They were the ` Godlike Kings ' , and when old Hobden piled some comfortable brushwood between the big wooden knees of Volaterrae , they called him ` Hands of Giants ' . Una slipped through their private gap in the fence , and sat still awhile , scowling as scowlily and lordlily as she knew how ; for Volaterrae is an important watch-tower that juts out of Far Wood just as Far Wood juts out of the hillside . Pook 's Hill lay below her and all the turns of the brook as it wanders out of the Willingford Woods , between hop-gardens , to old Hobden 's cottage at the Forge . The Sou ' - West wind -LRB- there is always a wind by Volaterrae -RRB- blew from the bare ridge where Cherry Clack Windmill stands . Now wind prowling through woods sounds like exciting things going to happen , and that is why on blowy days you stand up in Volaterrae and shout bits of the Lays to suit its noises . Una took Dan 's catapult from its secret place , and made ready to meet Lars Porsena 's army stealing through the wind-whitened aspens by the brook . A gust boomed up the valley , and Una chanted sorrowfully : ` Verbenna down to Ostia Hath wasted all the plain : Astur hath stormed Janiculum , And the stout guards are slain . ' But the wind , not charging fair to the wood , started aside and shook a single oak in Gleason 's pasture . Here it made itself all small and crouched among the grasses , waving the tips of them as a cat waves the tip of her tail before she springs . ` Now welcome -- welcome , Sextus , ' sang Una , loading the catapult -- ` Now welcome to thy home ! Why dost thou stay , and turn away ? Here lies the road to Rome . ' She fired into the face of the lull , to wake up the cowardly wind , and heard a grunt from behind a thorn in the pasture . ` Oh , my Winkie ! ' she said aloud , and that was something she had picked up from Dan . ' I b ` lieve I 've tickled up a Gleason cow . ' ` You little painted beast ! ' a voice cried . ` I 'll teach you to sling your masters ! ' She looked down most cautiously , and saw a young man covered with hoopy bronze armour all glowing among the late broom .
But what XXXXX admired beyond all was his great bronze helmet with a red horse-tail that flicked in the wind .
Dan Gleason Hath Pook Una Volaterrae Windmill Woods days stealing