THE WHITE COMPANY By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle CONTENTS. I. How the Black Sheep came forth from the Fold II. How Alleyne Edricson came out into the World III. How Hordle John cozened the Fuller of Lymington IV. How the Bailiff of Southampton Slew the Two Masterless Men IV. How a Strange Company Gathered at the "Pied Merlin" VI. How Samkin Aylward Wagered his Feather-bed VII. How the Three Comrades Journeyed through the Woodlands VIII. The Three Friends IX. How Strange Things Befell in Minstead Wood X. How Hordle John Found a Man whom he Might Follow XI. How a Young Shepherd had a Perilous Flock XII. How Alleyne Learned More than he could Teach XIII. How the White Company set forth to the Wars XIV. How Sir Nigel sought for a Wayside Venture XV. How the Yellow Cog sailed forth from Lepe XVI. How the Yellow Cog fought the Two Rover Galleys XVII. How the Yellow Cog crossed the Bar of Gironde XVIII. How Sir Nigel Loring put a Patch upon his Eye XIX. How there was Stir at the Abbey of St. Andrew's XX. How Alleyne Won his Place in an Honorable Guild XXI. How Agostino Pisano Risked his Head XXII. How the Bowmen held Wassail at the "Rose de Guienne" XXIII. How England held the Lists at Bordeaux XXIV. How a Champion came forth from the East XXV. How Sir Nigel wrote to Twynham Castle XXVI. How the Three Comrades Gained a Mighty Treasure XXVII. How Roger Club-foot was Passed into Paradise XXVIII. How the Comrades came over the Marches of France XXIX. How the Blessed Hour of Sight Came to the Lady Tiphaine XXX. How the Brushwood Men came to the Chateau of Villefranche XXXI. How Five Men held the Keep of Villefranche XXXII. How the Company took Counsel Round the Fallen Tree XXXIII. How the Army made the Passage of Roncesvalles XXXIV. How the Company Made Sport in the Vale of Pampeluna XXXV. How Sir Nigel Hawked at an Eagle XXXVI. How Sir Nigel Took the Patch from his Eye XXXVII. How the White Company came to be Disbanded XXXVIII. Of the Home-coming to Hampshire CHAPTER I. HOW THE BLACK SHEEP CAME FORTH FROM THE FOLD. The great bell of Beaulieu was ringing. Far away through the forestmight be heard its musical clangor and swell. Peat-cutters on Blackdownand fishers upon the Exe heard the distant throbbing rising and fallingupon the sultry summer air. It was a common sound in those parts--ascommon as the chatter of the jays and the booming of the bittern. Yetthe fishers and the peasants raised their heads and looked questions ateach other, for the angelus had already gone and vespers was still faroff. Why should the great bell of Beaulieu toll when the shadows wereneither short nor long? All round the Abbey the monks were trooping in. Under the longgreen-paved avenues of gnarled oaks and of lichened beeches thewhite-robed brothers gathered to the sound. From the vine-yard andthe vine-press, from the bouvary or ox-farm, from the marl-pits andsalterns, even from the distant iron-works of Sowley and the outlyinggrange of St. Leonard's, they had all turned their steps homewards. Ithad been no sudden call. A swift messenger had the night before spedround to the outlying dependencies of the Abbey, and had left thesummons for every monk to be back in the cloisters by the third hourafter noontide. So urgent a message had not been issued within thememory of old lay-brother Athanasius, who had cleaned the Abbey knockersince the year after the Battle of Bannockburn. A stranger who knew nothing either of the Abbey or of its immenseresources might have gathered from the appearance of the brothers someconception of the varied duties which they were called upon to perform, and of the busy, wide-spread life which centred in the old monastery. As they swept gravely in by twos and by threes, with bended heads andmuttering lips there were few who did not bear upon them some signs oftheir daily toil. Here were two with wrists and sleeves all spottedwith the ruddy grape juice. There again was a bearded brother witha broad-headed axe and a bundle of faggots upon his shoulders, whilebeside him walked another with the shears under his arm and the whitewool still clinging to his whiter gown. A long, straggling troop borespades and mattocks while the two rearmost of all staggered along undera huge basket o' fresh-caught carp, for the morrow was Friday, and therewere fifty platters to be filled and as many sturdy trenchermen behindthem. Of all the throng there was scarce one who was not labor-stainedand weary, for Abbot Berghersh was a hard man to himself and to others. Meanwhile, in the broad and lofty chamber set apart for occasions ofimport, the Abbot himself was pacing impatiently backwards and forwards, with his long white nervous hands clasped in front of him. His thin, thought-worn features and sunken, haggard cheeks bespoke one who hadindeed beaten down that inner foe whom every man must face, but had nonethe less suffered sorely in the contest. In crushing his passions he hadwell-nigh crushed himself. Yet, frail as was his person there gleamedout ever and anon from under his drooping brows a flash of fierceenergy, which recalled to men's minds that he came of a fighting stock, and that even now his twin-brother, Sir Bartholomew Berghersh, was oneof the most famous of those stern warriors who had planted the Cross ofSt. George before the gates of Paris. With lips compressed and cloudedbrow, he strode up and down the oaken floor, the very genius andimpersonation of asceticism, while the great bell still thundered andclanged above his head. At last the uproar died away in three last, measured throbs, and ere their echo had ceased the Abbot struck a smallgong which summoned a lay-brother to his presence. "Have the brethren come?" he asked, in the Anglo-French dialect used inreligious houses. "They are here, " the other answered, with his eyes cast down and hishands crossed upon his chest. "All?" "Two and thirty of the seniors and fifteen of the novices, most holyfather. Brother Mark of the Spicarium is sore smitten with a fever andcould not come. He said that--" "It boots not what he said. Fever or no, he should have come at my call. His spirit must be chastened, as must that of many more in this Abbey. You yourself, brother Francis, have twice raised your voice, so it hathcome to my ears, when the reader in the refectory hath been dealing withthe lives of God's most blessed saints. What hast thou to say?" The lay-brother stood meek and silent, with his arms still crossed infront of him. "One thousand Aves and as many Credos, said standing with armsoutstretched before the shrine of the Virgin, may help thee to rememberthat the Creator hath given us two ears and but one mouth, as a tokenthat there is twice the work for the one as for the other. Where is themaster of the novices?" "He is without, most holy father. " "Send him hither. " The sandalled feet clattered over the wooden floor, and the iron-bounddoor creaked upon its hinges. In a few moments it opened again to admita short square monk with a heavy, composed face and an authoritativemanner. "You have sent for me, holy father?" "Yes, brother Jerome, I wish that this matter be disposed of with aslittle scandal as may be, and yet it is needful that the example shouldbe a public one. " The Abbot spoke in Latin now, as a language which wasmore fitted by its age and solemnity to convey the thoughts of two highdignitaries of the order. "It would, perchance, be best that the novices be not admitted, "suggested the master. "This mention of a woman may turn their minds fromtheir pious meditations to worldly and evil thoughts. " "Woman! woman!" groaned the Abbot. "Well has the holy Chrysostom termedthem _radix malorum_. From Eve downwards, what good hath come from anyof them? Who brings the plaint?" "It is brother Ambrose. " "A holy and devout young man. " "A light and a pattern to every novice. " "Let the matter be brought to an issue then according to our old-timemonastic habit. Bid the chancellor and the sub-chancellor lead in thebrothers according to age, together with brother John, the accused, andbrother Ambrose, the accuser. " "And the novices?" "Let them bide in the north alley of the cloisters. Stay! Bid thesub-chancellor send out to them Thomas the lector to read unto themfrom the 'Gesta beati Benedicti. ' It may save them from foolish andpernicious babbling. " The Abbot was left to himself once more, and bent his thin gray faceover his illuminated breviary. So he remained while the senior monksfiled slowly and sedately into the chamber seating themselves upon thelong oaken benches which lined the wall on either side. At the furtherend, in two high chairs as large as that of the Abbot, though hardly aselaborately carved, sat the master of the novices and the chancellor, the latter a broad and portly priest, with dark mirthful eyes and athick outgrowth of crisp black hair all round his tonsured head. Betweenthem stood a lean, white-faced brother who appeared to be ill at ease, shifting his feet from side to side and tapping his chin nervously withthe long parchment roll which he held in his hand. The Abbot, from hispoint of vantage, looked down on the two long lines of faces, placid andsun-browned for the most part, with the large bovine eyes and unlinedfeatures which told of their easy, unchanging existence. Then he turnedhis eager fiery gaze upon the pale-faced monk who faced him. "This plaint is thine, as I learn, brother Ambrose, " said he. "May theholy Benedict, patron of our house, be present this day and aid us inour findings! How many counts are there?" "Three, most holy father, " the brother answered in a low and quaveringvoice. "Have you set them forth according to rule?" "They are here set down, most holy father, upon a cantle of sheep-skin. " "Let the sheep-skin be handed to the chancellor. Bring in brother John, and let him hear the plaints which have been urged against him. " At this order a lay-brother swung open the door, and two otherlay-brothers entered leading between them a young novice of the order. He was a man of huge stature, dark-eyed and red-headed, with a peculiarhalf-humorous, half-defiant expression upon his bold, well-markedfeatures. His cowl was thrown back upon his shoulders, and his gown, unfastened at the top, disclosed a round, sinewy neck, ruddy and cordedlike the bark of the fir. Thick, muscular arms, covered with a reddishdown, protruded from the wide sleeves of his habit, while his whiteshirt, looped up upon one side, gave a glimpse of a huge knotty leg, scarred and torn with the scratches of brambles. With a bow to theAbbot, which had in it perhaps more pleasantry than reverence, thenovice strode across to the carved prie-dieu which had been set apartfor him, and stood silent and erect with his hand upon the gold bellwhich was used in the private orisons of the Abbot's own household. Hisdark eyes glanced rapidly over the assembly, and finally settled with agrim and menacing twinkle upon the face of his accuser. The chancellor rose, and having slowly unrolled the parchment-scroll, proceeded to read it out in a thick and pompous voice, while a subduedrustle and movement among the brothers bespoke the interest with whichthey followed the proceedings. "Charges brought upon the second Thursday after the Feast of theAssumption, in the year of our Lord thirteen hundred and sixty-six, against brother John, formerly known as Hordle John, or John of Hordle, but now a novice in the holy monastic order of the Cistercians. Readupon the same day at the Abbey of Beaulieu in the presence of the mostreverend Abbot Berghersh and of the assembled order. "The charges against the said brother John are the following, namely, towit: "First, that on the above-mentioned Feast of the Assumption, small beerhaving been served to the novices in the proportion of one quart toeach four, the said brother John did drain the pot at one draught tothe detriment of brother Paul, brother Porphyry and brother Ambrose, who could scarce eat their none-meat of salted stock-fish on account oftheir exceeding dryness. " At this solemn indictment the novice raised his hand and twitched hislip, while even the placid senior brothers glanced across at each otherand coughed to cover their amusement. The Abbot alone sat gray andimmutable, with a drawn face and a brooding eye. "Item, that having been told by the master of the novices that he shouldrestrict his food for two days to a single three-pound loaf of bran andbeans, for the greater honoring and glorifying of St. Monica, mother ofthe holy Augustine, he was heard by brother Ambrose and others to saythat he wished twenty thousand devils would fly away with the saidMonica, mother of the holy Augustine, or any other saint who camebetween a man and his meat. Item, that upon brother Ambrose reprovinghim for this blasphemous wish, he did hold the said brother facedownwards over the piscatorium or fish-pond for a space during whichthe said brother was able to repeat a pater and four aves for the betterfortifying of his soul against impending death. " There was a buzz and murmur among the white-frocked brethren at thisgrave charge; but the Abbot held up his long quivering hand. "Whatthen?" said he. "Item, that between nones and vespers on the feast of James the Less thesaid brother John was observed upon the Brockenhurst road, near the spotwhich is known as Hatchett's Pond in converse with a person of the othersex, being a maiden of the name of Mary Sowley, the daughter of theKing's verderer. Item, that after sundry japes and jokes the saidbrother John did lift up the said Mary Sowley and did take, carry, andconvey her across a stream, to the infinite relish of the devil and theexceeding detriment of his own soul, which scandalous and wilful fallingaway was witnessed by three members of our order. " A dead silence throughout the room, with a rolling of heads andupturning of eyes, bespoke the pious horror of the community. The Abbot drew his gray brows low over his fiercely questioning eyes. "Who can vouch for this thing?" he asked. "That can I, " answered the accuser. "So too can brother Porphyry, whowas with me, and brother Mark of the Spicarium, who hath been so muchstirred and inwardly troubled by the sight that he now lies in a feverthrough it. " "And the woman?" asked the Abbot. "Did she not break into lamentationand woe that a brother should so demean himself?" "Nay, she smiled sweetly upon him and thanked him. I can vouch it and socan brother Porphyry. " "Canst thou?" cried the Abbot, in a high, tempestuous tone. "Canst thouso? Hast forgotten that the five-and-thirtieth rule of the order is thatin the presence of a woman the face should be ever averted and the eyescast down? Hast forgot it, I say? If your eyes were upon your sandals, how came ye to see this smile of which ye prate? A week in your cells, false brethren, a week of rye-bread and lentils, with double lauds anddouble matins, may help ye to remembrance of the laws under which yelive. " At this sudden outflame of wrath the two witnesses sank their faces onto their chests, and sat as men crushed. The Abbot turned his angry eyesaway from them and bent them upon the accused, who met his searchinggaze with a firm and composed face. "What hast thou to say, brother John, upon these weighty things whichare urged against you?" "Little enough, good father, little enough, " said the novice, speakingEnglish with a broad West Saxon drawl. The brothers, who were Englishto a man, pricked up their ears at the sound of the homely and yetunfamiliar speech; but the Abbot flushed red with anger, and struck hishand upon the oaken arm of his chair. "What talk is this?" he cried. "Is this a tongue to be used within thewalls of an old and well-famed monastery? But grace and learning haveever gone hand in hand, and when one is lost it is needless to look forthe other. " "I know not about that, " said brother John. "I know only that the wordscome kindly to my mouth, for it was the speech of my fathers before me. Under your favor, I shall either use it now or hold my peace. " The Abbot patted his foot and nodded his head, as one who passes a pointbut does not forget it. "For the matter of the ale, " continued brother John, "I had come in hotfrom the fields and had scarce got the taste of the thing beforemine eye lit upon the bottom of the pot. It may be, too, that I spokesomewhat shortly concerning the bran and the beans, the same being poorprovender and unfitted for a man of my inches. It is true also that Idid lay my hands upon this jack-fool of a brother Ambrose, though, asyou can see, I did him little scathe. As regards the maid, too, it istrue that I did heft her over the stream, she having on her hosen andshoon, whilst I had but my wooden sandals, which could take no hurt fromthe water. I should have thought shame upon my manhood, as well as mymonkhood, if I had held back my hand from her. " He glanced around ashe spoke with the half-amused look which he had worn during the wholeproceedings. "There is no need to go further, " said the Abbot. "He has confessed toall. It only remains for me to portion out the punishment which is dueto his evil conduct. " He rose, and the two long lines of brothers followed his example, looking sideways with scared faces at the angry prelate. "John of Hordle, " he thundered, "you have shown yourself during the twomonths of your novitiate to be a recreant monk, and one who is unworthyto wear the white garb which is the outer symbol of the spotless spirit. That dress shall therefore be stripped from thee, and thou shalt be castinto the outer world without benefit of clerkship, and without lot orpart in the graces and blessings of those who dwell under the care ofthe Blessed Benedict. Thou shalt come back neither to Beaulieu nor toany of the granges of Beaulieu, and thy name shall be struck off thescrolls of the order. " The sentence appeared a terrible one to the older monks, who had becomeso used to the safe and regular life of the Abbey that they would havebeen as helpless as children in the outer world. From their piousoasis they looked dreamily out at the desert of life, a place full ofstormings and strivings--comfortless, restless, and overshadowed byevil. The young novice, however, appeared to have other thoughts, forhis eyes sparkled and his smile broadened. It needed but that to addfresh fuel to the fiery mood of the prelate. "So much for thy spiritual punishment, " he cried. "But it is to thygrosser feelings that we must turn in such natures as thine, and asthou art no longer under the shield of holy church there is the lessdifficulty. Ho there! lay-brothers--Francis, Naomi, Joseph--seize himand bind his arms! Drag him forth, and let the foresters and the portersscourge him from the precincts!" As these three brothers advanced towards him to carry out the Abbot'sdirection, the smile faded from the novice's face, and he glanced rightand left with his fierce brown eyes, like a bull at a baiting. Then, with a sudden deep-chested shout, he tore up the heavy oaken prie-dieuand poised it to strike, taking two steps backward the while, that nonemight take him at a vantage. "By the black rood of Waltham!" he roared, "if any knave among you laysa finger-end upon the edge of my gown, I will crush his skull like afilbert!" With his thick knotted arms, his thundering voice, and hisbristle of red hair, there was something so repellent in the man thatthe three brothers flew back at the very glare of him; and the two rowsof white monks strained away from him like poplars in a tempest. TheAbbot only sprang forward with shining eyes; but the chancellor and themaster hung upon either arm and wrested him back out of danger's way. "He is possessed of a devil!" they shouted. "Run, brother Ambrose, brother Joachim! Call Hugh of the Mill, and Woodman Wat, and Raoul withhis arbalest and bolts. Tell them that we are in fear of our lives! Run, run! for the love of the Virgin!" But the novice was a strategist as well as a man of action. Springingforward, he hurled his unwieldy weapon at brother Ambrose, and, as deskand monk clattered on to the floor together, he sprang through the opendoor and down the winding stair. Sleepy old brother Athanasius, atthe porter's cell, had a fleeting vision of twinkling feet and flyingskirts; but before he had time to rub his eyes the recreant had passedthe lodge, and was speeding as fast as his sandals could patter alongthe Lyndhurst Road. CHAPTER II. HOW ALLEYNE EDRICSON CAME OUT INTO THE WORLD. Never had the peaceful atmosphere of the old Cistercian house been sorudely ruffled. Never had there been insurrection so sudden, so short, and so successful. Yet the Abbot Berghersh was a man of too firm a grainto allow one bold outbreak to imperil the settled order of his greathousehold. In a few hot and bitter words, he compared their falsebrother's exit to the expulsion of our first parents from the garden, and more than hinted that unless a reformation occurred some others ofthe community might find themselves in the same evil and perilous case. Having thus pointed the moral and reduced his flock to a fitting stateof docility, he dismissed them once more to their labors and withdrewhimself to his own private chamber, there to seek spiritual aid in thedischarge of the duties of his high office. The Abbot was still on his knees, when a gentle tapping at the door ofhis cell broke in upon his orisons. Rising in no very good humor at the interruption, he gave the word toenter; but his look of impatience softened down into a pleasant andpaternal smile as his eyes fell upon his visitor. He was a thin-faced, yellow-haired youth, rather above the middle size, comely and well shapen, with straight, lithe figure and eager, boyishfeatures. His clear, pensive gray eyes, and quick, delicate expression, spoke of a nature which had unfolded far from the boisterous joys andsorrows of the world. Yet there was a set of the mouth and a prominenceof the chin which relieved him of any trace of effeminacy. Impulsivehe might be, enthusiastic, sensitive, with something sympathetic andadaptive in his disposition; but an observer of nature's tokens wouldhave confidently pledged himself that there was native firmness andstrength underlying his gentle, monk-bred ways. The youth was not clad in monastic garb, but in lay attire, though hisjerkin, cloak and hose were all of a sombre hue, as befitted one whodwelt in sacred precincts. A broad leather strap hanging from hisshoulder supported a scrip or satchel such as travellers were wont tocarry. In one hand he grasped a thick staff pointed and shod with metal, while in the other he held his coif or bonnet, which bore in its front abroad pewter medal stamped with the image of Our Lady of Rocamadour. "Art ready, then, fair son?" said the Abbot. "This is indeed a day ofcomings and of goings. It is strange that in one twelve hours the Abbeyshould have cast off its foulest weed and should now lose what we arefain to look upon as our choicest blossom. " "You speak too kindly, father, " the youth answered. "If I had my will Ishould never go forth, but should end my days here in Beaulieu. It hathbeen my home as far back as my mind can carry me, and it is a sore thingfor me to have to leave it. " "Life brings many a cross, " said the Abbot gently. "Who is without them?Your going forth is a grief to us as well as to yourself. But thereis no help. I had given my foreword and sacred promise to your father, Edric the Franklin, that at the age of twenty you should be sent outinto the world to see for yourself how you liked the savor of it. Seatthee upon the settle, Alleyne, for you may need rest ere long. " The youth sat down as directed, but reluctantly and with diffidence. The Abbot stood by the narrow window, and his long black shadow fellslantwise across the rush-strewn floor. "Twenty years ago, " he said, "your father, the Franklin of Minstead, died, leaving to the Abbey three hides of rich land in the hundred ofMalwood, and leaving to us also his infant son on condition that weshould rear him until he came to man's estate. This he did partlybecause your mother was dead, and partly because your elder brother, now Socman of Minstead, had already given sign of that fierce and rudenature which would make him no fit companion for you. It was his desireand request, however, that you should not remain in the cloisters, butshould at a ripe age return into the world. " "But, father, " interrupted the young man "it is surely true that I amalready advanced several degrees in clerkship?" "Yes, fair son, but not so far as to bar you from the garb you now wearor the life which you must now lead. You have been porter?" "Yes, father. " "Exorcist?" "Yes, father. " "Reader?" "Yes, father. " "Acolyte?" "Yes, father. " "But have sworn no vow of constancy or chastity?" "No, father. " "Then you are free to follow a worldly life. But let me hear, ere youstart, what gifts you take away with you from Beaulieu? Some I alreadyknow. There is the playing of the citole and the rebeck. Our choir willbe dumb without you. You carve too?" The youth's pale face flushed with the pride of the skilled workman. "Yes, holy father, " he answered. "Thanks to good brother Bartholomew, Icarve in wood and in ivory, and can do something also in silver andin bronze. From brother Francis I have learned to paint on vellum, onglass, and on metal, with a knowledge of those pigments and essenceswhich can preserve the color against damp or a biting air. BrotherLuke hath given me some skill in damask work, and in the enamelling ofshrines, tabernacles, diptychs and triptychs. For the rest, I know alittle of the making of covers, the cutting of precious stones, and thefashioning of instruments. " "A goodly list, truly, " cried the superior with a smile. "What clerk ofCambrig or of Oxenford could say as much? But of thy reading--hast notso much to show there, I fear?" "No, father, it hath been slight enough. Yet, thanks to our goodchancellor, I am not wholly unlettered. I have read Ockham, Bradwardine, and other of the schoolmen, together with the learned Duns Scotus andthe book of the holy Aquinas. " "But of the things of this world, what have you gathered from yourreading? From this high window you may catch a glimpse over the woodenpoint and the smoke of Bucklershard of the mouth of the Exe, and theshining sea. Now, I pray you Alleyne, if a man were to take a ship andspread sail across yonder waters, where might he hope to arrive?" The youth pondered, and drew a plan amongst the rushes with the pointof his staff. "Holy father, " said he, "he would come upon those partsof France which are held by the King's Majesty. But if he trended to thesouth he might reach Spain and the Barbary States. To his north would beFlanders and the country of the Eastlanders and of the Muscovites. " "True. And how if, after reaching the King's possessions, he stilljourneyed on to the eastward?" "He would then come upon that part of France which is still in dispute, and he might hope to reach the famous city of Avignon, where dwells ourblessed father, the prop of Christendom. " "And then?" "Then he would pass through the land of the Almains and the great RomanEmpire, and so to the country of the Huns and of the Lithuanian pagans, beyond which lies the great city of Constantine and the kingdom of theunclean followers of Mahmoud. " "And beyond that, fair son?" "Beyond that is Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and the great river whichhath its source in the Garden of Eden. " "And then?" "Nay, good father, I cannot tell. Methinks the end of the world is notfar from there. " "Then we can still find something to teach thee, Alleyne, " said theAbbot complaisantly. "Know that many strange nations lie betwixt thereand the end of the world. There is the country of the Amazons, and thecountry of the dwarfs, and the country of the fair but evil women whoslay with beholding, like the basilisk. Beyond that again is the kingdomof Prester John and of the great Cham. These things I know for verysooth, for I had them from that pious Christian and valiant knight, SirJohn de Mandeville, who stopped twice at Beaulieu on his way to and fromSouthampton, and discoursed to us concerning what he had seen from thereader's desk in the refectory, until there was many a good brother whogot neither bit nor sup, so stricken were they by his strange tales. " "I would fain know, father, " asked the young man, "what there may be atthe end of the world?" "There are some things, " replied the Abbot gravely, "into which it wasnever intended that we should inquire. But you have a long road beforeyou. Whither will you first turn?" "To my brother's at Minstead. If he be indeed an ungodly and violentman, there is the more need that I should seek him out and see whether Icannot turn him to better ways. " The Abbot shook his head. "The Socman of Minstead hath earned an evilname over the country side, " he said. "If you must go to him, see atleast that he doth not turn you from the narrow path upon which you havelearned to tread. But you are in God's keeping, and Godward should youever look in danger and in trouble. Above all, shun the snares of women, for they are ever set for the foolish feet of the young. Kneel down, mychild, and take an old man's blessing. " Alleyne Edricson bent his head while the Abbot poured out his heartfeltsupplication that Heaven would watch over this young soul, now goingforth into the darkness and danger of the world. It was no mere form foreither of them. To them the outside life of mankind did indeed seem tobe one of violence and of sin, beset with physical and still more withspiritual danger. Heaven, too, was very near to them in those days. God's direct agency was to be seen in the thunder and the rainbow, the whirlwind and the lightning. To the believer, clouds of angels andconfessors, and martyrs, armies of the sainted and the saved, wereever stooping over their struggling brethren upon earth, raising, encouraging, and supporting them. It was then with a lighter heart anda stouter courage that the young man turned from the Abbot's room, whilethe latter, following him to the stair-head, finally commended him tothe protection of the holy Julian, patron of travellers. Underneath, in the porch of the Abbey, the monks had gathered to givehim a last God-speed. Many had brought some parting token by which heshould remember them. There was brother Bartholomew with a crucifix ofrare carved ivory, and brother Luke with a white-backed psalteradorned with golden bees, and brother Francis with the "Slaying of theInnocents" most daintily set forth upon vellum. All these wereduly packed away deep in the traveller's scrip, and above them oldpippin-faced brother Athanasius had placed a parcel of simnel bread andrammel cheese, with a small flask of the famous blue-sealed Abbey wine. So, amid hand-shakings and laughings and blessings, Alleyne Edricsonturned his back upon Beaulieu. At the turn of the road he stopped and gazed back. There was thewide-spread building which he knew so well, the Abbot's house, the longchurch, the cloisters with their line of arches, all bathed and mellowedin the evening sun. There too was the broad sweep of the river Exe, theold stone well, the canopied niche of the Virgin, and in the centre ofall the cluster of white-robed figures who waved their hands to him. Asudden mist swam up before the young man's eyes, and he turned away uponhis journey with a heavy heart and a choking throat. CHAPTER III. HOW HORDLE JOHN COZENED THE FULLER OF LYMINGTON. It is not, however, in the nature of things that a lad of twenty, withyoung life glowing in his veins and all the wide world before him, should spend his first hours of freedom in mourning for what he hadleft. Long ere Alleyne was out of sound of the Beaulieu bells he wasstriding sturdily along, swinging his staff and whistling as merrily asthe birds in the thicket. It was an evening to raise a man's heart. Thesun shining slantwise through the trees threw delicate traceries acrossthe road, with bars of golden light between. Away in the distancebefore and behind, the green boughs, now turning in places to a copperyredness, shot their broad arches across the track. The still summer airwas heavy with the resinous smell of the great forest. Here and there atawny brook prattled out from among the underwood and lost itself againin the ferns and brambles upon the further side. Save the dull piping ofinsects and the sough of the leaves, there was silence everywhere--thesweet restful silence of nature. And yet there was no want of life--the whole wide wood was full of it. Now it was a lithe, furtive stoat which shot across the path upon somefell errand of its own; then it was a wild cat which squatted upon theoutlying branch of an oak and peeped at the traveller with a yellow anddubious eye. Once it was a wild sow which scuttled out of the bracken, with two young sounders at her heels, and once a lordly red staggardwalked daintily out from among the tree trunks, and looked aroundhim with the fearless gaze of one who lived under the King's own highprotection. Alleyne gave his staff a merry flourish, however, and thered deer bethought him that the King was far off, so streaked away fromwhence he came. The youth had now journeyed considerably beyond the furthest domains ofthe Abbey. He was the more surprised therefore when, on coming round aturn in the path, he perceived a man clad in the familiar garb of theorder, and seated in a clump of heather by the roadside. Alleyne hadknown every brother well, but this was a face which was new to him--aface which was very red and puffed, working this way and that, asthough the man were sore perplexed in his mind. Once he shook both handsfuriously in the air, and twice he sprang from his seat and hurried downthe road. When he rose, however, Alleyne observed that his robe was muchtoo long and loose for him in every direction, trailing upon the groundand bagging about his ankles, so that even with trussed-up skirts hecould make little progress. He ran once, but the long gown clogged himso that he slowed down into a shambling walk, and finally plumped intothe heather once more. "Young friend, " said he, when Alleyne was abreast of him, "I fear fromthy garb that thou canst know little of the Abbey of Beaulieu. " "Then you are in error, friend, " the clerk answered, "for I have spentall my days within its walls. " "Hast so indeed?" cried he. "Then perhaps canst tell me the name ofa great loathly lump of a brother wi' freckled face an' a hand like aspade. His eyes were black an' his hair was red an' his voice likethe parish bull. I trow that there cannot be two alike in the samecloisters. " "That surely can be no other than brother John, " said Alleyne. "I trusthe has done you no wrong, that you should be so hot against him. " "Wrong, quotha?" cried the other, jumping out of the heather. "Wrong!why he hath stolen every plack of clothing off my back, if that be awrong, and hath left me here in this sorry frock of white falding, sothat I have shame to go back to my wife, lest she think that I havedonned her old kirtle. Harrow and alas that ever I should have met him!" "But how came this?" asked the young clerk, who could scarce keep fromlaughter at the sight of the hot little man so swathed in the greatwhite cloak. "It came in this way, " he said, sitting down once more: "I was passingthis way, hoping to reach Lymington ere nightfall when I came on thisred-headed knave seated even where we are sitting now. I uncovered andlouted as I passed thinking that he might be a holy man at his orisons, but he called to me and asked me if I had heard speak of the newindulgence in favor of the Cistercians. 'Not I, ' I answered. 'Then theworse for thy soul!' said he; and with that he broke into a long talehow that on account of the virtues of the Abbot Berghersh it had beendecreed by the Pope that whoever should wear the habit of a monk ofBeaulieu for as long as he might say the seven psalms of David should beassured of the kingdom of Heaven. When I heard this I prayed him onmy knees that he would give me the use of his gown, which after manycontentions he at last agreed to do, on my paying him three markstowards the regilding of the image of Laurence the martyr. Havingstripped his robe, I had no choice but to let him have the wearing of mygood leathern jerkin and hose, for, as he said, it was chilling tothe blood and unseemly to the eye to stand frockless whilst I made myorisons. He had scarce got them on, and it was a sore labor, seeing thatmy inches will scarce match my girth--he had scarce got them on, I say, and I not yet at the end of the second psalm, when he bade me do honorto my new dress, and with that set off down the road as fast as feetwould carry him. For myself, I could no more run than if I had been sownin a sack; so here I sit, and here I am like to sit, before I set eyesupon my clothes again. " "Nay, friend, take it not so sadly, " said Alleyne, clapping thedisconsolate one upon the shoulder. "Canst change thy robe for a jerkinonce more at the Abbey, unless perchance you have a friend near athand. " "That have I, " he answered, "and close; but I care not to go nigh him inthis plight, for his wife hath a gibing tongue, and will spread thetale until I could not show my face in any market from Fordingbridgeto Southampton. But if you, fair sir, out of your kind charity would bepleased to go a matter of two bow-shots out of your way, you would do mesuch a service as I could scarce repay. " "With all my heart, " said Alleyne readily. "Then take this pathway on the left, I pray thee, and then thedeer-track which passes on the right. You will then see under a greatbeech-tree the hut of a charcoal-burner. Give him my name, good sir, the name of Peter the fuller, of Lymington, and ask him for a change ofraiment, that I may pursue my journey without delay. There are reasonswhy he would be loth to refuse me. " Alleyne started off along the path indicated, and soon found the log-hutwhere the burner dwelt. He was away faggot-cutting in the forest, buthis wife, a ruddy bustling dame, found the needful garments and tiedthem into a bundle. While she busied herself in finding and foldingthem, Alleyne Edricson stood by the open door looking in at her withmuch interest and some distrust, for he had never been so nigh to awoman before. She had round red arms, a dress of some sober woollenstuff, and a brass brooch the size of a cheese-cake stuck in the frontof it. "Peter the fuller!" she kept repeating. "Marry come up! if I were Peterthe fuller's wife I would teach him better than to give his clothes tothe first knave who asks for them. But he was always a poor, fond, sillycreature, was Peter, though we are beholden to him for helping to buryour second son Wat, who was a 'prentice to him at Lymington in the yearof the Black Death. But who are you, young sir?" "I am a clerk on my road from Beaulieu to Minstead. " "Aye, indeed! Hast been brought up at the Abbey then. I could read itfrom thy reddened cheek and downcast eye. Hast learned from the monks, Itrow, to fear a woman as thou wouldst a lazar-house. Out upon them! thatthey should dishonor their own mothers by such teaching. A pretty worldit would be with all the women out of it. " "Heaven forfend that such a thing should come to pass!" said Alleyne. "Amen and amen! But thou art a pretty lad, and the prettier for thymodest ways. It is easy to see from thy cheek that thou hast not spentthy days in the rain and the heat and the wind, as my poor Wat hath beenforced to do. " "I have indeed seen little of life, good dame. " "Wilt find nothing in it to pay for the loss of thy own freshness. Hereare the clothes, and Peter can leave them when next he comes this way. Holy Virgin! see the dust upon thy doublet! It were easy to see thatthere is no woman to tend to thee. So!--that is better. Now buss me, boy. " Alleyne stooped and kissed her, for the kiss was the common salutationof the age, and, as Erasmus long afterwards remarked, more used inEngland than in any other country. Yet it sent the blood to his templesagain, and he wondered, as he turned away, what the Abbot Berghershwould have answered to so frank an invitation. He was still tinglingfrom this new experience when he came out upon the high-road and saw asight which drove all other thoughts from his mind. Some way down from where he had left him the unfortunate Peter wasstamping and raving tenfold worse than before. Now, however, instead ofthe great white cloak, he had no clothes on at all, save a short woollenshirt and a pair of leather shoes. Far down the road a long-leggedfigure was running, with a bundle under one arm and the other hand tohis side, like a man who laughs until he is sore. "See him!" yelled Peter. "Look to him! You shall be my witness. He shallsee Winchester jail for this. See where he goes with my cloak under hisarm!" "Who then?" cried Alleyne. "Who but that cursed brother John. He hath not left me clothes enough tomake a gallybagger. The double thief hath cozened me out of my gown. " "Stay though, my friend, it was his gown, " objected Alleyne. "It boots not. He hath them all--gown, jerkin, hosen and all. Gramercyto him that he left me the shirt and the shoon. I doubt not that he willbe back for them anon. " "But how came this?" asked Alleyne, open-eyed with astonishment. "Are those the clothes? For dear charity's sake give them to me. Not thePope himself shall have these from me, though he sent the whole collegeof cardinals to ask it. How came it? Why, you had scarce gone ere thisloathly John came running back again, and, when I oped mouth to reproachhim, he asked me whether it was indeed likely that a man of prayer wouldleave his own godly raiment in order to take a layman's jerkin. Hehad, he said, but gone for a while that I might be the freer for mydevotions. On this I plucked off the gown, and he with much show ofhaste did begin to undo his points; but when I threw his frock downhe clipped it up and ran off all untrussed, leaving me in this sorryplight. He laughed so the while, like a great croaking frog, that Imight have caught him had my breath not been as short as his legs werelong. " The young man listened to this tale of wrong with all the seriousnessthat he could maintain; but at the sight of the pursy red-faced man andthe dignity with which he bore him, the laughter came so thick upon himthat he had to lean up against a tree-trunk. The fuller looked sadly andgravely at him; but finding that he still laughed, he bowed with muchmock politeness and stalked onwards in his borrowed clothes. Alleynewatched him until he was small in the distance, and then, wiping thetears from his eyes, he set off briskly once more upon his journey. CHAPTER IV. HOW THE BAILIFF OF SOUTHAMPTON SLEW THE TWO MASTERLESS MEN. The road along which he travelled was scarce as populous as most otherroads in the kingdom, and far less so than those which lie between thelarger towns. Yet from time to time Alleyne met other wayfarers, andmore than once was overtaken by strings of pack mules and horsemenjourneying in the same direction as himself. Once a begging friar camelimping along in a brown habit, imploring in a most dolorous voice togive him a single groat to buy bread wherewith to save himself fromimpending death. Alleyne passed him swiftly by, for he had learned fromthe monks to have no love for the wandering friars, and, besides, therewas a great half-gnawed mutton bone sticking out of his pouch to provehim a liar. Swiftly as he went, however, he could not escape the curseof the four blessed evangelists which the mendicant howled behind him. So dreadful are his execrations that the frightened lad thrust hisfingers into his ear-holes, and ran until the fellow was but a brownsmirch upon the yellow road. Further on, at the edge of the woodland, he came upon a chapman and hiswife, who sat upon a fallen tree. He had put his pack down as a table, and the two of them were devouring a great pasty, and washing it downwith some drink from a stone jar. The chapman broke a rough jest as hepassed, and the woman called shrilly to Alleyne to come and join them, on which the man, turning suddenly from mirth to wrath, began to belaborher with his cudgel. Alleyne hastened on, lest he make more mischief, and his heart was heavy as lead within him. Look where he would, heseemed to see nothing but injustice and violence and the hardness of manto man. But even as he brooded sadly over it and pined for the sweet peace ofthe Abbey, he came on an open space dotted with holly bushes, where wasthe strangest sight that he had yet chanced upon. Near to the pathwaylay a long clump of greenery, and from behind this there stuck straightup into the air four human legs clad in parti-colored hosen, yellow andblack. Strangest of all was when a brisk tune struck suddenly up andthe four legs began to kick and twitter in time to the music. Walking ontiptoe round the bushes, he stood in amazement to see two men boundingabout on their heads, while they played, the one a viol and the othera pipe, as merrily and as truly as though they were seated in a choir. Alleyne crossed himself as he gazed at this unnatural sight, andcould scarce hold his ground with a steady face, when the two dancers, catching sight of him, came bouncing in his direction. A spear's lengthfrom him, they each threw a somersault into the air, and came down upontheir feet with smirking faces and their hands over their hearts. "A guerdon--a guerdon, my knight of the staring eyes!" cried one. "A gift, my prince!" shouted the other. "Any trifle will serve--a purseof gold, or even a jewelled goblet. " Alleyne thought of what he had read of demoniac possession--thejumpings, the twitchings, the wild talk. It was in his mind to repeatover the exorcism proper to such attacks; but the two burst outa-laughing at his scared face, and turning on to their heads once more, clapped their heels in derision. "Hast never seen tumblers before?" asked the elder, a black-browed, swarthy man, as brown and supple as a hazel twig. "Why shrink from us, then, as though we were the spawn of the Evil One?" "Why shrink, my honey-bird? Why so afeard, my sweet cinnamon?" exclaimedthe other, a loose-jointed lanky youth with a dancing, roguish eye. "Truly, sirs, it is a new sight to me, " the clerk answered. "When I sawyour four legs above the bush I could scarce credit my own eyes. Why isit that you do this thing?" "A dry question to answer, " cried the younger, coming back on tohis feet. "A most husky question, my fair bird! But how? A flask, aflask!