. The little duke: Richard the fearless . stillOsmond held his arm over him, and would not lethim move, for some distance. Then, just asRichard felt as if he could endure the stifling ofthe straw, and his uncomfortable position, not amoment longer, Osmond stopped the horse, tookhim down, laid him on the grass, and releasedhim. He gazed around; they were in a littlewood ; evening twilight was just coming on, andthe birds sang sweetly. Free ! free !—this is freedom ! cried Richard,leaping up in the delicious cool evening breeze ; the Queen and Lothaire, and that grim room,all far behind. Not so
. The little duke: Richard the fearless . stillOsmond held his arm over him, and would not lethim move, for some distance. Then, just asRichard felt as if he could endure the stifling ofthe straw, and his uncomfortable position, not amoment longer, Osmond stopped the horse, tookhim down, laid him on the grass, and releasedhim. He gazed around; they were in a littlewood ; evening twilight was just coming on, andthe birds sang sweetly. Free ! free !—this is freedom ! cried Richard,leaping up in the delicious cool evening breeze ; the Queen and Lothaire, and that grim room,all far behind. Not so far yet, said Osmond ; you mustnot call yourself safe till the Epte is between usand them. Into the saddle, my Lord ; we mustride for our lives. Osmond helped the Duke to mount, and sprangto the saddle behind him, set spurs to the horse,and rode on at a quick rate, though not at fullspeed, as he wished to spare the horse. The twi-light faded, the stars came out, and still he rode,his arm round the child, who, as night advanced, yssSfi. KSCAlK CAPTIVITY. vin THE LITTLE DUKE 153 grew \veary, and often sunk into a sort of halfdoze, conscious all the time of the trot of the each step was taking him further from QueenGerberge, and nearer to Normandy ; and whatrecked he of weariness ? On—on ; the stars grewpale again, and the first pink light of dawn showedin the eastern sky; the sun rose, mounted higherand higher, and the day grew hotter ; the horsewent more slowly, stumbled, and though Osmondhalted and loosed the girth, he only mended hispace for a little while. Osmond looked grievously perplexed; but theyhad not gone much further before a party ofmerchants came in sight, winding their way with along train of loaded mules, and stout men to guardthem, across the plains, like an eastern caravan inthe desert. They gazed in surprise at the tallyoung Norman holding the child upon the worn-out war-horse. Sir merchant, said Osmond to the first, seeyou this steed ? Bett
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublisherlondon, bookyear191
