text stringlengths 2.05k 1.01M | title stringlengths 2 620 | author stringlengths 0 92 | author year of birth stringclasses 367
values | author year of death stringclasses 390
values | language stringclasses 16
values | downloads stringclasses 887
values | subjects stringlengths 7 775 | document id stringlengths 3 7 | type stringclasses 1
value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Aye," cried another voice, loud and defiant, "and we be no soldiers,
master, to march 'gainst walled cities; look'ee. Foresters are we, to
live secure and free within the merry greenwood. Is't not so, good
fellows?"
"And there spake Jenkyn o' the Ford!" quoth Beltane. "Stand forth
Orson, and Jenkyn with thee--so. Now... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"'Tis well, 'tis well, good comrades all!" spake Beltane in a while,
"this night, mayhap, shall we, each one, achieve great things. Go now,
dig ye a pit and therein hide such treasure as ye will and thereafter
arm ye at points, for in the hour we march. Eric, see each doth bear
with him food, and Giles, look that thei... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
CHAPTER XXXIV
HOW THEY CAME TO BELSAYE
Through broad glades deep-hid within the wild; by shady alleyway and
leafy track they held their march south and by east, a close,
well-ordered company striding long and free and waking the solitudes to
a blithe babblement of laughing echoes. And who among them all so merry
as G... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"My lord," spake Sir Fidelis, "I have heard say that few may go where
many oft-times may not. Let first some two or three adventure it, hid
'neath some close disguise--"
"A disguise!" cried Beltane, "Ha--a disguise. 'Tis well bethought, good
Fidelis. Forsooth, a disguise! And 'twill be market day!" Thereafter
Beltane ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
ROGER. "Ha, bowman! here is overmuch of thee, methinks! And dost speak
like a very archer-like fool--and forsooth, a foolish archer to boot.
Sure, well ye know that engines for the battery have we none--"
GILES. "Verily! So shall we none of Belsaye, methinks. Lacking engines,
we lack for all--no method, no city! Remem... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Not I--not I!" quoth Roger, "an my master lacketh for a smock or a
sack, for me is no question of wherefore or why, so long as he doth
get them!"
"But the straw, Roger," said Giles, glancing askew at Beltane, "an thou
should'st plague my lord with questions, how think ye then he shall
answer of this straw?"
"Thus, th... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Nay Giles, thy post is here. Let your bows be strung and ready, but
set your pikes to the fore--and Giles, watch! Walkyn, bring now the
smocks."
So saying, Beltane tightened his belt, drew on his hood of mail and
laced it close, and turning, found Sir Fidelis close by to aid him with
the hooded smock; and Beltane won... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Thus rode he, assured in his might and confident, heedless alike of
the glory of day fast drawing into evening, of the green world whose
every blade and leaf spake of life abundant, and of these trampling
folk who bent so humbly at his passing, their cheeks aglow with health;
thus, heeding but himself and his own most... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Bare you the letter as I commanded, Rolf?"
"Aye, my lord."
"What said she?"
"Wept, my lord."
"Spake she nought?"
"Nought, my lord."
"Lieth the goldsmith deep?"
"Above the water-dungeons, my lord."
"And she wept, say you? Methinks the goldsmith shall go free to-morrow!"
So saying, Sir Gui went on into the city, and as... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"O, good my lord," she whispered, "I cannot! If thou art gentle indeed
--then--"
"He lieth above the water-dungeons, lady!" sighed Sir Gui.
"Ah, the sweet Christ aid me!"
"To-morrow he goeth to death, or lieth in those round, white arms.
Lady, the choice is thine: and I pray you show pity to thy husband who
loveth the... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
And, in a while, Walkyn, that had been Waldron of Brand, rose up from
his knees, and running forth of the chamber, hasted down the dark and
narrow stair.
CHAPTER XXXVI
HOW THE FOLK OF BELSAYE TOWN MADE THEM AN END OF TYRANNY
The market-place was full of the stir and hum of jostling crowds; here
were pale-faced townsf... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
And thus it was that Beltane beheld again Friar Martin, the white friar
that had been a man once, a strong man and a gentle. They brought him
to the great post, they clasped him fast within the iron band and so
left him, shivering in his chains with head a-droop. Came the sound of
muffled weeping from the crowd, while... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Hereupon a country fellow hard by took up the question:
"Sir Gui!" he shouted, "Why cometh not Sir Gui?"