--by all that is wonderful!" He shot out his hand as he spoke, andplucking Alleyne's bottle out of his scrip, he deftly knocked the neckoff, and poured the half of it down his throat. The rest he handed tohis comrade, who drank the wine, and then, to the clerk's increasingamazement, made a show of swallowing the bottle, with such skillthat Alleyne seemed to see it vanish down his throat. A moment later, however, he flung it over his head, and caught it bottom downwards uponthe calf of his left leg. "We thank you for the wine, kind sir, " said he, "and for the readycourtesy wherewith you offered it. Touching your question, we may tellyou that we are strollers and jugglers, who, having performed with muchapplause at Winchester fair, are now on our way to the great Michaelmasmarket at Ringwood. As our art is a very fine and delicate one, however, we cannot let a day go by without exercising ourselves in it, to whichend we choose some quiet and sheltered spot where we may break ourjourney. Here you find us; and we cannot wonder that you, who are new totumbling, should be astounded, since many great barons, earls, marshalsand knight, who have wandered as far as the Holy Land, are of onemind in saying that they have never seen a more noble or graciousperformance. If you will be pleased to sit upon that stump, we will nowcontinue our exercise. " Alleyne sat down willingly as directed with two great bundles oneither side of him which contained the strollers' dresses--doublets offlame-colored silk and girdles of leather, spangled with brass and tin. The jugglers were on their heads once more, bounding about with rigidnecks, playing the while in perfect time and tune. It chanced that outof one of the bundles there stuck the end of what the clerk saw to bea cittern, so drawing it forth, he tuned it up and twanged a harmony tothe merry lilt which the dancers played. On that they dropped their owninstruments, and putting their hands to the ground they hopped aboutfaster and faster, ever shouting to him to play more briskly, until atlast for very weariness all three had to stop. "Well played, sweet poppet!" cried the younger. "Hast a rare touch onthe strings. " "How knew you the tune?" asked the other. "I knew it not. I did but follow the notes I heard. " Both opened their eyes at this, and stared at Alleyne with as muchamazement as he had shown at them. "You have a fine trick of ear then, " said one. "We have long wished tomeet such a man. Wilt join us and jog on to Ringwood? Thy duties shallbe light, and thou shalt have two-pence a day and meat for supper everynight. " "With as much beer as you can put away, " said the other "and a flask ofGascon wine on Sabbaths. " "Nay, it may not be. I have other work to do. I have tarried with youover long, " quoth Alleyne, and resolutely set forth upon his journeyonce more. They ran behind him some little way, offering him firstfourpence and then sixpence a day, but he only smiled and shook hishead, until at last they fell away from him. Looking back, he saw thatthe smaller had mounted on the younger's shoulders, and that they stoodso, some ten feet high, waving their adieus to him. He waved back tothem, and then hastened on, the lighter of heart for having fallen inwith these strange men of pleasure. Alleyne had gone no great distance for all the many small passages thathad befallen him. Yet to him, used as he was to a life of such quietthat the failure of a brewing or the altering of an anthem had seemedto be of the deepest import, the quick changing play of the lights andshadows of life was strangely startling and interesting. A gulf seemedto divide this brisk uncertain existence from the old steady round ofwork and of prayer which he had left behind him. The few hours that hadpassed since he saw the Abbey tower stretched out in his memory untilthey outgrew whole months of the stagnant life of the cloister. As hewalked and munched the soft bread from his scrip, it seemed strange tohim to feel that it was still warm from the ovens of Beaulieu. When he passed Penerley, where were three cottages and a barn, hereached the edge of the tree country, and found the great barren heathof Blackdown stretching in front of him, all pink with heather andbronzed with the fading ferns. On the left the woods were still thick, but the road edged away from them and wound over the open. The sun laylow in the west upon a purple cloud, whence it threw a mild, chasteninglight over the wild moorland and glittered on the fringe of forestturning the withered leaves into flakes of dead gold, the brighter forthe black depths behind them. To the seeing eye decay is as fair asgrowth, and death as life. The thought stole into Alleyne's heart as helooked upon the autumnal country side and marvelled at its beauty. Hehad little time to dwell upon it however, for there were still six goodmiles between him and the nearest inn. He sat down by the roadsideto partake of his bread and cheese, and then with a lighter scrip hehastened upon his way. There appeared to be more wayfarers on the down than in the forest. First he passed two Dominicans in their long black dresses, who swept byhim with downcast looks and pattering lips, without so much as a glanceat him. Then there came a gray friar, or minorite, with a good paunchupon him, walking slowly and looking about him with the air of a man whowas at peace with himself and with all men. He stopped Alleyne to askhim whether it was not true that there was a hostel somewhere in thoseparts which was especially famous for the stewing of eels. The clerkhaving made answer that he had heard the eels of Sowley well spoken of, the friar sucked in his lips and hurried forward. Close at his heelscame three laborers walking abreast, with spade and mattock over theirshoulders. They sang some rude chorus right tunefully as they walked, but their English was so coarse and rough that to the ears of acloister-bred man it sounded like a foreign and barbarous tongue. Oneof them carried a young bittern which they had caught upon the moor, andthey offered it to Alleyne for a silver groat. Very glad he was to getsafely past them, for, with their bristling red beards and their fierceblue eyes, they were uneasy men to bargain with upon a lonely moor. Yet it is not always the burliest and the wildest who are the most tobe dreaded. The workers looked hungrily at him, and then jogged onwardsupon their way in slow, lumbering Saxon style. A worse man to deal withwas a wooden-legged cripple who came hobbling down the path, so weak andso old to all appearance that a child need not stand in fear of him. Yet when Alleyne had passed him, of a sudden, out of pure devilment, hescreamed out a curse at him, and sent a jagged flint stone hurtling pasthis ear. So horrid was the causeless rage of the crooked creature, thatthe clerk came over a cold thrill, and took to his heels until he wasout of shot from stone or word. It seemed to him that in this countryof England there was no protection for a man save that which lay in thestrength of his own arm and the speed of his own foot. In the cloistershe had heard vague talk of the law--the mighty law which was higher thanprelate or baron, yet no sign could he see of it. What was the benefitof a law written fair upon parchment, he wondered, if there were noofficers to enforce it. As it fell out, however, he had that veryevening, ere the sun had set, a chance of seeing how stern was the gripof the English law when it did happen to seize the offender. A mile or so out upon the moor the road takes a very sudden dip into ahollow, with a peat-colored stream running swiftly down the centreof it. To the right of this stood, and stands to this day, an ancientbarrow, or burying mound, covered deeply in a bristle of heather andbracken. Alleyne was plodding down the slope upon one side, when he sawan old dame coming towards him upon the other, limping with wearinessand leaning heavily upon a stick. When she reached the edge of thestream she stood helpless, looking to right and to left for some ford. Where the path ran down a great stone had been fixed in the centre ofthe brook, but it was too far from the bank for her aged and uncertainfeet. Twice she thrust forward at it, and twice she drew back, until atlast, giving up in despair, she sat herself down by the brink andwrung her hands wearily. There she still sat when Alleyne reached thecrossing. "Come, mother, " quoth he, "it is not so very perilous a passage. " "Alas! good youth, " she answered, "I have a humor in the eyes, andthough I can see that there is a stone there I can by no means be sureas to where it lies. " "That is easily amended, " said he cheerily, and picking her lightly up, for she was much worn with time, he passed across with her. He couldnot but observe, however, that as he placed her down her knees seemed tofail her, and she could scarcely prop herself up with her staff. "You are weak, mother, " said he. "Hast journeyed far, I wot. " "From Wiltshire, friend, " said she, in a quavering voice; "three dayshave I been on the road. I go to my son, who is one of the King'sregarders at Brockenhurst. He has ever said that he would care for me inmine old age. " "And rightly too, mother, since you cared for him in his youth. But whenhave you broken fast?" "At Lyndenhurst; but alas! my money is at an end, and I could but get adish of bran-porridge from the nunnery. Yet I trust that I may be ableto reach Brockenhurst to-night, where I may have all that heart candesire; for oh! sir, but my son is a fine man, with a kindly heart ofhis own, and it is as good as food to me to think that he should have adoublet of Lincoln green to his back and be the King's own paid man. " "It is a long road yet to Brockenhurst, " said Alleyne; "but here is suchbread and cheese as I have left, and here, too, is a penny which mayhelp you to supper. May God be with you!" "May God be with you, young man!" she cried. "May He make your heart asglad as you have made mine!" She turned away, still mumbling blessings, and Alleyne saw her short figure and her long shadow stumbling slowly upthe slope. He was moving away himself, when his eyes lit upon a strange sight, andone which sent a tingling through his skin. Out of the tangled scrub onthe old overgrown barrow two human faces were looking out at him; thesinking sun glimmered full upon them, showing up every line and feature. The one was an oldish man with a thin beard, a crooked nose, and a broadred smudge from a birth-mark over his temple; the other was a negro, athing rarely met in England at that day, and rarer still in the quietsouthland parts. Alleyne had read of such folk, but had never seen onebefore, and could scarce take his eyes from the fellow's broad poutinglip and shining teeth. Even as he gazed, however, the two came writhingout from among the heather, and came down towards him with such aguilty, slinking carriage, that the clerk felt that there was no good inthem, and hastened onwards upon his way. He had not gained the crown of the slope, when he heard a sudden scufflebehind him and a feeble voice bleating for help. Looking round, therewas the old dame down upon the roadway, with her red whimple flying onthe breeze, while the two rogues, black and white, stooped over her, wresting away from her the penny and such other poor trifles as wereworth the taking. At the sight of her thin limbs struggling in weakresistance, such a glow of fierce anger passed over Alleyne as set hishead in a whirl. Dropping his scrip, he bounded over the stream oncemore, and made for the two villains, with his staff whirled over hisshoulder and his gray eyes blazing with fury. The robbers, however, were not disposed to leave their victim until theyhad worked their wicked will upon her. The black man, with the woman'scrimson scarf tied round his swarthy head, stood forward in the centreof the path, with a long dull-colored knife in his hand, while theother, waving a ragged cudgel, cursed at Alleyne and dared him tocome on. His blood was fairly aflame, however, and he needed no suchchallenge. Dashing at the black man, he smote at him with such good willthat the other let his knife tinkle into the roadway, and hopped howlingto a safer distance. The second rogue, however, made of sterner stuff, rushed in upon the clerk, and clipped him round the waist with a griplike a bear, shouting the while to his comrade to come round and stabhim in the back. At this the negro took heart of grace, and picking uphis dagger again he came stealing with prowling step and murderous eye, while the two swayed backwards and forwards, staggering this way andthat. In the very midst of the scuffle, however, whilst Alleyne bracedhimself to feel the cold blade between his shoulders, there came asudden scurry of hoofs, and the black man yelled with terror and ranfor his life through the heather. The man with the birth-mark, too, struggled to break away, and Alleyne heard his teeth chatter and felthis limbs grow limp to his hand. At this sign of coming aid the clerkheld on the tighter, and at last was able to pin his man down andglanced behind him to see where all the noise was coming from. Down the slanting road there was riding a big, burly man, clad in atunic of purple velvet and driving a great black horse as hard asit could gallop. He leaned well over its neck as he rode, and made aheaving with his shoulders at every bound as though he were lifting thesteed instead of it carrying him. In the rapid glance Alleyne saw thathe had white doeskin gloves, a curling white feather in his flat velvetcap, and a broad gold, embroidered baldric across his bosom. Behind himrode six others, two and two, clad in sober brown jerkins, with thelong yellow staves of their bows thrusting out from behind their rightshoulders. Down the hill they thundered, over the brook and up to thescene of the contest. "Here is one!" said the leader, springing down from his reeking horse, and seizing the white rogue by the edge of his jerkin. "This is one ofthem. I know him by that devil's touch upon his brow. Where are yourcords, Peterkin? So! Bind him hand and foot. His last hour has come. Andyou, young man, who may you be?" "I am a clerk, sir, travelling from Beaulieu. " "A clerk!" cried the other. "Art from Oxenford or from Cambridge? Hastthou a letter from the chancellor of thy college giving thee a permitto beg? Let me see thy letter. " He had a stern, square face, with bushyside whiskers and a very questioning eye. "I am from Beaulieu Abbey, and I have no need to beg, " said Alleyne, whowas all of a tremble now that the ruffle was over. "The better for thee, " the other answered. "Dost know who I am?" "No, sir, I do not. " "I am the law!"--nodding his head solemnly. "I am the law of Englandand the mouthpiece of his most gracious and royal majesty, Edward theThird. " Alleyne louted low to the King's representative. "Truly you came in goodtime, honored sir, " said he. "A moment later and they would have slainme. " "But there should be another one, " cried the man in the purple coat. "There should be a black man. A shipman with St. Anthony's fire, and ablack man who had served him as cook--those are the pair that we are inchase of. " "The black man fled over to that side, " said Alleyne, pointing towardsthe barrow. "He could not have gone far, sir bailiff, " cried one of the archers, unslinging his bow. "He is in hiding somewhere, for he knew well, blackpaynim as he is, that our horses' four legs could outstrip his two. " "Then we shall have him, " said the other. "It shall never be said, whilst I am bailiff of Southampton, that any waster, riever, draw-latchor murtherer came scathless away from me and my posse. Leave that roguelying. Now stretch out in line, my merry ones, with arrow on string, andI shall show you such sport as only the King can give. You on the left, Howett, and Thomas of Redbridge upon the right. So! Beat high and lowamong the heather, and a pot of wine to the lucky marksman. " As it chanced, however, the searchers had not far to seek. The negro hadburrowed down into his hiding-place upon the barrow, where he might havelain snug enough, had it not been for the red gear upon his head. Ashe raised himself to look over the bracken at his enemies, the staringcolor caught the eye of the bailiff, who broke into a long screechingwhoop and spurred forward sword in hand. Seeing himself discovered, the man rushed out from his hiding-place, and bounded at the top ofhis speed down the line of archers, keeping a good hundred paces to thefront of them. The two who were on either side of Alleyne bent theirbows as calmly as though they were shooting at the popinjay at thevillage fair. "Seven yards windage, Hal, " said one, whose hair was streaked with gray. "Five, " replied the other, letting loose his string. Alleyne gave a gulpin his throat, for the yellow streak seemed to pass through the man; buthe still ran forward. "Seven, you jack-fool, " growled the first speaker, and his bow twangedlike a harp-string. The black man sprang high up into the air, andshot out both his arms and his legs, coming down all a-sprawl amongthe heather. "Right under the blade bone!" quoth the archer, saunteringforward for his arrow. "The old hound is the best when all is said, " quoth the bailiff ofSouthampton, as they made back for the roadway. "That means a quart ofthe best malmsey in Southampton this very night, Matthew Atwood. Artsure that he is dead?" "Dead as Pontius Pilate, worshipful sir. " "It is well. Now, as to the other knave. There are trees and to spareover yonder, but we have scarce leisure to make for them. Draw thysword, Thomas of Redbridge, and hew me his head from his shoulders. " "A boon, gracious sir, a boon!" cried the condemned man. "What then?" asked the bailiff. "I will confess to my crime. It was indeed I and the black cook, bothfrom the ship 'La Rose de Gloire, ' of Southampton, who did set upon theFlanders merchant and rob him of his spicery and his mercery, for which, as we well know, you hold a warrant against us. " "There is little merit in this confession, " quoth the bailiff sternly. "Thou hast done evil within my bailiwick, and must die. " "But, sir, " urged Alleyne, who was white to the lips at these bloodydoings, "he hath not yet come to trial. " "Young clerk, " said the bailiff, "you speak of that of which you knownothing. It is true that he hath not come to trial, but the trial hathcome to him. He hath fled the law and is beyond its pale. Touch not thatwhich is no concern of thine. But what is this boon, rogue, which youwould crave?" "I have in my shoe, most worshipful sir, a strip of wood which belongedonce to the bark wherein the blessed Paul was dashed up against theisland of Melita. I bought it for two rose nobles from a shipman whocame from the Levant. The boon I crave is that you will place it in myhands and let me die still grasping it. In this manner, not only shallmy own eternal salvation be secured, but thine also, for I shall nevercease to intercede for thee. " At the command of the bailiff they plucked off the fellow's shoe, andthere sure enough at the side of the instep, wrapped in a piece of finesendall, lay a long, dark splinter of wood. The archers doffed caps atthe sight of it, and the bailiff crossed himself devoutly as he handedit to the robber. "If it should chance, " he said, "that through the surpassing merits ofthe blessed Paul your sin-stained soul should gain a way into paradise, I trust that you will not forget that intercession which you havepromised. Bear in mind too, that it is Herward the bailiff for whom youpray, and not Herward the sheriff, who is my uncle's son. Now, Thomas, Ipray you dispatch, for we have a long ride before us and sun has alreadyset. " Alleyne gazed upon the scene--the portly velvet-clad official, the knotof hard-faced archers with their hands to the bridles of their horses, the thief with his arms trussed back and his doublet turned down uponhis shoulders. By the side of the track the old dame was standing, fastening her red whimple once more round her head. Even as he lookedone of the archers drew his sword with a sharp whirr of steel and steptup to the lost man. The clerk hurried away in horror; but, ere hehad gone many paces, he heard a sudden, sullen thump, with a choking, whistling sound at the end of it. A minute later the bailiff and fourof his men rode past him on their journey back to Southampton, the othertwo having been chosen as grave-diggers. As they passed Alleyne saw thatone of the men was wiping his sword-blade upon the mane of his horse. A deadly sickness came over him at the sight, and sitting down by thewayside he burst out weeping, with his nerves all in a jangle. It was aterrible world thought he, and it was hard to know which were the mostto be dreaded, the knaves or the men of the law. CHAPTER V. HOW A STRANGE COMPANY GATHERED AT THE "PIED MERLIN. " The night had already fallen, and the moon was shining between the riftsof ragged, drifting clouds, before Alleyne Edricson, footsore and wearyfrom the unwonted exercise, found himself in front of the forest innwhich stood upon the outskirts of Lyndhurst. The building was long andlow, standing back a little from the road, with two flambeaux blazing oneither side of the door as a welcome to the traveller. From one windowthere thrust forth a long pole with a bunch of greenery tied to the endof it--a sign that liquor was to be sold within. As Alleyne walked up toit he perceived that it was rudely fashioned out of beams of wood, withtwinkling lights all over where the glow from within shone through thechinks. The roof was poor and thatched; but in strange contrast toit there ran all along under the eaves a line of wooden shields, mostgorgeously painted with chevron, bend, and saltire, and every heraldicdevice. By the door a horse stood tethered, the ruddy glow beatingstrongly upon his brown head and patient eyes, while his body stood backin the shadow. Alleyne stood still in the roadway for a few minutes reflectingupon what he should do. It was, he knew, only a few miles further toMinstead, where his brother dwelt. On the other hand, he had never seenthis brother since childhood, and the reports which had come to his earsconcerning him were seldom to his advantage. By all accounts he was ahard and a bitter man. It might be an evil start to come to his door so late and claim theshelter of his roof. Better to sleep here at this inn, and then travelon to Minstead in the morning. If his brother would take him in, welland good. He would bide with him for a time and do what he might to serve him. If, on the other hand, he should have hardened his heart against him, he could only go on his way and do the best he might by his skill asa craftsman and a scrivener. At the end of a year he would be freeto return to the cloisters, for such had been his father's bequest. Amonkish upbringing, one year in the world after the age of twenty, andthen a free selection one way or the other--it was a strange coursewhich had been marked out for him. Such as it was, however, he had nochoice but to follow it, and if he were to begin by making a friendof his brother he had best wait until morning before he knocked at hisdwelling. The rude plank door was ajar, but as Alleyne approached it there camefrom within such a gust of rough laughter and clatter of tongues thathe stood irresolute upon the threshold. Summoning courage, however, andreflecting that it was a public dwelling, in which he had as much rightas any other man, he pushed it open and stepped into the common room. Though it was an autumn evening and somewhat warm, a huge fire of heapedbillets of wood crackled and sparkled in a broad, open grate, some ofthe smoke escaping up a rude chimney, but the greater part rolling outinto the room, so that the air was thick with it, and a man coming fromwithout could scarce catch his breath. On this fire a great cauldronbubbled and simmered, giving forth a rich and promising smell. Seatedround it were a dozen or so folk, of all ages and conditions, who setup such a shout as Alleyne entered that he stood peering at them throughthe smoke, uncertain what this riotous greeting might portend. "A rouse! A rouse!" cried one rough looking fellow in a tattered jerkin. "One more round of mead or ale and the score to the last comer. " "'Tis the law of the 'Pied Merlin, '" shouted another. "Ho there, DameEliza! Here is fresh custom come to the house, and not a drain for thecompany. " "I will take your orders, gentles; I will assuredly take your orders, "the landlady answered, bustling in with her hands full of leatherndrinking-cups. "What is it that you drink, then? Beer for the lads ofthe forest, mead for the gleeman, strong waters for the tinker, and winefor the rest. It is an old custom of the house, young sir. It has beenthe use at the 'Pied Merlin' this many a year back that the companyshould drink to the health of the last comer. Is it your pleasure tohumor it?" "Why, good dame, " said Alleyne, "I would not offend the customs of yourhouse, but it is only sooth when I say that my purse is a thin one. Asfar as two pence will go, however, I shall be right glad to do my part. " "Plainly said and bravely spoken, my suckling friar, " roared a deepvoice, and a heavy hand fell upon Alleyne's shoulder. Looking up, he sawbeside him his former cloister companion the renegade monk, Hordle John. "By the thorn of Glastonbury! ill days are coming upon Beaulieu, " saidhe. "Here they have got rid in one day of the only two men within theirwalls--for I have had mine eyes upon thee, youngster, and I know thatfor all thy baby-face there is the making of a man in thee. Then thereis the Abbot, too. I am no friend of his, nor he of mine; but he haswarm blood in his veins. He is the only man left among them. The others, what are they?" "They are holy men, " Alleyne answered gravely. "Holy men? Holy cabbages! Holy bean-pods! What do they do but live andsuck in sustenance and grow fat? If that be holiness, I could show youhogs in this forest who are fit to head the calendar. Think you it wasfor such a life that this good arm was fixed upon my shoulder, or thathead placed upon your neck? There is work in the world, man, and it isnot by hiding behind stone walls that we shall do it. " "Why, then, did you join the brothers?" asked Alleyne. "A fair enough question; but it is as fairly answered. I joined thembecause Margery Alspaye, of Bolder, married Crooked Thomas of Ringwood, and left a certain John of Hordle in the cold, for that he was aranting, roving blade who was not to be trusted in wedlock. That waswhy, being fond and hot-headed, I left the world; and that is why, having had time to take thought, I am right glad to find myself back init once more. Ill betide the day that ever I took off my yeoman's jerkinto put on the white gown!" Whilst he was speaking the landlady came in again, bearing a broadplatter, upon which stood all the beakers and flagons charged to thebrim with the brown ale or the ruby wine. Behind her came a maid witha high pile of wooden plates, and a great sheaf of spoons, one of whichshe handed round to each of the travellers. Two of the company, who weredressed in the weather-stained green doublet of foresters, lifted thebig pot off the fire, and a third, with a huge pewter ladle, served outa portion of steaming collops to each guest. Alleyne bore his share andhis ale-mug away with him to a retired trestle in the corner, where hecould sup in peace and watch the strange scene, which was so differentto those silent and well-ordered meals to which he was accustomed. The room was not unlike a stable. The low ceiling, smoke-blackened anddingy, was pierced by several square trap-doors with rough-hewn laddersleading up to them. The walls of bare unpainted planks were studdedhere and there with great wooden pins, placed at irregular intervalsand heights, from which hung over-tunics, wallets, whips, bridles, andsaddles. Over the fireplace were suspended six or seven shields ofwood, with coats-of-arms rudely daubed upon them, which showed by theirvarying degrees of smokiness and dirt that they had been placed thereat different periods. There was no furniture, save a single longdresser covered with coarse crockery, and a number of wooden benches andtrestles, the legs of which sank deeply into the soft clay floor, whilethe only light, save that of the fire, was furnished by three torchesstuck in sockets on the wall, which flickered and crackled, givingforth a strong resinous odor. All this was novel and strange to thecloister-bred youth; but most interesting of all was the motley circleof guests who sat eating their collops round the blaze. They were ahumble group of wayfarers, such as might have been found that nightin any inn through the length and breadth of England; but to him theyrepresented that vague world against which he had been so frequently andso earnestly warned. It did not seem to him from what he could see of itto be such a very wicked place after all. Three or four of the men round the fire were evidently underkeepersand verderers from the forest, sunburned and bearded, with the quickrestless eye and lithe movements of the deer among which they lived. Close to the corner of the chimney sat a middle-aged gleeman, clad in afaded garb of Norwich cloth, the tunic of which was so outgrown that itdid not fasten at the neck and at the waist. His face was swollen andcoarse, and his watery protruding eyes spoke of a life which neverwandered very far from the wine-pot. A gilt harp, blotched with manystains and with two of its strings missing, was tucked under one of hisarms, while with the other he scooped greedily at his platter. Next tohim sat two other men of about the same age, one with a trimming of furto his coat, which gave him a dignity which was evidently dearer to himthan his comfort, for he still drew it round him in spite of the hotglare of the faggots. The other, clad in a dirty russet suit with a longsweeping doublet, had a cunning, foxy face with keen, twinkling eyes anda peaky beard. Next to him sat Hordle John, and beside him three otherrough unkempt fellows with tangled beards and matted hair--free laborersfrom the adjoining farms, where small patches of freehold propertyhad been suffered to remain scattered about in the heart of the royaldemesne. The company was completed by a peasant in a rude dress ofundyed sheepskin, with the old-fashioned galligaskins about his legs, and a gayly dressed young man with striped cloak jagged at the edgesand parti-colored hosen, who looked about him with high disdain upon hisface, and held a blue smelling-flask to his nose with one hand, while hebrandished a busy spoon with the other. In the corner a very fat man waslying all a-sprawl upon a truss, snoring stertorously, and evidently inthe last stage of drunkenness. "That is Wat the limner, " quoth the landlady, sitting down besideAlleyne, and pointing with the ladle to the sleeping man. "That is hewho paints the signs and the tokens. Alack and alas that ever I shouldhave been fool enough to trust him! Now, young man, what manner of abird would you suppose a pied merlin to be--that being the proper signof my hostel?" "Why, " said Alleyne, "a merlin is a bird of the same form as an eagle ora falcon. I can well remember that learned brother Bartholomew, who isdeep in all the secrets of nature, pointed one out to me as we walkedtogether near Vinney Ridge. " "A falcon or an eagle, quotha? And pied, that is of two several colors. So any man would say except this barrel of lies. He came to me, lookyou, saying that if I would furnish him with a gallon of ale, wherewithto strengthen himself as he worked, and also the pigments and a board, he would paint for me a noble pied merlin which I might hang along withthe blazonry over my door. I, poor simple fool, gave him the ale and allthat he craved, leaving him alone too, because he said that a man's mindmust be left untroubled when he had great work to do. When I came backthe gallon jar was empty, and he lay as you see him, with the board infront of him with this sorry device. " She raised up a panel which wasleaning against the wall, and showed a rude painting of a scraggy andangular fowl, with very long legs and a spotted body. "Was that, " she asked, "like the bird which thou hast seen?" Alleyne shook his head, smiling. "No, nor any other bird that ever wagged a feather. It is most like aplucked pullet which has died of the spotted fever. And scarlet too!What would the gentles Sir Nicholas Boarhunte, or Sir Bernard Brocas, ofRoche Court, say if they saw such a thing--or, perhaps, even the King'sown Majesty himself, who often has ridden past this way, and who loveshis falcons as he loves his sons? It would be the downfall of my house. " "The matter is not past mending, " said Alleyne. "I pray you, good dame, to give me those three pigment-pots and the brush, and I shall trywhether I cannot better this painting. " Dame Eliza looked doubtfully at him, as though fearing some otherstratagem, but, as he made no demand for ale, she finally brought thepaints, and watched him as he smeared on his background, talking thewhile about the folk round the fire. "The four forest lads must be jogging soon, " she said. "They bide atEmery Down, a mile or more from here. Yeomen prickers they are, who tendto the King's hunt. The gleeman is called Floyting Will. He comes fromthe north country, but for many years he hath gone the round of theforest from Southampton to Christchurch. He drinks much and pays littlebut it would make your ribs crackle to hear him sing the 'Jest of HendyTobias. ' Mayhap he will sing it when the ale has warmed him. " "Who are those next to him?" asked Alleyne, much interested. "He of thefur mantle has a wise and reverent face. " "He is a seller of pills and salves, very learned in humors, and rheums, and fluxes, and all manner of ailments. He wears, as you perceive, thevernicle of Sainted Luke, the first physician, upon his sleeve. May goodSt. Thomas of Kent grant that it may be long before either I or mineneed his help! He is here to-night for herbergage, as are the othersexcept the foresters. His neighbor is a tooth-drawer. That bag at hisgirdle is full of the teeth that he drew at Winchester fair. I warrantthat there are more sound ones than sorry, for he is quick at his workand a trifle dim in the eye. The lusty man next him with the red headI have not seen before. The four on this side are all workers, threeof them in the service of the bailiff of Sir Baldwin Redvers, and theother, he with the sheepskin, is, as I hear, a villein from the midlandswho hath run from his master. His year and day are well-nigh up, when hewill be a free man. " "And the other?" asked Alleyne in a whisper. "He is surely some verygreat man, for he looks as though he scorned those who were about him. " The landlady looked at him in a motherly way and shook her head. "Youhave had no great truck with the world, " she said, "or you would havelearned that it is the small men and not the great who hold their nosesin the air. Look at those shields upon my wall and under my eaves. Eachof them is the device of some noble lord or gallant knight who hathslept under my roof at one time or another. Yet milder men or easier toplease I have never seen: eating my bacon and drinking my wine with amerry face, and paying my score with some courteous word or jest whichwas dearer to me than my profit. Those are the true gentles. But yourchapman or your bearward will swear that there is a lime in the wine, and water in the ale, and fling off at the last with a curse instead ofa blessing. This youth is a scholar from Cambrig, where men are wont tobe blown out by a little knowledge, and lose the use of their hands inlearning the laws of the Romans. But I must away to lay down the beds. So may the saints keep you and prosper you in your undertaking!" Thus left to himself, Alleyne drew his panel of wood where the light ofone of the torches would strike full upon it, and worked away with allthe pleasure of the trained craftsman, listening the while to the talkwhich went on round the fire. The peasant in the sheepskins, who hadsat glum and silent all evening, had been so heated by his flagon of alethat he was talking loudly and angrily with clenched hands and flashingeyes. "Sir Humphrey Tennant of Ashby may till his own fields for me, " hecried. "The castle has thrown its shadow upon the cottage over long. For three hundred years my folk have swinked and sweated, day in and dayout, to keep the wine on the lord's table and the harness on the lord'sback. Let him take off his plates and delve himself, if delving must bedone. " "A proper spirit, my fair son!" said one of the free laborers. "I wouldthat all men were of thy way of thinking. " "He would have sold me with his acres, " the other cried, in avoice which was hoarse with passion. "'The man, the woman and theirlitter'--so ran the words of the dotard bailiff. Never a bullock on thefarm was sold more lightly. Ha! he may wake some black night to findthe flames licking about his ears--for fire is a good friend to thepoor man, and I have seen a smoking heap of ashes where over night therestood just such another castlewick as Ashby. " "This is a lad of mettle!" shouted another of the laborers. "He dares togive tongue to what all men think. Are we not all from Adam's loins, allwith flesh and blood, and with the same mouth that must needs have foodand drink? Where all this difference then between the ermine cloak andthe leathern tunic, if what they cover is the same?" "Aye, Jenkin, " said another, "our foeman is under the stole and thevestment as much as under the helmet and plate of proof. We have as muchto fear from the tonsure as from the hauberk. Strike at the noble andthe priest shrieks, strike at priest and the noble lays his hand uponglaive. They are twin thieves who live upon our labor. " "It would take a clever man to live upon thy labor, Hugh, " remarked oneof the foresters, "seeing that the half of thy time is spent in swillingmead at the 'Pied Merlin. '" "Better that than stealing the deer that thou art placed to guard, likesome folk I know. " "If you dare open that swine's mouth against me, " shouted the woodman, "I'll crop your ears for you before the hangman has the doing of it, thou long-jawed lackbrain. " "Nay, gentles, gentles!" cried Dame Eliza, in a singsong heedless voice, which showed that such bickerings were nightly things among her guests. "No brawling or brabbling, gentles! Take heed to the good name of thehouse. " "Besides, if it comes to the cropping of ears, there are other folk whomay say their say, " quoth the third laborer. "We are all freemen, andI trow that a yeoman's cudgel is as good as a forester's knife. BySt. Anselm! it would be an evil day if we had to bend to our master'sservants as well as to our masters. " "No man is my master save the King, " the woodman answered. "Who isthere, save a false traitor, who would refuse to serve the Englishking?" "I know not about the English king, " said the man Jenkin. "What sort ofEnglish king is it who cannot lay his tongue to a word of English? Youmind last year when he came down to Malwood, with his inner marshal andhis outer marshal, his justiciar, his seneschal, and his four and twentyguardsmen. One noontide I was by Franklin Swinton's gate, when up herides with a yeoman pricker at his heels. 