A Tale of the Times of the Black Prince
by Evelyn Everett-Green.
Autumn was upon the world -- the warm and gorgeous autumn of thesouth -- autumn that turned the leaves upon the trees to every hueof russet, scarlet, and gold, that transformed the dark solemnaisles of the trackless forests of Gascony into what might wellhave been palaces of fairy beauty, and covered the ground with athick and soundless carpet of almost every hue of the rainbow.
The sun still retained much of its heat and power, and cameslanting in between the huge trunks of the forest trees in broadshafts of quivering light. Overhead the soft wind from the westmade a ceaseless, dreamy music and here and there the solemnsilence of the forest was broken by the sweet note of some singingbird or the harsh croak of the raven. At night the savage cry ofthe wolf too often disturbed the rest of the scattered dwe