"Aye!" cried others, "where tarries Sir Gui?" "Why doth he keep us?"
"Where tarries Sir Gui?"
"Here!" roared a voice deep and harsh, "Way--make way!" And suddenly
high above the swaying crowd rose the head and shou... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
And lo! a shout--a roar--drowning the shrieks of dying men, the
screams of vengeful women, "Arise--arise--Pentavalon!" Came a rush of
feet, a shock, and thereafter a confused din that rose and fell and,
gradually ceasing, was lost in a sudden clamour of bells, fierce-pealing
in wild and joyous riot.
"Aha! 'tis done--'... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
So thus it was that the folk of fair Belsaye town, men and women with
gnashing teeth and rending hands, made them an end of Tyranny, until
with the night, there nothing remained of proud Sir Gui and all his
lusty garrison, save shapeless blotches piled amid the gloom--and that
which lay, forgotten quite, a cold and pa... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"O most excellent Reeve!" cried Giles, "forsooth, a very proper spirit
of gratitude."
"Good master," spake Beltane, quelling the archer with a look, "these
my comrades hither came that a noble man should not perish, and that
Sir Gui of Allerdale should cease from evil, and behold, 'tis done! So
I pray you, give us foo... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Now, by the ever-blessed Saint Giles, there spake the summons of
Robert of Hurstmanswyke--I know his challenge of old--ha, bows and
bills!" So saying he bent and strung his bow.
"Aye," nodded Roger, loosening sword in sheath, "and Sir Robert is a
dour fighter I've heard."
"So soon!" groaned the Reeve, "so very soon! ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"So come, Rogerkin!" So saying, he gripped stout Roger's arm and
plunged into the crowd.
Being come out upon the battlement above the gate, Beltane, with the
Reeve beside him, peering down through the dark, beheld beyond the
moat, a knight supported by four esquires, and beyond these Beltane
counted thirty lances what... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
But now, while the Reeve yet stood, pale in the torchlight, finding
nought to say, came Beltane beside him.
"My lord," quoth he, "fifty and three is a goodly number; must they all
die to-morrow?"
"To-morrow? Aye--or whensoever Sir Gui wills."
"Ah, fair lord," says Beltane, "then, as I guess, these fifty and three
shal... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Nay, my lord, I thank thee, but I must hence this night to Barham
Broom. But for my news, 'tis this: the out-law men call Beltane, hath,
by devilish arts, sacked and burned Garthlaxton Keep."
"Why, this I knew; there is a lewd song already made thereon, as thus:
"They gave Garthlaxton to the flame,
Be glory to D... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Stay, good people of Belsaye! O ye children of affliction, spill not
the blood of these thine enemies, but look, rather, upon this man! For
this is he of whom I told ye in the days of your tribulation, this is
he who burned the shameful gallows, who brake open the dungeon and hath
vowed his life to the cause of the o... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Verily, lord," said the Reeve, "but we do lack for leaders. Our
provost and all our captains Duke Ivo hanged upon his gallows. Beseech
thee, then, give to us a leader cunning in war."
"That will I," answered Beltane, "on this condition--that every able
man shall muster under arms each day within the market-square."
"... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Now it chanced that as Beltane stood apart with head a-droop as one in
thought, there came to him Sir Fidelis and touched him with gentle
hand.
"My lord Beltane," said he softly, "of what think you?"
"Of Pentavalon, and how soonest her sorrows may be done away."
"Lovest thou Pentavalon indeed, messire?"
"Aye, truly, F... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Master Reeve," spake Beltane, "give now for guerdon instead of gold,
horses and equipment for these my comrades, stout lances and mail
complete with goodly bascinets."
"It shall be done, my lord."
"Roger, in thy command I set these fifty lances. See now to their
arming, let them be mounted and ready with speed, for i... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Art over-young, sir knight, and therefore fond and foolish. Is a man a
lover of self because he hateth dishonour? Art a presumptuous youth--
and that's amiss!"