'Ouvre, ' he cried, 'ouvre, ' orsome such word, making signs for me to open the gate; and then 'Merci, 'as though he were adrad of me. And you talk of an English king?" "I do not marvel at it, " cried the Cambrig scholar, speaking in the highdrawling voice which was common among his class. "It is not a tonguefor men of sweet birth and delicate upbringing. It is a foul, snorting, snarling manner of speech. For myself, I swear by the learned Polycarpthat I have most ease with Hebrew, and after that perchance withArabian. " "I will not hear a word said against old King Ned, " cried Hordle Johnin a voice like a bull. "What if he is fond of a bright eye and a saucyface. I know one of his subjects who could match him at that. Ifhe cannot speak like an Englishman I trow that he can fight like anEnglishman, and he was hammering at the gates of Paris while ale-housetopers were grutching and grumbling at home. " This loud speech, coming from a man of so formidable an appearance, somewhat daunted the disloyal party, and they fell into a sullensilence, which enabled Alleyne to hear something of the talk which wasgoing on in the further corner between the physician, the tooth-drawerand the gleeman. "A raw rat, " the man of drugs was saying, "that is what it is ever myuse to order for the plague--a raw rat with its paunch cut open. " "Might it not be broiled, most learned sir?" asked the tooth-drawer. "Araw rat sounds a most sorry and cheerless dish. " "Not to be eaten, " cried the physician, in high disdain. "Why should anyman eat such a thing?" "Why indeed?" asked the gleeman, taking a long drain at his tankard. "It is to be placed on the sore or swelling. For the rat, mark you, being a foul-living creature, hath a natural drawing or affinity forall foul things, so that the noxious humors pass from the man into theunclean beast. " "Would that cure the black death, master?" asked Jenkin. "Aye, truly would it, my fair son. " "Then I am right glad that there were none who knew of it. The blackdeath is the best friend that ever the common folk had in England. " "How that then?" asked Hordle John. "Why, friend, it is easy to see that you have not worked with your handsor you would not need to ask. When half the folk in the country weredead it was then that the other half could pick and choose who theywould work for, and for what wage. That is why I say that the murrainwas the best friend that the borel folk ever had. " "True, Jenkin, " said another workman; "but it is not all good that isbrought by it either. We well know that through it corn-land has beenturned into pasture, so that flocks of sheep with perchance a singleshepherd wander now where once a hundred men had work and wage. " "There is no great harm in that, " remarked the tooth-drawer, "for thesheep give many folk their living. There is not only the herd, but theshearer and brander, and then the dresser, the curer, the dyer, thefuller, the webster, the merchant, and a score of others. " "If it come to that. " said one of the foresters, "the tough meat of themwill wear folks teeth out, and there is a trade for the man who can drawthem. " A general laugh followed this sally at the dentist's expense, in themidst of which the gleeman placed his battered harp upon his knee, andbegan to pick out a melody upon the frayed strings. "Elbow room for Floyting Will!" cried the woodmen. "Twang us a merrylilt. " "Aye, aye, the 'Lasses of Lancaster, '" one suggested. "Or 'St. Simeon and the Devil. '" "Or the 'Jest of Hendy Tobias. '" To all these suggestions the jongleur made no response, but sat with hiseye fixed abstractedly upon the ceiling, as one who calls words to hismind. Then, with a sudden sweep across the strings, he broke out intoa song so gross and so foul that ere he had finished a verse thepure-minded lad sprang to his feet with the blood tingling in his face. "How can you sing such things?" he cried. "You, too, an old man whoshould be an example to others. " The wayfarers all gazed in the utmost astonishment at the interruption. "By the holy Dicon of Hampole! our silent clerk has found his tongue, "said one of the woodmen. "What is amiss with the song then? How has itoffended your babyship?" "A milder and better mannered song hath never been heard within thesewalls, " cried another. "What sort of talk is this for a public inn?" "Shall it be a litany, my good clerk?" shouted a third; "or would a hymnbe good enough to serve?" The jongleur had put down his harp in high dudgeon. "Am I to be preachedto by a child?" he cried, staring across at Alleyne with an inflamed andangry countenance. "Is a hairless infant to raise his tongue against me, when I have sung in every fair from Tweed to Trent, and have twice beennamed aloud by the High Court of the Minstrels at Beverley? I shall singno more to-night. " "Nay, but you will so, " said one of the laborers. "Hi, Dame Eliza, bringa stoup of your best to Will to clear his throat. Go forward with thysong, and if our girl-faced clerk does not love it he can take to theroad and go whence he came. " "Nay, but not too last, " broke in Hordle John. "There are two words inthis matter. It may be that my little comrade has been over quick inreproof, he having gone early into the cloisters and seen little of therough ways and words of the world. Yet there is truth in what he says, for, as you know well, the song was not of the cleanest. I shall standby him, therefore, and he shall neither be put out on the road, norshall his ears be offended indoors. " "Indeed, your high and mighty grace, " sneered one of the yeomen, "haveyou in sooth so ordained?" "By the Virgin!" said a second, "I think that you may both chance tofind yourselves upon the road before long. " "And so belabored as to be scarce able to crawl along it, " cried athird. "Nay, I shall go! I shall go!" said Alleyne hurriedly, as Hordle Johnbegan to slowly roll up his sleeve, and bare an arm like a leg ofmutton. "I would not have you brawl about me. " "Hush! lad, " he whispered, "I count them not a fly. They may find theyhave more tow on their distaff than they know how to spin. Stand thouclear and give me space. " Both the foresters and the laborers had risen from their bench, and DameEliza and the travelling doctor had flung themselves between the twoparties with soft words and soothing gestures, when the door of the"Pied Merlin" was flung violently open, and the attention of the companywas drawn from their own quarrel to the new-comer who had burst sounceremoniously upon them. CHAPTER VI. HOW SAMKIN AYLWARD WAGERED HIS FEATHER-BED. He was a middle-sized man, of most massive and robust build, with anarching chest and extraordinary breadth of shoulder. His shaven face wasas brown as a hazel-nut, tanned and dried by the weather, with harsh, well-marked features, which were not improved by a long white scar whichstretched from the corner of his left nostril to the angle of the jaw. His eyes were bright and searching, with something of menace and ofauthority in their quick glitter, and his mouth was firm-set and hard, as befitted one who was wont to set his face against danger. A straightsword by his side and a painted long-bow jutting over his shoulderproclaimed his profession, while his scarred brigandine of chain-mailand his dinted steel cap showed that he was no holiday soldier, but onewho was even now fresh from the wars. A white surcoat with the lionof St. George in red upon the centre covered his broad breast, while asprig of new-plucked broom at the side of his head-gear gave a touch ofgayety and grace to his grim, war-worn equipment. "Ha!" he cried, blinking like an owl in the sudden glare. "Good evento you, comrades! Hola! a woman, by my soul!" and in an instant he hadclipped Dame Eliza round the waist and was kissing her violently. Hiseye happening to wander upon the maid, however, he instantly abandonedthe mistress and danced off after the other, who scurried in confusionup one of the ladders, and dropped the heavy trap-door upon her pursuer. He then turned back and saluted the landlady once more with the utmostrelish and satisfaction. "La petite is frightened, " said he. "Ah, c'est l'amour, l'amour! Cursethis trick of French, which will stick to my throat. I must wash it outwith some good English ale. By my hilt! camarades, there is no drop ofFrench blood in my body, and I am a true English bowman, Samkin Aylwardby name; and I tell you, mes amis, that it warms my very heart-roots toset my feet on the dear old land once more. When I came off the galleyat Hythe, this very day, I down on my bones, and I kissed the good brownearth, as I kiss thee now, ma belle, for it was eight long years sinceI had seen it. The very smell of it seemed life to me. But where are mysix rascals? Hola, there! En avant!" At the order, six men, dressed as common drudges, marched solemnlyinto the room, each bearing a huge bundle upon his head. They formed inmilitary line, while the soldier stood in front of them with stern eyes, checking off their several packages. "Number one--a French feather-bed with the two counter-panes of whitesendall, " said he. "Here, worthy sir, " answered the first of the bearers, laying a greatpackage down in the corner. "Number two--seven ells of red Turkey cloth and nine ells of cloth ofgold. Put it down by the other. Good dame, I prythee give each of thesemen a bottrine of wine or a jack of ale. Three--a full piece of whiteGenoan velvet with twelve ells of purple silk. Thou rascal, there isdirt on the hem! Thou hast brushed it against some wall, coquin!" "Not I, most worthy sir, " cried the carrier, shrinking away from thefierce eyes of the bowman. "I say yes, dog! By the three kings! I have seen a man gasp out his lastbreath for less. Had you gone through the pain and unease that I havedone to earn these things you would be at more care. I swear by my tenfinger-bones that there is not one of them that hath not cost its weightin French blood! Four--an incense-boat, a ewer of silver, a gold buckleand a cope worked in pearls. I found them, camarades, at the Church ofSt. Denis in the harrying of Narbonne, and I took them away with me lestthey fall into the hands of the wicked. Five--a cloak of fur turnedup with minever, a gold goblet with stand and cover, and a box ofrose-colored sugar. See that you lay them together. Six--a box ofmonies, three pounds of Limousine gold-work, a pair of boots, silvertagged, and, lastly, a store of naping linen. So, the tally is complete!Here is a groat apiece, and you may go. " "Go whither, worthy sir?" asked one of the carriers. "Whither? To the devil if ye will. What is it to me? Now, ma belle, tosupper. A pair of cold capons, a mortress of brawn, or what you will, with a flask or two of the right Gascony. I have crowns in my pouch, my sweet, and I mean to spend them. Bring in wine while the food isdressing. Buvons my brave lads; you shall each empty a stoup with me. " Here was an offer which the company in an English inn at that or anyother date are slow to refuse. The flagons were re-gathered and cameback with the white foam dripping over their edges. Two of the woodmenand three of the laborers drank their portions off hurriedly and troopedoff together, for their homes were distant and the hour late. Theothers, however, drew closer, leaving the place of honor to the rightof the gleeman to the free-handed new-comer. He had thrown off his steelcap and his brigandine, and had placed them with his sword, his quiverand his painted long-bow, on the top of his varied heap of plunder inthe corner. Now, with his thick and somewhat bowed legs stretched infront of the blaze, his green jerkin thrown open, and a great quartpot held in his corded fist, he looked the picture of comfort and ofgood-fellowship. His hard-set face had softened, and the thick crop ofcrisp brown curls which had been hidden by his helmet grew low upon hismassive neck. He might have been forty years of age, though hard toiland harder pleasure had left their grim marks upon his features. Alleynehad ceased painting his pied merlin, and sat, brush in hand, staringwith open eyes at a type of man so strange and so unlike any whom he hadmet. Men had been good or had been bad in his catalogue, but here was aman who was fierce one instant and gentle the next, with a curse on hislips and a smile in his eye. What was to be made of such a man as that? It chanced that the soldier looked up and saw the questioning glancewhich the young clerk threw upon him. He raised his flagon and drank tohim, with a merry flash of his white teeth. "A toi, mon garcon, " he cried. "Hast surely never seen a man-at-arms, that thou shouldst stare so?" "I never have, " said Alleyne frankly, "though I have oft heard talk oftheir deeds. " "By my hilt!" cried the other, "if you were to cross the narrow sea youwould find them as thick as bees at a tee-hole. Couldst not shoot abolt down any street of Bordeaux, I warrant, but you would pink archer, squire, or knight. There are more breastplates than gaberdines to beseen, I promise you. " "And where got you all these pretty things?" asked Hordle John, pointingat the heap in the corner. "Where there is as much more waiting for any brave lad to pick it up. Where a good man can always earn a good wage, and where he need lookupon no man as his paymaster, but just reach his hand out and helphimself. Aye, it is a goodly and a proper life. And here I drink tomine old comrades, and the saints be with them! Arouse all together, me, enfants, under pain of my displeasure. To Sir Claude Latour and theWhite Company!" "Sir Claude Latour and the White Company!" shouted the travellers, draining off their goblets. "Well quaffed, mes braves! It is for me to fill your cups again, sinceyou have drained them to my dear lads of the white jerkin. Hola! monange, bring wine and ale. How runs the old stave?-- We'll drink all together To the gray goose feather And the land where the gray goose flew. " He roared out the catch in a harsh, unmusical voice, and ended with ashout of laughter. "I trust that I am a better bowman than a minstrel, "said he. "Methinks I have some remembrance of the lilt, " remarked the gleeman, running his fingers over the strings, "Hoping that it will give thee nooffence, most holy sir"--with a vicious snap at Alleyne--"and with thekind permit of the company, I will even venture upon it. " Many a time in the after days Alleyne Edricson seemed to see that scene, for all that so many which were stranger and more stirring were soonto crowd upon him. The fat, red-faced gleeman, the listening group, thearcher with upraised finger beating in time to the music, and the hugesprawling figure of Hordle John, all thrown into red light and blackshadow by the flickering fire in the centre--memory was to come oftenlovingly back to it. At the time he was lost in admiration at the deftway in which the jongleur disguised the loss of his two missing strings, and the lusty, hearty fashion in which he trolled out his little balladof the outland bowmen, which ran in some such fashion as this: What of the bow? The bow was made in England: Of true wood, of yew wood, The wood of English bows; So men who are free Love the old yew tree And the land where the yew tree grows. What of the cord? The cord was made in England: A rough cord, a tough cord, A cord that bowmen love; So we'll drain our jacks To the English flax And the land where the hemp was wove. What of the shaft? The shaft was cut in England: A long shaft, a strong shaft, Barbed and trim and true; So we'll drink all together To the gray goose feather And the land where the gray goose flew. What of the men? The men were bred in England: The bowman--the yeoman-- The lads of dale and fell Here's to you--and to you; To the hearts that are true And the land where the true hearts dwell. "Well sung, by my hilt!" shouted the archer in high delight. "Many anight have I heard that song, both in the old war-time and after in thedays of the White Company, when Black Simon of Norwich would lead thestave, and four hundred of the best bowmen that ever drew string wouldcome roaring in upon the chorus. I have seen old John Hawkwood, the samewho has led half the Company into Italy, stand laughing in his beard ashe heard it, until his plates rattled again. But to get the full smackof it ye must yourselves be English bowmen, and be far off upon anoutland soil. " Whilst the song had been singing Dame Eliza and the maid had placed aboard across two trestles, and had laid upon it the knife, the spoon, the salt, the tranchoir of bread, and finally the smoking dish whichheld the savory supper. The archer settled himself to it like one whohad known what it was to find good food scarce; but his tongue stillwent as merrily as his teeth. "It passes me, " he cried, "how all you lusty fellows can bide scratchingyour backs at home when there are such doings over the seas. Look atme--what have I to do? It is but the eye to the cord, the cord to theshaft, and the shaft to the mark. There is the whole song of it. It isbut what you do yourselves for pleasure upon a Sunday evening at theparish village butts. " "And the wage?" asked a laborer. "You see what the wage brings, " he answered. "I eat of the best, and Idrink deep. I treat my friend, and I ask no friend to treat me. I clapa silk gown on my girl's back. Never a knight's lady shall be betterbetrimmed and betrinketed. How of all that, mon garcon? And how of theheap of trifles that you can see for yourselves in yonder corner? Theyare from the South French, every one, upon whom I have been makingwar. By my hilt! camarades, I think that I may let my plunder speak foritself. " "It seems indeed to be a goodly service, " said the tooth-drawer. "Tete bleu! yes, indeed. Then there is the chance of a ransom. Why, lookyou, in the affair at Brignais some four years back, when the companiesslew James of Bourbon, and put his army to the sword, there was scarce aman of ours who had not count, baron, or knight. Peter Karsdale, whowas but a common country lout newly brought over, with the English fleasstill hopping under his doublet, laid his great hands upon the SieurAmaury de Chatonville, who owns half Picardy, and had five thousandcrowns out of him, with his horse and harness. 'Tis true that a Frenchwench took it all off Peter as quick as the Frenchman paid it; but whatthen? By the twang of string! it would be a bad thing if money was notmade to be spent; and how better than on woman--eh, ma belle?" "It would indeed be a bad thing if we had not our brave archers to bringwealth and kindly customs into the country, " quoth Dame Eliza, on whomthe soldier's free and open ways had made a deep impression. "A toi, ma cherie!" said he, with his hand over his heart. "Hola! thereis la petite peeping from behind the door. A toi, aussi, ma petite! MonDieu! but the lass has a good color!" "There is one thing, fair sir, " said the Cambridge student in hispiping voice, "which I would fain that you would make more clear. AsI understand it, there was peace made at the town of Bretigny some sixyears back between our most gracious monarch and the King of the French. This being so, it seems most passing strange that you should talk soloudly of war and of companies when there is no quarrel between theFrench and us. " "Meaning that I lie, " said the archer, laying down his knife. "May heaven forfend!" cried the student hastily. "_Magna est veritas sedrara_, which means in the Latin tongue that archers are all honorablemen. I come to you seeking knowledge, for it is my trade to learn. " "I fear that you are yet a 'prentice to that trade, " quoth the soldier;"for there is no child over the water but could answer what you ask. Know then that though there may be peace between our own provinces andthe French, yet within the marches of France there is always war, forthe country is much divided against itself, and is furthermore harriedby bands of flayers, skinners, Brabacons, tardvenus, and the rest ofthem. When every man's grip is on his neighbor's throat, and everyfive-sous-piece of a baron is marching with tuck of drum to fight whomhe will, it would be a strange thing if five hundred brave English boyscould not pick up a living. Now that Sir John Hawkwood hath gone withthe East Anglian lads and the Nottingham woodmen into the service of theMarquis of Montferrat to fight against the Lord of Milan, there are butten score of us left, yet I trust that I may be able to bring some backwith me to fill the ranks of the White Company. By the tooth of Peter!it would be a bad thing if I could not muster many a Hamptonshire manwho would be ready to strike in under the red flag of St. George, andthe more so if Sir Nigel Loring, of Christchurch, should don hauberkonce more and take the lead of us. " "Ah, you would indeed be in luck then, " quoth a woodman; "for it is saidthat, setting aside the prince, and mayhap good old Sir John Chandos, there was not in the whole army a man of such tried courage. " "It is sooth, every word of it, " the archer answered. "I have seen himwith these two eyes in a stricken field, and never did man carry himselfbetter. Mon Dieu! yes, ye would not credit it to look at him, or tohearken to his soft voice, but from the sailing from Orwell down tothe foray to Paris, and that is clear twenty years, there was not askirmish, onfall, sally, bushment, escalado or battle, but Sir Nigel wasin the heart of it. I go now to Christchurch with a letter to him fromSir Claude Latour to ask him if he will take the place of Sir JohnHawkwood; and there is the more chance that he will if I bring one ortwo likely men at my heels. What say you, woodman: wilt leave the bucksto loose a shaft at a nobler mark?" The forester shook his head. "I have wife and child at Emery Down, "quoth he; "I would not leave them for such a venture. " "You, then, young sir?" asked the archer. "Nay, I am a man of peace, " said Alleyne Edricson. "Besides, I haveother work to do. " "Peste!" growled the soldier, striking his flagon on the board until thedishes danced again. "What, in the name of the devil, hath come overthe folk? Why sit ye all moping by the fireside, like crows round a deadhorse, when there is man's work to be done within a few short leagues ofye? Out upon you all, as a set of laggards and hang-backs! By my hilt Ibelieve that the men of England are all in France already, and that whatis left behind are in sooth the women dressed up in their paltocks andhosen. " "Archer, " quoth Hordle John, "you have lied more than once and more thantwice; for which, and also because I see much in you to dislike, I amsorely tempted to lay you upon your back. " "By my hilt! then, I have found a man at last!" shouted the bowman. "And, 'fore God, you are a better man than I take you for if you can layme on my back, mon garcon. I have won the ram more times than there aretoes to my feet, and for seven long years I have found no man in theCompany who could make my jerkin dusty. " "We have had enough bobance and boasting, " said Hordle John, rising andthrowing off his doublet. "I will show you that there are better menleft in England than ever went thieving to France. " "Pasques Dieu!" cried the archer, loosening his jerkin, and eyeing hisfoeman over with the keen glance of one who is a judge of manhood. "I have only once before seen such a body of a man. By your leave, myred-headed friend, I should be right sorry to exchange buffets withyou; and I will allow that there is no man in the Company who wouldpull against you on a rope; so let that be a salve to your pride. Onthe other hand I should judge that you have led a life of ease for somemonths back, and that my muscle is harder than your own. I am ready towager upon myself against you if you are not afeard. " "Afeard, thou lurden!" growled big John. "I never saw the face yet ofthe man that I was afeard of. Come out, and we shall see who is thebetter man. " "But the wager?" "I have nought to wager. Come out for the love and the lust of thething. " "Nought to wager!" cried the soldier. "Why, you have that which I covetabove all things. It is that big body of thine that I am after. See, now, mon garcon. I have a French feather-bed there, which I have been atpains to keep these years back. I had it at the sacking of Issodun, andthe King himself hath not such a bed. If you throw me, it is thine; but, if I throw you, then you are under a vow to take bow and bill and hiewith me to France, there to serve in the White Company as long as we beenrolled. " "A fair wager!" cried all the travellers, moving back their benches andtrestles, so as to give fair field for the wrestlers. "Then you may bid farewell to your bed, soldier, " said Hordle John. "Nay; I shall keep the bed, and I shall have you to France in spiteof your teeth, and you shall live to thank me for it. How shall it be, then, mon enfant? Collar and elbow, or close-lock, or catch how youcan?" "To the devil with your tricks, " said John, opening and shutting hisgreat red hands. "Stand forth, and let me clip thee. " "Shalt clip me as best you can then, " quoth the archer, moving out intothe open space, and keeping a most wary eye upon his opponent. He hadthrown off his green jerkin, and his chest was covered only by a pinksilk jupon, or undershirt, cut low in the neck and sleeveless. HordleJohn was stripped from his waist upwards, and his huge body, with hisgreat muscles swelling out like the gnarled roots of an oak, toweredhigh above the soldier. The other, however, though near a foot shorter, was a man of great strength; and there was a gloss upon his white skinwhich was wanting in the heavier limbs of the renegade monk. He wasquick on his feet, too, and skilled at the game; so that it was clear, from the poise of head and shine of eye, that he counted the chances tobe in his favor. It would have been hard that night, through the wholelength of England, to set up a finer pair in face of each other. Big John stood waiting in the centre with a sullen, menacing eye, andhis red hair in a bristle, while the archer paced lightly and swiftly tothe right and the left with crooked knee and hands advanced. Then with asudden dash, so swift and fierce that the eye could scarce follow it, heflew in upon his man and locked his leg round him. It was a grip that, between men of equal strength, would mean a fall; but Hordle John torehim off from him as he might a rat, and hurled him across the room, sothat his head cracked up against the wooden wall. "Ma foi!" cried the bowman, passing his fingers through his curls, "youwere not far from the feather-bed then, mon gar. A little more and thisgood hostel would have a new window. " Nothing daunted, he approached his man once more, but this time withmore caution than before. With a quick feint he threw the other off hisguard, and then, bounding upon him, threw his legs round his waist andhis arms round his bull-neck, in the hope of bearing him to the groundwith the sudden shock. With a bellow of rage, Hordle John squeezed himlimp in his huge arms; and then, picking him up, cast him down upon thefloor with a force which might well have splintered a bone or two, had not the archer with the most perfect coolness clung to the other'sforearms to break his fall. As it was, he dropped upon his feet andkept his balance, though it sent a jar through his frame which set everyjoint a-creaking. He bounded back from his perilous foeman; but theother, heated by the bout, rushed madly after him, and so gave thepractised wrestler the very vantage for which he had planned. As bigJohn flung himself upon him, the archer ducked under the great red handsthat clutched for him, and, catching his man round the thighs, hurledhim over his shoulder--helped as much by his own mad rush as by thetrained strength of the heave. To Alleyne's eye, it was as if John hadtaken unto himself wings and flown. As he hurtled through the air, withgiant limbs revolving, the lad's heart was in his mouth; for surely noman ever yet had such a fall and came scathless out of it. In truth, hardy as the man was, his neck had been assuredly broken had he notpitched head first on the very midriff of the drunken artist, who wasslumbering so peacefully in the corner, all unaware of these stirringdoings. The luckless limner, thus suddenly brought out from his dreams, sat up with a piercing yell, while Hordle John bounded back into thecircle almost as rapidly as he had left it. "One more fall, by all the saints!" he cried, throwing out his arms. "Not I, " quoth the archer, pulling on his clothes, "I have come well outof the business. I would sooner wrestle with the great bear of Navarre. " "It was a trick, " cried John. "Aye was it. By my ten finger-bones! it is a trick that will add aproper man to the ranks of the Company. " "Oh, for that, " said the other, "I count it not a fly; for I hadpromised myself a good hour ago that I should go with thee, since thelife seems to be a goodly and proper one. Yet I would fain have had thefeather-bed. " "I doubt it not, mon ami, " quoth the archer, going back to his tankard. "Here is to thee, lad, and may we be good comrades to each other! But, hola! what is it that ails our friend of the wrathful face?" The unfortunate limner had been sitting up rubbing himself ruefullyand staring about with a vacant gaze, which showed that he knew neitherwhere he was nor what had occurred to him. Suddenly, however, a flashof intelligence had come over his sodden features, and he rose andstaggered for the door. "'Ware the ale!" he said in a hoarse whisper, shaking a warning finger at the company. "Oh, holy Virgin, 'ware theale!" and slapping his hands to his injury, he flitted off into thedarkness, amid a shout of laughter, in which the vanquished joined asmerrily as the victor. The remaining forester and the two laborerswere also ready for the road, and the rest of the company turned to theblankets which Dame Eliza and the maid had laid out for them upon thefloor. Alleyne, weary with the unwonted excitements of the day, was soonin a deep slumber broken only by fleeting visions of twittering legs, cursing beggars, black robbers, and the many strange folk whom he hadmet at the "Pied Merlin. " CHAPTER VII. HOW THE THREE COMRADES JOURNEYED THROUGH THE WOODLANDS. At early dawn the country inn was all alive, for it was rare indeedthat an hour of daylight would be wasted at a time when lighting was soscarce and dear. Indeed, early as it was when Dame Eliza began to stir, it seemed that others could be earlier still, for the door was ajar, and the learned student of Cambridge had taken himself off, with amind which was too intent upon the high things of antiquity to stoopto consider the four-pence which he owed for bed and board. It was theshrill out-cry of the landlady when she found her loss, and the cluckingof the hens, which had streamed in through the open door, that firstbroke in upon the slumbers of the tired wayfarers. Once afoot, it was not long before the company began to disperse. Asleek mule with red trappings was brought round from some neighboringshed for the physician, and he ambled away with much dignity upon hisroad to Southampton. The tooth-drawer and the gleeman called for a cupof small ale apiece, and started off together for Ringwood fair, the oldjongleur looking very yellow in the eye and swollen in the face afterhis overnight potations. The archer, however, who had drunk more thanany man in the room, was as merry as a grig, and having kissed thematron and chased the maid up the ladder once more, he went out to thebrook, and came back with the water dripping from his face and hair. "Hola! my man of peace, " he cried to Alleyne, "whither are you bent thismorning?" "To Minstead, " quoth he. "My brother Simon Edricson is socman there, andI go to bide with him for a while. I prythee, let me have my score, gooddame. " "Score, indeed!" cried she, standing with upraised hands in front of thepanel on which Alleyne had worked the night before. "Say, rather whatit is that I owe to thee, good youth. Aye, this is indeed a pied merlin, and with a leveret under its claws, as I am a living woman. By the roodof Waltham! but thy touch is deft and dainty. " "And see the red eye of it!" cried the maid. "Aye, and the open beak. " "And the ruffled wing, " added Hordle John. "By my hilt!" cried the archer, "it is the very bird itself. " The young clerk flushed with pleasure at this chorus of praise, rude andindiscriminate indeed, and yet so much heartier and less grudging thanany which he had ever heard from the critical brother Jerome, or theshort-spoken Abbot. There was, it would seem, great kindness as well asgreat wickedness in this world, of which he had heard so little that wasgood. His hostess would hear nothing of his paying either for bed orfor board, while the archer and Hordle John placed a hand upon eithershoulder and led him off to the board, where some smoking fish, a dishof spinach, and a jug of milk were laid out for their breakfast. "I should not be surprised to learn, mon camarade, " said the soldier, ashe heaped a slice of fish upon Alleyne's tranchoir of bread, "that youcould read written things, since you are so ready with your brushes andpigments. " "It would be shame to the good brothers of Beaulieu if I could not, " heanswered, "seeing that I have been their clerk this ten years back. " The bowman looked at him with great respect. "Think of that!" said he. "And you with not a hair to your face, and a skin like a girl. I canshoot three hundred and fifty paces with my little popper there, andfour hundred and twenty with the great war-bow; yet I can make nothingof this, nor read my own name if you were to set 'Sam Aylward' upagainst me. In the whole Company there was only one man who could read, and he fell down a well at the taking of Ventadour, which proves whatthe thing is not suited to a soldier, though most needful to a clerk. " "I can make some show at it, " said big John; "though I was scarce longenough among the monks to catch the whole trick of it. "Here, then, is something to try upon, " quoth the archer, pulling asquare of parchment from the inside of his tunic. It was tied securelywith a broad band of purple silk, and firmly sealed at either end with alarge red seal. John pored long and earnestly over the inscription uponthe back, with his brows bent as one who bears up against great mentalstrain. "Not having read much of late, " he said, "I am loth to say too muchabout what this may be. Some might say one thing and some another, justas one bowman loves the yew, and a second will not shoot save with theash. To me, by the length and the look of it, I should judge this to bea verse from one of the Psalms. " The bowman shook his head. "It is scarce likely, " he said, "that SirClaude Latour should send me all the way across seas with nought moreweighty than a psalm-verse. You have clean overshot the butts this time, mon camarade. Give it to the little one. I will wager my feather-bedthat he makes more sense of it. " "Why, it is written in the French tongue, " said Alleyne, "and in aright clerkly hand. This is how it runs: 'A le moult puissant et moulthonorable chevalier, Sir Nigel Loring de Christchurch, de son tresfidele ami Sir Claude Latour, capitaine de la Compagnie blanche, chatelain de Biscar, grand seigneur de Montchateau, vavaseur de lerenomme Gaston, Comte de Foix, tenant les droits de la haute justice, dela milieu, et de la basse. ' Which signifies in our speech: 'To the verypowerful and very honorable knight, Sir Nigel Loring of Christchurch, from his very faithful friend Sir Claude Latour, captain of the WhiteCompany, chatelain of Biscar, grand lord of Montchateau and vassal tothe renowned Gaston, Count of Foix, who holds the rights of the highjustice, the middle and the low. '" "Look at that now!" cried the bowman in triumph. "That is just what hewould have said. " "I can see now that it is even so, " said John, examining the parchmentagain. "Though I scarce understand this high, middle and low. " "By my hilt! you would understand it if you were Jacques Bonhomme. Thelow justice means that you may fleece him, and the middle that you maytorture him, and the high that you may slay him. That is about the truthof it. But this is the letter which I am to take; and since the platteris clean it is time that we trussed up and were afoot. You come withme, mon gros Jean; and as to you, little one, where did you say that youjourneyed?" "To Minstead. " "Ah, yes. I know this forest country well, though I was born myselfin the Hundred of Easebourne, in the Rape of Chichester, hard by thevillage of Midhurst. Yet I have not a word to say against the Hamptonmen, for there are no better comrades or truer archers in the wholeCompany than some who learned to loose the string in these very parts. We shall travel round with you to Minstead lad, seeing that it is littleout of our way. " "I am ready, " said Alleyne, right pleased at the thought of such companyupon the road. "So am not I. I must store my plunder at this inn, since the hostess isan honest woman. Hola! ma cherie, I wish to leave with you my gold-work, my velvet, my silk, my feather bed, my incense-boat, my ewer, my napinglinen, and all the rest of it. I take only the money in a linen bag, and the box of rose colored sugar which is a gift from my captain to theLady Loring. Wilt guard my treasure for me?" "It shall be put in the safest loft, good archer. Come when you may, youshall find it ready for you. " "Now, there is a true friend!" cried the bowman, taking her hand. "Thereis a bonne amie! English land and English women, say I, and French wineand French plunder. I shall be back anon, mon ange. I am a lonely man, my sweeting, and I must settle some day when the wars are over and done. Mayhap you and I----Ah, mechante, mechante! There is la petite peepingfrom behind the door. Now, John, the sun is over the trees; you must bebrisker than this when the bugleman blows 'Bows and Bills. '" "I have been waiting this time back, " said Hordle John gruffly. "Then we must be off. Adieu, ma vie! The two livres shall settle thescore and buy some ribbons against the next kermesse. Do not forget SamAylward, for his heart shall ever be thine alone--and thine, ma petite!So, marchons, and may St. Julian grant us as good quarters elsewhere!" The sun had risen over Ashurst and Denny woods, and was shiningbrightly, though the eastern wind had a sharp flavor to it, and theleaves were flickering thickly from the trees. In the High Street ofLyndhurst the wayfarers had to pick their way, for the little townwas crowded with the guardsmen, grooms, and yeomen prickers who wereattached to the King's hunt. The King himself was staying at CastleMalwood, but several of his suite had been compelled to seek suchquarters as they might find in the wooden or wattle-and-daub cottages ofthe village. Here and there a small escutcheon, peeping from aglassless window, marked the night's lodging of knight or baron. Thesecoats-of-arms could be read, where a scroll would be meaningless, andthe bowman, like most men of his age, was well versed in the commonsymbols of heraldry. "There is the Saracen's head of Sir Bernard Brocas, " quoth he. "I sawhim last at the ruffle at Poictiers some ten years back, when he borehimself like a man. He is the master of the King's horse, and can singa right jovial stave, though in that he cannot come nigh to Sir JohnChandos, who is first at the board or in the saddle. Three martlets on afield azure, that must be one of the Luttrells. By the crescent upon it, it should be the second son of old Sir Hugh, who had a bolt through hisankle at the intaking of Romorantin, he having rushed into the fray erehis squire had time to clasp his solleret to his greave. There too isthe hackle which is the old device of the De Brays. I have served underSir Thomas de Bray, who was as jolly as a pie, and a lusty swordsmanuntil he got too fat for his harness. " So the archer gossiped as the three wayfarers threaded their way amongthe stamping horses, the busy grooms, and the knots of pages and squireswho disputed over the merits of their masters' horses and deer-hounds. As they passed the old church, which stood upon a mound at the left-handside of the village street the door was flung open, and a stream ofworshippers wound down the sloping path, coming from the morning mass, all chattering like a cloud of jays. Alleyne bent knee and doffed hat atthe sight of the open door; but ere he had finished an ave his comradeswere out of sight round the curve of the path, and he had to run toovertake them. "What!" he said, "not one word of prayer before God's own open house?How can ye hope for His blessing upon the day?" "My friend, " said Hordle John, "I have prayed so much during the lasttwo months, not only during the day, but at matins, lauds, and the like, when I could scarce keep my head upon my shoulders for nodding, that Ifeel that I have somewhat over-prayed myself. " "How can a man have too much religion?" cried Alleyne earnestly. "It isthe one thing that availeth. A man is but a beast as he lives from dayto day, eating and drinking, breathing and sleeping. It is only whenhe raises himself, and concerns himself with the immortal spirit withinhim, that he becomes in very truth a man. Bethink ye how sad a thingit would be that the blood of the Redeemer should be spilled to nopurpose. " "Bless the lad, if he doth not blush like any girl, and yet preach likethe whole College of Cardinals, " cried the archer. "In truth I blush that any one so weak and so unworthy as I shouldtry to teach another that which he finds it so passing hard to followhimself. " "Prettily said, mon garcon. Touching that same slaying of the Redeemer, it was a bad business. A good padre in France read to us from a scrollthe whole truth of the matter. The soldiers came upon him in the garden. In truth, these Apostles of His may have been holy men, but they were ofno great account as men-at-arms. There was one, indeed, Sir Peter, whosmote out like a true man; but, unless he is belied, he did but clipa varlet's ear, which was no very knightly deed. By these tenfinger-bones! had I been there with Black Simon of Norwich, and but onescore picked men of the Company, we had held them in play. Could we dono more, we had at least filled the false knight, Sir Judas, so full ofEnglish arrows that he would curse the day that ever he came on such anerrand. " The young clerk smiled at his companion's earnestness. "Had He wishedhelp, " he said, "He could have summoned legions of archangels fromheaven, so what need had He of your poor bow and arrow? Besides, bethinkyou of His own words--that those who live by the sword shall perish bythe sword. " "And how could man die better?" asked the archer. "If I had my wish, itwould be to fall so--not, mark you, in any mere skirmish of the Company, but in a stricken field, with the great lion banner waving over us andthe red oriflamme in front, amid the shouting of my fellows and thetwanging of the strings. But let it be sword, lance, or bolt thatstrikes me down: for I should think it shame to die from an iron ballfrom the fire-crake or bombard or any such unsoldierly weapon, which isonly fitted to scare babes with its foolish noise and smoke. " "I have heard much even in the quiet cloisters of these new and dreadfulengines, " quoth Alleyne. "It is said, though I can scarce bring myselfto believe it, that they will send a ball twice as far as a bowmancan shoot his shaft, and with such force as to break through armor ofproof. " "True enough, my lad. But while the armorer is thrusting in hisdevil's-dust, and dropping his ball, and lighting his flambeau, Ican very easily loose six shafts, or eight maybe, so he hath no greatvantage after all. Yet I will not deny that at the intaking of a townit is well to have good store of bombards. I am told that at Calais theymade dints in the wall that a man might put his head into. But surely, comrades, some one who is grievously hurt hath passed along this roadbefore us. " All along the woodland track there did indeed run a scattered stragglingtrail of blood-marks, sometimes in single drops, and in other places inbroad, ruddy gouts, smudged over the dead leaves or crimsoning the whiteflint stones. "It must be a stricken deer, " said John. "Nay, I am woodman enough to see that no deer hath passed this way thismorning; and yet the blood is fresh. But hark to the sound!" They stood listening all three with sidelong heads. Through the silenceof the great forest there came a swishing, whistling sound, mingledwith the most dolorous groans, and the voice of a man raised in ahigh quavering kind of song. The comrades hurried onwards eagerly, andtopping the brow of a small rising they saw upon the other side thesource from which these strange noises arose. A tall man, much stooped in the shoulders, was walking slowly withbended head and clasped hands in the centre of the path. He was dressedfrom head to foot in a long white linen cloth, and a high white capwith a red cross printed upon it. His gown was turned back from hisshoulders, and the flesh there was a sight to make a man wince, for itwas all beaten to a pulp, and the blood was soaking into his gown andtrickling down upon the ground. Behind him walked a smaller man with hishair touched with gray, who was clad in the same white garb. He intoneda long whining rhyme in the French tongue, and at the end of every linehe raised a thick cord, all jagged with pellets of lead, and smote hiscompanion across the shoulders until the blood spurted again. Even asthe three wayfarers stared, however, there was a sudden change, for thesmaller man, having finished his song, loosened his own gown and handedthe scourge to the other, who took up the stave once more and lashedhis companion with all the strength of his bare and sinewy arm. So, alternately beating and beaten, they made their dolorous way through thebeautiful woods and under the amber arches of the fading beech-trees, where the calm strength and majesty of Nature might serve to rebuke thefoolish energies and misspent strivings of mankind. Such a spectacle was new to Hordle John or to Alleyne Edricson; but thearcher treated it lightly, as a common matter enough. "These are the Beating Friars, otherwise called the Flagellants, " quothhe. "I marvel that ye should have come upon none of them before, foracross the water they are as common as gallybaggers. I have heard thatthere are no English among them, but that they are from France, Italyand Bohemia. En avant, camarades! that we may have speech with them. " As they came up to them, Alleyne could hear the doleful dirge which thebeater was chanting, bringing down his heavy whip at the end of eachline, while the groans of the sufferer formed a sort of dismal chorus. It was in old French, and ran somewhat in this way: Or avant, entre nous tous freres Battons nos charognes bien fort En remembrant la grant misere De Dieu et sa piteuse mort Qui fut pris en la gent amere Et vendus et trais a tort Et bastu sa chair, vierge et dere Au nom de ce battons plus fort. Then at the end of the verse the scourge changed hands and the chantingbegan anew. "Truly, holy fathers, " said the archer in French as they came abreast ofthem, "you have beaten enough for to-day. The road is all spotted like ashambles at Martinmas. Why should ye mishandle yourselves thus?" "C'est pour vos peches--pour vos peches, " they droned, looking at thetravellers with sad lack-lustre eyes, and then bent to their bloodywork once more without heed to the prayers and persuasions which wereaddressed to them. Finding all remonstrance useless, the three comradeshastened on their way, leaving these strange travellers to their drearytask. "Mort Dieu!" cried the bowman, "there is a bucketful or more of my bloodover in France, but it was all spilled in hot fight, and I should thinktwice before I drew it drop by drop as these friars are doing. By myhilt! our young one here is as white as a Picardy cheese. What is amissthen, mon cher?" "It is nothing, " Alleyne answered. "My life has been too quiet, I am notused to such sights. " "Ma foi!" the other cried, "I have never yet seen a man who was so stoutof speech and yet so weak of heart. " "Not so, friend, " quoth big John; "it is not weakness of heart for Iknow the lad well. His heart is as good as thine or mine but he hathmore in his pate than ever you will carry under that tin pot of thine, and as a consequence he can see farther into things, so that they weighupon him more. " "Surely to any man it is a sad sight, " said Alleyne, "to see theseholy men, who have done no sin themselves, suffering so for the sins ofothers. Saints are they, if in this age any may merit so high a name. " "I count them not a fly, " cried Hordle John; "for who is the better forall their whipping and yowling? They are like other friars, I trow, whenall is done. Let them leave their backs alone, and beat the pride out oftheir hearts. " "By the three kings! there is sooth in what you say, " remarked thearcher. "Besides, methinks if I were le bon Dieu, it would bring melittle joy to see a poor devil cutting the flesh off his bones; and Ishould think that he had but a small opinion of me, that he should hopeto please me by such provost-marshal work. No, by my hilt! I should lookwith a more loving eye upon a jolly archer who never harmed a fallen foeand never feared a hale one. " "Doubtless you mean no sin, " said Alleyne. "If your words are wild, itis not for me to judge them. Can you not see that there are other foesin this world besides Frenchmen, and as much glory to be gained inconquering them? Would it not be a proud day for knight or squire if hecould overthrow seven adversaries in the lists? Yet here are we in thelists of life, and there come the seven black champions against us SirPride, Sir Covetousness, Sir Lust, Sir Anger, Sir Gluttony, Sir Envy, and Sir Sloth. Let a man lay those seven low, and he shall have theprize of the day, from the hands of the fairest queen of beauty, evenfrom the Virgin-Mother herself. It is for this that these men mortifytheir flesh, and to set us an example, who would pamper ourselvesovermuch. I say again that they are God's own saints, and I bow my headto them. " "And so you shall, mon petit, " replied the archer. "I have not hearda man speak better since old Dom Bertrand died, who was at one timechaplain to the White Company. He was a very valiant man, but atthe battle of Brignais he was spitted through the body by a Hainaultman-at-arms. For this we had an excommunication read against the man, when next we saw our holy father at Avignon; but as we had not his name, and knew nothing of him, save that he rode a dapple-gray roussin, I havefeared sometimes that the blight may have settled upon the wrong man. " "Your Company has been, then, to bow knee before our holy father, thePope Urban, the prop and centre of Christendom?" asked Alleyne, muchinterested. "Perchance you have yourself set eyes upon his august face?" "Twice I saw him, " said the