The Maid watched it all, with that strange, inscrutable look upon
her face, and that battle light in her eyes which we were all
learning to know. She was sitting upon her horse; for though a
number of animals had been taken across in the night, no horse of
hers had been so conducted, and we had led the creature with its
rider into the great flat-bottomed boat; so that she was on a
higher level than the rest of us, and could better see what was
passing, though it was plain to all that our soldiers were getting
badly beaten.
"O foolish children, silly sheep!" murmured the Maid as she
watched, "and yet you are not to blame, but those who lead you.
When will they understand? When will they believe?"
We reached the shore, and the Maid, without waiting for any of us
to mount or form a bodyguard round her, leaped her horse to the
bank, and charged up it, her pennon flying, her eyes alight with
the greatness of her purpose.
But even as she climbed the slippery bank, a great rush of flying
soldiers met her, and by their sheer weight forced back horse and
rider almost to the river's brink before they were aware who or
what it was.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221