"Art thou so ancient, messire, and therefore so wise as to judge 'twixt
thy hates and loves and the abiding sorrows of Pentavalon?" questioned
Fidelis, low-vo... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"My lord--my lord, a woman lieth here, and--ah, messire--she is dead!"
"O, a woman?" quoth Beltane, "and dead, say you? Why then, the world
shall know less of evil and treachery, methinks. Come--mount, sir
knight, mount, I say, and let us on!"
But Sir Fidelis, on his knees beside that silent, dim-seen form, heeded
him... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"A life, my lord!"
"Ah, the blessed saints forfend--I feared so!" gasped Roger.
But now the witch turned and looked on Roger, and he incontinent
crossed himself and fell thenceforth to mumbling prayers beneath his
breath.
"Lord Duke, for that I am but a woman poor and helpless, now would I
beseech thine aid for--"
"Na... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Yet have I seen him ere this, methinks."
"But for the maid Mellent--thou wilt not let her burn--and for thy
deeds?"
"Mine, forsooth! How mean you?"
"'Twas yester-eve we were beset hereabouts by a lewd company, and
brought unto their lord, Sir Grilles of Brandonmere--a man beyond all
other men base and vile--who, beho... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"To Barham Broom?" quoth Roger, staring. "Thou and I, master, to Black
Ivo--alone?" And speaking, he loosened sword in scabbard.
"My lord Beltane," cried Sir Fidelis, beholding him with shining eyes,
"an thou wilt do this noble thing, suffer me beside thee!"
"Not so, messire," answered Beltane, shaking his head, "art ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Alack!" cried he at last, "'tis a comely wench, and full young,
methinks, to die so soon! But witchcraft is a deadly sin, abhorred by
man and hateful unto God--"
"My lord--my lord," spake the witch swift and passionate yet trembling
'neath his sleepy gaze, "thou knowest I am no witch indeed--thou
knowest--"
"Nay, nay... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Now once again the trumpet blew, and a herald stepped forth:
"God save ye, lord Duke," he cried, "ye noble lords and ladies fair--
good people all, God save ye. Know that before you here assembled, hath
been brought one Mellent--that hath been denounced a notable witch and
sorceress, who, by her fiendish arts and by t... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
North and south, and east and west the challenge was repeated, and
after each the trumpet sounded a warlike flourish, yet no horseman
paced forth and no man leapt the barriers; and the witch Mellent
drooped pale and trembling betwixt her warders. But, of a sudden she
opened swooning eyes and lifted her heavy head; for... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Hereupon he of the ruddy cheek clapped horn to lip and blew amain until
his cheek grew redder yet, what time the heralds and pursuivants and
marshals of the field debated together if it were lawful for a nameless
knight to couch lance 'gainst one of noble blood. But now came Sir
Gilles himself, choking with rage, and ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
And, on the instant, shrill and fierce the trumpets brayed, and on the
instant each knight struck spurs, the powerful horses reared, plunged,
and sprang away at speed. Fast and faster they galloped, their riders
low-stooped above the high-peaked saddles, shields addressed and lances
steady, with pounding hooves that s... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
CHAPTER XL
FURTHER CONCERNING THE MAID MELLENT; AND OF THE HUE AND CRY
Fast they galloped 'neath the trees, stooping ever and anon to avoid
some low-swung branch; through grassy rides and sunny glades, until all
sound of pursuit was died away. So, turning aside into the denser
green, Beltane stayed, and sprang down t... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Now what seek ye here, sir knight?" saith Beltane, nothing gentle.
"Thee, my lord," quoth Fidelis, meek of aspect, "to share thy perils
according to thy word. Put up thy sword, messire, thou wilt not harm
thy companion in arms?"
Now Beltane, finding nought to say, scowled sulkily to earth, and thus
saw nothing of the... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Even as he spake, very faint and far as yet but plain to hear above the
leafy stirring, the deep baying of a hound came down the wind.
