifiedvengeancecontendedinhereyeswiththefireofinsanity;andshebrandishedthedistaffwhichsheheldinherhand,asifshehadbeenoneoftheFatalSisters,whospinandabridgethethreadofhumanlife。Traditionhaspreservedsomewildstrophesofthebarbaroushymnwhichshechantedwildlyamidthatsceneoffireandofslaughter:——
  1。
  Whetthebrightsteel,SonsoftheWhiteDragon!
  Kindlethetorch,DaughterofHengist!
  Thesteelglimmersnotforthecarvingofthebanquet,Itishard,broad,andsharplypointed;
  Thetorchgoethnottothebridalchamber,Itsteamsandglittersbluewithsulphur。
  Whetthesteel,theravencroaks!
  Lightthetorch,Zernebockisyelling!
  Whetthesteel,sonsoftheDragon!
  Kindlethetorch,daughterofHengist!
  2。
  Theblackcloudislowoverthethane’scastleTheeaglescreams——heridesonitsbosom。
  Screamnot,greyriderofthesablecloud,Thybanquetisprepared!
  ThemaidensofValhallalookforth,TheraceofHengistwillsendthemguests。
  Shakeyourblacktresses,maidensofValhalla!
  Andstrikeyourloudtimbrelsforjoy!
  Manyahaughtystepbendstoyourhalls,Manyahelmedhead。
  3。
  Darksitstheeveninguponthethanescastle,Theblackcloudsgatherround;
  Soonshalltheyberedasthebloodofthevaliant!
  Thedestroyerofforestsshallshakehisredcrestagainstthem。
  He,thebrightconsumerofpalaces,Broadwaveshehisblazingbanner,Red,wideanddusky,Overthestrifeofthevaliant:
  Hisjoyisintheclashingswordsandbrokenbucklers;
  Helovestolickthehissingbloodasitburstswarmfromthewound!
  4。
  Allmustperish!
  Theswordcleaveththehelmet;
  Thestrongarmourispiercedbythelance;
  Firedevoureththedwellingofprinces,Enginesbreakdownthefencesofthebattle。
  Allmustperish!
  TheraceofHengistisgone——
  ThenameofHorsaisnomore!
  Shrinknotthenfromyourdoom,sonsofthesword!
  Letyourbladesdrinkbloodlikewine;
  Feastyeinthebanquetofslaughter,Bythelightoftheblazinghalls!
  Strongbeyourswordswhileyourbloodiswarm,Andspareneitherforpitynorfear,Forvengeancehathbutanhour;
  StronghateitselfshallexpireIalsomustperish!*
  *NoteF。Ulrica’sDeathSongThetoweringflameshadnowsurmountedeveryobstruction,androsetotheeveningskiesonehugeandburningbeacon,seenfarandwidethroughtheadjacentcountry。Toweraftertowercrasheddown,withblazingroofandrafter;andthecombatantsweredrivenfromthecourt-yard。Thevanquished,ofwhomveryfewremained,scatteredandescapedintotheneighbouringwood。Thevictors,assemblinginlargebands,gazedwithwonder,notunmixedwithfear,upontheflames,inwhichtheirownranksandarmsglancedduskyred。ThemaniacfigureoftheSaxonUlricawasforalongtimevisibleontheloftystandshehadchosen,tossingherarmsabroadwithwildexultation,asifshereinedempressoftheconflagrationwhichshehadraised。
  Atlength,withaterrificcrash,thewholeturretgaveway,andsheperishedintheflameswhichhadconsumedhertyrant。Anawfulpauseofhorrorsilencedeachmurmurofthearmedspectators,who,forthespaceofseveralminutes,stirrednotafinger,savetosignthecross。ThevoiceofLocksleywasthenheard,``Shout,yeomen!——thedenoftyrantsisnomore!LeteachbringhisspoiltoourchosenplaceofrendezvousattheTrysting-treeintheHarthill-walk;forthereatbreakofdaywillwemakejustpartitionamongourownbands,togetherwithourworthyalliesinthisgreatdeedofvengeance。’’
  CHAPTERXXXII。
  Trustmeeachstatemusthaveitspolicies:
  Kingdomshaveedicts,citieshavetheircharters;
  Eventhewildoutlaw,inhisforest-walk,Keepsyetsometouchofcivildiscipline;
  FornotsinceAdamworehisverdantapron,Hathmanwithmaninsocialuniondwelt,Butlawsweremadetodrawthatunioncloser。
  _OldPlay。_
  Thedaylighthaddawneduponthegladesoftheoakforest。Thegreenboughsglitteredwithalltheirpearlsofdew。Thehindledherfawnfromthecovertofhighferntothemoreopenwalksofthegreenwood,andnohuntsmanwastheretowatchorinterceptthestatelyhart,ashepacedattheheadoftheantler’dherd。
