"He never can cross that mighty top! He's forced to let the piping drop, And we shall see our children stop ! When, lo, as they reached the mountain's side, As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed; And the Piper advanced and the children followed, The door in the mountain side shut fast. His sadness, he was used to say, "It's dull in our town since my playmates left! I can't forget that I'm bereft Of all the pleasant sights they see, Which the Piper also promised me; For he led us, he said, to a joyous land, Joining the town and just at hand, Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew, And flowers put forth a fairer hue, And everything was strange and new; The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here, And their dogs outran our fallow deer, And honey-bees had lost their stings, And horses were born with eagles' wings; And just as I became assured My lame foot would be speedily cured, The music stopped and I stood still, And found myself outside the Hill, To go now limping as before, And never hear of that country more! Alas, alas for Hamelin ! XIV. There came into many a burgher's pate As the needle's eye takes a camel in ! Should think their records dated duly To shock with mirth a street so solemn ; But opposite the place of the cavern They wrote the story on a column, And on the great church-window painted And there it stands to this very day. That in Transylvania there's a tribe The outlandish ways and dress On which their neighbours lay such stress, Out of Hamelin town in Brunswick land, XV. So, Willy, let you and me be wipers Of scores out with all men-especially pipers: "HOW THEY BROUGHT THE GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX.” [16] I. 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 66 undrew ; 'Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through; Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest, And into the midnight we galloped abreast. II. 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, Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit, Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit. III. 'Twas 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; At Düffeld, 'twas morning as plain as could be; And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the halfchime, So Joris broke silence with, "Yet there is time!" IV. At Aerschot, up leaped of a sudden the sun, V. And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track; And one eye's black intelligence, -ever that glance O'er 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. VI. By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris," Stay spur! Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her, We'll remember at Aix"-for one heard the quick wheeze Of her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees, And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank, As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank. VII. 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; Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white, VIII. "How they'll greet us!"—and all in a moment his roan Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone; IX. Then I cast loose my buffcoat, each holster let fall, |