archer. "He was a lean little rat of a man, with a scab on his chin. The first time we had five thousand crowns outof him, though he made much ado about it. The second time we asked tenthousand, but it was three days before we could come to terms, and Iam of opinion myself that we might have done better by plundering thepalace. His chamberlain and cardinals came forth, as I remember, toask whether we would take seven thousand crowns with his blessing anda plenary absolution, or the ten thousand with his solemn ban by bell, book and candle. We were all of one mind that it was best to have theten thousand with the curse; but in some way they prevailed upon SirJohn, so that we were blest and shriven against our will. Perchance itis as well, for the Company were in need of it about that time. " The pious Alleyne was deeply shocked by this reminiscence. Involuntarilyhe glanced up and around to see if there were any trace of thoseopportune levin-flashes and thunderbolts which, in the "Acta Sanctorum, "were wont so often to cut short the loose talk of the scoffer. Theautumn sun streamed down as brightly as ever, and the peaceful red pathstill wound in front of them through the rustling, yellow-tinted forest, Nature seemed to be too busy with her own concerns to heed the dignityof an outraged pontiff. Yet he felt a sense of weight and reproachwithin his breast, as though he had sinned himself in giving ear to suchwords. The teachings of twenty years cried out against such license. Itwas not until he had thrown himself down before one of the many waysidecrosses, and had prayed from his heart both for the archer and forhimself, that the dark cloud rolled back again from his spirit. CHAPTER VIII. THE THREE FRIENDS. His companions had passed on whilst he was at his orisons; but his youngblood and the fresh morning air both invited him to a scamper. His staffin one hand and his scrip in the other, with springy step and floatinglocks, he raced along the forest path, as active and as graceful as ayoung deer. He had not far to go, however; for, on turning a corner, he came on a roadside cottage with a wooden fence-work around it, wherestood big John and Aylward the bowman, staring at something within. Ashe came up with them, he saw that two little lads, the one about nineyears of age and the other somewhat older, were standing on the plotin front of the cottage, each holding out a round stick in their lefthands, with their arms stiff and straight from the shoulder, assilent and still as two small statues. They were pretty, blue-eyed, yellow-haired lads, well made and sturdy, with bronzed skins, whichspoke of a woodland life. "Here are young chips from an old bow stave!" cried the soldier in greatdelight. "This is the proper way to raise children. By my hilt! I couldnot have trained them better had I the ordering of it myself. " "What is it then?" asked Hordle John. "They stand very stiff, and Itrust that they have not been struck so. " "Nay, they are training their left arms, that they may have a steadygrasp of the bow. So my own father trained me, and six days a week Iheld out his walking-staff till my arm was heavy as lead. Hola, mesenfants! how long will you hold out?" "Until the sun is over the great lime-tree, good master, " the elderanswered. "What would ye be, then? Woodmen? Verderers?" "Nay, soldiers, " they cried both together. "By the beard of my father! but ye are whelps of the true breed. Why sokeen, then, to be soldiers?" "That we may fight the Scots, " they answered. "Daddy will send us tofight the Scots. " "And why the Scots, my pretty lads? We have seen French and Spanishgalleys no further away than Southampton, but I doubt that it will besome time before the Scots find their way to these parts. " "Our business is with the Scots, " quoth the elder; "for it was the Scotswho cut off daddy's string fingers and his thumbs. " "Aye, lads, it was that, " said a deep voice from behind Alleyne'sshoulder. Looking round, the wayfarers saw a gaunt, big-boned man, withsunken cheeks and a sallow face, who had come up behind them. He heldup his two hands as he spoke, and showed that the thumbs and two firstfingers had been torn away from each of them. "Ma foi, camarade!" cried Aylward. "Who hath served thee in so shamefula fashion?" "It is easy to see, friend, that you were born far from the marches ofScotland, " quoth the stranger, with a bitter smile. "North of Humberthere is no man who would not know the handiwork of Devil Douglas, theblack Lord James. " "And how fell you into his hands?" asked John. "I am a man of the north country, from the town of Beverley and thewapentake of Holderness, " he answered. "There was a day when, from Trentto Tweed, there was no better marksman than Robin Heathcot. Yet, as yousee, he hath left me, as he hath left many another poor border archer, with no grip for bill or bow. Yet the king hath given me a living herein the southlands, and please God these two lads of mine will pay offa debt that hath been owing over long. What is the price of daddy'sthumbs, boys?" "Twenty Scottish lives, " they answered together. "And for the fingers?" "Half a score. " "When they can bend my war-bow, and bring down a squirrel at a hundredpaces, I send them to take service under Johnny Copeland, the Lord ofthe Marches and Governor of Carlisle. By my soul! I would give the restof my fingers to see the Douglas within arrow-flight of them. " "May you live to see it, " quoth the bowman. "And hark ye, mes enfants, take an old soldier's rede and lay your bodies to the bow, drawing fromhip and thigh as much as from arm. Learn also, I pray you, to shoot witha dropping shaft; for though a bowman may at times be called upon toshoot straight and fast, yet it is more often that he has to do with atown-guard behind a wall, or an arbalestier with his mantlet raised whenyou cannot hope to do him scathe unless your shaft fall straight uponhim from the clouds. I have not drawn string for two weeks, but I maybe able to show ye how such shots should be made. " He loosened hislong-bow, slung his quiver round to the front, and then glanced keenlyround for a fitting mark. There was a yellow and withered stump someway off, seen under the drooping branches of a lofty oak. The archermeasured the distance with his eye; and then, drawing three shafts, heshot them off with such speed that the first had not reached the markere the last was on the string. Each arrow passed high over the oak;and, of the three, two stuck fair into the stump; while the third, caught in some wandering puff of wind, was driven a foot or two to oneside. "Good!" cried the north countryman. "Hearken to him lads! He is a masterbowman. Your dad says amen to every word he says. " "By my hilt!" said Aylward, "if I am to preach on bowmanship, the wholelong day would scarce give me time for my sermon. We have marksmen inthe Company who will notch with a shaft every crevice and joint of aman-at-arm's harness, from the clasp of his bassinet to the hinge of hisgreave. But, with your favor, friend, I must gather my arrows again, forwhile a shaft costs a penny a poor man can scarce leave them stickingin wayside stumps. We must, then, on our road again, and I hope from myheart that you may train these two young goshawks here until they areready for a cast even at such a quarry as you speak of. " Leaving the thumbless archer and his brood, the wayfarers struck throughthe scattered huts of Emery Down, and out on to the broad rolling heathcovered deep in ferns and in heather, where droves of the half-wildblack forest pigs were rooting about amongst the hillocks. The woodsabout this point fall away to the left and the right, while the roadcurves upwards and the wind sweeps keenly over the swelling uplands. Thebroad strips of bracken glowed red and yellow against the black peatysoil, and a queenly doe who grazed among them turned her white frontand her great questioning eyes towards the wayfarers. Alleyne gazedin admiration at the supple beauty of the creature; but the archer'sfingers played with his quiver, and his eyes glistened with the fellinstinct which urges a man to slaughter. "Tete Dieu!" he growled, "were this France, or even Guienne, we shouldhave a fresh haunch for our none-meat. Law or no law, I have a mind toloose a bolt at her. " "I would break your stave across my knee first, " cried John, laying hisgreat hand upon the bow. "What! man, I am forest-born, and I know whatcomes of it. In our own township of Hordle two have lost their eyes andone his skin for this very thing. On my troth, I felt no great love whenI first saw you, but since then I have conceived over much regard foryou to wish to see the verderer's flayer at work upon you. " "It is my trade to risk my skin, " growled the archer; but none the lesshe thrust his quiver over his hip again and turned his face for thewest. As they advanced, the path still tended upwards, running from heath intocopses of holly and yew, and so back into heath again. It was joyful tohear the merry whistle of blackbirds as they darted from one clumpof greenery to the other. Now and again a peaty amber colored streamrippled across their way, with ferny over-grown banks, where the bluekingfisher flitted busily from side to side, or the gray and pensiveheron, swollen with trout and dignity, stood ankle-deep among thesedges. Chattering jays and loud wood-pigeons flapped thickly overhead, while ever and anon the measured tapping of Nature's carpenter, thegreat green woodpecker, sounded from each wayside grove. On either side, as the path mounted, the long sweep of country broadened and expanded, sloping down on the one side through yellow forest and brown moor tothe distant smoke of Lymington and the blue misty channel which layalongside the sky-line, while to the north the woods rolled away, grovetopping grove, to where in the furthest distance the white spire ofSalisbury stood out hard and clear against the cloudless sky. To Alleynewhose days had been spent in the low-lying coastland, the eager uplandair and the wide free country-side gave a sense of life and of the joyof living which made his young blood tingle in his veins. Even theheavy John was not unmoved by the beauty of their road, while the bowmanwhistled lustily or sang snatches of French love songs in a voice whichmight have scared the most stout-hearted maiden that ever hearkened toserenade. "I have a liking for that north countryman, " he remarked presently. "Hehath good power of hatred. Couldst see by his cheek and eye that he isas bitter as verjuice. I warm to a man who hath some gall in his liver. " "Ah me!" sighed Alleyne. "Would it not be better if he had some love inhis heart?" "I would not say nay to that. By my hilt! I shall never be said to betraitor to the little king. Let a man love the sex. Pasques Dieu! theyare made to be loved, les petites, from whimple down to shoe-string! Iam right glad, mon garcon, to see that the good monks have trained theeso wisely and so well. " "Nay, I meant not worldly love, but rather that his heart should softentowards those who have wronged him. " The archer shook his head. "A man should love those of his own breed, "said he. "But it is not nature that an English-born man should lovea Scot or a Frenchman. Ma foi! you have not seen a drove of Nithsdaleraiders on their Galloway nags, or you would not speak of loving them. Iwould as soon take Beelzebub himself to my arms. I fear, mon gar. , thatthey have taught thee but badly at Beaulieu, for surely a bishop knowsmore of what is right and what is ill than an abbot can do, and I myselfwith these very eyes saw the Bishop of Lincoln hew into a Scottishhobeler with a battle-axe, which was a passing strange way of showinghim that he loved him. " Alleyne scarce saw his way to argue in the face of so decided an opinionon the part of a high dignitary of the Church. "You have borne armsagainst the Scots, then?" he asked. "Why, man, I first loosed string in battle when I was but a lad, youngerby two years than you, at Neville's Cross, under the Lord Mowbray. Later, I served under the Warden of Berwick, that very John Copeland ofwhom our friend spake, the same who held the King of Scots to ransom. Mafoi! it is rough soldiering, and a good school for one who would learnto be hardy and war-wise. " "I have heard that the Scots are good men of war, " said Hordle John. "For axemen and for spearmen I have not seen their match, " the archeranswered. "They can travel, too, with bag of meal and gridiron slungto their sword-belt, so that it is ill to follow them. There are scantcrops and few beeves in the borderland, where a man must reap his grainwith sickle in one fist and brown bill in the other. On the other hand, they are the sorriest archers that I have ever seen, and cannot so muchas aim with the arbalest, to say nought of the long-bow. Again, they aremostly poor folk, even the nobles among them, so that there are few whocan buy as good a brigandine of chain-mail as that which I am wearing, and it is ill for them to stand up against our own knights, who carrythe price of five Scotch farms upon their chest and shoulders. Man forman, with equal weapons, they are as worthy and valiant men as could befound in the whole of Christendom. " "And the French?" asked Alleyne, to whom the archer's light gossip hadall the relish that the words of the man of action have for the recluse. "The French are also very worthy men. We have had great good fortune inFrance, and it hath led to much bobance and camp-fire talk, but I haveever noticed that those who know the most have the least to say aboutit. I have seen Frenchmen fight both in open field, in the intaking andthe defending of towns or castlewicks, in escalados, camisades, nightforays, bushments, sallies, outfalls, and knightly spear-runnings. Theirknights and squires, lad, are every whit as good as ours, and I couldpick out a score of those who ride behind Du Guesclin who would hold thelists with sharpened lances against the best men in the army of England. On the other hand, their common folk are so crushed down with gabelle, and poll-tax, and every manner of cursed tallage, that the spirit haspassed right out of them. It is a fool's plan to teach a man to be acur in peace, and think that he will be a lion in war. Fleece them likesheep and sheep they will remain. If the nobles had not conqueredthe poor folk it is like enough that we should not have conquered thenobles. " "But they must be sorry folk to bow down to the rich in such a fashion, "said big John. "I am but a poor commoner of England myself, and yet Iknow something of charters, liberties franchises, usages, privileges, customs, and the like. If these be broken, then all men know that it istime to buy arrow-heads. " "Aye, but the men of the law are strong in France as well as the menof war. By my hilt! I hold that a man has more to fear there from theink-pot of the one than from the iron of the other. There is ever somecursed sheepskin in their strong boxes to prove that the rich man shouldbe richer and the poor man poorer. It would scarce pass in England, butthey are quiet folk over the water. " "And what other nations have you seen in your travels, good sir?" askedAlleyne Edricson. His young mind hungered for plain facts of life, afterthe long course of speculation and of mysticism on which he had beentrained. "I have seen the low countryman in arms, and I have nought to sayagainst him. Heavy and slow is he by nature, and is not to be broughtinto battle for the sake of a lady's eyelash or the twang of aminstrel's string, like the hotter blood of the south. But ma foi! layhand on his wool-bales, or trifle with his velvet of Bruges, and outbuzzes every stout burgher, like bees from the tee-hole, ready to lay onas though it were his one business in life. By our lady! they have shownthe French at Courtrai and elsewhere that they are as deft in wieldingsteel as in welding it. " "And the men of Spain?" "They too are very hardy soldiers, the more so as for many hundred yearsthey have had to fight hard against the cursed followers of the blackMahound, who have pressed upon them from the south, and still, as Iunderstand, hold the fairer half of the country. I had a turn with themupon the sea when they came over to Winchelsea and the good queen withher ladies sat upon the cliffs looking down at us, as if it had beenjoust or tourney. By my hilt! it was a sight that was worth the seeing, for all that was best in England was out on the water that day. We wentforth in little ships and came back in great galleys--for of fifty tallships of Spain, over two score flew the Cross of St. George ere the sunhad set. But now, youngster, I have answered you freely, and I trow itis time what you answered me. Let things be plat and plain between us. Iam a man who shoots straight at his mark. You saw the things I hadwith me at yonder hostel: name which you will, save only the box ofrose-colored sugar which I take to the Lady Loring, and you shall haveit if you will but come with me to France. " "Nay, " said Alleyne, "I would gladly come with ye to France or whereelse ye will, just to list to your talk, and because ye are the only twofriends that I have in the whole wide world outside of the cloisters;but, indeed, it may not be, for my duty is towards my brother, seeingthat father and mother are dead, and he my elder. Besides, when ye talkof taking me to France, ye do not conceive how useless I should be toyou, seeing that neither by training nor by nature am I fitted for thewars, and there seems to be nought but strife in those parts. " "That comes from my fool's talk, " cried the archer; "for being a man ofno learning myself, my tongue turns to blades and targets, even asmy hand does. Know then that for every parchment in England there aretwenty in France. For every statue, cut gem, shrine, carven screen, or what else might please the eye of a learned clerk, there are a goodhundred to our one. At the spoiling of Carcasonne I have seen chambersstored with writing, though not one man in our Company could read them. Again, in Arles and Nimes, and other towns that I could name, there arethe great arches and fortalices still standing which were built of oldby giant men who came from the south. Can I not see by your brightenedeye how you would love to look upon these things? Come then with me, and, by these ten finger-bones! there is not one of them which you shallnot see. " "I should indeed love to look upon them, " Alleyne answered; "but I havecome from Beaulieu for a purpose, and I must be true to my service, evenas thou art true to thine. " "Bethink you again, mon ami, " quoth Aylward, "that you might do muchgood yonder, since there are three hundred men in the Company, and nonewho has ever a word of grace for them, and yet the Virgin knows thatthere was never a set of men who were in more need of it. Sickerly theone duty may balance the other. Your brother hath done without you thismany a year, and, as I gather, he hath never walked as far as Beaulieuto see you during all that time, so he cannot be in any great need ofyou. " "Besides, " said John, "the Socman of Minstead is a by-word through theforest, from Bramshaw Hill to Holmesley Walk. He is a drunken, brawling, perilous churl, as you may find to your cost. " "The more reason that I should strive to mend him, " quoth Alleyne. "There is no need to urge me, friends, for my own wishes would drawme to France, and it would be a joy to me if I could go with you. Butindeed and indeed it cannot be, so here I take my leave of you, foryonder square tower amongst the trees upon the right must surely be thechurch of Minstead, and I may reach it by this path through the woods. " "Well, God be with thee, lad!" cried the archer, pressing Alleyne to hisheart. "I am quick to love, and quick to hate and 'fore God I am loth topart. " "Would it not be well, " said John, "that we should wait here, and seewhat manner of greeting you have from your brother. You may prove to beas welcome as the king's purveyor to the village dame. " "Nay, nay, " he answered; "ye must not bide for me, for where I go Istay. " "Yet it may be as well that you should know whither we go, " said thearcher. "We shall now journey south through the woods until we come outupon the Christchurch road, and so onwards, hoping to-night to reach thecastle of Sir William Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, of which Sir NigelLoring is constable. There we shall bide, and it is like enough that fora month or more you may find us there, ere we are ready for our viageback to France. " It was hard indeed for Alleyne to break away from these two new buthearty friends, and so strong was the combat between his conscienceand his inclinations that he dared not look round, lest his resolutionshould slip away from him. It was not until he was deep among the treetrunks that he cast a glance backwards, when he found that he couldstill see them through the branches on the road above him. The archerwas standing with folded arms, his bow jutting from over his shoulder, and the sun gleaming brightly upon his head-piece and the links ofhis chain-mail. Beside him stood his giant recruit, still clad in thehome-spun and ill-fitting garments of the fuller of Lymington, with armsand legs shooting out of his scanty garb. Even as Alleyne watched themthey turned upon their heels and plodded off together upon their way. CHAPTER IX. HOW STRANGE THINGS BEFELL IN MINSTEAD WOOD. The path which the young clerk had now to follow lay through amagnificent forest of the very heaviest timber, where the giant bowlsof oak and of beech formed long aisles in every direction, shootingup their huge branches to build the majestic arches of Nature's owncathedral. Beneath lay a broad carpet of the softest and greenest moss, flecked over with fallen leaves, but yielding pleasantly to the foot ofthe traveller. The track which guided him was one so seldom used that inplaces it lost itself entirely among the grass, to reappear as a reddishrut between the distant tree trunks. It was very still here in the heartof the woodlands. The gentle rustle of the branches and the distantcooing of pigeons were the only sounds which broke in upon the silence, save that once Alleyne heard afar off a merry call upon a hunting bugleand the shrill yapping of the hounds. It was not without some emotion that he looked upon the scene aroundhim, for, in spite of his secluded life, he knew enough of the ancientgreatness of his own family to be aware that the time had been when theyhad held undisputed and paramount sway over all that tract of country. His father could trace his pure Saxon lineage back to that Godfrey Malfwho had held the manors of Bisterne and of Minstead at the time when theNorman first set mailed foot upon English soil. The afforestation of thedistrict, however, and its conversion into a royal demesne hadclipped off a large section of his estate, while other parts had beenconfiscated as a punishment for his supposed complicity in an abortiveSaxon rising. The fate of the ancestor had been typical of that of hisdescendants. During three hundred years their domains had graduallycontracted, sometimes through royal or feudal encroachment, andsometimes through such gifts to the Church as that with which Alleyne'sfather had opened the doors of Beaulieu Abbey to his younger son. Theimportance of the family had thus dwindled, but they still retained theold Saxon manor-house, with a couple of farms and a grove large enoughto afford pannage to a hundred pigs--"sylva de centum porcis, " as theold family parchments describe it. Above all, the owner of the soilcould still hold his head high as the veritable Socman of Minstead--thatis, as holding the land in free socage, with no feudal superior, andanswerable to no man lower than the king. Knowing this, Alleyne feltsome little glow of worldly pride as he looked for the first timeupon the land with which so many generations of his ancestors had beenassociated. He pushed on the quicker, twirling his staff merrily, andlooking out at every turn of the path for some sign of the old Saxonresidence. He was suddenly arrested, however, by the appearance of awild-looking fellow armed with a club, who sprang out from behind a treeand barred his passage. He was a rough, powerful peasant, with cap andtunic of untanned sheepskin, leather breeches, and galligaskins roundlegs and feet. "Stand!" he shouted, raising his heavy cudgel to enforce the order. "Whoare you who walk so freely through the wood? Whither would you go, andwhat is your errand?" "Why should I answer your questions, my friend?" said Alleyne, standingon his guard. "Because your tongue may save your pate. But where have I looked uponyour face before?" "No longer ago than last night at the 'Pied Merlin, '" the clerkanswered, recognizing the escaped serf who had been so outspoken as tohis wrongs. "By the Virgin! yes. You were the little clerk who sat so mum in thecorner, and then cried fy on the gleeman. What hast in the scrip?" "Naught of any price. " "How can I tell that, clerk? Let me see. " "Not I. " "Fool! I could pull you limb from limb like a pullet. What would youhave? Hast forgot that we are alone far from all men? How can yourclerkship help you? Wouldst lose scrip and life too?" "I will part with neither without fight. " "A fight, quotha? A fight betwixt spurred cock and new hatched chicken!Thy fighting days may soon be over. " "Hadst asked me in the name of charity I would have given freely, " criedAlleyne. "As it stands, not one farthing shall you have with my freewill, and when I see my brother, the Socman of Minstead, he will raisehue and cry from vill to vill, from hundred to hundred, until you aretaken as a common robber and a scourge to the country. " The outlaw sank his club. "The Socman's brother!" he gasped. "Now, by the keys of Peter! I had rather that hand withered and tongue waspalsied ere I had struck or miscalled you. If you are the Socman'sbrother you are one of the right side, I warrant, for all your clerklydress. " "His brother I am, " said Alleyne. "But if I were not, is that reason whyyou should molest me on the king's ground?" "I give not the pip of an apple for king or for noble, " cried the serfpassionately. "Ill have I had from them, and ill I shall repay them. Iam a good friend to my friends, and, by the Virgin! an evil foeman to myfoes. " "And therefore the worst of foemen to thyself, " said Alleyne. "But Ipray you, since you seem to know him, to point out to me the shortestpath to my brother's house. " The serf was about to reply, when the clear ringing call of a bugleburst from the wood close behind them, and Alleyne caught sight foran instant of the dun side and white breast of a lordly stag glancingswiftly betwixt the distant tree trunks. A minute later came the shaggydeer-hounds, a dozen or fourteen of them, running on a hot scent, withnose to earth and tail in air. As they streamed past the silent forestaround broke suddenly into loud life, with galloping of hoofs, cracklingof brushwood, and the short, sharp cries of the hunters. Close behindthe pack rode a fourrier and a yeoman-pricker, whooping on the laggardsand encouraging the leaders, in the shrill half-French jargon which wasthe language of venery and woodcraft. Alleyne was still gazingafter them, listening to the loud "Hyke-a-Bayard! Hyke-a-Pomers!Hyke-a-Lebryt!" with which they called upon their favorite hounds, whena group of horsemen crashed out through the underwood at the very spotwhere the serf and he were standing. The one who led was a man between fifty and sixty years of age, war-wornand weather-beaten, with a broad, thoughtful forehead and eyes whichshone brightly from under his fierce and overhung brows. His beard, streaked thickly with gray, bristled forward from his chin, and spokeof a passionate nature, while the long, finely cut face and firm mouthmarked the leader of men. His figure was erect and soldierly, and herode his horse with the careless grace of a man whose life had beenspent in the saddle. In common garb, his masterful face and flashingeye would have marked him as one who was born to rule; but now, with hissilken tunic powdered with golden fleurs-de-lis, his velvet mantle linedwith the royal minever, and the lions of England stamped in silver uponhis harness, none could fail to recognize the noble Edward, most warlikeand powerful of all the long line of fighting monarchs who had ruledthe Anglo-Norman race. Alleyne doffed hat and bowed head at the sightof him, but the serf folded his hands and leaned them upon his cudgel, looking with little love at the knot of nobles and knights-in-waitingwho rode behind the king. "Ha!" cried Edward, reining up for an instant his powerful black steed. "Le cerf est passe? Non? Ici, Brocas; tu parles Anglais. " "The deer, clowns?" said a hard-visaged, swarthy-faced man, who rode atthe king's elbow. "If ye have headed it back it is as much as your earsare worth. " "It passed by the blighted beech there, " said Alleyne, pointing, "andthe hounds were hard at its heels. " "It is well, " cried Edward, still speaking in French: for, though hecould understand English, he had never learned to express himself in sobarbarous and unpolished a tongue. "By my faith, sirs, " he continued, half turning in his saddle to address his escort, "unless my woodcraftis sadly at fault, it is a stag of six tines and the finest that we haveroused this journey. A golden St. Hubert to the man who is the first tosound the mort. " He shook his bridle as he spoke, and thundered away, his knights lying low upon their horses and galloping as hard as whipand spur would drive them, in the hope of winning the king's prize. Awaythey drove down the long green glade--bay horses, black and gray, ridersclad in every shade of velvet, fur, or silk, with glint of brazen hornand flash of knife and spear. One only lingered, the black-browed BaronBrocas, who, making a gambade which brought him within arm-sweep ofthe serf, slashed him across the face with his riding-whip. "Doff, dog, doff, " he hissed, "when a monarch deigns to lower his eyes to such asyou!"--then spurred through the underwood and was gone, with a gleam ofsteel shoes and flutter of dead leaves. The villein took the cruel blow without wince or cry, as one to whomstripes are a birthright and an inheritance. His eyes flashed, however, and he shook his bony hand with a fierce wild gesture after theretreating figure. "Black hound of Gascony, " he muttered, "evil the day that you and thoselike you set foot in free England! I know thy kennel of Rochecourt. Thenight will come when I may do to thee and thine what you and your classhave wrought upon mine and me. May God smite me if I fail to smite thee, thou French robber, with thy wife and thy child and all that is underthy castle roof!" "Forbear!" cried Alleyne. "Mix not God's name with these unhallowedthreats! And yet it was a coward's blow, and one to stir the blood andloose the tongue of the most peaceful. Let me find some soothing simplesand lay them on the weal to draw the sting. " "Nay, there is but one thing that can draw the sting, and that thefuture may bring to me. But, clerk, if you would see your brother youmust on, for there is a meeting to-day, and his merry men will await himere the shadows turn from west to east. I pray you not to hold him back, for it would be an evil thing if all the stout lads were there and theleader a-missing. I would come with you, but sooth to say I am stationedhere and may not move. The path over yonder, betwixt the oak and thethorn, should bring you out into his nether field. " Alleyne lost no time in following the directions of the wild, masterlessman, whom he left among the trees where he had found him. His heart wasthe heavier for the encounter, not only because all bitterness and wrathwere abhorrent to his gentle nature, but also because it disturbed himto hear his brother spoken of as though he were a chief of outlaws orthe leader of a party against the state. Indeed, of all the things whichhe had seen yet in the world to surprise him there was none morestrange than the hate which class appeared to bear to class. The talkof laborer, woodman and villein in the inn had all pointed to thewide-spread mutiny, and now his brother's name was spoken as though hewere the very centre of the universal discontent. In good truth, thecommons throughout the length and breadth of the land were heart-wearyof this fine game of chivalry which had been played so long at theirexpense. So long as knight and baron were a strength and a guard to thekingdom they might be endured, but now, when all men knew that the greatbattles in France had been won by English yeomen and Welsh stabbers, warlike fame, the only fame to which his class had ever aspired, appeared to have deserted the plate-clad horsemen. The sports of thelists had done much in days gone by to impress the minds of the people, but the plumed and unwieldy champion was no longer an object either offear or of reverence to men whose fathers and brothers had shot into thepress at Crecy or Poitiers, and seen the proudest chivalry in the worldunable to make head against the weapons of disciplined peasants. Powerhad changed hands. The protector had become the protected, and the wholefabric of the feudal system was tottering to a fall. Hence the fiercemutterings of the lower classes and the constant discontent, breakingout into local tumult and outrage, and culminating some years later inthe great rising of Tyler. What Alleyne saw and wondered at in Hampshirewould have appealed equally to the traveller in any other English countyfrom the Channel to the marches of Scotland. He was following the track, his misgivings increasing with every stepwhich took him nearer to that home which he had never seen, when of asudden the trees began to thin and the sward to spread out onto a broad, green lawn, where five cows lay in the sunshine and droves of blackswine wandered unchecked. A brown forest stream swirled down the centreof this clearing, with a rude bridge flung across it, and on the otherside was a second field sloping up to a long, low-lying wooden house, with thatched roof and open squares for windows. Alleyne gazed acrossat it with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes--for this, he knew, mustbe the home of his fathers. A wreath of blue smoke floated up through ahole in the thatch, and was the only sign of life in the place, save agreat black hound which lay sleeping chained to the door-post. In theyellow shimmer of the autumn sunshine it lay as peacefully and as stillas he had oft pictured it to himself in his dreams. He was roused, however, from his pleasant reverie by the sound ofvoices, and two people emerged from the forest some little way to hisright and moved across the field in the direction of the bridge. The onewas a man with yellow flowing beard and very long hair of the same tintdrooping over his shoulders; his dress of good Norwich cloth and hisassured bearing marked him as a man of position, while the sombre hueof his clothes and the absence of all ornament contrasted with the flashand glitter which had marked the king's retinue. By his side walkeda woman, tall and slight and dark, with lithe, graceful figure andclear-cut, composed features. Her jet-black hair was gathered back undera light pink coif, her head poised proudly upon her neck, and her steplong and springy, like that of some wild, tireless woodland creature. She held her left hand in front of her, covered with a red velvet glove, and on the wrist a little brown falcon, very fluffy and bedraggled, which she smoothed and fondled as she walked. As she came out into thesunshine, Alleyne noticed that her light gown, slashed with pink, wasall stained with earth and with moss upon one side from shoulder to hem. He stood in the shadow of an oak staring at her with parted lips, forthis woman seemed to him to be the most beautiful and graceful creaturethat mind could conceive of. Such had he imagined the angels, and suchhe had tried to paint them in the Beaulieu missals; but here there wassomething human, were it only in the battered hawk and discolored dress, which sent a tingle and thrill through his nerves such as no dream ofradiant and stainless spirit had ever yet been able to conjure up. Good, quiet, uncomplaining mother Nature, long slighted and miscalled, stillbides her time and draws to her bosom the most errant of her children. The two walked swiftly across the meadow to the narrow bridge, he infront and she a pace or two behind. There they paused, and stood fora few minutes face to face talking earnestly. Alleyne had read andhad heard of love and of lovers. Such were these, doubtless--thisgolden-bearded man and the fair damsel with the cold, proud face. Whyelse should they wander together in the woods, or be so lost in talk byrustic streams? And yet as he watched, uncertain whether to advance fromthe cover or to choose some other path to the house, he soon cameto doubt the truth of this first conjecture. The man stood, tall andsquare, blocking the entrance to the bridge, and throwing out his handsas he spoke in a wild eager fashion, while the deep tones of his stormyvoice rose at times into accents of menace and of anger. She stoodfearlessly in front of him, still stroking her bird; but twice she threwa swift questioning glance over her shoulder, as one who is in searchof aid. So moved was the young clerk by these mute appeals, that he cameforth from the trees and crossed the meadow, uncertain what to do, andyet loth to hold back from one who might need his aid. So intent werethey upon each other that neither took note of his approach; until, whenhe was close upon them, the man threw his arm roughly round the damsel'swaist and drew her towards him, she straining her lithe, supple figureaway and striking fiercely at him, while the hooded hawk screamed withruffled wings and pecked blindly in its mistress's defence. Bird andmaid, however, had but little chance against their assailant who, laughing loudly, caught her wrist in one hand while he drew her towardshim with the other. "The best rose has ever the longest thorns, " said he. "Quiet, littleone, or you may do yourself a hurt. Must pay Saxon toll on Saxon land, my proud Maude, for all your airs and graces. " "You boor!" she hissed. "You base underbred clod! Is this your care andyour hospitality? I would rather wed a branded serf from my father'sfields. Leave go, I say----Ah! good youth, Heaven has sent you. Make himloose me! By the honor of your mother, I pray you to stand by me and tomake this knave loose me. " "Stand by you I will, and that blithely. " said Alleyne. "Surely, sir, you should take shame to hold the damsel against her will. " The man turned a face upon him which was lion-like in its strength andin its wrath. With his tangle of golden hair, his fierce blue eyes, andhis large, well-marked features, he was the most comely man whom Alleynehad ever seen, and yet there was something so sinister and so fell inhis expression that child or beast might well have shrunk from him. Hisbrows were drawn, his cheek flushed, and there was a mad sparkle in hiseyes which spoke of a wild, untamable nature. "Young fool!" he cried, holding the woman still to his side, thoughevery line of her shrinking figure spoke her abhorrence. "Do you keepyour spoon in your own broth. I rede you to go on your way, lest worsebefall you. This little wench has come with me and with me she shallbide. " "Liar!" cried the woman; and, stooping her head, she suddenly bitfiercely into the broad brown hand which held her. He whipped it backwith an oath, while she tore herself free and slipped behind Alleyne, cowering up against him like the trembling leveret who sees the falconpoising for the swoop above him. "Stand off my land!" the man said fiercely, heedless of the blood whichtrickled freely from his fingers. "What have you to do here? By yourdress you should be one of those cursed clerks who overrun the land likevile rats, poking and prying into other men's concerns, too caitiff tofight and too lazy to work. By the rood! if I had my will upon ye, Ishould nail you upon the abbey doors, as they hang vermin before theirholes. Art neither man nor woman, young shaveling. Get thee back to thyfellows ere I lay hands upon you: for your foot is on my land, and I mayslay you as a common draw-latch. " "Is this your land, then?" gasped Alleyne. "Would you dispute it, dog? Would you wish by trick or quibble to juggleme out of these last acres? Know, base-born knave, that you have daredthis day to stand in the path of one whose race have been the advisersof kings and the leaders of hosts, ere ever this vile crew of Normanrobbers came into the land, or such half-blood hounds as you were letloose to preach that the thief should have his booty and the honest manshould sin if he strove to win back his own. " "You are the Socman of Minstead?" "That am I; and the son of Edric the Socman, of the pure blood ofGodfrey the thane, by the only daughter of the house of Aluric, whoseforefathers held the white-horse banner at the fatal fight where ourshield was broken and our sword shivered. I tell you, clerk, that myfolk held this land from Bramshaw Wood to the Ringwood road; and, by thesoul of my father! it will be a strange thing if I am to be bearded uponthe little that is left of it. Begone, I say, and meddle not with myaffair. " "If you leave me now, " whispered the woman, "then shame forever uponyour manhood. " "Surely, sir, " said Alleyne, speaking in as persuasive and soothing away as he could, "if your birth is gentle, there is the more reason thatyour manners should be gentle too. I am well persuaded that you did butjest with this lady, and that you will now permit her to leave your landeither alone or with me as a guide, if she should need one, through thewood. As to birth, it does not become me to boast, and there is sooth inwhat you say as to the unworthiness of clerks, but it is none the lesstrue that I am as well born as you. " "Dog!" cried the furious Socman, "there is no man in the south who cansay as much. " "Yet can I, " said Alleyne smiling; "for indeed I also am the son ofEdric the Socman, of the pure blood of Godfrey the thane, by the onlydaughter of Aluric of Brockenhurst. Surely, dear brother, " he continued, holding out his hand, "you have a warmer greeting than this for me. There are but two boughs left upon this old, old Saxon trunk. " His elder brother dashed his hand aside with an oath, while anexpression of malignant hatred passed over his passion-drawn features. "You are the young cub of Beaulieu, then, " said he. "I might have knownit by the sleek face and the slavish manner too monk-ridden and cravenin spirit to answer back a rough word. Thy father, shaveling, with allhis faults, had a man's heart; and there were few who could look him inthe eyes on the day of his anger. But you! Look there, rat, on yonderfield where the cows graze, and on that other beyond, and on the orchardhard by the church. Do you know that all these were squeezed out ofyour dying father by greedy priests, to pay for your upbringing in thecloisters? I, the Socman, am shorn of my lands that you may snivel Latinand eat bread for which you never did hand's turn. You rob me first, andnow you would come preaching and whining, in search mayhap of anotherfield or two for your priestly friends. Knave! my dogs shall be set uponyou; but, meanwhile, stand out of my path, and stop me at your peril!"As he spoke he rushed forward, and, throwing the lad to one side, caughtthe woman's wrist. Alleyne, however, as active as a young deer-hound, sprang to her aid and seized her by the other arm, raising his iron-shodstaff as he did so. "You may say what you will to me, " he said between his clenchedteeth--"it may be no better than I deserve; but, brother or no, I swearby my hopes of salvation that I will break your arm if you do not leavehold of the maid. " There was a ring in his voice and a flash in his eyes which promisedthat the blow would follow quick at the heels of the word. For a momentthe blood of the long line of hot-headed thanes was too strong for thesoft whisperings of the doctrine of meekness and mercy. He was consciousof a fierce wild thrill through his nerves and a throb of mad gladnessat his heart, as his real human self burst for an instant the bondsof custom and of teaching which had held it so long. The socman sprangback, looking to left and to right for some stick or stone which mightserve him for weapon; but finding none, he turned and ran at the top ofhis speed for the house, blowing the while upon a shrill whistle. "Come!" gasped the woman. "Fly, friend, ere he come back. " "Nay, let him come!" cried Alleyne. "I shall not budge a foot for him orhis dogs. " "Come, come!" she cried, tugging at his arm. "I know the man: he willkill you. Come, for the Virgin's sake, or for my sake, for I cannot goand leave you here. " "Come, then, " said he; and they ran together to the cover of the woods. As they gained the edge of the brushwood, Alleyne, looking back, saw hisbrother come running out of the house again, with the sun gleaming uponhis hair and his beard. He held something which flashed in his righthand, and he stooped at the threshold to unloose the black hound. "This way!" the woman whispered, in a low eager voice. "Through thebushes to that forked ash. Do not heed me; I can run as fast as you, Itrow. Now into the stream--right in, over ankles, to throw the dog off, though I think it is but a common cur, like its master. " As she spoke, she sprang herself into the shallow stream and ran swiftly up thecentre of it, with the brown water bubbling over her feet and herhand out-stretched toward the clinging branches of bramble or sapling. Alleyne followed close at her heels, with his mind in a whirl at thisblack welcome and sudden shifting of all his plans and hopes. Yet, graveas were his thoughts, they would still turn to wonder as he looked atthe twinkling feet of his guide and saw her lithe figure bend this wayand that, dipping under boughs, springing over stones, with a lightnessand ease which made it no small task for him to keep up with her. Atlast, when he was almost out of breath, she suddenly threw herself downupon a mossy bank, between two holly-bushes, and looked ruefully at herown dripping feet and bedraggled skirt. "Holy Mary!" said she, "what shall I do? Mother will keep me to mychamber for a month, and make me work at the tapestry of the nine boldknights. She promised as much last week, when I fell into Wilverley bog, and yet she knows that I cannot abide needle-work. " Alleyne, still standing in the stream, glanced down at the gracefulpink-and-white figure, the curve of raven-black hair, and the proud, sensitive face which looked up frankly and confidingly at his own. "We had best on, " he said. "He may yet overtake us. " "Not so. We are well off his land now, nor can he tell in this greatwood which way we have taken. But you--you had him at your mercy. Whydid you not kill him?" "Kill him! My brother!" "And why not?"