"Hunting-dogs, master! Ride--ride!" quoth Roger, wiping sweat from him,
"O sweet Christ forgive me, for I have hunted down poor rogues with
such ere now--"
"Forsooth, Roger, and now is... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Hast a noble horse, Sir Fidelis. Now God send he bear thee well this
day, for 'twill be hard and cruel going. Come--'tis time, methinks!"
Thus speaking, Beltane gave his horse the rein and forth they rode
together out into the broad and open glade, their armour glinting in
the sun; and immediately the dogs gave tongu... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
But other foes were near, for as Beltane reined his snorting steed
about, he swayed in his stirrups 'neath the shock of a cross-bow bolt
that glanced, whirring, from his bascinet, and in that moment Sir
Fidelis cried aloud:
"My lord, my lord! alas, my poor horse is death-smitten!" Glancing
round. Beltane beheld Sir Fi... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Strongly and well the good horse bore them, what time the sun waxed
fierce and hot, filling the woods with a stifling heat, a close,
windless air dank and heavy with the scent of leaves and bracken. The
hue and cry had sunk long since, lost in distance, and nought broke the
brooding silence but the stir of their going... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Howbeit," quoth Beltane, "I would these arms o' thine clasped the
middle of any other man than I."
"Forsooth, my lord? And do they crush thee so? Or is it thou dost pine
for solitude?"
"Neither, youth: 'tis for thy youth's sake, for, though thou hast
angered me full oft, art but a very youth--"
"Gramercy for my so mu... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Shame, messire--O shame!" he cried. "How vile is he that would, with
lying tongue, smirch the spotless honour of any maid. And, as to Helen,
I do name thee liar!--liar!"
"Would'st quarrel with me in matter so unworthy?"
"Enough!" quoth Fidelis, "unworthy art thou to take her name within thy
lips--enough!" So saying S... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Light down, light down, good Fidelis; ne'er saw I fairer haven for
wearied travellers! We have ridden hard and far, so here will we tarry
the night!" and down to earth he sprang, to stride up and down and
stretch his cramped limbs, the while Sir Fidelis, loosing off the
great, high-peaked saddle, led the foam-flecked... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"O luxurious youth, then will I, and shame thy nice luxuriousness!"
quoth Beltane; and off came hauberk and quilted gambeson and away
skipped Sir Fidelis into the green.
So, presently, Beltane plunged him into the stream, and swimming with
powerful strokes, felt his youth and strength redoubled thereby, and
rejoiced t... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Now as Beltane leaned him on his sword, watching their flounderings
joyful-eyed, the weapon was dashed from his loosened hold, he staggered
'neath the bite of vicious steel, and, starting round, beheld the third
rogue, his deadly sword swung high; but even as the blow fell, Sir
Fidelis sprang between and took it upon ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
CHAPTER XLII
HOW BELTANE DREAMED IN THE WILD-WOOD
Now in a while, he started to feel a hand among his hair, and the hand
was wondrous light and very gentle; wherefore, wondering, he raised his
head, but behold, the sun was gone and the shadows deepening to night.
Yet even so, he stared and thrilled 'twixt wonder and ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Dost meditate our course to-morrow, my lord Beltane?"
"Nay--I do but think--a strange thought--that I have seen thy face ere
now, Fidelis. Yet art full young to bear arms a-field."
"Doth my youth plague thee still, messire? Believe me, I am--older than
I seem."
"Thou, at peril of thy life, Fidelis, didst leap 'twixt ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Enough--enough, good Fidelis, perjure not thy sweet youth for one so
much unworthy, for with these eyes did I behold her as they bore me in
my bonds--and shall I not believe mine eyes?"
"Never--ah! never, when they do shew thee Helen false and cruel to
thee! Here was some vile magic--witchcraft--"
"Enough, Fidelis, '... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Birds piped joyously near and far; hid among the leaves near by, the
war-horse Mars stamped eager hoof and snuffed the fragrant air of
morning; but Sir Fidelis was nowhere to be seen. Thus in a while
Beltane arose to find his leg very stiff and sore, and his throat be
parched with feverish thirst; wherefore, limping p... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Then is thy blood foul with treachery!"
"Yet did I save thy life, Beltane!"
"Yet thy soft voice, thy red mouth and false eyes--thy very blood--all
these do prove thee traitor--hence!" and Beltane threw him off.
