POETRY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1845, 21 January 1880, Page 3

POETRY.

HOW THEY BROUGHT THB GOOD NEWS FROM GHENT TO AIX.

I sprung to the stirrup, and Joiia, and he; I galloped, Dick galloped, we galloped al

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, And into the midnight we galloped abreast.

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 a:d mads its girths tight, Then shortened each stirrup and set the pique right, Bebuckled the cheek strap, chained Blacker the bit, Nor galloped lcs3 steadily Boland a whit.

It wns moonset at staiting; but while we drew near Loke'ren the cocks crew, and twilight dawned clear; At Boom a great yellow star came out to see; At Duffield 'twas morning as plain as could be: And from Mech'eln church steeple we heard the half-chime, So Joris broke silence with " Yet there is time 1 "

At Aerecbot up leaped of a sudden the sun. And against him the cattle stood black every

one, To stare through the mist at us galloping

past; And I saw my stout galloper, Boland, at

last, With resolute shoulder?, each butting away The hnze, as some bluff river headland its

spray; 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 eyes black intelligence—ever that

glance O'er its white edge at me, his own maßter,

askance I And the thick heavy spume-flakes which aye

and anon His fierce lipß shook upwards in galloping

By Haeselt Diick groaned ; and cried Joris " Stay spur 1 Your Boos 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 Bhe shuddered and sank.

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 one foot broke the brittle bright stubble like chaff, Till over by -Dalhem a dome-spire sprang

white, And "gallop." cries Joris, "for Aix is in sight 1"

" How they'll greet us " —and all in a moment his Toan Boiled neck and crop, lay dead as a stone ; And there was my Boland to bear the whole weight Of the newa 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.

Then I cast loose my buff-coat, each holster let fall, Shook off both my jackboots, let go belt and all; Stood up in my stirrups, leaned, patted his ear, Called my Boland his pet name, my horse without peer j Clapt mj hands, laughed and sang, any noise, bad or good, Till at length icto Aix Roland galloped and stood 1

And all I remember is friends flocking round' As I sat with his head 'twixt my knees on the ground ; And no voice but was praising this Roland

of mine, Which (the burgeEses3 voted by common

consent) Was no more that his due that brought good news from Ghent. BOBEBT BKOWNING.