--with a quick gleam of her white teeth. "He would havekilled you. I know him, and I read it in his eyes. Had I had your staffI would have tried--aye, and done it, too. " She shook her clenched whitehand as she spoke, and her lips tightened ominously. "I am already sad in heart for what I have done, " said he, sitting downon the bank, and sinking his face into his hands. "God help me!--allthat is worst in me seemed to come uppermost. Another instant, and Ihad smitten him: the son of my own mother, the man whom I have longed totake to my heart. Alas! that I should still be so weak. " "Weak!" she exclaimed, raising her black eyebrows. "I do not think thateven my father himself, who is a hard judge of manhood, would call youthat. But it is, as you may think, sir, a very pleasant thing for me tohear that you are grieved at what you have done, and I can but redethat we should go back together, and you should make your peace with theSocman by handing back your prisoner. It is a sad thing that so small athing as a woman should come between two who are of one blood. " Simple Alleyne opened his eyes at this little spurt of femininebitterness. "Nay, lady, " said he, "that were worst of all. What manwould be so caitiff and thrall as to fail you at your need? I haveturned my brother against me, and now, alas! I appear to have given youoffence also with my clumsy tongue. But, indeed, lady, I am torn bothways, and can scarce grasp in my mind what it is that has befallen. " "Nor can I marvel at that, " said she, with a little tinkling laugh. "Youcame in as the knight does in the jongleur's romances, between dragonand damsel, with small time for the asking of questions. Come, " she wenton, springing to her feet, and smoothing down her rumpled frock, "let uswalk through the shaw together, and we may come upon Bertrand with thehorses. If poor Troubadour had not cast a shoe, we should not have hadthis trouble. Nay, I must have your arm: for, though I speak lightly, now that all is happily over I am as frightened as my brave Roland. Seehow his chest heaves, and his dear feathers all awry--the little knightwho would not have his lady mishandled. " So she prattled on to her hawk, while Alleyne walked by her side, stealing a glance from time to time atthis queenly and wayward woman. In silence they wandered together overthe velvet turf and on through the broad Minstead woods, where theold lichen-draped beeches threw their circles of black shadow upon thesunlit sward. "You have no wish, then, to hear my story?" said she, at last. "If it pleases you to tell it me, " he answered. "Oh!" she cried tossing her head, "if it is of so little interest toyou, we had best let it bide. " "Nay, " said he eagerly, "I would fain hear it. " "You have a right to know it, if you have lost a brother's favor throughit. And yet----Ah well, you are, as I understand, a clerk, so Imust think of you as one step further in orders, and make you myfather-confessor. Know then that this man has been a suitor for my hand, less as I think for my own sweet sake than because he hath ambition andhad it on his mind that he might improve his fortunes by dipping intomy father's strong box--though the Virgin knows that he would have foundlittle enough therein. My father, however, is a proud man, a gallantknight and tried soldier of the oldest blood, to whom this man'schurlish birth and low descent----Oh, lackaday! I had forgot that he wasof the same strain as yourself. " "Nay, trouble not for that, " said Alleyne, "we are all from good motherEve. " "Streams may spring from one source, and yet some be clear and some befoul, " quoth she quickly. "But, to be brief over the matter, my fatherwould have none of his wooing, nor in sooth would I. On that he sworea vow against us, and as he is known to be a perilous man, with manyoutlaws and others at his back, my father forbade that I should hawk orhunt in any part of the wood to the north of the Christchurch road. Asit chanced, however, this morning my little Roland here was loosed at astrong-winged heron, and page Bertrand and I rode on, with no thoughtsbut for the sport, until we found ourselves in Minstead woods. Smallharm then, but that my horse Troubadour trod with a tender foot upon asharp stick, rearing and throwing me to the ground. See to my gown, thethird that I have befouled within the week. Woe worth me when Agatha thetire-woman sets eyes upon it!" "And what then, lady?" asked Alleyne. "Why, then away ran Troubadour, for belike I spurred him in falling, and Bertrand rode after him as hard as hoofs could bear him. When I rosethere was the Socman himself by my side, with the news that I was onhis land, but with so many courteous words besides, and such gallantbearing, that he prevailed upon me to come to his house for shelter, there to wait until the page return. By the grace of the Virgin and thehelp of my patron St. Magdalen, I stopped short ere I reached hisdoor, though, as you saw, he strove to hale me up to it. Andthen--ah-h-h-h!"--she shivered and chattered like one in an ague-fit. "What is it?" cried Alleyne, looking about in alarm. "Nothing, friend, nothing! I was but thinking how I bit into his hand. Sooner would I bite living toad or poisoned snake. Oh, I shall loathe mylips forever! But you--how brave you were, and how quick! How meek foryourself, and how bold for a stranger! If I were a man, I should wish todo what you have done. " "It was a small thing, " he answered, with a tingle of pleasure at thesesweet words of praise. "But you--what will you do?" "There is a great oak near here, and I think that Bertrand will bringthe horses there, for it is an old hunting-tryst of ours. Then hey forhome, and no more hawking to-day! A twelve-mile gallop will dry feet andskirt. " "But your father?" "Not one word shall I tell him. You do not know him; but I can tell youhe is not a man to disobey as I have disobeyed him. He would avenge me, it is true, but it is not to him that I shall look for vengeance. Someday, perchance, in joust or in tourney, knight may wish to wear mycolors, and then I shall tell him that if he does indeed crave my favorthere is wrong unredressed, and the wronger the Socman of Minstead. Somy knight shall find a venture such as bold knights love, and my debtshall be paid, and my father none the wiser, and one rogue the less inthe world. Say, is not that a brave plan?" "Nay, lady, it is a thought which is unworthy of you. How can such asyou speak of violence and of vengeance. Are none to be gentle and kind, none to be piteous and forgiving? Alas! it is a hard, cruel world, and Iwould that I had never left my abbey cell. To hear such words from yourlips is as though I heard an angel of grace preaching the devil's owncreed. " She started from him as a young colt who first feels the bit. "Gramercyfor your rede, young sir!" she said, with a little curtsey. "As Iunderstand your words, you are grieved that you ever met me, and lookupon me as a preaching devil. Why, my father is a bitter man when he iswroth, but hath never called me such a name as that. It may be his rightand duty, but certes it is none of thine. So it would be best, since youthink so lowly of me, that you should take this path to the left whileI keep on upon this one; for it is clear that I can be no fit companionfor you. " So saying, with downcast lids and a dignity which was somewhatmarred by her bedraggled skirt, she swept off down the muddy track, leaving Alleyne standing staring ruefully after her. He waited in vainfor some backward glance or sign of relenting, but she walked on witha rigid neck until her dress was only a white flutter among the leaves. Then, with a sunken head and a heavy heart, he plodded wearily down theother path, wroth with himself for the rude and uncouth tongue which hadgiven offence where so little was intended. He had gone some way, lost in doubt and in self-reproach, his mind alltremulous with a thousand new-found thoughts and fears and wonderments, when of a sudden there was a light rustle of the leaves behind him, and, glancing round, there was this graceful, swift-footed creature, treadingin his very shadow, with her proud head bowed, even as his was--thepicture of humility and repentance. "I shall not vex you, nor even speak, " she said; "but I would fain keepwith you while we are in the wood. " "Nay, you cannot vex me, " he answered, all warm again at the very sightof her. "It was my rough words which vexed you; but I have been thrownamong men all my life, and indeed, with all the will, I scarce know howto temper my speech to a lady's ear. " "Then unsay it, " cried she quickly; "say that I was right to wish tohave vengeance on the Socman. " "Nay, I cannot do that, " he answered gravely. "Then who is ungentle and unkind now?" she cried in triumph. "How sternand cold you are for one so young! Art surely no mere clerk, but bishopor cardinal at the least. Shouldst have crozier for staff and mitrefor cap. Well, well, for your sake I will forgive the Socman and takevengeance on none but on my own wilful self who must needs run intodanger's path. So will that please you, sir?" "There spoke your true self, " said he; "and you will find more pleasurein such forgiveness than in any vengeance. " She shook her head, as if by no means assured of it, and then with asudden little cry, which had more of surprise than of joy in it, "Hereis Bertrand with the horses!" Down the glade there came a little green-clad page with laughing eyes, and long curls floating behind him. He sat perched on a high bay horse, and held on to the bridle of a spirited black palfrey, the hides of bothglistening from a long run. "I have sought you everywhere, dear Lady Maude, " said he in apiping voice, springing down from his horse and holding the stirrup. "Troubadour galloped as far as Holmhill ere I could catch him. I trustthat you have had no hurt or scath?" He shot a questioning glance atAlleyne as he spoke. "No, Bertrand, " said she, "thanks to this courteous stranger. And now, sir, " she continued, springing into her saddle, "it is not fit that Ileave you without a word more. Clerk or no, you have acted this day asbecomes a true knight. King Arthur and all his table could not have donemore. It may be that, as some small return, my father or his kin mayhave power to advance your interest. He is not rich, but he is honoredand hath great friends. Tell me what is your purpose, and see if he maynot aid it. " "Alas! lady, I have now no purpose. I have but two friends in the world, and they have gone to Christchurch, where it is likely I shall jointhem. " "And where is Christchurch?" "At the castle which is held by the brave knight, Sir Nigel Loring, constable to the Earl of Salisbury. " To his surprise she burst out a-laughing, and, spurring her palfrey, dashed off down the glade, with her page riding behind her. Not one worddid she say, but as she vanished amid the trees she half turned in hersaddle and waved a last greeting. Long time he stood, half hoping thatshe might again come back to him; but the thud of the hoofs had diedaway, and there was no sound in all the woods but the gentle rustle anddropping of the leaves. At last he turned away and made his way back tothe high-road--another person from the light-hearted boy who had left ita short three hours before. CHAPTER X. HOW HORDLE JOHN FOUND A MAN WHOM HE MIGHT FOLLOW. If he might not return to Beaulieu within the year, and if his brother'sdogs were to be set upon him if he showed face upon Minstead land, thenindeed he was adrift upon earth. North, south, east, and west--he mightturn where he would, but all was equally chill and cheerless. The Abbothad rolled ten silver crowns in a lettuce-leaf and hid them away in thebottom of his scrip, but that would be a sorry support for twelve longmonths. In all the darkness there was but the one bright spot of thesturdy comrades whom he had left that morning; if he could find themagain all would be well. The afternoon was not very advanced, for allthat had befallen him. When a man is afoot at cock-crow much may be donein the day. If he walked fast he might yet overtake his friends ere theyreached their destination. He pushed on therefore, now walking and nowrunning. As he journeyed he bit into a crust which remained from hisBeaulieu bread, and he washed it down by a draught from a woodlandstream. It was no easy or light thing to journey through this great forest, which was some twenty miles from east to west and a good sixteen fromBramshaw Woods in the north to Lymington in the south. Alleyne, however, had the good fortune to fall in with a woodman, axe upon shoulder, trudging along in the very direction that he wished to go. With hisguidance he passed the fringe of Bolderwood Walk, famous for old ashand yew, through Mark Ash with its giant beech-trees, and on throughthe Knightwood groves, where the giant oak was already a great tree, but only one of many comely brothers. They plodded along together, thewoodman and Alleyne, with little talk on either side, for their thoughtswere as far asunder as the poles. The peasant's gossip had been of thehunt, of the bracken, of the gray-headed kites that had nested in WoodFidley, and of the great catch of herring brought back by the boats ofPitt's Deep. The clerk's mind was on his brother, on his future--aboveall on this strange, fierce, melting, beautiful woman who had brokenso suddenly into his life, and as suddenly passed out of it again. So_distrait_ was he and so random his answers, that the woodman tookto whistling, and soon branched off upon the track to Burley, leavingAlleyne upon the main Christchurch road. Down this he pushed as fast as he might, hoping at every turn and riseto catch sight of his companions of the morning. From Vinney Ridge toRhinefield Walk the woods grow thick and dense up to the very edges ofthe track, but beyond the country opens up into broad dun-colored moors, flecked with clumps of trees, and topping each other in long, low curvesup to the dark lines of forest in the furthest distance. Clouds ofinsects danced and buzzed in the golden autumn light, and the air wasfull of the piping of the song-birds. Long, glinting dragonflies shotacross the path, or hung tremulous with gauzy wings and gleaming bodies. Once a white-necked sea eagle soared screaming high over the traveller'shead, and again a flock of brown bustards popped up from among thebracken, and blundered away in their clumsy fashion, half running, halfflying, with strident cry and whirr of wings. There were folk, too, to be met upon the road--beggars and couriers, chapmen and tinkers--cheery fellows for the most part, with a rough jestand homely greeting for each other and for Alleyne. Near Shotwood hecame upon five seamen, on their way from Poole to Southampton--rudered-faced men, who shouted at him in a jargon which he could scarceunderstand, and held out to him a great pot from which they had beendrinking--nor would they let him pass until he had dipped pannikin inand taken a mouthful, which set him coughing and choking, with the tearsrunning down his cheeks. Further on he met a sturdy black-bearded man, mounted on a brown horse, with a rosary in his right hand and a longtwo-handed sword jangling against his stirrup-iron. By his black robeand the eight-pointed cross upon his sleeve, Alleyne recognized himas one of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, whosepresbytery was at Baddesley. He held up two fingers as he passed, with a"_Benedic, fili mi!_" whereat Alleyne doffed hat and bent knee, lookingwith much reverence at one who had devoted his life to the overthrow ofthe infidel. Poor simple lad! he had not learned yet that what men areand what men profess to be are very wide asunder, and that the Knightsof St. John, having come into large part of the riches of the ill-fatedTemplars, were very much too comfortable to think of exchanging theirpalace for a tent, or the cellars of England for the thirsty deserts ofSyria. Yet ignorance may be more precious than wisdom, for Alleyne as hewalked on braced himself to a higher life by the thought of this other'ssacrifice, and strengthened himself by his example which he could scarcehave done had he known that the Hospitaller's mind ran more upon malmseythan on Mamelukes, and on venison rather than victories. As he pressed on the plain turned to woods once more in the region ofWilverley Walk, and a cloud swept up from the south with the sun shiningthrough the chinks of it. A few great drops came pattering loudlydown, and then in a moment the steady swish of a brisk shower, withthe dripping and dropping of the leaves. Alleyne, glancing round forshelter, saw a thick and lofty holly-bush, so hollowed out beneath thatno house could have been drier. Under this canopy of green two men werealready squatted, who waved their hands to Alleyne that he should jointhem. As he approached he saw that they had five dried herrings laidout in front of them, with a great hunch of wheaten bread and a leathernflask full of milk, but instead of setting to at their food theyappeared to have forgot all about it, and were disputing together withflushed faces and angry gestures. It was easy to see by their dress andmanner that they were two of those wandering students who formed aboutthis time so enormous a multitude in every country in Europe. The onewas long and thin, with melancholy features, while the other was fat andsleek, with a loud voice and the air of a man who is not to be gainsaid. "Come hither, good youth, " he cried, "come hither! _Vultus ingenuipuer_. Heed not the face of my good coz here. _Foenum habet in cornu_, as Don Horace has it; but I warrant him harmless for all that. " "Stint your bull's bellowing!" exclaimed the other. "If it come toHorace, I have a line in my mind: _Loquaces si sapiat_----How doth itrun? The English o't being that a man of sense should ever avoid a greattalker. That being so, if all were men of sense then thou wouldst be alonesome man, coz. " "Alas! Dicon, I fear that your logic is as bad as your philosophy oryour divinity--and God wot it would be hard to say a worse word thanthat for it. For, hark ye: granting, _propter argumentum_, that I am atalker, then the true reasoning runs that since all men of sense shouldavoid me, and thou hast not avoided me, but art at the present momenteating herrings with me under a holly-bush, ergo you are no man ofsense, which is exactly what I have been dinning into your long earsever since I first clapped eyes on your sunken chops. " "Tut, tut!" cried the other. "Your tongue goes like the clapper ofa mill-wheel. Sit down here, friend, and partake of this herring. Understand first, however, that there are certain conditions attached toit. " "I had hoped, " said Alleyne, falling into the humor of the twain, "thata tranchoir of bread and a draught of milk might be attached to it. " "Hark to him, hark to him!" cried the little fat man. "It is even thus, Dicon! Wit, lad, is a catching thing, like the itch or the sweatingsickness. I exude it round me; it is an aura. I tell you, coz, that noman can come within seventeen feet of me without catching a spark. Lookat your own case. A duller man never stepped, and yet within the weekyou have said three things which might pass, and one thing the day weleft Fordingbridge which I should not have been ashamed of myself. " "Enough, rattle-pate, enough!" said the other. "The milk you shall haveand the bread also, friend, together with the herring, but you must holdthe scales between us. " "If he hold the herring he holds the scales, my sapient brother, " criedthe fat man. "But I pray you, good youth, to tell us whether you are alearned clerk, and, if so, whether you have studied at Oxenford or atParis. " "I have some small stock of learning, " Alleyne answered, picking at hisherring, "but I have been at neither of these places. I was bred amongstthe Cistercian monks at Beaulieu Abbey. " "Pooh, pooh!" they cried both together. "What sort of an upbringing isthat?" "_Non cuivis contingit adire Corinthum_, " quoth Alleyne. "Come, brother Stephen, he hath some tincture of letters, " said themelancholy man more hopefully. "He may be the better judge, since hehath no call to side with either of us. Now, attention, friend, and letyour ears work as well as your nether jaw. _Judex damnatur_--you knowthe old saw. Here am I upholding the good fame of the learned DunsScotus against the foolish quibblings and poor silly reasonings ofWillie Ockham. " "While I, " quoth the other loudly, "do maintain the good senseand extraordinary wisdom of that most learned William against thecrack-brained fantasies of the muddy Scotchman, who hath hid such littlewit as he has under so vast a pile of words, that it is like one drop ofGascony in a firkin of ditch-water. Solomon his wisdom would not sufficeto say what the rogue means. " "Certes, Stephen Hapgood, his wisdom doth not suffice, " cried the other. "It is as though a mole cried out against the morning star, because hecould not see it. But our dispute, friend, is concerning the nature ofthat subtle essence which we call thought. For I hold with the learnedScotus that thought is in very truth a thing, even as vapor or fumes, or many other substances which our gross bodily eyes are blind to. For, look you, that which produces a thing must be itself a thing, and if aman's thought may produce a written book, then must thought itself be amaterial thing, even as the book is. Have I expressed it? Do I make itplain?" "Whereas I hold, " shouted the other, "with my revered preceptor, _doctor, praeclarus et excellentissimus_, that all things are butthought; for when thought is gone I prythee where are the things then?Here are trees about us, and I see them because I think I see them, butif I have swooned, or sleep, or am in wine, then, my thought having goneforth from me, lo the trees go forth also. How now, coz, have I touchedthee on the raw?" Alleyne sat between them munching his bread, while the twain disputedacross his knees, leaning forward with flushed faces and dartinghands, in all the heat of argument. Never had he heard such jargon ofscholastic philosophy, such fine-drawn distinctions, such cross-fire ofmajor and minor, proposition, syllogism, attack and refutation. Questionclattered upon answer like a sword on a buckler. The ancients, thefathers of the Church, the moderns, the Scriptures, the Arabians, wereeach sent hurtling against the other, while the rain still dripped andthe dark holly-leaves glistened with the moisture. At last the fat manseemed to weary of it, for he set to work quietly upon his meal, whilehis opponent, as proud as the rooster who is left unchallenged upon themidden, crowed away in a last long burst of quotation and deduction. Suddenly, however, his eyes dropped upon his food, and he gave a howl ofdismay. "You double thief!" he cried, "you have eaten my herrings, and I withoutbite or sup since morning. " "That, " quoth the other complacently, "was my final argument, mycrowning effort, or _peroratio_, as the orators have it. For, coz, sinceall thoughts are things, you have but to think a pair of herrings, andthen conjure up a pottle of milk wherewith to wash them down. " "A brave piece of reasoning, " cried the other, "and I know of but onereply to it. " On which, leaning forward, he caught his comrade a rousingsmack across his rosy cheek. "Nay, take it not amiss, " he said, "sinceall things are but thoughts, then that also is but a thought and may bedisregarded. " This last argument, however, by no means commended itself to the pupilof Ockham, who plucked a great stick from the ground and signified hisdissent by smiting the realist over the pate with it. By good fortune, the wood was so light and rotten that it went to a thousand splinters, but Alleyne thought it best to leave the twain to settle the matter attheir leisure, the more so as the sun was shining brightly oncemore. Looking back down the pool-strewn road, he saw the two excitedphilosophers waving their hands and shouting at each other, but theirbabble soon became a mere drone in the distance, and a turn in the roadhid them from his sight. And now after passing Holmesley Walk and the Wooton Heath, the forestbegan to shred out into scattered belts of trees, with gleam ofcorn-field and stretch of pasture-land between. Here and there by thewayside stood little knots of wattle-and-daub huts with shock-hairedlaborers lounging by the doors and red-cheeked children sprawling inthe roadway. Back among the groves he could see the high gable ends andthatched roofs of the franklins' houses, on whose fields these men foundemployment, or more often a thick dark column of smoke marked theirposition and hinted at the coarse plenty within. By these signs Alleyneknew that he was on the very fringe of the forest, and therefore nogreat way from Christchurch. The sun was lying low in the west andshooting its level rays across the long sweep of rich green country, glinting on the white-fleeced sheep and throwing long shadows from thered kine who waded knee-deep in the juicy clover. Right glad was thetraveller to see the high tower of Christchurch Priory gleaming in themellow evening light, and gladder still when, on rounding a corner, hecame upon his comrades of the morning seated astraddle upon a fallentree. They had a flat space before them, on which they alternately threwlittle square pieces of bone, and were so intent upon their occupationthat they never raised eye as he approached them. He observed withastonishment, as he drew near, that the archer's bow was on John'sback, the archer's sword by John's side, and the steel cap laid upon thetree-trunk between them. "Mort de ma vie!" Aylward shouted, looking down at the dice. "Never hadI such cursed luck. A murrain on the bones! I have not thrown a goodmain since I left Navarre. A one and a three! En avant, camarade!" "Four and three, " cried Hordle John, counting on his great fingers, "that makes seven. Ho, archer, I have thy cap! Now have at thee for thyjerkin!" "Mon Dieu!" he growled, "I am like to reach Christchurch in my shirt. "Then suddenly glancing up, "Hola, by the splendor of heaven, here is ourcher petit! Now, by my ten finger bones! this is a rare sight to mineeyes. " He sprang up and threw his arms round Alleyne's neck, whileJohn, no less pleased, but more backward and Saxon in his habits, stoodgrinning and bobbing by the wayside, with his newly won steel cap stuckwrong side foremost upon his tangle of red hair. "Hast come to stop?" cried the bowman, patting Alleyne all over in hisdelight. "Shall not get away from us again!" "I wish no better, " said he, with a pringling in the eyes at this heartygreeting. "Well said, lad!" cried big John. "We three shall to the wars together, and the devil may fly away with the Abbot of Beaulieu! But your feetand hosen are all besmudged. Hast been in the water, or I am the moremistaken. " "I have in good sooth, " Alleyne answered, and then as they journeyedon their way he told them the many things that had befallen him, hismeeting with the villein, his sight of the king, his coming upon hisbrother, with all the tale of the black welcome and of the fair damsel. They strode on either side, each with an ear slanting towards him, butere he had come to the end of his story the bowman had spun round uponhis heel, and was hastening back the way they had come, breathing loudlythrough his nose. "What then?" asked Alleyne, trotting after him and gripping at hisjerkin. "I am back for Minstead, lad. " "And why, in the name of sense?" "To thrust a handful of steel into the Socman. What! hale a demoiselleagainst her will, and then loose dogs at his own brother! Let me go!" "Nenny, nenny!" cried Alleyne, laughing. "There was no scath done. Comeback, friend"--and so, by mingled pushing and entreaties, they got hishead round for Christchurch once more. Yet he walked with his chin uponhis shoulder, until, catching sight of a maiden by a wayside well, thesmiles came back to his face and peace to his heart. "But you, " said Alleyne, "there have been changes with you also. Whyshould not the workman carry his tools? Where are bow and sword andcap--and why so warlike, John?" "It is a game which friend Aylward hath been a-teaching of me. " "And I found him an over-apt pupil, " grumbled the bowman. "He hathstripped me as though I had fallen into the hands of the tardvenus. But, by my hilt! you must render them back to me, camarade, lest you bringdiscredit upon my mission, and I will pay you for them at armorers'prices. " "Take them back, man, and never heed the pay, " said John. "I did butwish to learn the feel of them, since I am like to have such trinketshung to my own girdle for some years to come. " "Ma foi, he was born for a free companion!" cried Aylward, "He hath thevery trick of speech and turn of thought. I take them back then, andindeed it gives me unease not to feel my yew-stave tapping against myleg bone. But see, mes garcons, on this side of the church rises thesquare and darkling tower of Earl Salisbury's castle, and even from hereI seem to see on yonder banner the red roebuck of the Montacutes. " "Red upon white, " said Alleyne, shading his eyes; "but whether roebuckor no is more than I could vouch. How black is the great tower, andhow bright the gleam of arms upon the wall! See below the flag, how ittwinkles like a star!" "Aye, it is the steel head-piece of the watchman, " remarked the archer. "But we must on, if we are to be there before the drawbridge rises atthe vespers bugle; for it is likely that sir Nigel, being so renowned asoldier, may keep hard discipline within the walls, and let no man enterafter sundown. " So saying, he quickened his pace, and the three comradeswere soon close to the straggling and broad-spread town which centeredround the noble church and the frowning castle. It chanced on that very evening that Sir Nigel Loring, having suppedbefore sunset, as was his custom, and having himself seen that Pommersand Cadsand, his two war-horses, with the thirteen hacks, the fivejennets, my lady's three palfreys, and the great dapple-gray roussin, had all their needs supplied, had taken his dogs for an eveningbreather. Sixty or seventy of them, large and small, smooth andshaggy--deer-hound, boar-hound, blood-hound, wolf-hound, mastiff, alaun, talbot, lurcher, terrier, spaniel--snapping, yelling and whining, withscore of lolling tongues and waving tails, came surging down the narrowlane which leads from the Twynham kennels to the bank of Avon. Tworusset-clad varlets, with loud halloo and cracking whips, walkedthigh-deep amid the swarm, guiding, controlling, and urging. Behindcame Sir Nigel himself, with Lady Loring upon his arm, the pair walkingslowly and sedately, as befitted both their age and their condition, while they watched with a smile in their eyes the scrambling crowd infront of them. They paused, however, at the bridge, and, leaning theirelbows upon the stonework, they stood looking down at their own faces inthe glassy stream, and at the swift flash of speckled trout against thetawny gravel. Sir Nigel was a slight man of poor stature, with soft lisping voice andgentle ways. So short was he that his wife, who was no very tall woman, had the better of him by the breadth of three fingers. His sight havingbeen injured in his early wars by a basketful of lime which had beenemptied over him when he led the Earl of Derby's stormers up the breachat Bergerac, he had contracted something of a stoop, with a blinking, peering expression of face. His age was six and forty, but the constantpractice of arms, together with a cleanly life, had preserved hisactivity and endurance unimpaired, so that from a distance he seemed tohave the slight limbs and swift grace of a boy. His face, however, wastanned of a dull yellow tint, with a leathery, poreless look, whichspoke of rough outdoor doings, and the little pointed beard which hewore, in deference to the prevailing fashion, was streaked and shot withgray. His features were small, delicate, and regular, with clear-cut, curving nose, and eyes which jutted forward from the lids. His dress wassimple and yet spruce. A Flandrish hat of beevor, bearing in the bandthe token of Our Lady of Embrun, was drawn low upon the left side tohide that ear which had been partly shorn from his head by a Flemishman-at-arms in a camp broil before Tournay. His cote-hardie, or tunic, and trunk-hosen were of a purple plum color, with long weepers whichhung from either sleeve to below his knees. His shoes were of redleather, daintily pointed at the toes, but not yet prolonged to theextravagant lengths which the succeeding reign was to bring intofashion. A gold-embroidered belt of knighthood encircled his loins, withhis arms, five roses gules on a field argent, cunningly worked upon theclasp. So stood Sir Nigel Loring upon the bridge of Avon, and talkedlightly with his lady. And, certes, had the two visages alone been seen, and the stranger beenasked which were the more likely to belong to the bold warrior whosename was loved by the roughest soldiery of Europe, he had assuredlyselected the lady's. Her face was large and square and red, with fierce, thick brows, and the eyes of one who was accustomed to rule. Taller andbroader than her husband, her flowing gown of sendall, and fur-linedtippet, could not conceal the gaunt and ungraceful outlines of herfigure. It was the age of martial women. The deeds of black Agnes ofDunbar, of Lady Salisbury and of the Countess of Montfort, were stillfresh in the public minds. With such examples before them the wives ofthe English captains had become as warlike as their mates, and orderedtheir castles in their absence with the prudence and discipline ofveteran seneschals. Right easy were the Montacutes of their Castleof Twynham, and little had they to dread from roving galley or Frenchsquadron, while Lady Mary Loring had the ordering of it. Yet even inthat age it was thought that, though a lady might have a soldier'sheart, it was scarce as well that she should have a soldier's face. There were men who said that of all the stern passages and daring deedsby which Sir Nigel Loring had proved the true temper of his courage, notthe least was his wooing and winning of so forbidding a dame. "I tell you, my fair lord, " she was saying, "that it is no fit trainingfor a demoiselle: hawks and hounds, rotes and citoles singing a Frenchrondel, or reading the Gestes de Doon de Mayence, as I found heryesternight, pretending sleep, the artful, with the corner of the scrollthrusting forth from under her pillow. Lent her by Father Christopher ofthe priory, forsooth--that is ever her answer. How shall all this helpher when she has castle of her own to keep, with a hundred mouths allagape for beef and beer?" "True, my sweet bird, true, " answered the knight, picking a comfit fromhis gold drageoir. "The maid is like the young filly, which kicks heelsand plunges for very lust of life. Give her time, dame, give her time. " "Well, I know that my father would have given me, not time, but a goodhazel-stick across my shoulders. Ma foi! I know not what the world iscoming to, when young maids may flout their elders. I wonder that you donot correct her, my fair lord. " "Nay, my heart's comfort, I never raised hand to woman yet, and it wouldbe a passing strange thing if I began on my own flesh and blood. It wasa woman's hand which cast this lime into mine eyes, and though I sawher stoop, and might well have stopped her ere she threw, I deemed itunworthy of my knighthood to hinder or balk one of her sex. " "The hussy!" cried Lady Loring clenching her broad right hand. "I wouldI had been at the side of her!" "And so would I, since you would have been the nearer me my own. ButI doubt not that you are right, and that Maude's wings need clipping, which I may leave in your hands when I am gone, for, in sooth, thispeaceful life is not for me, and were it not for your gracious kindnessand loving care I could not abide it a week. I hear that there is talkof warlike muster at Bordeaux once more, and by St. Paul! it would be anew thing if the lions of England and the red pile of Chandos were tobe seen in the field, and the roses of Loring were not waving by theirside. " "Now woe worth me but I feared it!" cried she, with the color all struckfrom her face. "I have noted your absent mind, your kindling eye, yourtrying and riveting of old harness. Consider my sweet lord, that youhave already won much honor, that we have seen but little of each other, that you bear upon your body the scar of over twenty wounds receivedin I know not how many bloody encounters. Have you not done enough forhonor and the public cause?" "My lady, when our liege lord, the king, at three score years, and myLord Chandos at three-score and ten, are blithe and ready to lay lancein rest for England's cause, it would ill be-seem me to prate of servicedone. It is sooth that I have received seven and twenty wounds. There isthe more reason that I should be thankful that I am still long of breathand sound in limb. I have also seen some bickering and scuffling. Sixgreat land battles I count, with four upon sea, and seven and fiftyonfalls, skirmishes and bushments. I have held two and twenty towns, and I have been at the intaking of thirty-one. Surely then it wouldbe bitter shame to me, and also to you, since my fame is yours, that Ishould now hold back if a man's work is to be done. Besides, bethinkyou how low is our purse, with bailiff and reeve ever croaking of emptyfarms and wasting lands. Were it not for this constableship which theEarl of Salisbury hath bestowed upon us we could scarce uphold the statewhich is fitting to our degree. Therefore, my sweeting, there is themore need that I should turn to where there is good pay to be earned andbrave ransoms to be won. " "Ah, my dear lord, " quoth she, with sad, weary eyes. "I thought that atlast I had you to mine own self, even though your youth had been spentafar from my side. Yet my voice, as I know well, should speed you on toglory and renown, not hold you back when fame is to be won. Yet what canI say, for all men know that your valor needs the curb and not thespur. It goes to my heart that you should ride forth now a mere knightbachelor, when there is no noble in the land who hath so good a claim tothe square pennon, save only that you have not the money to uphold it. " "And whose fault that, my sweet bird?" said he. "No fault, my fair lord, but a virtue: for how many rich ransoms haveyou won, and yet have scattered the crowns among page and archer andvarlet, until in a week you had not as much as would buy food andforage. It is a most knightly largesse, and yet withouten money how canman rise?" "Dirt and dross!" cried he. "What matter rise or fall, so that duty be done and honor gained. Banneret or bachelor, square pennon or forked, I would not give a denierfor the difference, and the less since Sir John Chandos, chosen flowerof English chivalry, is himself but a humble knight. But meanwhile fretnot thyself, my heart's dove, for it is like that there may be no warwaged, and we must await the news. But here are three strangers, andone, as I take it, a soldier fresh from service. It is likely that hemay give us word of what is stirring over the water. " Lady Loring, glancing up, saw in the fading light three companionswalking abreast down the road, all gray with dust, and stained withtravel, yet chattering merrily between themselves. He in the midst wasyoung and comely, with boyish open face and bright gray eyes, whichglanced from right to left as though he found the world around him bothnew and pleasing. To his right walked a huge red-headed man, withbroad smile and merry twinkle, whose clothes seemed to be bursting andsplitting at every seam, as though he were some lusty chick who wasbreaking bravely from his shell. On the other side, with his knottedhand upon the young man's shoulder, came a stout and burly archer, brownand fierce eyed, with sword at belt and long yellow yew-stave peepingover his shoulder. Hard face, battered head piece, dinted brigandine, with faded red lion of St. George ramping on a discolored ground, allproclaimed as plainly as words that he was indeed from the land of war. He looked keenly at Sir Nigel as he approached, and then, plunging hishand under his breastplate, he stepped up to him with a rough, uncouthbow to the lady. "Your pardon, fair sir, " said he, "but I know you the moment I clap eyeson you, though in sooth I have seen you oftener in steel than in velvet. I have drawn string besides you at La Roche-d'Errien, Romorantin, Maupertuis, Nogent, Auray, and other places. " "Then, good archer, I am right glad to welcome you to Twynham Castle, and in the steward's room you will find provant for yourself andcomrades. To me also your face is known, though mine eyes play suchtricks with me that I can scarce be sure of my own squire. Rest awhile, and you shall come to the hall anon and tell us what is passing inFrance, for I have heard that it is likely that our pennons may flutterto the south of the great Spanish mountains ere another year be passed. " "There was talk of it in Bordeaux, " answered the archer, "and Isaw myself that the armorers and smiths were as busy as rats in awheat-rick. But I bring you this letter from the valiant Gascon knight, Sir Claude Latour. And to you, Lady, " he added after a pause, "I bringfrom him this box of red sugar of Narbonne, with every courteous andknightly greeting which a gallant cavalier may make to a fair and nobledame. " This little speech had cost the blunt bowman much pains and planning;but he might have spared his breath, for the lady was quite as muchabsorbed as her lord in the letter, which they held between them, ahand on either corner, spelling it out very slowly, with drawn brows andmuttering lips. As they read it, Alleyne, who stood with Hordle John afew paces back from their comrade, saw the lady catch her breath, whilethe knight laughed softly to himself. "You see, dear heart, " said he, "that they will not leave the old dogin his kennel when the game is afoot. And what of this White Company, archer?" "Ah, sir, you speak of dogs, " cried Aylward; "but there are a packof lusty hounds who are ready for any quarry, if they have but a goodhuntsman to halloo them on. Sir, we have been in the wars together, andI have seen many a brave following but never such a set of woodland boysas this. They do but want you at their head, and who will bar the way tothem!" "Pardieu!" said Sir Nigel, "if they are all like their messenger, theyare indeed men of whom a leader may be proud. Your name, good archer?" "Sam Aylward, sir, of the Hundred of Easebourne and the Rape ofChichester. " "And this giant behind you?" "He is big John, of Hordle, a forest man, who hath now taken service inthe Company. " "A proper figure of a man at-arms, " said the little knight. "Why, man, you are no chicken, yet I warrant him the stronger man. See to thatgreat stone from the coping which hath fallen upon the bridge. Four ofmy lazy varlets strove this day to carry it hence. I would that you twocould put them to shame by budging it, though I fear that I overtaskyou, for it is of a grievous weight. " He pointed as he spoke to a huge rough-hewn block which lay by theroadside, deep sunken from its own weight in the reddish earth. Thearcher approached it, rolling back the sleeves of his jerkin, but withno very hopeful countenance, for indeed it was a mighty rock. John, however, put him aside with his left hand, and, stooping over the stone, he plucked it single-handed from its soft bed and swung it far into thestream. There it fell with mighty splash, one jagged end peaking outabove the surface, while the waters bubbled and foamed with far-circlingeddy. "Good lack!" cried Sir Nigel, and "Good lack!" cried his lady, whileJohn stood laughing and wiping the caked dirt from his fingers. "I have felt his arms round my ribs, " said the bowman, "and they crackleyet at the thought of it. This other comrade of mine is a right learnedclerk, for all that he is so young, hight Alleyne, the son of Edric, brother to the Socman of Minstead. " "Young man, " quoth Sir Nigel, sternly, "if you are of the same way ofthought as your