"Nay my lord!" he cried, "prithee take care, Beltane,--see--thou hast
displaced the bandage, thy wound blee... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"God pity me!" quoth he, "I am in sooth so changed, meseemeth some vile
demon doth possess me betimes!" and, sighing deep, he gazed upon the
rippling waters wide-eyed and fearful. And, as he sat thus, abashed
and despairing, Sir Fidelis, speaking no word, bathed and bound up his
wound, and, thereafter brought and spre... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"What do ye there, my lord? Dost dream ever upon thy woes and ills?
Wilt dream thy life away here amid the wild, forsooth?"
Quoth Beltane, very humbly:
"And wherefore not, Sir Fidelis? Unfit am I for great achievements.
But, as to thee, take now the horse and ride you ever north and west--"
"Yea, but where is north, a... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"And is this all, my lord?"
"All!" quoth Beltane amazed. "All!" saith he, turning to stare.
"So much of woe and tribulation for so little reason? Nay, hear me, for
now will I make thee a prophecy, as thus: There shall dawn a day, lord
Beltane, when thou shalt see at last and know Truth when she stands
before thee. And... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Says Beltane, looking round about with knitted brow:
"Fidelis--O Fidelis, methinks I know this place--these rocks--the pool
yonder--there should be a road hereabout, the great road that leadeth
to Mortain. Climb now the steep and tell me an you can see a road,
running north and south."
Forthwith Sir Fidelis climbed th... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"So henceforth am I content--and yet--"
"Well, my lord?"
"To-morrow, perchance, shall see the end of this our solitude and close
comradeship--to-morrow we should reach Hundleby Fen. So, Fidelis,
promise me, if thou, at any time hereafter should see me harsh, or
proud, or selfish--do thou mind me of these days of our l... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Dear my lord," spake Fidelis, and his voice thrilled strangely in
Beltane's ears--"O, Beltane, my lord, could'st thou but doubt thyself a
little--could'st thou, doubting thine own senses for love's sake,
believe her now true--true as thou would'st have her, then Love indeed
might work for thee a miracle this night an... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
A faint splash, a rippling of the sleepy waters, and, out into the
moonlight came one that swam the pool with long, easy strokes; one that
presently leapt lightly ashore and stood there to shake down the
unwetted glory of her hair. At first he thought this some enchanted
pool and she the goddess of the place, but even... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Touch me not, I am but a man and thou--art woman, and there is evil in
thee, so touch me not with thy false, alluring hands. O, thou hast
deceived me now as ever--As Fidelis did I love thee above all men, but
for what thou art, I do despise thee--"
But, with sudden gesture passionate and yearning, she reached out her... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
So she mounted, whereat the mettled charger must needs rear, and
Beltane, staggering aside, catch at a tree and lean there.
"Art sick, Beltane?" she cried in sudden fear--"how may I leave thee
thus--art sick!"
"Aye, Helen, for thy beauty. The devil is here, and I am here, so here
is no place for thee--so get thee gone... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
CHAPTER XLV
HOW BLACK ROGER TAUGHT BELTANE GREAT WISDOM
A darkness, full of a great quietude, a grateful stillness, slumberous
and restful; yet, little by little, upon this all-pervading silence, a
sound crept, soft, but distressful to one who fain would sleep; a sound
that grew, a sharp noise and querulous. And now,... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Then would Beltane have risen, but could not, and stared at Black
Roger's pitiful face with eyes of wonder.
"Why, Roger!" quoth he, "Why, Roger--?"
"Thou hast been very nigh to death, master. A mad-man I found thee, in
sooth--foaming, master, and crying in direful voice of spells and
magic. Bewitched wert thou, master... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Master--O master!" cried Roger, "dost grieve thee for Sir Fidelis?"
"Forsooth, I must, Roger--he was a peerless friend, methinks!"
"Aye master, and--noble lady!"
"Roger--O Roger, how learned you this? Speak!"
