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.

7. So we were left galloping, Joris and I,

8.

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,

And "Gallop," gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight!"

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
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.

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.

10. And all I remember is, friends flocking round

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.

Robert Browning.

EXERCISES IN EMPHASIS.

1. I galloped, Dirck galloped, we galloped all three.
2. Your Roos galloped bravely, the fault's not in her.
3. The broad sun above laughed a pitiless laugh.

4. Gallop," gasped Joris, "for Aix is in sight.”

5. No voice but was praising this Roland of mine.

66

"MEE

XCV.-MAN OVERBOARD!

EET her, quartermaster!" hailed the officer of the deck; "hold on, every body!" Torn from my grasp upon the capstan by a mountain. wave, which swept us in its power, I was borne over the lee bulwarks; and a rope which I grasped in my passage, not being belayed, unrove in my hands, and I was buried in the sea.

2. "Man overboard!" rang along the decks. "Cut away the life-buoy!" Stunned and strangling, I rose to the surface, and instinctively struck out for the ship; while, clear above the roar of the storm, and the dash of the cold, terrible sea, the loud thunder of the trumpet came full on my ear.

3. "Man the weather main and maintop-sail braces; slack the lee ones; round in; stand by to lower away the lee-quarter boat!" My first plunge

for the ship, whose dim outline I could scarcely perceive in the almost pitchy darkness of the night, most fortunately brought me within reach of the life-buoy grating. Climbing upon this, I used the faithless rope, still in my hand, to lash myself fast; and thus freed from the fear of immediate drowning, I could more quietly watch and wait for rescue.

4. The ship was now hidden from my sight; but, being to leeward, I could with considerable distinctness make out her whereabouts, and judge of the motions on board. Directly, a signal-lantern glanced at her peak; and, oh! how brightly shone that solitary beam on my straining eye! for, though rescued from immediate peril, what other succor could I look for, during that fearful swell, on which no boat could live a moment?

5. What could I expect save a lingering, horrid death? Within a cable's length lay my floating home, where, ten minutes before, not a lighter heart than mine was inclosed by her frowning bulwarks; and though so near that I could hear the rattling of her cordage and the rustling thunder of her canvas, I could also hear those orders from her trumpet which extinguished hope.

6. "Belay all with that boat!" said a voice that I knew right well; "she can't live a minute!" My heart died within me, and I closed my eyes in despair. Next fell upon my ear the rapid notes of the drum beating to quarters, with all the clash, and tramp, and roar of a night alarm; while I could. also faintly hear the mustering of the divisions, which was done to ascertain who was missing.

7. Then came the hissing of a rocket, which, bright and clear, soared to heaven; and again fall

ing, its momentary glare was quenched in the waves. Drifting from the ship, the hum died away; but see, that sheet of flame! the thunder of a gun boomed over the stormy sea! Now the blaze of a blue-light illumines the darkness, revealing the tall spars and white canvas of the ship, still near me.

66

8. "Maintop there!" came the hail again, "do you see him to leeward?" No, sir!" was the chill reply. The ship now remained stationary, with her light aloft; but I could perceive nothing more for some minutes; they have given me up for lost! That I could see the ship, those on board well knew, provided I had gained the buoy; but their object was to discover me, and now several blue-lights were burned at once on various parts of the rigging.

9. How plainly could I see her rolling in the swell! At one moment engulfed, and in the next rising clear above the wave, her bright masts and white sails glancing, the mirror of hope, in this fearful illumination; while I, covered with the breaking surge, was tossed wildly about, now on the crest, now in the trough of the sea.

10. "There he is, sir! right a-beam!" shouted twenty voices, as I rose upon a wave. "Man the braces!" was the quick, clear, and joyous reply of the trumpet; while, to cheer the forlorn heart of the drowning seaman, the martial tones of the bugle rang out, "Boarders, away!" and the shrill call of the boatswain piped, "Haul taut and belay!" and the noble ship, blazing with light, fell off before the wind.

11. A new danger now awaited me, for the immense hull of the sloop-of-war came plunging around, bearing directly down upon me; while her

increased proximity enabled me to discern all the minutiæ of the ship, and even to recognize the face of the first lieutenant, as, trumpet in hand, he stood on the forecastle.

12. Nearer yet she came, while I could move only as the waves tossed me; and now the end of her flying-jib-boom is almost over my head! "Hard a-port!" hailed the trumpet at this critical moment. "Round in weather main-braces; right the helm!" The spray from the bows of the ship, as she came up, dashed over me, and the increased swell buried me for an instant under a mountain wave; emerging from which, there lay my ship, hove-to, not her length to windward!

13. "Garnet!" hailed the lieutenant from the lee gangway; "are you there, my lad?" "Ay, ay, sir!" I shouted in reply, though I doubted whether, in the storm, the response could reach him; but the thunder-toned cheering which, despite the discipline of a man-of-war, now rang from the decks and rigging, put that fear at rest, and my heart bounded with rapture in the joyous hope of a speedy rescue.

14. "All ready!" hailed the lieutenant again; "heave!" and four ropes, with small floats attached, were thrown from the ship and fell around me. None, however, actually touched me; and for this reason the success of the experiment seemed doubtful; for I could not move my unwieldy grating, and dreaded to leave it, lest, by so doing, I might in that fearful swell miss the rope, be unable to regain my present position, and drown, perhaps, between the two chances of escape.

15. I was so near to the ship that I could recognize the faces of the crew on her illuminated deck, and