brother, you may not pass under portcullis of mine. " "Nay, fair sir, " cried Aylward hastily, "I will be pledge for it thatthey have no thought in common; for this very day his brother hath sethis dogs upon him, and driven him from his lands. " "And are you, too, of the White Company?" asked Sir Nigel. "Hast hadsmall experience of war, if I may judge by your looks and bearing. " "I would fain to France with my friends here, " Alleyne answered; "but Iam a man of peace--a reader, exorcist, acolyte, and clerk. " "That need not hinder, " quoth Sir Nigel. "No, fair sir, " cried the bowman joyously. "Why, I myself have servedtwo terms with Arnold de Cervolles, he whom they called the archpriest. By my hilt! I have seen him ere now, with monk's gown trussed to hisknees, over his sandals in blood in the fore-front of the battle. Yet, ere the last string had twanged, he would be down on his four bonesamong the stricken, and have them all houseled and shriven, as quick asshelling peas. Ma foi! there were those who wished that he would haveless care for their souls and a little more for their bodies!" "It is well to have a learned clerk in every troop, " said Sir Nigel. "BySt. Paul, there are men so caitiff that they think more of a scrivener'spen than of their lady's smile, and do their devoir in hopes that theymay fill a line in a chronicle or make a tag to a jongleur's romance. Iremember well that, at the siege of Retters, there was a little, sleek, fat clerk of the name of Chaucer, who was so apt at rondel, sirvente, ortonson, that no man dare give back a foot from the walls, lest he findit all set down in his rhymes and sung by every underling and varletin the camp. But, my soul's bird, you hear me prate as though all weredecided, when I have not yet taken counsel either with you or with mylady mother. Let us to the chamber, while these strangers find such fareas pantry and cellar may furnish. " "The night air strikes chill, " said the lady, and turned down the roadwith her hand upon her lord's arm. The three comrades dropped behind andfollowed: Aylward much the lighter for having accomplished his mission, Alleyne full of wonderment at the humble bearing of so renowneda captain, and John loud with snorts and sneers, which spoke hisdisappointment and contempt. "What ails the man?" asked Aylward in surprise. "I have been cozened and bejaped, " quoth he gruffly. "By whom, Sir Samson the strong?" "By thee, Sir Balaam the false prophet. " "By my hilt!" cried the archer, "I though I be not Balaam, yet I holdconverse with the very creature that spake to him. What is amiss, then, and how have I played you false?" "Why, marry, did you not say, and Alleyne here will be my witness, that, if I would hie to the wars with you, you would place me under a leaderwho was second to none in all England for valor? Yet here you bring meto a shred of a man, peaky and ill-nourished, with eyes like a moultingowl, who must needs, forsooth, take counsel with his mother ere hebuckle sword to girdle. " "Is that where the shoe galls?" cried the bowman, and laughed aloud. "I will ask you what you think of him three months hence, if we be allalive; for sure I am that----" Aylward's words were interrupted by an extraordinary hubbub which brokeout that instant some little way down the street in the direction of thePriory. There was deep-mouthed shouting of men, frightened shrieks ofwomen, howling and barking of curs, and over all a sullen, thunderousrumble, indescribably menacing and terrible. Round the corner of thenarrow street there came rushing a brace of whining dogs with tailstucked under their legs, and after them a white-faced burgher, withoutstretched hands and wide-spread fingers, his hair all abristle andhis eyes glinting back from one shoulder to the other, as though somegreat terror were at his very heels. "Fly, my lady, fly!" he screeched, and whizzed past them like bolt from bow; while close behind camelumbering a huge black bear, with red tongue lolling from his mouth, anda broken chain jangling behind him. To right and left the folk flew forarch and doorway. Hordle John caught up the Lady Loring as thoughshe had been a feather, and sprang with her into an open porch; whileAylward, with a whirl of French oaths, plucked at his quiver and triedto unsling his bow. Alleyne, all unnerved at so strange and unwonted asight, shrunk up against the wall with his eyes fixed upon the frenziedcreature, which came bounding along with ungainly speed, looking thelarger in the uncertain light, its huge jaws agape, with blood andslaver trickling to the ground. Sir Nigel alone, unconscious to allappearance of the universal panic, walked with unfaltering step upthe centre of the road, a silken handkerchief in one hand and his goldcomfit-box in the other. It sent the blood cold through Alleyne's veinsto see that as they came together--the man and the beast--the creaturereared up, with eyes ablaze with fear and hate, and whirled its greatpaws above the knight to smite him to the earth. He, however, blinkingwith puckered eyes, reached up his kerchief, and flicked the beast twiceacross the snout with it. "Ah, saucy! saucy, " quoth he, with gentlechiding; on which the bear, uncertain and puzzled, dropped its four legsto earth again, and, waddling back, was soon swathed in ropes by thebear-ward and a crowd of peasants who had been in close pursuit. A scared man was the keeper; for, having chained the brute to a stakewhile he drank a stoup of ale at the inn, it had been baited by straycurs, until, in wrath and madness, it had plucked loose the chain, andsmitten or bitten all who came in its path. Most scared of all was heto find that the creature had come nigh to harm the Lord and Lady of thecastle, who had power to place him in the stretch-neck or to have theskin scourged from his shoulders. Yet, when he came with bowed headand humble entreaty for forgiveness, he was met with a handful ofsmall silver from Sir Nigel, whose dame, however, was less charitablydisposed, being much ruffled in her dignity by the manner in which shehad been hustled from her lord's side. As they passed through the castle gate, John plucked at Aylward'ssleeve, and the two fell behind. "I must crave your pardon, comrade, " said he, bluntly. "I was a fool notto know that a little rooster may be the gamest. I believe that this manis indeed a leader whom we may follow. " CHAPTER XI. HOW A YOUNG SHEPHERD HAD A PERILOUS FLOCK. Black was the mouth of Twynham Castle, though a pair of torches burningat the further end of the gateway cast a red glare over the outerbailey, and sent a dim, ruddy flicker through the rough-hewn arch, rising and falling with fitful brightness. Over the door the travellerscould discern the escutcheon of the Montacutes, a roebuck gules on afield argent, flanked on either side by smaller shields which bore thered roses of the veteran constable. As they passed over the drawbridge, Alleyne marked the gleam of arms in the embrasures to right and left, and they had scarce set foot upon the causeway ere a hoarse blareburst from a bugle, and, with screech of hinge and clank of chain, theponderous bridge swung up into the air, drawn by unseen hands. At thesame instant the huge portcullis came rattling down from above, and shutoff the last fading light of day. Sir Nigel and his lady walked on indeep talk, while a fat under-steward took charge of the three comrades, and led them to the buttery, where beef, bread, and beer were kept everin readiness for the wayfarer. After a hearty meal and a dip in thetrough to wash the dust from them, they strolled forth into the bailey, where the bowman peered about through the darkness at wall and at keep, with the carping eyes of one who has seen something of sieges, and isnot likely to be satisfied. To Alleyne and to John, however, it appearedto be as great and as stout a fortress as could be built by the hands ofman. Erected by Sir Balwin de Redvers in the old fighting days of the twelfthcentury, when men thought much of war and little of comfort, CastleTwynham had been designed as a stronghold pure and simple, unlike thoselater and more magnificent structures where warlike strength had beencombined with the magnificence of a palace. From the time of the Edwardssuch buildings as Conway or Caernarvon castles, to say nothing of RoyalWindsor, had shown that it was possible to secure luxury in peace aswell as security in times of trouble. Sir Nigel's trust, however, stillfrowned above the smooth-flowing waters of the Avon, very much as thestern race of early Anglo-Normans had designed it. There were the broadouter and inner bailies, not paved, but sown with grass to nourish thesheep and cattle which might be driven in on sign of danger. All roundwere high and turreted walls, with at the corner a bare square-facedkeep, gaunt and windowless, rearing up from a lofty mound, which made italmost inaccessible to an assailant. Against the bailey-walls were rowsof frail wooden houses and leaning sheds, which gave shelter to thearchers and men-at-arms who formed the garrison. The doors of thesehumble dwellings were mostly open, and against the yellow glare fromwithin Alleyne could see the bearded fellows cleaning their harness, while their wives would come out for a gossip, with their needlework intheir hands, and their long black shadows streaming across the yard. The air was full of the clack of their voices and the merry prattling ofchildren, in strange contrast to the flash of arms and constant warlikechallenge from the walls above. "Methinks a company of school lads could hold this place against anarmy, " quoth John. "And so say I, " said Alleyne. "Nay, there you are wide of the clout, " the bowman said gravely. "By myhilt! I have seen a stronger fortalice carried in a summer evening. I remember such a one in Picardy, with a name as long as a Gascon'spedigree. It was when I served under Sir Robert Knolles, before the daysof the Company; and we came by good plunder at the sacking of it. I hadmyself a great silver bowl, with two goblets, and a plastron of Spanishsteel. Pasques Dieu! there are some fine women over yonder! Mort de mavie! see to that one in the doorway! I will go speak to her. But whomhave we here?" "Is there an archer here hight Sam Aylward?" asked a gaunt man-at-arms, clanking up to them across the courtyard. "My name, friend, " quoth the bowman. "Then sure I have no need to tell thee mine, " said the other. "By the rood! if it is not Black Simon of Norwich!" cried Aylward. "Amon coeur, camarade, a mon coeur! Ah, but I am blithe to see thee!" Thetwo fell upon each other and hugged like bears. "And where from, old blood and bones?" asked the bowman. "I am in service here. Tell me, comrade, is it sooth that we shall haveanother fling at these Frenchmen? It is so rumored in the guard-room, and that Sir Nigel will take the field once more. " "It is like enough, mon gar. , as things go. " "Now may the Lord be praised!" cried the other. "This very night will Iset apart a golden ouche to be offered on the shrine of my name-saint. Ihave pined for this, Aylward, as a young maid pines for her lover. " "Art so set on plunder then? Is the purse so light that there is notenough for a rouse? I have a bag at my belt, camarade, and you have butto put your fist into it for what you want. It was ever share and sharebetween us. " "Nay, friend, it is not the Frenchman's gold, but the Frenchman's bloodthat I would have. I should not rest quiet in the grave, coz, if I hadnot another turn at them. For with us in France it has ever been fairand honest war--a shut fist for the man, but a bended knee for thewoman. But how was it at Winchelsea when their galleys came down upon itsome few years back? I had an old mother there, lad, who had come downthither from the Midlands to be the nearer her son. They found herafterwards by her own hearthstone, thrust through by a Frenchman's bill. My second sister, my brother's wife, and her two children, they were butash-heaps in the smoking ruins of their house. I will not say that wehave not wrought great scath upon France, but women and children havebeen safe from us. And so, old friend, my heart is hot within me, and Ilong to hear the old battle-cry again, and, by God's truth! if SirNigel unfurls his pennon, here is one who will be right glad to feel thesaddle-flaps under his knees. " "We have seen good work together, old war-dog, " quoth Aylward; "and, by my hilt! we may hope to see more ere we die. But we are more like tohawk at the Spanish woodcock than at the French heron, though certesit is rumored that Du Guesclin with all the best lances of France havetaken service under the lions and towers of Castile. But, comrade, it isin my mind that there is some small matter of dispute still open betweenus. " "'Fore God, it is sooth!" cried the other; "I had forgot it. Theprovost-marshal and his men tore us apart when last we met. " "On which, friend, we vowed that we should settle the point when next wecame together. Hast thy sword, I see, and the moon throws glimmer enoughfor such old night-birds as we. On guard, mon gar. ! I have not heardclink of steel this month or more. " "Out from the shadow then, " said the other, drawing his sword. "A vow isa vow, and not lightly to be broken. " "A vow to the saints, " cried Alleyne, "is indeed not to be set aside;but this is a devil's vow, and, simple clerk as I am, I am yet themouthpiece of the true church when I say that it were mortal sin tofight on such a quarrel. What! shall two grown men carry malice foryears, and fly like snarling curs at each other's throats?" "No malice, my young clerk, no malice, " quoth Black Simon, "I have nota bitter drop in my heart for mine old comrade; but the quarrel, as hehath told you, is still open and unsettled. Fall on, Aylward!" "Not whilst I can stand between you, " cried Alleyne, springing beforethe bowman. "It is shame and sin to see two Christian Englishmen turnswords against each other like the frenzied bloodthirsty paynim. " "And, what is more, " said Hordle John, suddenly appearing out of thebuttery with the huge board upon which the pastry was rolled, "if eitherraise sword I shall flatten him like a Shrovetide pancake. By the blackrood! I shall drive him into the earth, like a nail into a door, ratherthan see you do scath to each other. " "'Fore God, this is a strange way of preaching peace, " cried BlackSimon. "You may find the scath yourself, my lusty friend, if you raiseyour great cudgel to me. I had as lief have the castle drawbridge dropupon my pate. " "Tell me, Aylward, " said Alleyne earnestly, with his hands outstretchedto keep the pair asunder, "what is the cause of quarrel, that we may seewhether honorable settlement may not be arrived at?" The bowman looked down at his feet and then up at the moons "Parbleu!"he cried, "the cause of quarrel? Why, mon petit, it was years ago inLimousin, and how can I bear in mind what was the cause of it? Simonthere hath it at the end of his tongue. " "Not I, in troth, " replied the other; "I have had other things to thinkof. There was some sort of bickering over dice, or wine, or was it awoman, coz?" "Pasques Dieu! but you have nicked it, " cried Aylward. "It was indeedabout a woman; and the quarrel must go forward, for I am still of thesame mind as before. " "What of the woman, then?" asked Simon. "May the murrain strike me if Ican call to mind aught about her. " "It was La Blanche Rose, maid at the sign of the 'Trois Corbeaux' atLimoges. Bless her pretty heart! Why, mon gar. , I loved her. " "So did a many, " quoth Simon. "I call her to mind now. On the very daythat we fought over the little hussy, she went off with Evan ap Price, a long-legged Welsh dagsman. They have a hostel of their own now, somewhere on the banks of the Garonne, where the landlord drinks so muchof the liquor that there is little left for the customers. " "So ends our quarrel, then, " said Aylward, sheathing his sword. "A Welshdagsman, i' faith! C'etait mauvais gout, camarade, and the more so whenshe had a jolly archer and a lusty man-at-arms to choose from. " "True, old lad. And it is as well that we can compose our differenceshonorably, for Sir Nigel had been out at the first clash of steel; andhe hath sworn that if there be quarrelling in the garrison he wouldsmite the right hand from the broilers. You know him of old, and that heis like to be as good as his word. " "Mort-Dieu! yes. But there are ale, mead, and wine in the buttery, andthe steward a merry rogue, who will not haggle over a quart or two. Buvons, mon gar. , for it is not every day that two old friends cometogether. " The old soldiers and Hordle John strode off together in all goodfellowship. Alleyne had turned to follow them, when he felt a touch uponhis shoulder, and found a young page by his side. "The Lord Loring commands, " said the boy, "that you will follow me tothe great chamber, and await him there. " "But my comrades?" "His commands were for you alone. " Alleyne followed the messenger to the east end of the courtyard, where abroad flight of steps led up to the doorway of the main hall, the outerwall of which is washed by the waters of the Avon. As designed at first, no dwelling had been allotted to the lord of the castle and his familybut the dark and dismal basement story of the keep. A more civilized ormore effeminate generation, however, had refused to be pent up in sucha cellar, and the hall with its neighboring chambers had been added fortheir accommodation. Up the broad steps Alleyne went, still followinghis boyish guide, until at the folding oak doors the latter paused, andushered him into the main hall of the castle. On entering the room the clerk looked round; but, seeing no one, hecontinued to stand, his cap in his hand, examining with the greatestinterest a chamber which was so different to any to which he wasaccustomed. The days had gone by when a nobleman's hall was but abarn-like, rush-strewn enclosure, the common lounge and eating-room ofevery inmate of the castle. The Crusaders had brought back with themexperiences of domestic luxuries, of Damascus carpets and rugs ofAleppo, which made them impatient of the hideous bareness and want ofprivacy which they found in their ancestral strongholds. Still stronger, however, had been the influence of the great French war; for, howeverwell matched the nations might be in martial exercises, there could beno question but that our neighbors were infinitely superior to us in thearts of peace. A stream of returning knights, of wounded soldiers, and of unransomed French noblemen, had been for a quarter of a centurycontinually pouring into England, every one of whom exerted an influencein the direction of greater domestic refinement, while shiploads ofFrench furniture from Calais, Rouen, and other plundered towns, hadsupplied our own artisans with models on which to shape their work. Hence, in most English castles, and in Castle Twynham among the rest, chambers were to be found which would seem to be not wanting either inbeauty or in comfort. In the great stone fireplace a log fire was spurting and crackling, throwing out a ruddy glare which, with the four bracket-lamps whichstood at each corner of the room, gave a bright and lightsome air to thewhole apartment. Above was a wreath-work of blazonry, extending up tothe carved and corniced oaken roof; while on either side stood the highcanopied chairs placed for the master of the house and for his mosthonored guest. The walls were hung all round with most elaborate andbrightly colored tapestry, representing the achievements of Sir Bevisof Hampton, and behind this convenient screen were stored the tablesdormant and benches which would be needed for banquet or high festivity. The floor was of polished tiles, with a square of red and black diaperedFlemish carpet in the centre; and many settees, cushions, foldingchairs, and carved bancals littered all over it. At the further end wasa long black buffet or dresser, thickly covered with gold cups, silversalvers, and other such valuables. All this Alleyne examined withcurious eyes; but most interesting of all to him was a small ebonytable at his very side, on which, by the side of a chess-board and thescattered chessmen, there lay an open manuscript written in a rightclerkly hand, and set forth with brave flourishes and devices along themargins. In vain Alleyne bethought him of where he was, and of thoselaws of good breeding and decorum which should restrain him: thosecolored capitals and black even lines drew his hand down to them, asthe loadstone draws the needle, until, almost before he knew it, hewas standing with the romance of Garin de Montglane before his eyes, soabsorbed in its contents as to be completely oblivious both of where hewas and why he had come there. He was brought back to himself, however, by a sudden little ripple ofquick feminine laughter. Aghast, he dropped the manuscript among thechessmen and stared in bewilderment round the room. It was as empty andas still as ever. Again he stretched his hand out to the romance, andagain came that roguish burst of merriment. He looked up at the ceiling, back at the closed door, and round at the stiff folds of motionlesstapestry. Of a sudden, however, he caught a quick shimmer from thecorner of a high-backed bancal in front of him, and, shifting a paceor two to the side, saw a white slender hand, which held a mirror ofpolished silver in such a way that the concealed observer could seewithout being seen. He stood irresolute, uncertain whether to advance orto take no notice; but, even as he hesitated, the mirror was whippedin, and a tall and stately young lady swept out from behind the oakenscreen, with a dancing light of mischief in her eyes. Alleyne startedwith astonishment as he recognized the very maiden who had sufferedfrom his brother's violence in the forest. She no longer wore her gayriding-dress, however, but was attired in a long sweeping robe of blackvelvet of Bruges, with delicate tracery of white lace at neck and atwrist, scarce to be seen against her ivory skin. Beautiful as she hadseemed to him before, the lithe charm of her figure and the proud, freegrace of her bearing were enhanced now by the rich simplicity of herattire. "Ah, you start, " said she, with the same sidelong look of mischief, "and I cannot marvel at it. Didst not look to see the distressed damoselagain. Oh that I were a minstrel, that I might put it into rhyme, with the whole romance--the luckless maid, the wicked socman, and thevirtuous clerk! So might our fame have gone down together for all time, and you be numbered with Sir Percival or Sir Galahad, or all the otherrescuers of oppressed ladies. " "What I did, " said Alleyne, "was too small a thing for thanks; and yet, if I may say it without offence, it was too grave and near a matterfor mirth and raillery. I had counted on my brother's love, but God haswilled that it should be otherwise. It is a joy to me to see you again, lady, and to know that you have reached home in safety, if this beindeed your home. " "Yes, in sooth, Castle Twynham is my home, and Sir Nigel Loring myfather, I should have told you so this morning, but you said that youwere coming thither, so I bethought me that I might hold it back asa surprise to you. Oh dear, but it was brave to see you!" she cried, bursting out a-laughing once more, and standing with her hand pressed toher side, and her half-closed eyes twinkling with amusement. "You drewback and came forward with your eyes upon my book there, like the mousewho sniffs the cheese and yet dreads the trap. " "I take shame, " said Alleyne, "that I should have touched it. " "Nay, it warmed my very heart to see it. So glad was I, that I laughedfor very pleasure. My fine preacher can himself be tempted then, thoughtI; he is not made of another clay to the rest of us. " "God help me! I am the weakest of the weak, " groaned Alleyne. "I praythat I may have more strength. " "And to what end?" she asked sharply. "If you are, as I understand, toshut yourself forever in your cell within the four walls of an abbey, then of what use would it be were your prayer to be answered?" "The use of my own salvation. " She turned from him with a pretty shrug and wave. "Is that all?" shesaid. "Then you are no better than Father Christopher and the rest ofthem. Your own, your own, ever your own! My father is the king's man, and when he rides into the press of fight he is not thinking ever of thesaving of his own poor body; he recks little enough if he leave it onthe field. Why then should you, who are soldiers of the Spirit, beever moping or hiding in cell or in cave, with minds full of your ownconcerns, while the world, which you should be mending, is going on itsway, and neither sees nor hears you? Were ye all as thoughtless of yourown souls as the soldier is of his body, ye would be of more avail tothe souls of others. " "There is sooth in what you say, lady, " Alleyne answered; "and yet Iscarce can see what you would have the clergy and the church to do. " "I would have them live as others and do men's work in the world, preaching by their lives rather than their words. I would have them comeforth from their lonely places, mix with the borel folks, feel the painsand the pleasures, the cares and the rewards, the temptings and thestirrings of the common people. Let them toil and swinken, and labor, and plough the land, and take wives to themselves----" "Alas! alas!" cried Alleyne aghast, "you have surely sucked this poisonfrom the man Wicliffe, of whom I have heard such evil things. " "Nay, I know him not. I have learned it by looking from my own chamberwindow and marking these poor monks of the priory, their weary life, their profitless round. I have asked myself if the best which can bedone with virtue is to shut it within high walls as though it were somesavage creature. If the good will lock themselves up, and if the wickedwill still wander free, then alas for the world!" Alleyne looked at her in astonishment, for her cheek was flushed, hereyes gleaming, and her whole pose full of eloquence and conviction. Yetin an instant she had changed again to her old expression of merrimentleavened with mischief. "Wilt do what I ask?" said she. "What is it, lady?" "Oh, most ungallant clerk! A true knight would never have asked, butwould have vowed upon the instant. 'Tis but to bear me out in what I sayto my father. " "In what?" "In saying, if he ask, that it was south of the Christchurch road that Imet you. I shall be shut up with the tire-women else, and have a weekof spindle and bodkin, when I would fain be galloping Troubadour upWilverley Walk, or loosing little Roland at the Vinney Ridge herons. " "I shall not answer him if he ask. " "Not answer! But he will have an answer. Nay, but you must not fail me, or it will go ill with me. " "But, lady, " cried poor Alleyne in great distress, "how can I say thatit was to the south of the road when I know well that it was four milesto the north. " "You will not say it?" "Surely you will not, too, when you know that it is not so?" "Oh, I weary of your preaching!" she cried, and swept away with a tossof her beautiful head, leaving Alleyne as cast down and ashamed asthough he had himself proposed some infamous thing. She was back againin an instant, however, in another of her varying moods. "Look at that, my friend!" said she. "If you had been shut up in abbeyor in cell this day you could not have taught a wayward maiden to abideby the truth. Is it not so? What avail is the shepherd if he leaves hissheep. " "A sorry shepherd!" said Alleyne humbly. "But here is your noblefather. " "And you shall see how worthy a pupil I am. Father, I am much beholdento this young clerk, who was of service to me and helped me this verymorning in Minstead Woods, four miles to the north of the Christchurchroad, where I had no call to be, you having ordered it otherwise. " Allthis she reeled off in a loud voice, and then glanced with sidelong, questioning eyes at Alleyne for his approval. Sir Nigel, who had entered the room with a silvery-haired old lady uponhis arm, stared aghast at this sudden outburst of candor. "Maude, Maude!" said he, shaking his head, "it is more hard for me togain obedience from you than from the ten score drunken archers whofollowed me to Guienne. Yet, hush! little one, for your fair lady-motherwill be here anon, and there is no need that she should know it. We willkeep you from the provost-marshal this journey. Away to your chamber, sweeting, and keep a blithe face, for she who confesses is shriven. Andnow, fair mother, " he continued, when his daughter had gone, "sityou here by the fire, for your blood runs colder than it did. AlleyneEdricson, I would have a word with you, for I would fain that you shouldtake service under me. And here in good time comes my lady, withoutwhose counsel it is not my wont to decide aught of import; but, indeed, it was her own thought that you should come. " "For I have formed a good opinion of you, and can see that you are onewho may be trusted, " said the Lady Loring. "And in good sooth my dearlord hath need of such a one by his side, for he recks so little ofhimself that there should be one there to look to his needs and meet hiswants. You have seen the cloisters; it were well that you should see theworld too, ere you make choice for life between them. " "It was for that very reason that my father willed that I should comeforth into the world at my twentieth year, " said Alleyne. "Then your father was a man of good counsel, " said she, "and you cannotcarry out his will better than by going on this path, where all that isnoble and gallant in England will be your companions. " "You can ride?" asked Sir Nigel, looking at the youth with puckeredeyes. "Yes, I have ridden much at the abbey. " "Yet there is a difference betwixt a friar's hack and a warrior'sdestrier. You can sing and play?" "On citole, flute and rebeck. " "Good! You can read blazonry?" "Indifferent well. " "Then read this, " quoth Sir Nigel, pointing upwards to one of the manyquarterings which adorned the wall over the fireplace. "Argent, " Alleyne answered, "a fess azure charged with three lozengesdividing three mullets sable. Over all, on an escutcheon of the first, ajambe gules. " "A jambe gules erased, " said Sir Nigel, shaking his head solemnly. "Yetit is not amiss for a monk-bred man. I trust that you are lowly andserviceable?" "I have served all my life, my lord. " "Canst carve too?" "I have carved two days a week for the brethren. " "A model truly! Wilt make a squire of squires. But tell me, I pray, canst curl hair?" "No, my lord, but I could learn. " "It is of import, " said he, "for I love to keep my hair well ordered, seeing that the weight of my helmet for thirty years hath in some degreefrayed it upon the top. " He pulled off his velvet cap of maintenance ashe spoke, and displayed a pate which was as bald as an egg, and shonebravely in the firelight. "You see, " said he, whisking round, andshowing one little strip where a line of scattered hairs, like the lastsurvivors in some fatal field, still barely held their own against thefate which had fallen upon their comrades; "these locks need some littleoiling and curling, for I doubt not that if you look slantwise at myhead, when the light is good, you will yourself perceive that there areplaces where the hair is sparse. " "It is for you also to bear the purse, " said the lady; "for my sweetlord is of so free and gracious a temper that he would give it gayly tothe first who asked alms of him. All these things, with some knowledgeof venerie, and of the management of horse, hawk and hound, with thegrace and hardihood and courtesy which are proper to your age, will makeyou a fit squire for Sir Nigel Loring. " "Alas! lady, " Alleyne answered, "I know well the great honor that youhave done me in deeming me worthy to wait upon so renowned a knight, yet I am so conscious of my own weakness that I scarce dare incur dutieswhich I might be so ill-fitted to fulfil. " "Modesty and a humble mind, " said she, "are the very first and rarestgifts in page or squire. Your words prove that you have these, andall the rest is but the work of use and time. But there is no call forhaste. Rest upon it for the night, and let your orisons ask for guidancein the matter. We knew your father well, and would fain help his son, though we have small cause to love your brother the Socman, who isforever stirring up strife in the county. " "We can scare hope, " said Nigel, "to have all ready for our start beforethe feast of St. Luke, for there is much to be done in the time. Youwill have leisure, therefore, if it please you to take service under me, in which to learn your devoir. Bertrand, my daughter's page, is hot togo; but in sooth he is over young for such rough work as may be beforeus. " "And I have one favor to crave from you, " added the lady of the castle, as Alleyne turned to leave their presence. "You have, as I understand, much learning which you have acquired at Beaulieu. " "Little enough, lady, compared with those who were my teachers. " "Yet enough for my purpose, I doubt not. For I would have you givean hour or two a day whilst you are with us in discoursing with mydaughter, the Lady Maude; for she is somewhat backward, I fear, and hathno love for letters, save for these poor fond romances, which do butfill her empty head with dreams of enchanted maidens and of errantcavaliers. Father Christopher comes over after nones from the priory, but he is stricken with years and slow of speech, so that she gets smallprofit from his teaching. I would have you do what you can with her, andwith Agatha my young tire-woman, and with Dorothy Pierpont. " And so Alleyne found himself not only chosen as squire to a knight butalso as squire to three damosels, which was even further from the partwhich he had thought to play in the world. Yet he could but agree todo what he might, and so went forth from the castle hall with hisface flushed and his head in a whirl at the thought of the strange andperilous paths which his feet were destined to tread. CHAPTER XII. HOW ALLEYNE LEARNED MORE THAN HE COULD TEACH. And now there came a time of stir and bustle, of furbishing of arms andclang of hammer from all the southland counties. Fast spread the tidingsfrom thorpe to thorpe and from castle to castle, that the old game wasafoot once more, and the lions and lilies to be in the field with theearly spring. Great news this for that fierce old country, whose tradefor a generation had been war, her exports archers and her importsprisoners. For six years her sons had chafed under an unwonted peace. Now they flew to their arms as to their birthright. The old soldiers ofCrecy, of Nogent, and of Poictiers were glad to think that they mighthear the war-trumpet once more, and gladder still were the hot youth whohad chafed for years under the martial tales of their sires. To piercethe great mountains of the south, to fight the tamers of the fieryMoors, to follow the greatest captain of the age, to find sunnycornfields and vineyards, when the marches of Picardy and Normandy wereas rare and bleak as the Jedburgh forests--here was a golden prospectfor a race of warriors. From sea to sea there was stringing of bows inthe cottage and clang of steel in the castle. Nor did it take long for every stronghold to pour forth its cavalry, andevery hamlet its footmen. Through the late autumn and the early winterevery road and country lane resounded with nakir and trumpet, with theneigh of the war-horse and the clatter of marching men. From the Wrekinin the Welsh marches to the Cotswolds in the west or Butser in thesouth, there was no hill-top from which the peasant might not have seenthe bright shimmer of arms, the toss and flutter of plume and of pensil. From bye-path, from woodland clearing, or from winding moor-side trackthese little rivulets of steel united in the larger roads to form abroader stream, growing ever fuller and larger as it approached thenearest or most commodious seaport. And there all day, and day afterday, there was bustle and crowding and labor, while the great shipsloaded up, and one after the other spread their white pinions and dartedoff to the open sea, amid the clash of cymbals and rolling of drums andlusty shouts of those who went and of those who waited. From Orwell tothe Dart there was no port which did not send forth its little fleet, gay with streamer and bunting, as for a joyous festival. Thus in theseason of the waning days the might of England put forth on to thewaters. In the ancient and populous county of Hampshire there was no lack ofleaders or of soldiers for a service which promised either honor orprofit. In the north the Saracen's head of the Brocas and the scarletfish of the De Roches were waving over a strong body of archers fromHolt, Woolmer, and Harewood forests. De Borhunte was up in the east, andSir John de Montague in the west. Sir Luke de Ponynges, Sir Thomas West, Sir Maurice de Bruin, Sir Arthur Lipscombe, Sir Walter Ramsey, and stoutSir Oliver Buttesthorn were all marching south with levies from Andover, Arlesford, Odiham and Winchester, while from Sussex came Sir JohnClinton, Sir Thomas Cheyne, and Sir John Fallislee, with a troop ofpicked men-at-arms, making for their port at Southampton. Greatest ofall the musters, however, was that of Twynham Castle, for the name andthe fame of Sir Nigel Loring drew towards him the keenest and boldestspirits, all eager to serve under so valiant a leader. Archers from theNew Forest and the Forest of Bere, billmen from the pleasant countrywhich is watered by the Stour, the Avon, and the Itchen, young cavaliersfrom the ancient Hampshire houses, all were pushing for Christchurch totake service under the banner of the five scarlet roses. And now, could Sir Nigel have shown the bachelles of land which the lawsof rank required, he might well have cut his forked pennon into asquare banner, and taken such a following into the field as would havesupported the dignity of a banneret. But poverty was heavy upon him, hisland was scant, his coffers empty, and the very castle which covered himthe holding of another. Sore was his heart when he saw rare bowmen andwar-hardened spearmen turned away from his gates, for the lack of themoney which might equip and pay them. Yet the letter which Aylward hadbrought him gave him powers which he was not slow to use. In it SirClaude Latour, the Gascon lieutenant of the White Company, assured himthat there remained in his keeping enough to fit out a hundred archersand twenty men-at-arms, which, joined to the three hundred veterancompanions already in France, would make a force which any leader mightbe proud to command. Carefully and sagaciously the veteran knight choseout his men from the swarm of volunteers. Many an anxious consultationhe held with Black Simon, Sam Aylward, and other of his more experiencedfollowers, as to who should come and who should stay. By All Saints'day, however ere the last leaves had fluttered to earth in the Wilverleyand Holmesley glades, he had filled up his full numbers, and musteredunder his banner as stout a following of Hampshire foresters as evertwanged their war-bows. Twenty men-at-arms, too, well mounted andequipped, formed the cavalry of the party, while young Peter Terlake ofFareham, and Walter Ford of Botley, the martial sons of martial sires, came at their own cost to wait upon Sir Nigel and to share with AlleyneEdricson the duties of his squireship. Yet, even after the enrolment, there was much to be done ere the partycould proceed upon its way. For armor, swords, and lances, there was noneed to take much forethought, for they were to be had both better andcheaper in Bordeaux than in England. With the long-bow, however, it wasdifferent. Yew staves indeed might be got in Spain, but it was well totake enough and to spare with them. Then three spare cords should becarried for each bow, with a great store of arrow-heads, besides thebrigandines of chain mail, the wadded steel caps, and the brassarts orarm-guards, which were the proper equipment of the archer. Above all, the women for miles round were hard at work cutting the white surcoatswhich were the badge of the Company, and adorning them with the red lionof St. George upon the centre of the breast. When all was completed andthe muster called in the castle yard the oldest soldier of the Frenchwars was fain to confess that he had never looked upon a better equippedor more warlike body of men, from the old knight with his silk jupon, sitting his great black war-horse in the front of them, to Hordle John, the giant recruit, who leaned carelessly upon a huge black bow-stave inthe rear. Of the six score, fully half had seen service before, while afair sprinkling were men who had followed the wars all their lives, andhad a hand in those battles which had made the whole world ring with thefame and the wonder of the island infantry. Six long weeks were taken in these preparations, and it was close onMartinmas ere all was ready for a start. Nigh two months had AlleyneEdricson been in Castle Twynham--months which were fated to turn thewhole current of his life, to divert it from that dark and lonely bournetowards which it tended, and to guide it into freer and more sunlitchannels. Already he had learned to bless his father for that wiseprovision which had made him seek to know the world ere he had venturedto renounce it. For it was a different place from that which he had pictured--verydifferent from that which he had heard described when the master of thenovices held forth to his charges upon the ravening wolves who lurkedfor them beyond the peaceful folds of Beaulieu. There was cruelty in it, doubtless, and lust and sin and sorrow; but were there not virtues toatone, robust positive virtues which did not shrink from temptation, which held their own in all the rough blasts of the work-a-day world?How colorless by contrast appeared the sinlessness which came frominability to sin, the conquest which was attained by flying from theenemy! Monk-bred as he was, Alleyne had native shrewdness and a mindwhich was young enough to form new conclusions and to outgrow oldones. He could not fail to see that the men with whom he was thrown incontact, rough-tongued, fierce and quarrelsome as they were, were yet ofdeeper nature and of more service in the world than the ox-eyed brethrenwho rose and ate and slept from year's end to year's end in their ownnarrow, stagnant circle of existence. Abbot Berghersh was a good man, but how was he better than this kindly knight, who lived as simple alife, held as lofty and inflexible an ideal of duty, and did with allhis fearless heart whatever came to his hand to do? In turning from theservice of the one to that of the other, Alleyne could not feel thathe was lowering his aims in life. True that his gentle and thoughtfulnature recoiled from the grim work of war, yet in those days of martialorders and militant brotherhoods there was no gulf fixed betwixt thepriest and the soldier. The man of God and the man of the sword mightwithout scandal be united in the same individual. Why then should he, a mere clerk, have scruples when so fair a chance lay in his way ofcarrying out the spirit as well as the letter of his father's provision. Much struggle it cost him, anxious spirit-questionings and midnightprayings, with many a doubt and a misgiving; but the issue was that erehe had been three days in Castle Twynham he had taken service under SirNigel, and had accepted horse and harness, the same to be paid for outof his share of the profits of the expedition. Henceforth for sevenhours a day he strove in the tilt-yard to qualify himself to be a worthysquire to so worthy a knight. Young, supple and active, with all thepent energies from years of pure and healthy living, it was not longbefore he could manage his horse and his weapon well enough to earnan approving nod from critical men-at-arms, or to hold his own againstTerlake and Ford, his fellow-servitors. But were there no other considerations which swayed him from thecloisters towards the world? So complex is the human spirit that it canitself scarce discern the deep springs which impel it to action. Yetto Alleyne had been opened now a side of life of which he had been asinnocent as a child, but one which was of such deep import that it couldnot fail to influence him in choosing his path. A woman, in monkishprecepts, had been the embodiment and concentration of what wasdangerous and evil--a focus whence spread all that was to be dreaded andavoided. So defiling was their presence that a true Cistercian mightnot raise his eyes to their face or touch their finger-tips under ban ofchurch and fear of deadly sin. Yet here, day after day for an hourafter nones, and for an hour before vespers, he found himself in closecommunion with three maidens, all young, all fair, and all thereforedoubly dangerous from the monkish standpoint. Yet he found that in theirpresence he was conscious of a quick sympathy, a pleasant ease, a readyresponse to all that was most gentle and best in himself, which filledhis soul with a vague and new-found joy. And yet the Lady Maude Loring was no easy pupil to handle. An older andmore world-wise man might have been puzzled by her varying moods, hersudden prejudices, her quick resentment at all constraint and authority. Did a subject interest her, was there space in it for either romanceor imagination, she would fly through it with her subtle, active mind, leaving her two fellow-students and even her teacher toiling behind her. On the other hand, were there dull patience needed with steady toil andstrain of memory, no single fact could by any driving be fixed in hermind. Alleyne might talk to her of the stories of old gods and heroes, of gallant deeds and lofty aims, or he might hold forth upon moon andstars, and let his fancy wander over the hidden secrets of the universe, and he would have a rapt listener with flushed cheeks and eloquent eyes, who could repeat after him the very words which had fallen from hislips. But when it came to almagest and astrolabe, the counting offigures and reckoning of epicycles, away would go her thoughts to horseand hound, and a vacant eye and listless face would warn the teacherthat he had lost his hold upon his scholar. Then he had but to bring outthe old romance book from the priory, with befingered cover of sheepskinand gold letters upon a purple ground, to entice her wayward mind backto the paths of learning. At times, too, when the wild fit was upon her, she would break intopertness and rebel openly against Alleyne's gentle firmness. Yet hewould jog quietly on with his teachings, taking no heed to her mutiny, until suddenly she would be conquered by his patience, and break intoself-revilings a hundred times stronger than her fault demanded. Itchanced however that, on one of these mornings when the evil mood wasupon her, Agatha the young tire-woman, thinking to please her mistress, began also to toss her head and make tart rejoinder to the teacher'squestions. In an instant the Lady Maude had turned upon her two blazingeyes and a face which was blanched with anger. "You would dare!" said she. "You would dare!" The frightened tire-womantried to excuse herself. "But my fair lady, " she stammered, "what have Idone? I have said no more than I heard. " "You would dare!" repeated the lady in a choking voice. "You, agraceless baggage, a foolish lack-brain, with no thought above thehemming of shifts. And he so kindly and hendy and long-suffering! Youwould--ha, you may well flee the room!" She had spoken with a rising voice, and a clasping and opening of herlong white fingers, so that it was no marvel that ere the speech wasover the skirts of Agatha were whisking round the door and the click ofher sobs to be heard dying swiftly away down the corridor. Alleyne stared open-eyed at this tigress who had sprung so suddenlyto his rescue. "There is no need for such anger, " he said mildly. "Themaid's words have done me no scath. It is you yourself who have erred. " "I know it, " she cried, "I am a most wicked woman. But it is bad enoughthat one should misuse you. Ma foi! I will see that there is not asecond one. " "Nay, nay, no one has misused me, " he answered. "But the fault liesin your hot and bitter words. You have called her a baggage and alack-brain, and I know not what. " "And you are he who taught me to speak the truth, " she cried. "Now Ihave spoken it, and yet I cannot please you. Lack-brain she is, andlack-brain I shall call her. " Such was a sample of the sudden janglings which marred the peace of thatlittle class. As the weeks passed, however, they became fewer and lessviolent, as Alleyne's firm and constant nature gained sway and influenceover the Lady Maude. And yet, sooth to say, there were times when he hadto ask himself whether it was not the Lady Maude who was gaining swayand influence over him. If she were changing, so was he. In drawing herup from the world, he was day by day being himself dragged down towardsit. In vain he strove and reasoned with himself as to the madness ofletting his mind rest upon Sir Nigel's daughter. What was he--a youngerson, a penniless clerk, a squire unable to pay for his own harness--thathe should dare to raise his eyes to the fairest maid in Hampshire? Sospake reason; but, in spite of all, her voice was ever in his ears andher image in his heart. Stronger than reason, stronger than cloisterteachings, stronger than all that might hold him back, was that old, oldtyrant who will brook no rival in the kingdom of youth. And yet it was a surprise and a shock to himself to find how deeplyshe had entered into his life; how completely those vague ambitions andyearnings which had filled his spiritual nature centred themselves nowupon this thing of earth. He had scarce dared to face the change whichhad come upon him, when a few sudden chance words showed it all up hardand clear, like a lightning flash in the darkness. He had ridden over to Poole, one November day, with his fellow-squire, Peter Terlake, in quest of certain yew-staves from Wat Swathling, theDorsetshire armorer. The day for their departure had almost come, andthe two youths spurred it over the lonely downs at the top of theirspeed on their homeward course, for evening had fallen and there wasmuch to be done. Peter was a hard, wiry, brown faced, country-bred ladwho looked on the coming war as the schoolboy looks on his holidays. This day, however, he had been sombre and mute, with scarce a word amile to bestow upon his comrade. "Tell me Alleyne Edricson, " he broke out, suddenly, as they clatteredalong the winding track which leads over the Bournemouth hills, "has itnot seemed to you that of late the Lady Maude is paler and more silentthan is her wont?" "It may be so, " the other answered shortly. "And would rather sit distrait by her oriel than ride gayly to the chaseas of old. Methinks, Alleyne, it is this learning which you have taughther that has taken all the life and sap from her. It is more than shecan master, like a heavy spear to a light rider. " "Her lady-mother has so ordered it, " said Alleyne. "By our Lady! and withouten disrespect, " quoth Terlake, "it is in mymind that her lady-mother is more fitted to lead a company to a stormingthan to have the upbringing of this tender and milk-white maid. Hark ye, lad Alleyne, to what I never told man or woman yet. I love the fair LadyMaude, and would give the last drop of my heart's blood to serve her. "He spoke with a gasping voice, and his face flushed crimson in themoonlight. Alleyne said nothing, but his heart seemed to turn to a lump of ice inhis bosom. "My father has broad acres, " the other continued, "from Fareham Creek tothe slope of the Portsdown Hill. There is filling of granges, hewingof wood, malting of grain, and herding of sheep as much as heart couldwish, and I the only son. Sure am I that Sir Nigel would be blithe atsuch a match. " "But how of the lady?" asked Alleyne, with dry lips. "Ah, lad, there lies my trouble. It is a toss of the head and a droop ofthe eyes if I say one word of what is in my mind. 