  TheoutlawswereallassembledaroundtheTrysting-treeintheHarthill-walk,wheretheyhadspentthenightinrefreshingthemselvesafterthefatiguesofthesiege,somewithwine,somewithslumber,manywithhearingandrecountingtheeventsoftheday,andcomputingtheheapsofplunderwhichtheirsuccesshadplacedatthedisposaloftheirChief。
  Thespoilswereindeedverylarge;for,notwithstandingthatmuchwasconsumed,agreatdealofplate,richarmour,andsplendidclothing,hadbeensecuredbytheexertionsofthedauntlessoutlaws,whocouldbeappalledbynodangerwhensuchrewardswereinview。Yetsostrictwerethelawsoftheirsociety,thatnooneventuredtoappropriateanypartofthebooty,whichwasbroughtintoonecommonmass,tobeatthedisposaloftheirleader。
  Theplaceofrendezvouswasanagedoak;nothoweverthesametowhichLocksleyhadconductedGurthandWambaintheearlierpartofthestory,butonewhichwasthecentreofasilvanamphitheatre,withinhalfamileofthedemolishedcastleofTorquilstone。HereLocksleyassumedhisseat——athroneofturferectedunderthetwistedbranchesofthehugeoak,andthesilvanfollowersweregatheredaroundhim。HeassignedtotheBlackKnightaseatathisrighthand,andtoCedricaplaceuponhisleft。
  ``Pardonmyfreedom,noblesirs,’’hesaid,``butinthesegladesIammonarch——theyaremykingdom;
  andthesemywildsubjectswouldreckbutlittleofmypower,wereI,withinmyowndominions,toyieldplacetomortalman——Now,sirs,whohathseenourchaplain?whereisourcurtalFriar?AmassamongstChristianmenbestbeginsabusymorning。’’——NoonehadseentheClerkofCopmanhurst。``Overgodsforbode!’’saidtheoutlawchief,``Itrustthejollypriesthathbutabiddenbythewine-potathoughttoolate。Whosawhimsincethecastlewasta’en?’’
  ``I,’’quoththeMiller,``markedhimbusyaboutthedoorofacellar,swearingbyeachsaintinthecalendarhewouldtastethesmackofFront-de-Buf’sGascoignewine。’’
  ``Now,thesaints,asmanyastherebeofthem,’’
  saidtheCaptain,``forefend,lesthehasdrunktoodeepofthewine-butts,andperishedbythefallofthecastle!——Away,Miller!——takewithyouenowofmen,seektheplacewhereyoulastsawhim——
  throwwaterfromthemoatonthescorchingruins——IwillhavethemremovedstonebystoneereI
  losemycurtalFriar。’’
  Thenumberswhohastenedtoexecutethisduty,consideringthataninterestingdivisionofspoilwasabouttotakeplace,showedhowmuchthetroophadatheartthesafetyoftheirspiritualfather。
  ``Meanwhile,letusproceed,’’saidLocksley;
  ``forwhenthisbolddeedshallbesoundedabroad,thebandsofDeBracy,ofMalvoisin,andotheralliesofFront-de-Buf,willbeinmotionagainstus,anditwerewellforoursafetythatweretreatfromthevicinity——NobleCedric,’’hesaid,turningtotheSaxon,``thatspoilisdividedintotwoportions;
  dothoumakechoiceofthatwhichbestsuitsthee,torecompensethypeoplewhowerepartakerswithusinthisadventure。’’
  ``Goodyeoman,’’saidCedric,``myheartisoppressedwithsadness。ThenobleAthelstaneofConingsburghisnomore——thelastsproutofthesaintedConfessor!Hopeshaveperishedwithhimwhichcanneverreturn!——Asparklehathbeenquenchedbyhisblood,whichnohumanbreathcanagainrekindle!Mypeople,savethefewwhoarenowwithme,dobuttarrymypresencetotransporthishonouredremainstotheirlastmansion。
  TheLadyRowenaisdesiroustoreturntoRotherwood,andmustbeescortedbyasufficientforce。I
  should,therefore,erenow,haveleftthisplace;andIwaited——nottosharethebooty,for,sohelpmeGodandSaintWithold!asneitherInoranyofminewilltouchthevalueofaliard,——Iwaitedbuttorendermythankstotheeandtothyboldyeomen,forthelifeandhonouryehavesaved。’’
  ``Nay,but,’’saidthechiefOutlaw,``wedidbuthalftheworkatmost——takeofthespoilwhatmayrewardyourownneighboursandfollowers。’’
  ``Iamrichenoughtorewardthemfrommineownwealth,’’answeredCedric。