DisplayImage("text", "zpage065", "
", "
", "center", "70", "5", "5", "[Illustration]") ?>
StoryTitle("caps", "The Cavalier's Escape") ?>
PoemStart() ?>
PagePoem(65, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Trample! trample! went the roan, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Trap! trap! went the gray;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But pad! pad! pad! like a thing that was mad, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "My chestnut broke away.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "It was just five miles from Salisbury town,", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And but one hour to day.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Thud! thud! came on the heavy roan, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Rap! rap! the mettled gray;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But my chestnut mare was of blood so rare, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "That she showed them all the way. ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Spur on! spur on! I doffed my hat, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And wished them all good day.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "They splashed through miry rut and pool,—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Splintered through fence and rail;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But chestnut Kate switched over the gate,—", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "I saw them croop and tail.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "To Salisbury town—but a mile of down; ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Once over this brook and rail. ", "") ?>
PagePoem(66, "L0", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Trap! trap! I heard their echoing hoofs ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Past the walls of mossy stone;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The roan flew on at a staggering pace, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "But blood is better than bone.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "I patted old Kate, and gave her the spur, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "For I knew it was all my own.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But trample! trample! came their steeds, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And I saw their wolves' eyes burn;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "I felt like a royal hart at bay, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And made me ready to turn.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "I looked where highest grew the may, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And deepest arched the fern.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "I flew at the first knave's sallow throat; ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "One blow and he was down.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "The second rogue fired twice, and missed; ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "I sliced the villain's crown.", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Clove through the rest, and flogged brave Kate, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Fast, fast to Salisbury town!", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "Pad! pad!they came on the level sward, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Thud! thud! upon the sand:", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "With a gleam of swords, and a burning match, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "And a shaking of flag and hand;", "") ?>
PoemLine("L0", "", "But one long bound, and I passed the gate, ", "") ?>
PoemLine("L2", "", "Safe from the canting band.", "") ?>
PoemAttribution("85", SmallCapsText("—Walter Thornbury.")) ?>
PoemEnd() ?>