"Lord, thou hast had visions and talked much within thy sickness. So do
I know that thou dost love the Duches... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Holy Saint Cuthbert, art a very sweet and potent saint, and therefore
hast good eyes--which is well; so canst thou see him for thyself, how
weak he is and languid, that was a mighty man and lusty. Cherish him, I
pray thee! A goodly youth thou dost know him, thou didst see him burn a
gibbet, moreover I have told thee... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Nay, Roger, doth Belsaye lie secure yet? What of Walkyn and our
comrades? Marched they to Belsaye as I did command?"
"Why, see you now, master, when our foes came not, and you came not, we
sent word to Belsaye that, within two days we would march thither,
according to thy word, and forthwith Giles sends word back tha... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"For that--She did so command me, master."
"She?" sighed Beltane.
"Aye, forsooth, master. She that the good Saint Cuthbert shall give to
thy close embracements one day."
"Think you so?" spake Beltane beneath his breath, and staring across
the sunny glade with eyes of yearning, "think you so indeed, Roger?"
"Of a suret... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Anon 'tis even-fall, and the stars, one by one, peep forth of the
darkening heaven, shadows steal and lengthen and lo! 'tis night; a
night wherein the placid moon, climbing apace, fills the silent world
with the splendour of her advent. And ever and always Beltane lies
deep-plunged in slumber; but in his sleep he groa... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Now behold! even as the prayer was ended came a faint stir and rustle
amid the leaves hard by, and, lifting startled head, Black Roger beheld
a radiant vision standing in the pale glory of the moon, whereat he
knew fear and a great awe.
"O, good Saint Cuthbert, and is it thou indeed?" he whispered, "Sweet
saint, I tho... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Now it befell upon a certain evening as Roger bent to peer into the pot
that seethed and bubbled upon the fire and to sniff its appetising
savour, he presently fell a-singing to himself in a voice gruff yet
musical withal; whereupon Beltane, turning languid head, fell to
watching this new Roger, and thereafter spake o... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
BELTANE (fiercely). "O evil day, that ere I gave my heart to woman's
love, so do I lie here a useless thing--O day accursed!"
ROGER. "O day most blessed, since woman's love hath lifted thee from
death and shall be thy glory and Pentavalon's salvation, master!"
BELTANE (eagerly). "Roger--Roger, speak you of the Duchess... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
BELTANE. "Nor shall aught let or stay me until Pentavalon win to
freedom or my poor soul return whence it came. And this do I swear to
the ears of God!"
Now turned he to Roger, bright-eyed and with hands tight-clenched.
"Roger," said he, "thou art witness to this my oath, an I do fail or
falter henceforth, then in tha... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Thus slept Beltane, like a weary child upon a mother's breast, and knew
great peace and solace and a deep and utter content.
CHAPTER XLVIII
HOW BELTANE SET OUT FOR HANGSTONE WASTE
Day by day Beltane waxed in health and strength, and daily, leaning
upon Roger's trusty arm he walked further afield. And day by day, with... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Art a very strong man, Roger, stronger than methought. Come again!"
Once more they circled heedfully, for Beltane had grown more wary:
thrice he sought a certain hold and thrice Black Roger foiled him, ere,
sudden and grim, he leapt and closed; and breast to breast they strove
fiercely, mighty arms straining and tigh... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Roger," quoth he, "whence had ye this thing?"
"My lord, from--Her, the sweet knight Sir Fidelis, thy lady--"
"Why wilt thou call her my lady, Roger?"
"For that 'tis she you love and sigh for, she that doth love thee and
shall bear thee right fair and lusty children yet, so do I pray, and my
prayers are potent these d... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Forthwith went Roger, gloomy and nothing speaking, what time Beltane
sat there staring down at the wallet on his knee, bethinking him of
many things, and, for that he was alone, sighing deep and oft; and so,
very suddenly, hung the wallet to his girdle and thereafter arose.
In a while cometh gloomy Roger leading the d... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
So they began to cross the rolling desolation of the heath and
presently espied a great boulder, huge and solitary, gleaming white and
ghostly 'neath the moon.
Being come very nigh, Beltane checked his horse and was about to
dismount, when Roger, uttering a sudden gasping cry, cowered to his
knees, for in the air abou... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Incontinent the sword was tossed aside, and with a joyous cry Sir
Jocelyn sprang and caught him in close embrace.
