Page:Collingwood - Life and Letters of Lewis Carroll.djvu/63

39

For though her rider smite her,
 * As hard as he can hit,

And strive to turn her from the yard, She stands in silence, pulling hard
 * Against the pulling bit.

And now the road to Dalton
 * Hath felt their coming tread,



The crowd are speed-
 * ing on before,

And all have gone
 * ahead.

Yet often look they
 * backward,

And cheer him on and bawl, That horseman and that charger go,
 * And scarce advance at all.

And now two roads to choose from
 * Are in that rider's sight:

In front the road to Dalton,
 * And New Croft upon the right.



"I can't get by!" he bellows,
 * "I really am not able!"

Though I pull my shoulder out of
 * joint,

I cannot get him past this point,
 * For it leads unto his stable!"

Then out spake Ulfrid Longbow,
 * A valiant youth was he,

"Lo! I will stand on thy right hand
 * And guard the pass for thee!"