'Twere as easy to woothe snow-dame that we shaped last winter in our castle yard. I did butask her yesternight for her green veil, that I might bear it as a tokenor lambrequin upon my helm; but she flashed out at me that she kept itfor a better man, and then all in a breath asked pardon for that she hadspoke so rudely. Yet she would not take back the words either, nor wouldshe grant the veil. Has it seemed to thee, Alleyne, that she loves anyone?" "Nay, I cannot say, " said Alleyne, with a wild throb of sudden hope inhis heart. "I have thought so, and yet I cannot name the man. Indeed, save myself, and Walter Ford, and you, who are half a clerk, and Father Christopherof the Priory, and Bertrand the page, who is there whom she sees?" "I cannot tell, " quoth Alleyne shortly; and the two squires rode onagain, each intent upon his own thoughts. Next day at morning lesson the teacher observed that his pupil wasindeed looking pale and jaded, with listless eyes and a weary manner. Hewas heavy-hearted to note the grievous change in her. "Your mistress, I fear, is ill, Agatha, " he said to the tire-woman, whenthe Lady Maude had sought her chamber. The maid looked aslant at him with laughing eyes. "It is not an illnessthat kills, " quoth she. "Pray God not!" he cried. "But tell me, Agatha, what it is that ailsher?" "Methinks that I could lay my hand upon another who is smitten with thesame trouble, " said she, with the same sidelong look. "Canst not give aname to it, and thou so skilled in leech-craft?" "Nay, save that she seems aweary. " "Well, bethink you that it is but three days ere you will all be gone, and Castle Twynham be as dull as the Priory. Is there not enough thereto cloud a lady's brow?" "In sooth, yes, " he answered; "I had forgot that she is about to loseher father. " "Her father!" cried the tire-woman, with a little trill of laughter. "Ohsimple, simple!" And she was off down the passage like arrow from bow, while Alleyne stood gazing after her, betwixt hope and doubt, scarcedaring to put faith in the meaning which seemed to underlie her words. CHAPTER XIII. HOW THE WHITE COMPANY SET FORTH TO THE WARS. St. Luke's day had come and had gone, and it was in the season ofMartinmas, when the oxen are driven in to the slaughter, that the WhiteCompany was ready for its journey. Loud shrieked the brazen bugles fromkeep and from gateway, and merry was the rattle of the war-drum, as themen gathered in the outer bailey, with torches to light them, for themorn had not yet broken. Alleyne, from the window of the armory, lookeddown upon the strange scene--the circles of yellow flickering light, the lines of stern and bearded faces, the quick shimmer of arms, and thelean heads of the horses. In front stood the bow-men, ten deep, with afringe of under-officers, who paced hither and thither marshalling theranks with curt precept or short rebuke. Behind were the little clumpof steel-clad horsemen, their lances raised, with long pensils droopingdown the oaken shafts. So silent and still were they, that they mighthave been metal-sheathed statues, were it not for the occasional quick, impatient stamp of their chargers, or the rattle of chamfron againstneck-plates as they tossed and strained. A spear's length in front ofthem sat the spare and long-limbed figure of Black Simon, the Norwichfighting man, his fierce, deep-lined face framed in steel, and thesilk guidon marked with the five scarlet roses slanting over his rightshoulder. All round, in the edge of the circle of the light, stood thecastle servants, the soldiers who were to form the garrison, and littleknots of women, who sobbed in their aprons and called shrilly to theirname-saints to watch over the Wat, or Will, or Peterkin who had turnedhis hand to the work of war. The young squire was leaning forward, gazing at the stirring and martialscene, when he heard a short, quick gasp at his shoulder, and there wasthe Lady Maude, with her hand to her heart, leaning up against the wall, slender and fair, like a half-plucked lily. Her face was turned awayfrom him, but he could see, by the sharp intake of her breath, that shewas weeping bitterly. "Alas! alas!" he cried, all unnerved at the sight, "why is it that youare so sad, lady?" "It is the sight of these brave men, " she answered; "and to think howmany of them go and how few are like to find their way back. I have seenit before, when I was a little maid, in the year of the Prince's greatbattle. I remember then how they mustered in the bailey, even as they donow, and my lady-mother holding me in her arms at this very window thatI might see the show. " "Please God, you will see them all back ere another year be out, " saidhe. She shook her head, looking round at him with flushed cheeks and eyesthat sparkled in the lamp-light. "Oh, but I hate myself for being awoman!" she cried, with a stamp of her little foot. "What can I do thatis good? Here I must bide, and talk and sew and spin, and spin and sewand talk. Ever the same dull round, with nothing at the end of it. Andnow you are going too, who could carry my thoughts out of these graywalls, and raise my mind above tapestry and distaffs. What can I do? Iam of no more use or value than that broken bowstave. " "You are of such value to me, " he cried, in a whirl of hot, passionatewords, "that all else has become nought. You are my heart, my life, myone and only thought. Oh, Maude, I cannot live without you, I cannotleave you without a word of love. All is changed to me since I haveknown you. I am poor and lowly and all unworthy of you; but if greatlove may weigh down such defects, then mine may do it. Give me but oneword of hope to take to the wars with me--but one. Ah, you shrink, youshudder! My wild words have frightened you. " Twice she opened her lips, and twice no sound came from them. At lastshe spoke in a hard and measured voice, as one who dare not trustherself to speak too freely. "This is over sudden, " she said; "it is not so long since the world wasnothing to you. You have changed once; perchance you may change again. " "Cruel!" he cried, "who hath changed me?" "And then your brother, " she continued with a little laugh, disregardinghis question. "Methinks this hath become a family custom amongst theEdricsons. Nay, I am sorry; I did not mean a jibe. But, indeed, Alleyne, this hath come suddenly upon me, and I scarce know what to say. " "Say some word of hope, however distant--some kind word that I maycherish in my heart. " "Nay, Alleyne, it were a cruel kindness, and you have been too good andtrue a friend to me that I should use you despitefully. There cannot bea closer link between us. It is madness to think of it. Were there noother reasons, it is enough that my father and your brother would bothcry out against it. " "My brother, what has he to do with it? And your father----" "Come, Alleyne, was it not you who would have me act fairly to all men, and, certes, to my father amongst them?" "You say truly, " he cried, "you say truly. But you do not reject me, Maude? You give me some ray of hope? I do not ask pledge or promise. Sayonly that I am not hateful to you--that on some happier day I may hearkinder words from you. " Her eyes softened upon him, and a kind answer was on her lips, when ahoarse shout, with the clatter of arms and stamping of steeds, rose upfrom the bailey below. At the sound her face set her eyes sparkled, andshe stood with flushed cheek and head thrown back--a woman's body, witha soul of fire. "My father hath gone down, " she cried. "Your place is by his side. Nay, look not at me, Alleyne. It is no time for dallying. Win my father'slove, and all may follow. It is when the brave soldier hath done hisdevoir that he hopes for his reward, Farewell, and may God be with you!"She held out her white, slim hand to him, but as he bent his lips overit she whisked away and was gone, leaving in his outstretched hand thevery green veil for which poor Peter Terlake had craved in vain. Againthe hoarse cheering burst out from below, and he heard the clang of therising portcullis. Pressing the veil to his lips, he thrust it into thebosom of his tunic, and rushed as fast as feet could bear him to armhimself and join the muster. The raw morning had broken ere the hot spiced ale had been served roundand the last farewell spoken. A cold wind blew up from the sea andragged clouds drifted swiftly across the sky. The Christchurch townsfolk stood huddled about the Bridge of Avon, thewomen pulling tight their shawls and the men swathing themselves intheir gaberdines, while down the winding path from the castle came thevan of the little army, their feet clanging on the hard, frozen road. First came Black Simon with his banner, bestriding a lean and powerfuldapple-gray charger, as hard and wiry and warwise as himself. After him, riding three abreast, were nine men-at-arms, all picked soldiers, whohad followed the French wars before, and knew the marches of Picardy asthey knew the downs of their native Hampshire. They were armed to theteeth with lance, sword, and mace, with square shields notched at theupper right-hand corner to serve as a spear-rest. For defence each manwore a coat of interlaced leathern thongs, strengthened at the shoulder, elbow, and upper arm with slips of steel. Greaves and knee-pieces werealso of leather backed by steel, and their gauntlets and shoes were ofiron plates, craftily jointed. So, with jingle of arms and clatter ofhoofs, they rode across the Bridge of Avon, while the burghers shoutedlustily for the flag of the five roses and its gallant guard. Close at the heels of the horses came two-score archers bearded andburly, their round targets on their backs and their long yellow bows, the most deadly weapon that the wit of man had yet devised, thrustingforth from behind their shoulders. From each man's girdle hung sword oraxe, according to his humor, and over the right hip there jutted out theleathern quiver with its bristle of goose, pigeon, and peacock feathers. Behind the bowmen strode two trumpeters blowing upon nakirs, and twodrummers in parti-colored clothes. After them came twenty-seven sumpterhorses carrying tent-poles, cloth, spare arms, spurs, wedges, cookingkettles, horse-shoes, bags of nails and the hundred other things whichexperience had shown to be needful in a harried and hostile country. Awhite mule with red trappings, led by a varlet, carried Sir Nigel's ownnapery and table comforts. Then came two-score more archers, ten moremen-at-arms, and finally a rear guard of twenty bowmen, with big Johntowering in the front rank and the veteran Aylward marching by the side, his battered harness and faded surcoat in strange contrast with thesnow-white jupons and shining brigandines of his companions. A quickcross-fire of greetings and questions and rough West Saxon jests flewfrom rank to rank, or were bandied about betwixt the marching archersand the gazing crowd. "Hola, Gaffer Higginson!" cried Aylward, as he spied the portly figureof the village innkeeper. "No more of thy nut-brown, mon gar. We leaveit behind us. " "By St. Paul, no!" cried the other. "You take it with you. Devil a drophave you left in the great kilderkin. It was time for you to go. " "If your cask is leer, I warrant your purse is full, gaffer, " shoutedHordle John. "See that you lay in good store of the best for ourhome-coming. " "See that you keep your throat whole for the drinking of it archer, "cried a voice, and the crowd laughed at the rough pleasantry. "If you will warrant the beer, I will warrant the throat, " said Johncomposedly. "Close up the ranks!" cried Aylward. "En avant, mes enfants! Ah, by myfinger bones, there is my sweet Mary from the Priory Mill! Ma foi, butshe is beautiful! Adieu, Mary ma cherie! Mon coeur est toujours atoi. Brace your belt, Watkins, man, and swing your shoulders as a freecompanion should. By my hilt! your jerkins will be as dirty as mine ereyou clap eyes on Hengistbury Head again. " The Company had marched to the turn of the road ere Sir Nigel Loringrode out from the gateway, mounted on Pommers, his great blackwar-horse, whose ponderous footfall on the wooden drawbridge echoedloudly from the gloomy arch which spanned it. Sir Nigel was still in hisvelvet dress of peace, with flat velvet cap of maintenance, and curlingostrich feather clasped in a golden brooch. To his three squires ridingbehind him it looked as though he bore the bird's egg as well as itsfeather, for the back of his bald pate shone like a globe of ivory. Hebore no arms save the long and heavy sword which hung at his saddle-bow;but Terlake carried in front of him the high wivern-crested bassinet, Ford the heavy ash spear with swallow-tail pennon, while Alleyne wasentrusted with the emblazoned shield. The Lady Loring rode her palfreyat her lord's bridle-arm, for she would see him as far as the edgeof the forest, and ever and anon she turned her hard-lined faceup wistfully to him and ran a questioning eye over his apparel andappointments. "I trust that there is nothing forgot, " she said, beckoning to Alleyneto ride on her further side. "I trust him to you, Edricson. Hosen, shirts, cyclas, and under-jupons are in the brown basket on the leftside of the mule. His wine he takes hot when the nights are cold, malvoisie or vernage, with as much spice as would cover the thumb-nail. See that he hath a change if he come back hot from the tilting. There isgoose-grease in a box, if the old scars ache at the turn of the weather. Let his blankets be dry and----" "Nay, my heart's life, " the little knight interrupted, "trouble not nowabout such matters. Why so pale and wan, Edricson? Is it not enowto make a man's heart dance to see this noble Company, such valiantmen-at-arms, such lusty archers? By St. Paul! I would be ill to pleaseif I were not blithe to see the red roses flying at the head of so noblea following!" "The purse I have already given you, Edricson, " continue the lady. "There are in it twenty-three marks, one noble, three shillings andfourpence, which is a great treasure for one man to carry. And I prayyou to bear in mind, Edricson, that he hath two pair of shoes, those ofred leather for common use, and the others with golden toe-chains, which he may wear should he chance to drink wine with the Prince or withChandos. " "My sweet bird, " said Sir Nigel, "I am right loth to part from you, but we are now at the fringe of the forest, and it is not right that Ishould take the chatelaine too far from her trust. " "But oh, my dear lord, " she cried with a trembling lip, "let me bidewith you for one furlong further--or one and a half perhaps. You mayspare me this out of the weary miles that you will journey along. " "Come, then, my heart's comfort, " he answered. "But I must crave a gagefrom thee. It is my custom, dearling, and hath been since I havefirst known thee, to proclaim by herald in such camps, townships, orfortalices as I may chance to visit, that my lady-love, being beyondcompare the fairest and sweetest in Christendom, I should deem it greathonor and kindly condescension if any cavalier would run three coursesagainst me with sharpened lances, should he chance to have a lady whoseclaim he was willing to advance. I pray you then my fair dove, that youwill vouchsafe to me one of those doeskin gloves, that I may wear it asthe badge of her whose servant I shall ever be. " "Alack and alas for the fairest and sweetest!" she cried. "Fair andsweet I would fain be for your dear sake, my lord, but old I am andugly, and the knights would laugh should you lay lance in rest in such acause. " "Edricson, " quoth Sir Nigel, "you have young eyes, and mine are somewhatbedimmed. Should you chance to see a knight laugh, or smile, or even, look you, arch his brows, or purse his mouth, or in any way showsurprise that I should uphold the Lady Mary, you will take particularnote of his name, his coat-armor, and his lodging. Your glove, my life'sdesire!" The Lady Mary Loring slipped her hand from her yellow leather gauntlet, and he, lifting it with dainty reverence, bound it to the front of hisvelvet cap. "It is with mine other guardian angels, " quoth he, pointing at thesaints' medals which hung beside it. "And now, my dearest, you have comefar enow. May the Virgin guard and prosper thee! One kiss!" He bent downfrom his saddle, and then, striking spurs into his horse's sides, hegalloped at top speed after his men, with his three squires at hisheels. Half a mile further, where the road topped a hill, they lookedback, and the Lady Mary on her white palfrey was still where they hadleft her. A moment later they were on the downward slope, and she hadvanished from their view. CHAPTER XIV. HOW SIR NIGEL SOUGHT FOR A WAYSIDE VENTURE. For a time Sir Nigel was very moody and downcast, with bent brows andeyes upon the pommel of his saddle. Edricson and Terlake rode behind himin little better case, while Ford, a careless and light-hearted youth, grinned at the melancholy of his companions, and flourished his lord'sheavy spear, making a point to right and a point to left, as thoughhe were a paladin contending against a host of assailants. Sir Nigelhappened, however, to turn himself in his saddle-Ford instantly becameas stiff and as rigid as though he had been struck with a palsy. Thefour rode alone, for the archers had passed a curve in the road, thoughAlleyne could still hear the heavy clump, clump of their marching, orcatch a glimpse of the sparkle of steel through the tangle of leaflessbranches. "Ride by my side, friends, I entreat of you, " said the knight, reiningin his steed that they might come abreast of him. "For, since it hathpleased you to follow me to the wars, it were well that you should knowhow you may best serve me. I doubt not, Terlake, that you will showyourself a worthy son of a valiant father; and you, Ford, of yours; andyou, Edricson, that you are mindful of the old-time house from whichall men know that you are sprung. And first I would have you bearvery steadfastly in mind that our setting forth is by no means for thepurpose of gaining spoil or exacting ransom, though it may well happenthat such may come to us also. We go to France, and from thence I trustto Spain, in humble search of a field in which we may win advancementand perchance some small share of glory. For this purpose I would haveyou know that it is not my wont to let any occasion pass where it is inany way possible that honor may be gained. I would have you bear thisin mind, and give great heed to it that you may bring me word of allcartels, challenges, wrongs, tyrannies, infamies, and wronging ofdamsels. Nor is any occasion too small to take note of, for I haveknown such trifles as the dropping of a gauntlet, or the flicking ofa breadcrumb, when well and properly followed up, lead to a most noblespear-running. But, Edricson, do I not see a cavalier who rides downyonder road amongst the nether shaw? It would be well, perchance, thatyou should give him greeting from me. And, should he be of gentle bloodit may be that he would care to exchange thrusts with me. " "Why, my lord, " quoth Ford, standing in his stirrups and shading hiseyes, "it is old Hob Davidson, the fat miller of Milton!" "Ah, so it is, indeed, " said Sir Nigel, puckering his cheeks; "butwayside ventures are not to be scorned, for I have seen no finerpassages than are to be had from such chance meetings, when cavaliersare willing to advance themselves. I can well remember that two leaguesfrom the town of Rheims I met a very valiant and courteous cavalier ofFrance, with whom I had gentle and most honorable contention for upwardsof an hour. It hath ever grieved me that I had not his name, for hesmote upon me with a mace and went upon his way ere I was in conditionto have much speech with him; but his arms were an allurion in chiefabove a fess azure. I was also on such an occasion thrust through theshoulder by Lyon de Montcourt, whom I met on the high road betwixtLibourne and Bordeaux. I met him but the once, but I have never seena man for whom I bear a greater love and esteem. And so also with thesquire Le Bourg Capillet, who would have been a very valiant captain hadhe lived. " "He is dead then?" asked Alleyne Edricson. "Alas! it was my ill fate to slay him in a bickering which broke out ina field near the township of Tarbes. I cannot call to mind how thething came about, for it was in the year of the Prince's ride throughLanguedoc, when there was much fine skirmishing to be had at barriers. By St. Paul! I do not think that any honorable cavalier could ask forbetter chance of advancement than might be had by spurring forth beforethe army and riding to the gateways of Narbonne, or Bergerac or MontGiscar, where some courteous gentleman would ever be at wait to dowhat he might to meet your wish or ease you of your vow. Such a one atVentadour ran three courses with me betwixt daybreak and sunrise, to thegreat exaltation of his lady. " "And did you slay him also, my lord?" asked Ford with reverence. "I could never learn, for he was carried within the barrier, and as Ihad chanced to break the bone of my leg it was a great unease for meto ride or even to stand. Yet, by the goodness of heaven and the piousintercession of the valiant St. George, I was able to sit my chargerin the ruffle of Poictiers, which was no very long time afterwards. Butwhat have we here? A very fair and courtly maiden, or I mistake. " It was indeed a tall and buxom country lass, with a basket ofspinach-leaves upon her head, and a great slab of bacon tucked under onearm. She bobbed a frightened curtsey as Sir Nigel swept his velvet hatfrom his head and reined up his great charger. "God be with thee, fair maiden!" said he. "God guard thee, my lord!" she answered, speaking in the broadest WestSaxon speech, and balancing herself first on one foot and then on theother in her bashfulness. "Fear not, my fair damsel, " said Sir Nigel, "but tell me if perchancea poor and most unworthy knight can in any wise be of service to you. Should it chance that you have been used despitefully, it may be that Imay obtain justice for you. " "Lawk no, kind sir, " she answered, clutching her bacon the tighter, asthough some design upon it might be hid under this knightly offer. "Ibe the milking wench o' fairmer Arnold, and he be as kind a maister asheart could wish. " "It is well, " said he, and with a shake of the bridle rode on down thewoodland path. "I would have you bear in mind, " he continued to hissquires, "that gentle courtesy is not, as is the base use of so manyfalse knights, to be shown only to maidens of high degree, for thereis no woman so humble that a true knight may not listen to her tale ofwrong. But here comes a cavalier who is indeed in haste. Perchance itwould be well that we should ask him whither he rides, for it may bethat he is one who desires to advance himself in chivalry. " The bleak, hard, wind-swept road dipped down in front of them into alittle valley, and then, writhing up the heathy slope upon the otherside, lost itself among the gaunt pine-trees. Far away between the blacklines of trunks the quick glitter of steel marked where the Companypursued its way. To the north stretched the tree country, but to thesouth, between two swelling downs, a glimpse might be caught of the coldgray shimmer of the sea, with the white fleck of a galley sail upon thedistant sky-line. Just in front of the travellers a horseman was urginghis steed up the slope, driving it on with whip and spur as one whorides for a set purpose. As he clattered up, Alleyne could see that theroan horse was gray with dust and flecked with foam, as though it hadleft many a mile behind it. The rider was a stern-faced man, hard ofmouth and dry of eye, with a heavy sword clanking at his side, and astiff white bundle swathed in linen balanced across the pommel of hissaddle. "The king's messenger, " he bawled as he came up to them. "The messengerof the king. Clear the causeway for the king's own man. " "Not so loudly, friend, " quoth the little knight, reining his horse halfround to bar the path. "I have myself been the king's man for thirtyyears or more, but I have not been wont to halloo about it on a peacefulhighway. " "I ride in his service, " cried the other, "and I carry that whichbelongs to him. You bar my path at your peril. " "Yet I have known the king's enemies claim to ride in his same, " saidSir Nigel. "The foul fiend may lurk beneath a garment of light. We musthave some sign or warrant of your mission. " "Then must I hew a passage, " cried the stranger, with his shoulderbraced round and his hand upon his hilt. "I am not to be stopped on theking's service by every gadabout. " "Should you be a gentleman of quarterings and coat-armor, " lisped SirNigel, "I shall be very blithe to go further into the matter with you. If not, I have three very worthy squires, any one of whom would take thething upon himself, and debate it with you in a very honorable way. " The man scowled from one to the other, and his hand stole away from hissword. "You ask me for a sign, " he said. "Here is a sign for you, since youmust have one. " As he spoke he whirled the covering from the objectin front of him and showed to their horror that it was a newly-severedhuman leg. "By God's tooth!" he continued, with a brutal laugh, "you askme if I am a man of quarterings, and it is even so, for I am officerto the verderer's court at Lyndhurst. This thievish leg is to hang atMilton, and the other is already at Brockenhurst, as a sign to all menof what comes of being over-fond of venison pasty. " "Faugh!" cried Sir Nigel. "Pass on the other side of the road, fellow, and let us have the wind of you. We shall trot our horses, my friends, across this pleasant valley, for, by Our Lady! a breath of God's freshair is right welcome after such a sight. " "We hoped to snare a falcon, " said he presently, "but we netted acarrion-crow. Ma foi! but there are men whose hearts are tougher than aboar's hide. For me, I have played the old game of war since ever I hadhair on my chin, and I have seen ten thousand brave men in one day withtheir faces to the sky, but I swear by Him who made me that I cannotabide the work of the butcher. " "And yet, my fair lord, " said Edricson, "there has, from what I hear, been much of such devil's work in France. " "Too much, too much, " he answered. "But I have ever observed that theforemost in the field are they who would scorn to mishandle a prisoner. By St. Paul! it is not they who carry the breach who are wont to sackthe town, but the laggard knaves who come crowding in when a way hasbeen cleared for them. But what is this among the trees?" "It is a shrine of Our Lady, " said Terlake, "and a blind beggar wholives by the alms of those who worship there. " "A shrine!" cried the knight. "Then let us put up an orison. " Pullingoff his cap, and clasping his hands, he chanted in a shrill voice:"Benedictus dominus Deus meus, qui docet manus meas ad proelium, et digitos meos ad bellum. " A strange figure he seemed to his threesquires, perched on his huge horse, with his eyes upturned and thewintry sun shimmering upon his bald head. "It is a noble prayer, " heremarked, putting on his hat again, "and it was taught to me by thenoble Chandos himself. But how fares it with you, father? Methinks thatI should have ruth upon you, seeing that I am myself like one who looksthrough a horn window while his neighbors have the clear crystal. Yet, by St. Paul! there is a long stride between the man who hath a horncasement and him who is walled in on every hand. " "Alas! fair sir, " cried the blind old man, "I have not seen the blessedblue of heaven this two-score years, since a levin flash burned thesight out of my head. " "You have been blind to much that is goodly and fair, " quoth Sir Nigel, "but you have also been spared much that is sorry and foul. This veryhour our eyes have been shocked with that which would have left youunmoved. But, by St. Paul! we must on, or our Company will think thatthey have lost their captain somewhat early in the venture. Throw theman my purse, Edricson, and let us go. " Alleyne, lingering behind, bethought him of the Lady Loring's counsel, and reduced the noble gift which the knight had so freely bestowed to asingle penny, which the beggar with many mumbled blessings thrust awayinto his wallet. Then, spurring his steed, the young squire rode at thetop of his speed after his companions, and overtook them just at thespot where the trees fringe off into the moor and the straggling hamletof Hordle lies scattered on either side of the winding and deeply-ruttedtrack. The Company was already well-nigh through the village; but, asthe knight and his squires closed up upon them, they heard the clamor ofa strident voice, followed by a roar of deep-chested laughter fromthe ranks of the archers. Another minute brought them up with therear-guard, where every man marched with his beard on his shoulder and aface which was agrin with merriment. By the side of the column walkeda huge red-headed bowman, with his hands thrown out in argument andexpostulation, while close at his heels followed a little wrinkledwoman who poured forth a shrill volley of abuse, varied by an occasionalthwack from her stick, given with all the force of her body, though shemight have been beating one of the forest trees for all the effect thatshe seemed likely to produce. "I trust, Aylward, " said Sir Nigel gravely, as he rode up, "that thisdoth not mean that any violence hath been offered to women. If such athing happened, I tell you that the man shall hang, though he were thebest archer that ever wore brassart. " "Nay, my fair lord, " Aylward answered with a grin, "it is violence whichis offered to a man. He comes from Hordle, and this is his mother whohath come forth to welcome him. " "You rammucky lurden, " she was howling, with a blow between each catchof her breath, "you shammocking, yaping, over-long good-for-nought. Iwill teach thee! I will baste thee! Aye, by my faith!" "Whist, mother, " said John, looking back at her from the tail of hiseye, "I go to France as an archer to give blows and to take them. " "To France, quotha?" cried the old dame. "Bide here with me, and I shallwarrant you more blows than you are like to get in France. If blows bewhat you seek, you need not go further than Hordle. " "By my hilt! the good dame speaks truth, " said Aylward. "It seems to bethe very home of them. " "What have you to say, you clean-shaved galley-beggar?" cried the fierydame, turning upon the archer. "Can I not speak with my own son but youmust let your tongue clack? A soldier, quotha, and never a hair onhis face. I have seen a better soldier with pap for food and swaddlingclothes for harness. " "Stand to it, Aylward, " cried the archers, amid a fresh burst oflaughter. "Do not thwart her, comrade, " said big John. "She hath a proper spiritfor her years and cannot abide to be thwarted. It is kindly and homelyto me to hear her voice and to feel that she is behind me. But I mustleave you now, mother, for the way is over-rough for your feet; but Iwill bring you back a silken gown, if there be one in France or Spain, and I will bring Jinny a silver penny; so good-bye to you, and God haveyou in His keeping!" Whipping up the little woman, he lifted her lightlyto his lips, and then, taking his place in the ranks again, marched onwith the laughing Company. "That was ever his way, " she cried, appealing to Sir Nigel, who reinedup his horse and listened with the greatest courtesy. "He would jog onhis own road for all that I could do to change him. First he must be amonk forsooth, and all because a wench was wise enough to turn her backon him. Then he joins a rascally crew and must needs trapse off to thewars, and me with no one to bait the fire if I be out, or tend the cowif I be home. Yet I have been a good mother to him. Three hazel switchesa day have I broke across his shoulders, and he takes no more noticethan you have seen him to-day. " "Doubt not that he will come back to you both safe and prosperous, myfair dame, " quoth Sir Nigel. "Meanwhile it grieves me that as I havealready given my purse to a beggar up the road I----" "Nay, my lord, " said Alleyne, "I still have some moneys remaining. " "Then I pray you to give them to this very worthy woman. " He canteredon as he spoke, while Alleyne, having dispensed two more pence, leftthe old dame standing by the furthest cottage of Hordle, with her shrillvoice raised in blessings instead of revilings. There were two cross-roads before they reached the Lymington Ford, andat each of then Sir Nigel pulled up his horse, and waited with many acurvet and gambade, craning his neck this way and that to see if fortunewould send him a venture. Crossroads had, as he explained, been rareplaces for knightly spear-runnings, and in his youth it was no uncommonthing for a cavalier to abide for weeks at such a point, holding gentledebate with all comers, to his own advancement and the great honor ofhis lady. The times were changed, however, and the forest tracks woundaway from them deserted and silent, with no trample of war-horse orclang of armor which might herald the approach of an adversary--so thatSir Nigel rode on his way disconsolate. At the Lymington River theysplashed through the ford, and lay in the meadows on the further side toeat the bread and salt meat which they carried upon the sumpter horses. Then, ere the sun was on the slope of the heavens, they had deftlytrussed up again, and were swinging merrily upon their way, two hundredfeet moving like two. There is a third cross-road where the track from Boldre runs down to theold fishing village of Pitt's Deep. Down this, as they came abreast ofit, there walked two men, the one a pace or two behind the other. Thecavaliers could not but pull up their horses to look at them, for astranger pair were never seen journeying together. The first was amisshapen, squalid man with cruel, cunning eyes and a shock of tangledred hair, bearing in his hands a small unpainted cross, which he heldhigh so that all men might see it. He seemed to be in the last extremityof fright, with a face the color of clay and his limbs all ashake as onewho hath an ague. Behind him, with his toe ever rasping upon the other'sheels, there walked a very stern, black-bearded man with a hard eye anda set mouth. He bore over his shoulder a great knotted stick with threejagged nails stuck in the head of it, and from time to time he whirledit up in the air with a quivering arm, as though he could scarce holdback from dashing his companion's brains out. So in silence they walkedunder the spread of the branches on the grass-grown path from Boldre. "By St. Paul!" quoth the knight, "but this is a passing strange sight, and perchance some very perilous and honorable venture may arise fromit. I pray you, Edricson, to ride up to them and to ask them the causeof it. " There was no need, however, for him to move, for the twain came swiftlytowards them until they were within a spear's length, when the manwith the cross sat himself down sullenly upon a tussock of grass by thewayside, while the other stood beside him with his great cudgel stillhanging over his head. So intent was he that he raised his eyes neitherto knight nor squires, but kept them ever fixed with a savage glare uponhis comrade. "I pray you, friend, " said Sir Nigel, "to tell us truthfully who youare, and why you follow this man with such bitter enmity? "So long as I am within the pale of the king's law, " the strangeranswered, "I cannot see why I should render account to every passingwayfarer. " "You are no very shrewd reasoner, fellow, " quoth the knight; "for ifit be within the law for you to threaten him with your club, then it isalso lawful for me to threaten you with my sword. " The man with the cross was down in an instant on his knees upon theground, with hands clasped above him and his face shining with hope. "For dear Christ's sake, my fair lord, " he cried in a crackling voice, "I have at my belt a bag with a hundred rose nobles, and I will give itto you freely if you will but pass your sword through this man's body. " "How, you foul knave?" exclaimed Sir Nigel hotly. "Do you think thata cavalier's arm is to be bought like a packman's ware. By St. Paul! Ihave little doubt that this fellow hath some very good cause to hold youin hatred. " "Indeed, my fair sir, you speak sooth, " quoth he with the club, whilethe other seated himself once more by the wayside. "For this man isPeter Peterson, a very noted rieve, draw-latch, and murtherer, who haswrought much evil for many years in the parts about Winchester. It wasbut the other day, upon the feasts of the blessed Simon and Jude, thathe slew my younger brother William in Bere Forest--for which, by theblack thorn of Glastonbury! I shall have his heart's blood, though Iwalk behind him to the further end of earth. " "But if this be indeed so, " asked Sir Nigel, "why is it that you havecome with him so far through the forest?" "Because I am an honest Englishman, and will take no more than the lawallows. For when the deed was done this foul and base wretch fled tosanctuary at St. Cross, and I, as you may think, after him with allthe posse. The prior, however, hath so ordered that while he holds thiscross no man may lay hand upon him without the ban of church, whichheaven forfend from me or mine. Yet, if for an instant he lay the crossaside, or if he fail to journey to Pitt's Deep, where it is ordered thathe shall take ship to outland parts, or if he take not the first ship, or if until the ship be ready he walk not every day into the sea as faras his loins, then he becomes outlaw, and I shall forthwith dash out hisbrains. " At this the man on the ground snarled up at him like a rat, while theother clenched his teeth, and shook his club, and looked down at himwith murder in his eyes. Knight and squire gazed from rogue to avenger, but as it was a matter which none could mend they tarried no longer, butrode upon their way. Alleyne, looking back, saw that the murderer haddrawn bread and cheese from his scrip, and was silently munching it, with the protecting cross still hugged to his breast, while the other, black and grim, stood in the sunlit road and threw his dark shadowathwart him. CHAPTER XV. HOW THE YELLOW COG SAILED FORTH FROM LEPE. That night the Company slept at St. Leonard's, in the great monasticbarns and spicarium--ground well known both to Alleyne and to John, forthey were almost within sight of the Abbey of Beaulieu. A strange thrillit gave to the young squire to see the well-remembered white dress oncemore, and to hear the measured tolling of the deep vespers bell. At early dawn they passed across the broad, sluggish, reed-girtstream--men, horses, and baggage in the flat ferry barges--and sojourneyed on through the fresh morning air past Exbury to Lepe. Topping the heathy down, they came of a sudden full in sight of the oldsea-port--a cluster of houses, a trail of blue smoke, and a bristle ofmasts. To right and left the long blue curve of the Solent lapped in afringe of foam upon the yellow beach. Some way out from the town a lineof pessoners, creyers, and other small craft were rolling lazily on thegentle swell. Further out still lay a great merchant-ship, high