"Now by sweet Venus her downy dove--'tis Beltane!" he cried. "Now
welcome and thrice welcome, my lordly smith, thou mighty son of noble
father. Ah, lord Duke, I loved thee that day thou didst outmatch Gefr... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"I do think thee true and worthy knight, Sir Jocelyn, and moreover--"
But of a sudden, Roger's voice reached them from without, hoarse with
terror.
"Master--O master, beware! 'Tis the witch, lord--O beware!"
And with the cry, lo! a hurry of feet running swift and light, a rustle
of flying garments, and there, flushed ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Thou--? It was--thou?"
"I do confess it, my lord Beltane--traitor to thee, and base traitor to
her--"
"Why, verily--here was treachery--" quoth Beltane speaking slow and
soft, "truly here--methinks--was treachery--and wherefore?"
"O my lord, must I--tell this?"
"I do ask thee."
Then did Winfrida shrink within herself... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Roger," said he, "thou art afraid of bats and owls, yet, forsooth, art
a wiser man than I. Bring hither the horse."
In a while cometh Sir Jocelyn and the lady Winfrida, hand in hand,
aglow with happiness, yet with eyes moistly bright under the moon.
"Good comrade-in-arms," quoth Beltane, "Mortain lieth far hence; now... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Come, my lord," breathed Winfrida, "O come--in Mortain is rest and
solace--and love!"
"Rest?" said Beltane softly, "solace and love--O sweet thought! Yet I
may not go hence, for here is sorrow and shame and suffering--sword
and fire and battle. So must I bide here in Pentavalon--with my duty."
So saying, he lifted Wi... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Then Beltane started, and turning, looked at Roger, whereupon Roger
immediately crossed his fingers.
"Ha, Roger, I was deep in my thoughts, what would ye?"
"Master, hast ever a pricking in the hairs of thy head?"
"Not I."
"Dost ever feel a tingling in the soles of thy feet?"
"Not so, in truth."
"Why then a shivering, ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Aye, the very truth at last, Roger."
"Ha!--'tis so I petitioned the good Saint Cuthbert this very night!"
"And lo! he hath answered thy prayer, Roger."
"Verily he regardeth poor Roger these days, master, e'en though my belt
doth yet bear many accursed notches."
"They shall be fewer anon, Roger; there be many poor sou... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"O ye that have eyes, have pity--show mercy on one that is maimed and
helpless, and creepeth ever in the dark."
CHAPTER LI
HOW BLACK ROGER WON TO FULLER MANHOOD
Forthwith Beltane paused, and presently beheld one that sat by the
wayside--a man who crouched 'neath a dusty cloak and kept his white
head down-bent and who... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Greatly welcome is thy news and greatly would I thank thee. Pray you
now, how may I show my gratitude?"
"Messire, fain would I shelter me in Belsaye, for there is fire and
sword and battle on the marches. But the way is long, and on my road
hither two rogues took from me purse and scrip. Give me, therefore,
enough to... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Roger?" quoth he, "art sick, Roger?"
"Sick, lord? nay--not sick, 'tis but that I--I--" But when he would
have said more his voice failed him, his lip fell a-quivering, and even
as Beltane stared in wonder, Black Roger groaned and flung himself upon
his knees, and hid his face within his hands.
"Why Roger! What ails t... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Then Roger grasped that strong, uplifting hand, and stood upon his
feet, yet spake he no word; and presently they went on along the road
together.
And Roger's habit was stained with dust, and on his cheek the mark of
bitter tears--but his head was high and manfully uplifted.
CHAPTER LII
HOW THEY HAD NEWS OF WALKYN
No... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"'Tis well bethought, Roger. Come thy ways."
Forthwith turned they from the forest-road, and forcing their way
through a leafy tangle, presently came out into a ride, or narrow
glade; but they had gone only a very little distance when they espied
the red glow of a fire within a thicket hard by, and therewith the
sound... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
But hereupon the lank fellow cried out, bold and querulous:
"Take ye heed, for whoso dareth lay hand on me, toucheth the person of
Duke Ivo's puissant self!"
