1. ۱I sprang to the stirrup, and Joris, and he;
2. ۲I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three;
3. ۳"Good speed!" cried the watch, as the gate-bolts undrew;
4. ۴"Speed!" echoed the wall to us galloping through;
5. ۵Behind shut the postern, the lights sank to rest,
6. ۶And into the midnight we galloped abreast.
7. ۷
8. ۸Not a word to each other; we kept the great pace
9. ۹Neck by neck, stride by stride, never changing our place;
10. ۱۰I turned in my saddle and made its girths tight,
11. ۱۱Then shortened each stirrup, and set the pique right,
12. ۱۲Rebuckled the cheek-strap, chained slacker the bit,
13. ۱۳Nor galloped less steadily Roland a whit.
14. ۱۴
15. ۱۵'Twas moonset at starting; but while we drew near
16. ۱۶Lokeren, the ... crew and twilight dawned clear:
17. ۱۷At Boom, a great yellow star came out to see;
18. ۱۸At Düffeld, 'twas morning as plain as could be;
19. ۱۹And from Mecheln church-steeple we heard the half-chime,
20. ۲۰So, Joris broke silence with, "Yet there is time!"
21. ۲۱
22. ۲۲At Aershot up leaped of a sudden the sun,
23. ۲۳And against him the cattle stood black every one,
24. ۲۴To stare through the mist at us galloping past,
25. ۲۵And I saw my stout galloper Roland, at last,
26. ۲۶With resolute shoulders, each butting away
27. ۲۷The haze, as some bluff river headland its spray:
28. ۲۸
29. ۲۹And his low head and crest, just one sharp ear bent back
30. ۳۰For my voice, and the other pricked out on his track;
31. ۳۱And one eye's black intelligence,--ever that glance
32. ۳۲O'er its white edge at me, his own master, askance!
33. ۳۳And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye and anon
34. ۳۴His fierce lips shook upwards in galloping on.
35. ۳۵
36. ۳۶By Hasselt, Dirck groaned; and cried Joris, "Stay spur!
37. ۳۷Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her,
38. ۳۸We'll remember at Aix"--for one heard the quick wheeze
39. ۳۹Of her chest, saw the stretched neck and staggering knees,
40. ۴۰And sunk tail, and horrible heave of the flank,
41. ۴۱As down on her haunches she shuddered and sank.
42. ۴۲
43. ۴۳So, we were left galloping, Joris and I,
44. ۴۴Past Looz and past Tongres, no cloud in the sky;
45. ۴۵The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh,
46. ۴۶'Neath our feet broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff;
47. ۴۷Till over by Dalhem a dome-spire sprang white,
48. ۴۸And "Gallop," gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight!"
49. ۴۹
50. ۵۰"How they'll greet us!"--and all in a moment his roan
51. ۵۱Rolled neck and croup over, lay dead as a stone;
52. ۵۲And there was my Roland to bear the whole weight
53. ۵۳Of the news which alone could save Aix from her fate,
54. ۵۴With his nostrils like pits full of blood to the brim,
55. ۵۵And with circles of red for his eye-sockets' rim.
56. ۵۶
57. ۵۷Then I cast loose my buff-coat, each holster let fall,
58. ۵۸Shook off both my jack-boots, let go belt and all,
59. ۵۹Stood up in the stirrup, leaned, patted his ear,
60. ۶۰Called my Roland his pet-name, my horse without peer;
61. ۶۱Clapped my hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good,
62. ۶۲Till at length, into Aix Roland galloped and stood.
63. ۶۳
64. ۶۴And all I remember is,--friends flocking round
65. ۶۵As I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground;
66. ۶۶And no voice but was praising this Roland of mine,
67. ۶۷As I poured down his throat our last measure of wine,
68. ۶۸Which (the burgesses voted by common consent)
69. ۶۹Was no more than his due who brought good news from Ghent.