THE TWO CAPTAINS.
Page: 16

breathed into it and hurled it down among the Christian troops. And
forth from the fatal chest there burst a whole fire of rockets,
grenades, and other fearful messengers of death. The startled
soldiers paused in their assault. "Forward!" cried Alba. "Forward!"
cried the two captains; but a flaming arrow just then fastened on the
duke's plumed hat and hissed and crackled round his head, so that the
general fell fainting down the height. Then the German and Spanish
infantry fled uncontrollably from the fearful ascent. Again the
storm had been repulsed. The Mussulmans shouted, and like a fatal
star Zelinda's beauty shone in the midst of the flying troops.

When Alba opened his eyes, Heimbert was standing over him, with his
mantle, arm, and face scorched with the fire, which he had not only
just extinguished on his general's head, but by throwing himself over
him he had saved him from a second body of flame rolled down the
height in the same direction. The duke was thanking his youthful
deliverer when some soldiers came up, looking for him, to apprise him
that the Saracen power was beginning an attack on the opposite wing
of the army. Without losing a word Alba threw himself on the first
horse brought him and galloped away to the spot where the most
threatening danger summoned him.

Fadrique stood with his glowing eye fixed on the rampart, where the
brilliant form of Zelinda might be seen, with a two-edged spear,
ready to be hurled, uplifted by her snow-white arm, and raising her
voice, now in encouraging tones to the Mussulmans in Arabic, and
again speaking scornfully to the Christians in Spanish. At last
Fadrique exclaimed, "Oh, foolish being! she thinks to daunt me, and
yet she places herself before me, an alluring and irresistible war-
prize!"

And as if magic wings had sprung from his shoulders, he began to fly
up the height with such rapidity that Alba's violent descent seemed
but a lazy snail's pace. Before any one was aware, he was already on
the height, and wresting spear and shield from the maiden, he had
seized her in his arms and was attempting to bear her away, while
Zelinda in anxious despair clung to the palisade with both her hands.