"Ha--say ye so?" growled Roger, and forthwith squeezed him until he
gasped again.
"Loose me, knave!" he panted, "Duke Ivo's Steward, I--Bailiff of the
northern M... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"But," says Beltane, shaking his head, "within thy pouch, methinks, a
blind man's money."
"How--a blind man?" gasped the Bailiff, "a blind man's monies, say'st
thou? Nay messire, in very truth."
"Search him, Roger."
Hereupon Roger, having straightway choked him to silence with the one
hand full soon had found the mone... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Here," quoth the Pardoner at last, stroking his round chin, "here was
a man, methinks, wherefore are we yet alive!"
"Here," quoth the Bailiff, scratching his long nose, "here was a fool,
methinks, for that we are alive. A traitor, see ye, Pardoner, whose
yellow head is worth its weight in gold! Truly, truly, here was... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
But Beltane was already descending the steep path leading down into the
great green hollow that lay all silent and deserted 'neath the ghostly
moon, where nought stirred in the windless air, where bush and tree
cast shadows monstrous and distorted, and where no sound brake the
brooding quiet save the murmurous ripple ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Something thudded heavily upon the grass and lay there, mute and rigid,
while Beltane, leaning upon his sword, stared down at that fell shape,
and breathing the noxious reek of it, was seized of trembling horror;
nevertheless he stooped, and reaching out a hand of loathing in the
dimness, found the cord whereby it had... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Master," quoth he, yet upon his knees and viewing Beltane somewhat
askance, "here is the best I can do for such as yon Gurth; will't
suffice, think ye?"
"Aye, 'twill serve, Roger. But, for the other matter--"
"Why see you, master, a man may freely speak his dear desires within
his prayers--more especially when his pr... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
A while she stood thus, one hand supporting her against the rocky bank,
the other hid within the folds of her long mantle.
"O my lord!" said she, low-voiced, "all day long my heart hath been
calling--calling to thee; so art come at last--thanks be to God--O my
lord Beltane!"
Now as she spake, she reached out a hand to... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Not so," answered Beltane, frowning, "within Belsaye are many women
and children also, nor should these die that one might live, saintly
abbess though she be."
Now hereupon the witch Jolette raised herself, and set her two hands
passionately on Beltane's shoulders, and looked upon him great-eyed and
fearful.
"Ah, Bel... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Full long Beltane knelt, absorbed in prayer, and as he prayed, he wept.
So long knelt he thus, that at last cometh Roger, treading soft and
reverently, and touched him.
"Master!" he whispered.
Then Beltane arose as one that dreams and stood a while looking down
upon that pale and placid face, on whose silent lips the ... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"Messire, an thou be come in peace, now shalt thou be right welcome--"
"Peace!" quoth the knight loud and fierce, and his laughter rang hoarse
within his helm. "Peace, forsooth! Thou art a tall and seemly youth, a
youth fair spoken, and yet--ha! A belt of silver! And golden hair! And
yet--so very youthful! Art thou in... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
Incontinent ran Roger to fetch his bascinet the which Beltane slowly
fitted on above his hood of mail, and thereafter, albeit unwillingly,
fronted this doughty knight, foot to foot and point to point. Now
stepped they a moment about each other, light-treading for all their
weighty armour, and with long blades advanced... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"O master!" he panted, "here is none of--honest flesh and blood, 'tis--
Hob-gob himself, as I did warn thee. May Saint Cuthbert, Saint Bede,
Saint Edmund--"
"Go to--cease thy windy prattling, Roger Thick-pate!" spake the knight,
and letting fall his sword, he lifted his visor. And behold! a face
lean and hawk-like, wi... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 | |
"'Tis true, good Benedict."
"And didst not suffer these arch-knaves to live on and work their
pestilent wills, Beltane?"
"Sir, I did, but--"
"So art thrice a fool. When we see a foul and noxious worm, to tread it
under foot is a virtuous act. So when a man doth constant sin 'gainst
man and maid, to kill him--"
Quoth B... | Beltane the Smith | Farnol, Jeffery | 1878 | 1952 | ['en'] | 30 | {'Blacksmiths -- Fiction'} | PG10064 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.