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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, | 5 |
And into the midnight we galloped abreast. | |
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Not a word to each other; we kept the great pace | |
Neck by 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, | 10 |
Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit, | |
Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit. | |
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T was 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; | 15 |
At Düffeld t was morning as plain as could be; | |
And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the half-chime, | |
So Joris broke silence with, Yet there is time! | |
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At Aerschot, up leaped of a sudden the sun, | |
And against him the cattle stood black every one, | 20 |
To stare through the mist at us galloping past, | |
And I saw my stout galloper Roland at last, | |
With resolute shoulders, each butting away | |
The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray. | |
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And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back | 25 |
For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track; | |
And one eyes black intelligence,ever that glance | |
Oer its white edge at me, his own master, askance! | |
And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anon | |
His fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on. | 30 |
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By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, Stay spur! | |
Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault s not in her, | |
We ll remember at Aixfor one heard the quick wheeze | |
Of her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees, | |
And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank, | 35 |
As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank. | |
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So we were left galloping, Joris and I, | |
Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky; | |
The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh, | |
Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff; | 40 |
Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white, | |
And Gallop, gasped Joris, for Aix is in sight! | |
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How they ll greet us!and all in a moment his roan | |
Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone; | |
And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight | 45 |
Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate, | |
With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim, | |
And with circles of red for his eye-sockets rim. | |
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Then I cast loose my buffcoat, each holster let fall, | |
Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all, | 50 |
Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear, | |
Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer; | |
Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good, | |
Till at length into Aix Roland galloped and stood. | |
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And all I remember is, friends flocking round | 55 |
As I sate with his head twixt my knees on the ground, | |
And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine, | |
As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine, | |
Which (the burgesses voted by common consent) | |
Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent. | 60 |
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