ended, deep waisted, painted of a canary yellow, and towering above thefishing-boats like a swan among ducklings. "By St. Paul!" said the knight, "our good merchant of Southampton hathnot played us false, for methinks I can see our ship down yonder. Hesaid that she would be of great size and of a yellow shade. " "By my hilt, yes!" muttered Aylward; "she is yellow as a kite's claw, and would carry as many men as there are pips in a pomegranate. " "It is as well, " remarked Terlake; "for methinks, my fair lord, thatwe are not the only ones who are waiting a passage to Gascony. Mine eyecatches at times a flash and sparkle among yonder houses which assuredlynever came from shipman's jacket or the gaberdine of a burgher. " "I can also see it, " said Alleyne, shading his eyes with his hand. "AndI can see men-at-arms in yonder boats which ply betwixt the vessel andthe shore. But methinks that we are very welcome here, for already theycome forth to meet us. " A tumultuous crowd of fishermen, citizens, and women had indeed swarmedout from the northern gate, and approached them up the side of the moor, waving their hands and dancing with joy, as though a great fear had beenrolled back from their minds. At their head rode a very large and solemnman with a long chin and a drooping lip. He wore a fur tippet round hisneck and a heavy gold chain over it, with a medallion which dangled infront of him. "Welcome, most puissant and noble lord, " he cried, doffing his bonnetto Black Simon. "I have heard of your lordship's valiant deeds, and insooth they might be expected from your lordship's face and bearing. Isthere any small matter in which I may oblige you?" "Since you ask me, " said the man-at-arms, "I would take it kindly if youcould spare a link or two of the chain which hangs round your neck. " "What, the corporation chain!" cried the other in horror. "The ancientchain of the township of Lepe! This is but a sorry jest, Sir Nigel. " "What the plague did you ask me for then?" said Simon. "But if it isSir Nigel Loring with whom you would speak, that is he upon the blackhorse. " The Mayor of Lepe gazed with amazement on the mild face and slenderframe of the famous warrior. "Your pardon, my gracious lord, " he cried. "You see in me the mayor andchief magistrate of the ancient and powerful town of Lepe. I bid youvery heartily welcome, and the more so as you are come at a moment whenwe are sore put to it for means of defence. ' "Ha!" cried Sir Nigel, pricking up his ears. "Yes, my lord, for the town being very ancient and the walls as oldas the town, it follows that they are very ancient too. But there is acertain villainous and bloodthirsty Norman pirate hight Tete-noire, who, with a Genoan called Tito Caracci, commonly known as Spade-beard, hathbeen a mighty scourge upon these coasts. Indeed, my lord, they are verycruel and black-hearted men, graceless and ruthless, and if they shouldcome to the ancient and powerful town of Lepe then--" "Then good-bye to the ancient and powerful town of Lepe, " quoth Ford, whose lightness of tongue could at times rise above his awe of SirNigel. The knight, however, was too much intent upon the matter in hand to giveheed to the flippancy of his squire. "Have you then cause, " he asked, "to think that these men are about to venture an attempt upon you?" "They have come in two great galleys, " answered the mayor, "with twobank of oars on either side, and great store of engines of war andof men-at-arms. At Weymouth and at Portland they have murdered andravished. Yesterday morning they were at Cowes, and we saw the smokefrom the burning crofts. To-day they lie at their ease near Freshwater, and we fear much lest they come upon us and do us a mischief. " "We cannot tarry, " said Sir Nigel, riding towards the town, with themayor upon his left side; "the Prince awaits us at Bordeaux, and we maynot be behind the general muster. Yet I will promise you that on our waywe shall find time to pass Freshwater and to prevail upon these roversto leave you in peace. " "We are much beholden to you!" cried the mayor "But I cannot see, mylord, how, without a war-ship, you may venture against these men. Withyour archers, however, you might well hold the town and do them greatscath if they attempt to land. " "There is a very proper cog out yonder, " said Sir Nigel, "it would be avery strange thing if any ship were not a war-ship when it had such menas these upon her decks. Certes, we shall do as I say, and that no laterthan this very day. " "My lord, " said a rough-haired, dark-faced man, who walked by theknight's other stirrup, with his head sloped to catch all that he wassaying. "By your leave, I have no doubt that you are skilled in landfighting and the marshalling of lances, but, by my soul! you will findit another thing upon the sea. I am the master-shipman of this yellowcog, and my name is Goodwin Hawtayne. I have sailed since I was as highas this staff, and I have fought against these Normans and against theGenoese, as well as the Scotch, the Bretons, the Spanish, and the Moors. I tell you, sir, that my ship is over light and over frail for suchwork, and it will but end in our having our throats cut, or being soldas slaves to the Barbary heathen. " "I also have experienced one or two gentle and honorable ventures uponthe sea, " quoth Sir Nigel, "and I am right blithe to have so fair a taskbefore us. I think, good master-shipman, that you and I may win greathonor in this matter, and I can see very readily that you are a braveand stout man. " "I like it not, " said the other sturdily. "In God's name, I like it not. And yet Goodwin Hawtayne is not the man to stand back when his fellowsare for pressing forward. By my soul! be it sink or swim, I shallturn her beak into Freshwater Bay, and if good Master Witherton, ofSouthampton, like not my handling of his ship then he may find anothermaster-shipman. " They were close by the old north gate of the little town, and Alleyne, half turning in his saddle, looked back at the motley crowd whofollowed. The bowmen and men-at-arms had broken their ranks and wereintermingled with the fishermen and citizens, whose laughing facesand hearty gestures bespoke the weight of care from which this welcomearrival had relieved them. Here and there among the moving throng ofdark jerkins and of white surcoats were scattered dashes of scarlet andblue, the whimples or shawls of the women. Aylward, with a fishing lasson either arm, was vowing constancy alternately to her on the right andher on the left, while big John towered in the rear with a little chubbymaiden enthroned upon his great shoulder, her soft white arm curledround his shining headpiece. So the throng moved on, until at the verygate it was brought to a stand by a wondrously fat man, who came dartingforth from the town with rage in every feature of his rubicund face. "How now, Sir Mayor?" he roared, in a voice like a bull. "How now, SirMayor? How of the clams and the scallops?" "By Our Lady! my sweet Sir Oliver, " cried the mayor. "I have had so muchto think of, with these wicked villains so close upon us, that it hadquite gone out of my head. " "Words, words!" shouted the other furiously. "Am I to be put off withwords? I say to you again, how of the clams and scallops?" "My fair sir, you flatter me, " cried the mayor. "I am a peaceful trader, and I am not wont to be so shouted at upon so small a matter. " "Small!" shrieked the other. "Small! Clams and scallops! Ask me to yourtable to partake of the dainty of the town, and when I come a barrenwelcome and a bare board! Where is my spear-bearer?" "Nay, Sir Oliver, Sir Oliver!" cried Sir Nigel, laughing. "Let your anger be appeased, since instead of this dish you come upon anold friend and comrade. " "By St. Martin of Tours!" shouted the fat knight, his wrath all changedin an instant to joy, "if it is not my dear little game rooster of theGaronne. Ah, my sweet coz, I am right glad to see you. What days we haveseen together!" "Aye, by my faith, " cried Sir Nigel, with sparkling eyes, "we haveseen some valiant men, and we have shown our pennons in some nobleskirmishes. By St. Paul! we have had great joys in France. " "And sorrows also, " quoth the other. "I have some sad memories of theland. Can you recall that which befell us at Libourne?" "Nay, I cannot call to mind that we ever so much as drew sword at theplace. " "Man, man, " cried Sir Oliver, "your mind still runs on nought but bladesand bassinets. Hast no space in thy frame for the softer joys. Ah, even now I can scarce speak of it unmoved. So noble a pie, such tenderpigeons, and sugar in the gravy instead of salt! You were by my sidethat day, as were Sir Claude Latour and the Lord of Pommers. " "I remember it, " said Sir Nigel, laughing, "and how you harried the cookdown the street, and spoke of setting fire to the inn. By St. Paul! mostworthy mayor, my old friend is a perilous man, and I rede you that youcompose your difference with him on such terms as you may. " "The clams and scallops shall be ready within the hour, " the mayoranswered. "I had asked Sir Oliver Buttesthorn to do my humble boardthe honor to partake at it of the dainty upon which we take some littlepride, but in sooth this alarm of pirates hath cast such a shadow on mywits that I am like one distrait. But I trust, Sir Nigel, that you willalso partake of none-meat with me?" "I have overmuch to do, " Sir Nigel answered, "for we must be aboard, horse and man, as early as we may. How many do you muster, Sir Oliver?" "Three and forty. The forty are drunk, and the three are but indifferentsober. I have them all safe upon the ship. " "They had best find their wits again, for I shall have work for everyman of them ere the sun set. It is my intention, if it seems good toyou, to try a venture against these Norman and Genoese rovers. " "They carry caviare and certain very noble spices from the Levant aboardof ships from Genoa, " quoth Sir Oliver. "We may come to great profitthrough the business. I pray you, master-shipman, that when you go onboard you pour a helmetful of sea-water over any of my rogues whom youmay see there. " Leaving the lusty knight and the Mayor of Lepe, Sir Nigel led theCompany straight down to the water's edge, where long lines of flatlighters swiftly bore them to their vessel. Horse after horse was slungby main force up from the barges, and after kicking and plunging inempty air was dropped into the deep waist of the yellow cog, where rowsof stalls stood ready for their safe keeping. Englishmen in those dayswere skilled and prompt in such matters, for it was so not long beforethat Edward had embarked as many as fifty thousand men in the portof Orwell, with their horses and their baggage, all in the space offour-and-twenty hours. So urgent was Sir Nigel on the shore, and soprompt was Goodwin Hawtayne on the cog, that Sir Oliver Buttesthorn hadscarce swallowed his last scallop ere the peal of the trumpet and clangof nakir announced that all was ready and the anchor drawn. In the lastboat which left the shore the two commanders sat together in the sheets, a strange contrast to one another, while under the feet of the rowerswas a litter of huge stones which Sir Nigel had ordered to be carried tothe cog. These once aboard, the ship set her broad mainsail, purplein color, and with a golden St. Christopher bearing Christ upon hisshoulder in the centre of it. The breeze blew, the sail bellied, overheeled the portly vessel, and away she plunged through the smooth bluerollers, amid the clang of the minstrels on her poop and the shouting ofthe black crowd who fringed the yellow beach. To the left lay the greenIsland of Wight, with its long, low, curving hills peeping over eachother's shoulders to the sky-line; to the right the wooded Hampshirecoast as far as eye could reach; above a steel-blue heaven, with awintry sun shimmering down upon them, and enough of frost to set thebreath a-smoking. "By St. Paul!" said Sir Nigel gayly, as he stood upon the poop andlooked on either side of him, "it is a land which is very well worthfighting for, and it were pity to go to France for what may be had athome. Did you not spy a crooked man upon the beach?" "Nay, I spied nothing, " grumbled Sir Oliver, "for I was hurried downwith a clam stuck in my gizzard and an untasted goblet of Cyprus on theboard behind me. " "I saw him, my fair lord, " said Terlake, "an old man with one shoulderhigher than the other. " "'Tis a sign of good fortune, " quoth Sir Nigel. "Our path was alsocrossed by a woman and by a priest, so all should be well with us. Whatsay you, Edricson?" "I cannot tell, my fair lord. The Romans of old were a very wise people, yet, certes, they placed their faith in such matters. So, too, didthe Greeks, and divers other ancient peoples who were famed for theirlearning. Yet of the moderns there are many who scoff at all omens. " "There can be no manner of doubt about it, " said Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, "I can well remember that in Navarre one day it thundered on the leftout of a cloudless sky. We knew that ill would come of it, nor had welong to wait. Only thirteen days after, a haunch of prime venison wascarried from my very tent door by the wolves, and on the same day twoflasks of old vernage turned sour and muddy. " "You may bring my harness from below, " said Sir Nigel to his squires, "and also, I pray you, bring up Sir Oliver's and we shall don it here. Ye may then see to your own gear; for this day you will, I hope, make avery honorable entrance into the field of chivalry, and prove yourselvesto be very worthy and valiant squires. And now, Sir Oliver, as to ourdispositions: would it please you that I should order them or will you?" "You, my cockerel, you. By Our Lady! I am no chicken, but I cannot claimto know as much of war as the squire of Sir Walter Manny. Settle thematter to your own liking. " "You shall fly your pennon upon the fore part, then, and I upon thepoop. For foreguard I shall give you your own forty men, with two-scorearchers. Two-score men, with my own men-at-arms and squires, will serveas a poop-guard. Ten archers, with thirty shipmen, under the master, mayhold the waist while ten lie aloft with stones and arbalests. How likeyou that?" "Good, by my faith, good! But here comes my harness, and I must to work, for I cannot slip into it as I was wont when first I set my face to thewars. " Meanwhile there had been bustle and preparation in all parts of thegreat vessel. The archers stood in groups about the decks, new-stringingtheir bows, and testing that they were firm at the nocks. Among themmoved Aylward and other of the older soldiers, with a few whisperedwords of precept here and of warning there. "Stand to it, my hearts of gold, " said the old bowman as he passed fromknot to knot. "By my hilt! we are in luck this journey. Bear in mind theold saying of the Company. " "What is that, Aylward?" cried several, leaning on their bows andlaughing at him. "'Tis the master-bowyer's rede: 'Every bow well bent. Every shaft wellsent. Every stave well nocked. Every string well locked. ' There, withthat jingle in his head, a bracer on his left hand, a shooting glove onhis right, and a farthing's-worth of wax in his girdle, what more doth abowman need?" "It would not be amiss, " said Hordle John, "if under his girdle he hadtour farthings'-worth of wine. " "Work first, wine afterwards, mon camarade. But it is time that wetook our order, for methinks that between the Needle rocks and the Alumcliffs yonder I can catch a glimpse of the topmasts of the galleys. Hewett, Cook, Johnson, Cunningham, your men are of the poop-guard. Thornbury, Walters, Hackett, Baddlesmere, you are with Sir Oliver on theforecastle. Simon, you bide with your lord's banner; but ten men must goforward. " Quietly and promptly the men took their places, lying flat upon theirfaces on the deck, for such was Sir Nigel's order. Near the prow wasplanted Sir Oliver's spear, with his arms--a boar's head gules upon afield of gold. Close by the stern stood Black Simon with the pennon ofthe house of Loring. In the waist gathered the Southampton mariners, hairy and burly men, with their jerkins thrown off, their waists bracedtight, swords, mallets, and pole-axes in their hands. Their leader, Goodwin Hawtayne, stood upon the poop and talked with Sir Nigel, castinghis eye up sometimes at the swelling sail, and then glancing back at thetwo seamen who held the tiller. "Pass the word, " said Sir Nigel, "that no man shall stand to arms ordraw his bow-string until my trumpeter shall sound. It would be wellthat we should seem to be a merchant-ship from Southampton and appear toflee from them. " "We shall see them anon, " said the master-shipman. "Ha, said I not so?There they lie, the water-snakes, in Freshwater Bay; and mark the reekof smoke from yonder point, where they have been at their devil's work. See how their shallops pull from the land! They have seen us and calledtheir men aboard. Now they draw upon the anchor. See them like ants uponthe forecastle! They stoop and heave like handy ship men. But, my fairlord, these are no niefs. I doubt but we have taken in hand more thanwe can do. Each of these ships is a galeasse, and of the largest andswiftest make. " "I would I had your eyes, " said Sir Nigel, blinking at the pirategalleys. "They seem very gallant ships, and I trust that we shall havemuch pleasance from our meeting with them. It would be well to pass theword that we should neither give nor take quarter this day. Have youperchance a priest or friar aboard this ship, Master Hawtayne?" "No, my fair lord. " "Well, well, it is no great matter for my Company, for they were allhouseled and shriven ere we left Twynham Castle; and Father Christopherof the Priory gave me his word that they were as fit to march to heavenas to Gascony. But my mind misdoubts me as to these Winchester men whohave come with Sir Oliver, for they appear to be a very ungodly crew. Pass the word that the men kneel, and that the under-officers repeat tothem the pater, the ave, and the credo. " With a clank of arms, the rough archers and seamen took to their knees, with bent heads and crossed hands, listening to the hoarse mutter fromthe file-leaders. It was strange to mark the hush; so that the lappingof the water, the straining of the sail, and the creaking of the timbersgrew louder of a sudden upon the ear. Many of the bowmen had drawnamulets and relics from their bosoms, while he who possessed somemore than usually sanctified treasure passed it down the line of hiscomrades, that all might kiss and reap the virtue. The yellow cog had now shot out from the narrow waters of the Solent, and was plunging and rolling on the long heave of the open channel. Thewind blew freshly from the east, with a very keen edge to it; and thegreat sail bellied roundly out, laying the vessel over until the waterhissed beneath her lee bulwarks. Broad and ungainly, she floundered fromwave to wave, dipping her round bows deeply into the blue rollers, andsending the white flakes of foam in a spatter over her decks. On herlarboard quarter lay the two dark galleys, which had already hoistedsail, and were shooting out from Freshwater Bay in swift pursuit, theirdouble line of oars giving them a vantage which could not fail to bringthem up with any vessel which trusted to sails alone. High and bluff theEnglish cog; long, black and swift the pirate galleys, like two fiercelean wolves which have seen a lordly and unsuspecting stag walk pasttheir forest lair. "Shall we turn, my fair lord, or shall we carry on?" asked themaster-shipman, looking behind him with anxious eyes. "Nay, we must carry on and play the part of the helpless merchant. " "But your pennons? They will see that we have two knights with us. " "Yet it would not be to a knight's honor or good name to lower hispennon. Let them be, and they will think that we are a wine-ship forGascony, or that we bear the wool-bales of some mercer of the Staple. Mafoi, but they are very swift! They swoop upon us like two goshawks on aheron. Is there not some symbol or device upon their sails?" "That on the right, " said Edricson, "appears to have the head of anEthiop upon it. " "'Tis the badge of Tete-noire, the Norman, " cried a seaman-mariner. "Ihave seen it before, when he harried us at Winchelsea. He is a wondrouslarge and strong man, with no ruth for man, woman, or beast. They saythat he hath the strength of six; and, certes, he hath the crimes of sixupon his soul. See, now, to the poor souls who swing at either end ofhis yard-arm!" At each end of the yard there did indeed hang the dark figure of a man, jolting and lurching with hideous jerkings of its limbs at every plungeand swoop of the galley. "By St. Paul!" said Sir Nigel, "and by the help of St. George and OurLady, it will be a very strange thing if our black-headed friend doesnot himself swing thence ere he be many hours older. But what is thatupon the other galley?" "It is the red cross of Genoa. This Spade-beard is a very noted captain, and it is his boast that there are no seamen and no archers in the worldwho can compare with those who serve the Doge Boccanegra. " "That we shall prove, " said Goodwin Hawtayne; "but it would be well, ere they close with us, to raise up the mantlets and pavises as a screenagainst their bolts. " He shouted a hoarse order, and his seamen workedswiftly and silently, heightening the bulwarks and strengthening them. The three ship's anchors were at Sir Nigel's command carried into thewaist, and tied to the mast, with twenty feet of cable between, eachunder the care of four seamen. Eight others were stationed with leatherwater-bags to quench any fire-arrows which might come aboard, whileothers were sent up the mast, to lie along the yard and drop stones orshoot arrows as the occasion served. "Let them be supplied with all that is heavy and weighty in the ship, "said Sir Nigel. "Then we must send them up Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, " quoth Ford. The knight looked at him with a face which struck the smile from hislips. "No squire of mine, " he said, "shall ever make jest of a beltedknight. And yet, " he added, his eyes softening, "I know that it is buta boy's mirth, with no sting in it. Yet I should ill do my part towardsyour father if I did not teach you to curb your tongue-play. " "They will lay us aboard on either quarter, my lord, " cried the master. "See how they stretch out from each other! The Norman hath a mangonelor a trabuch upon the forecastle. See, they bend to the levers! They areabout to loose it. " "Aylward, " cried the knight, "pick your three trustiest archers, and seeif you cannot do something to hinder their aim. Methinks they are withinlong arrow flight. " "Seventeen score paces, " said the archer, running his eye backwards andforwards. "By my ten finger-bones! it would be a strange thing if wecould not notch a mark at that distance. Here, Watkin of Sowley, Arnold, Long Williams, let us show the rogues that they have English bowmen todeal with. " The three archers named stood at the further end of the poop, balancingthemselves with feet widely spread and bows drawn, until the heads ofthe cloth-yard arrows were level with the centre of the stave. "Youare the surer, Watkin, " said Aylward, standing by them with shaft uponstring. "Do you take the rogue with the red coif. You two bring down theman with the head-piece, and I will hold myself ready if you miss. Mafoi! they are about to loose her. Shoot, mes garcons, or you will be toolate. " The throng of pirates had cleared away from the great wooden catapult, leaving two of their number to discharge it. One in a scarlet capbent over it, steadying the jagged rock which was balanced on thespoon-shaped end of the long wooden lever. The other held the loop ofthe rope which would release the catch and send the unwieldy missilehurtling through the air. So for an instant they stood, showing hard andclear against the white sail behind them. The next, redcap had fallenacross the stone with an arrow between his ribs; and the other, struckin the leg and in the throat, was writhing and spluttering upon theground. As he toppled backwards he had loosed the spring, and the hugebeam of wood, swinging round with tremendous force, cast the corpse ofhis comrade so close to the English ship that its mangled and distortedlimbs grazed their very stern. As to the stone, it glanced off obliquelyand fell midway between the vessels. A roar of cheering and of laughterbroke from the rough archers and seamen at the sight, answered by a yellof rage from their pursuers. "Lie low, mes enfants, " cried Aylward, motioning with his left hand. "They will learn wisdom. They are bringing forward shield and mantlet. We shall have some pebbles about our ears ere long. " CHAPTER XVI. HOW THE YELLOW COG FOUGHT THE TWO ROVER GALLEYS. The three vessels had been sweeping swiftly westwards, the cog stillwell to the front, although the galleys were slowly drawing in uponeither quarter. To the left was a hard skyline unbroken by a sail. Theisland already lay like a cloud behind them, while right in frontwas St. Alban's Head, with Portland looming mistily in the farthestdistance. Alleyne stood by the tiller, looking backwards, the fresh windfull in his teeth, the crisp winter air tingling on his face and blowinghis yellow curls from under his bassinet. His cheeks were flushed andhis eyes shining, for the blood of a hundred fighting Saxon ancestorswas beginning to stir in his veins. "What was that?" he asked, as a hissing, sharp-drawn voice seemed towhisper in his ear. The steersman smiled, and pointed with his foot towhere a short heavy cross-bow quarrel stuck quivering in the boards. At the same instant the man stumbled forward upon his knees, and laylifeless upon the deck, a blood-stained feather jutting out from hisback. As Alleyne stooped to raise him, the air seemed to be alive withthe sharp zip-zip of the bolts, and he could hear them pattering on thedeck like apples at a tree-shaking. "Raise two more mantlets by the poop-lanthorn, " said Sir Nigel quietly. "And another man to the tiller, " cried the master-shipman. "Keep them in play, Aylward, with ten of your men, " the knightcontinued. "And let ten of Sir Oliver's bowmen do as much for theGenoese. I have no mind as yet to show them how much they have to fearfrom us. " Ten picked shots under Aylward stood in line across the broad deck, andit was a lesson to the young squires who had seen nothing of war to notehow orderly and how cool were these old soldiers, how quick the command, and how prompt the carrying out, ten moving like one. Their comradescrouched beneath the bulwarks, with many a rough jest and many a scrapof criticism or advice. "Higher, Wat, higher!" "Put thy body into it, Will!" "Forget not the wind, Hal!" So ran the muttered chorus, whilehigh above it rose the sharp twanging of the strings, the hiss of theshafts, and the short "Draw your arrow! Nick your arrow! Shoot whollytogether!" from the master-bowman. And now both mangonels were at work from the galleys, but so coveredand protected that, save at the moment of discharge, no glimpse couldbe caught of them. A huge brown rock from the Genoese sang over theirheads, and plunged sullenly into the slope of a wave. Another from theNorman whizzed into the waist, broke the back of a horse, and crashedits way through the side of the vessel. Two others, flying together, tore a great gap in the St. Christopher upon the sail, and brushed threeof Sir Oliver's men-at-arms from the forecastle. The master-shipmanlooked at the knight with a troubled face. "They keep their distance from us, " said he. "Our archery is over-good, and they will not close. What defence can we make against the stones?" "I think I may trick them, " the knight answered cheerfully, and passedhis order to the archers. Instantly five of them threw up their handsand fell prostrate upon the deck. One had already been slain by a bolt, so that there were but four upon their feet. "That should give them heart, " said Sir Nigel, eyeing the galleys, whichcrept along on either side, with a slow, measured swing of their greatoars, the water swirling and foaming under their sharp stems. "They still hold aloof, " cried Hawtayne. "Then down with two more, " shouted their leader. "That will do. Ma foi!but they come to our lure like chicks to the fowler. To your arms, men!The pennon behind me, and the squires round the pennon. Stand fast withthe anchors in the waist, and be ready for a cast. Now blow out thetrumpets, and may God's benison be with the honest men!" As he spoke a roar of voices and a roll of drums came from eithergalley, and the water was lashed into spray by the hurried beat of ahundred oars. Down they swooped, one on the right, one on the left, thesides and shrouds black with men and bristling with weapons. In heavyclusters they hung upon the forecastle all ready for a spring-faceswhite, faces brown, faces yellow, and faces black, fair Norsemen, swarthy Italians, fierce rovers from the Levant, and fiery Moors fromthe Barbary States, of all hues and countries, and marked solely by thecommon stamp of a wild-beast ferocity. Rasping up on either side, with oars trailing to save them from snapping, they poured in aliving torrent with horrid yell and shrill whoop upon the defencelessmerchantman. But wilder yet was the cry, and shriller still the scream, when thererose up from the shadow of those silent bulwarks the long lines ofthe English bowmen, and the arrows whizzed in a deadly sleet among theunprepared masses upon the pirate decks. From the higher sides of thecog the bowmen could shoot straight down, at a range which was so shortas to enable a cloth-yard shaft to pierce through mail-coats or totransfix a shield, though it were an inch thick of toughened wood. One moment Alleyne saw the galley's poop crowded with rushing figures, waving arms, exultant faces; the next it was a blood-smeared shambles, with bodies piled three deep upon each other, the living cowering behindthe dead to shelter themselves from that sudden storm-blast of death. On either side the seamen whom Sir Nigel had chosen for the purposehad cast their anchors over the side of the galleys, so that the threevessels, locked in an iron grip, lurched heavily forward upon the swell. And now set in a fell and fierce fight, one of a thousand of which nochronicler has spoken and no poet sung. Through all the centuries andover all those southern waters nameless men have fought in namelessplaces, their sole monuments a protected coast and an unravagedcountry-side. Fore and aft the archers had cleared the galleys' decks, but from eitherside the rovers had poured down into the waist, where the seamen andbowmen were pushed back and so mingled with their foes that it wasimpossible for their comrades above to draw string to help them. Itwas a wild chaos where axe and sword rose and fell, while Englishman, Norman, and Italian staggered and reeled on a deck which was cumberedwith bodies and slippery with blood. The clang of blows, the cries ofthe stricken, the short, deep shout of the islanders, and the fiercewhoops of the rovers, rose together in a deafening tumult, while thebreath of the panting men went up in the wintry air like the smoke froma furnace. The giant Tete-noire, towering above his fellows and cladfrom head to foot in plate of proof, led on his boarders, waving ahuge mace in the air, with which he struck to the deck every man whoapproached him. On the other side, Spade-beard, a dwarf in height, butof great breadth of shoulder and length of arm, had cut a road almostto the mast, with three-score Genoese men-at-arms close at his heels. Between these two formidable assailants the seamen were being slowlywedged more closely together, until they stood back to back under themast with the rovers raging upon every side of them. But help was close at hand. Sir Oliver Buttesthorn with his men-at-armshad swarmed down from the forecastle, while Sir Nigel, with his threesquires, Black Simon, Aylward, Hordle John, and a score more, threwthemselves from the poop and hurled themselves into the thickest of thefight. Alleyne, as in duty bound, kept his eyes fixed ever on hislord and pressed forward close at his heels. Often had he heard of SirNigel's prowess and skill with all knightly weapons, but all the talesthat had reached his ears fell far short of the real quickness andcoolness of the man. It was as if the devil was in him, for he spranghere and sprang there, now thrusting and now cutting, catching blows onhis shield, turning them with his blade, stooping under the swing of anaxe, springing over the sweep of a sword, so swift and so erratic thatthe man who braced himself for a blow at him might find him six pacesoff ere he could bring it down. Three pirates had fallen before him, andhe had wounded Spade-beard in the neck, when the Norman giant sprang athim from the side with a slashing blow from his deadly mace. Sir Nigelstooped to avoid it, and at the same instant turned a thrust from theGenoese swordsman, but, his foot slipping in a pool of blood, he fellheavily to the ground. Alleyne sprang in front of the Norman, but hissword was shattered and he himself beaten to the ground by a secondblow from the ponderous weapon. Ere the pirate chief could repeat it, however, John's iron grip fell upon his wrist, and he found that foronce he was in the hands of a stronger man than himself. Fiercely he strove to disengage his weapon, but Hordle John bent his armslowly back until, with a sharp crack, like a breaking stave, it turnedlimp in his grasp, and the mace dropped from the nerveless fingers. Invain he tried to pluck it up with the other hand. Back and back stillhis foeman bent him, until, with a roar of pain and of fury, the giantclanged his full length upon the boards, while the glimmer of a knifebefore the bars of his helmet warned him that short would be his shriftif he moved. Cowed and disheartened by the loss of their leader, the Normans hadgiven back and were now streaming over the bulwarks on to their owngalley, dropping a dozen at a time on to her deck. But the anchor stillheld them in its crooked claw, and Sir Oliver with fifty men was hardupon their heels. Now, too, the archers had room to draw their bowsonce more, and great stones from the yard of the cog came thundering andcrashing among the flying rovers. Here and there they rushed with wildscreams and curses, diving under the sail, crouching behind booms, huddling into corners like rabbits when the ferrets are upon them, as helpless and as hopeless. They were stern days, and if the honestsoldier, too poor for a ransom, had no prospect of mercy upon thebattle-field, what ruth was there for sea robbers, the enemies ofhumankind, taken in the very deed, with proofs of their crimes stillswinging upon their yard-arm. But the fight had taken a new and a strange turn upon the other side. Spade-beard and his men had given slowly back, hard pressed by SirNigel, Aylward, Black Simon, and the poop-guard. Foot by foot theItalian had retreated, his armor running blood at every joint, hisshield split, his crest shorn, his voice fallen away to a mere gaspingand croaking. Yet he faced his foemen with dauntless courage, dashingin, springing back, sure-footed, steady-handed, with a point whichseemed to menace three at once. Beaten back on to the deck of hisown vessel, and closely followed by a dozen Englishmen, he disengagedhimself from them, ran swiftly down the deck, sprang back into thecog once more, cut the rope which held the anchor, and was back in aninstant among his crossbow-men. At the same time the Genoese sailorsthrust with their oars against the side of the cog, and a rapidlywidening rift appeared between the two vessels. "By St. George!" cried Ford, "we are cut off from Sir Nigel. " "He is lost, " gasped Terlake. "Come, let us spring for it. " The twoyouths jumped with all their strength to reach the departing galley. Ford's feet reached the edge of the bulwarks, and his hand clutching arope he swung himself on board. Terlake fell short, crashed in among theoars, and bounded off into the sea. Alleyne, staggering to the side, wasabout to hurl himself after him, but Hordle John dragged him back by thegirdle. "You can scarce stand, lad, far less jump, " said he. "See how the bloodrips from your bassinet. " "My place is by the flag, " cried Alleyne, vainly struggling to breakfrom the other's hold. "Bide here, man. You would need wings ere you could reach Sir Nigel'sside. " The vessels were indeed so far apart now that the Genoese could use thefull sweep of their oars, and draw away rapidly from the cog. "My God, but it is a noble fight!" shouted big John, clapping hishands. "They have cleared the poop, and they spring into the waist. Wellstruck, my lord! Well struck, Aylward! See to Black Simon, how he stormsamong the shipmen! But this Spade-beard is a gallant warrior. He rallieshis men upon the forecastle. He hath slain an archer. Ha! my lord isupon him. Look to it, Alleyne! See to the whirl and glitter of it!" "By heaven, Sir Nigel is down!" cried the squire. "Up!" roared John. "It was but a feint. He bears him back. He driveshim to the side. Ah, by Our Lady, his sword is through him! They cry formercy. Down goes the red cross, and up springs Simon with the scarletroses!" The death of the Genoese leader did indeed bring the resistance to anend. Amid a thunder of cheering from cog and from galleys the forkedpennon fluttered upon the forecastle, and the galley, sweeping round, came slowly back, as the slaves who rowed it learned the wishes of theirnew masters. The two knights had come aboard the cog, and the grapplings having beenthrown off, the three vessels now moved abreast through all the stormand rush of the fight Alleyne had been aware of the voice of GoodwinHawtayne, the master-shipman, with his constant "Hale the bowline!Veer the sheet!" and strange it was to him to see how swiftly theblood-stained sailors turned from the strife to the ropes and back. Nowthe cog's head was turned Francewards, and the shipman walked the deck, a peaceful master-mariner once more. "There is sad scath done to the cog, Sir Nigel, " said he. "Here is ahole in the side two ells across, the sail split through the centre, and the wood as bare as a friar's poll. In good sooth, I know not what Ishall say to Master Witherton when I see the Itchen once more. " "By St. Paul! it would be a very sorry thing if we suffered you to bethe worse of this day's work, " said Sir Nigel. "You shall take thesegalleys back with you, and Master Witherton may sell them. Then from themoneys he shall take as much as may make good the damage, and the resthe shall keep until our home-coming, when every man shall have hisshare. An image of silver fifteen inches high I have vowed to theVirgin, to be placed in her chapel within the Priory, for that she waspleased to allow me to come upon this Spade-beard, who seemed to me fromwhat I have seen of him to be a very sprightly and valiant gentleman. But how fares it with you, Edricson?" "It is nothing, my fair lord, " said Alleyne, who had now loosened hisbassinet, which was cracked across by the Norman's blow. Even as hespoke, however, his head swirled round, and he fell to the deck with theblood gushing from his nose and mouth. "He will come to anon, " said the knight, stooping over him and passinghis fingers through his hair. "I have lost one very valiant and gentlesquire this day. I can ill afford to lose another. How many men havefallen?" "I have pricked off the tally, " said Aylward, who had come aboard withhis lord. "There are seven of the Winchester men, eleven seamen, yoursquire, young Master Terlake, and nine archers. " "And of the others?" "They are all dead--save only the Norman knight who stands behind you. What would you that we should do with him?" "He must hang on his own yard, " said Sir Nigel. "It was my vow and mustbe done. " The pirate leader had stood by the bulwarks, a cord round his arms, and two stout archers on either side. At Sir Nigel's words he startedviolently, and his swarthy features blanched to a livid gray. "How, Sir Knight?" he cried in broken English. "Que dites vous? To hang, le mort du chien! To hang!" "It is my vow, " said Sir Nigel shortly. "From what I hear, you thoughtlittle enough of hanging others. " "Peasants, base roturiers, " cried the other. "It is their fitting death. Mais Le Seigneur d'Andelys, avec le sang des rois dans ses veins! C'estincroyable!" Sir Nigel turned upon his heel, while two seamen cast a noose over thepirate's neck. At the touch of the cord he snapped the bonds which boundhim, dashed one of the archers to the deck, and seizing the other roundthe waist sprang with him into the sea. "By my hilt, he is gone!" cried Aylward, rushing to the side. "They havesunk together like a stone. " "I am right glad of it, " answered Sir Nigel; "for though it was againstmy vow to loose him, I deem that he has carried himself like a verygentle and debonnaire cavalier. " CHAPTER XVII. HOW THE YELLOW COG CROSSED THE BAR OF GIRONDE. For two days the yellow cog ran swiftly before a northeasterly wind, andon the dawn of the third the high land of Ushant lay like a mist uponthe shimmering sky-line. There came a plump of rain towards mid-dayand the breeze died down, but it freshened again before nightfall, andGoodwin Hawtayne veered his sheet and held head for the south. Nextmorning they had passed Belle Isle, and ran through the midst of a fleetof transports returning from Guienne. Sir Nigel Loring and Sir OliverButtesthorn at once hung their shields over the side, and displayedtheir pennons as was the custom, noting with the keenest interest theanswering symbols which told the names of the cavaliers who had beenconstrained by ill health or wounds to leave the prince at so critical atime. That evening a great dun-colored cloud banked up in the west, and ananxious man was Goodwin Hawtayne, for a third part of his crew had beenslain, and half the remainder were aboard the galleys, so that, withan injured ship, he was little fit to meet such a storm as sweeps overthose waters. All night it blew in short fitful puffs, heeling the greatcog over until the water curled over her lee bulwarks. As the wind stillfreshened the yard was lowered half way down the mast in the morning. Alleyne, wretchedly ill and weak, with his head still ringing fromthe blow which he had received, crawled up upon deck. Water-swept andaslant, it was preferable to the noisome, rat-haunted dungeons whichserved as cabins. There, clinging to the stout halliards of the sheet, he gazed with amazement at the long lines of black waves, each withits curling ridge of foam, racing in endless succession from out theinexhaustible west. A huge sombre cloud, flecked with livid blotches, stretched over the whole seaward sky-line, with long ragged streamerswhirled out in front of it. Far behind them the two galleys laboredheavily, now sinking between the rollers until their yards were levelwith the waves, and again shooting up with a reeling, scooping motionuntil every spar and rope stood out hard against the sky. On the leftthe low-lying land stretched in a dim haze, rising here and there intoa darker blur which marked the higher capes and headlands. The landof France! Alleyne's eyes shone as he gazed upon it. The land ofFrance!--the very words sounded as the call of a bugle in the ears ofthe youth of England. The land where their fathers had bled, the home ofchivalry and of knightly deeds, the country of gallant men, of courtlywomen, of princely buildings, of the wise, the polished and the sainted. There it lay, so still and gray beneath the drifting wrack--the home ofthings noble and of things shameful--the theatre where a new namemight be made or an old one marred. From his bosom to his lips came thecrumpled veil, and he breathed a vow that if valor and goodwill couldraise him to his lady's side, then death alone should hold him back fromher. His thoughts were still in the woods of Minstead and the old armoryof Twynham Castle, when the hoarse voice of the master-shipman broughtthem back once more to the Bay of Biscay. "By my troth, young sir, " he said, "you are as long in the face as thedevil at a christening, and I cannot marvel at it, for I have sailedthese waters since I was as high as this whinyard, and yet I never sawmore sure promise of an evil night. " "Nay, I had other things upon my mind, " the squire answered. "And so has every man, " cried Hawtayne in an injured voice. "Let theshipman see to it. It is the master-shipman's affair. Put it all upongood Master Hawtayne! Never had I so much care since first I blewtrumpet and showed cartel at the west gate of Southampton. " "What is amiss then?" asked Alleyne, for the man's words were as gustyas the weather. "Amiss, quotha? Here am I with but half my mariners, and a hole in theship where that twenty-devil stone struck us big enough to fit the fatwidow of Northam through. It is well enough on this tack, but I wouldhave you tell me what I am to do on the other. We are like to havesalt water upon us until we be found pickled like the herrings in anEasterling's barrels. " "What says Sir Nigel to it?" "He is below pricking out the coat-armor of his mother's uncle. 'Pesterme not with such small matters!' was all that I could get from him. Thenthere is Sir Oliver. 'Fry them in oil with a dressing of Gascony, ' quothhe, and then swore at me because I had not been the cook. 'Walawa, 'thought I, 'mad master, sober man'--so away forward to the archers. Harrow and alas! but they were worse than the others. " "Would they not help you then?" "Nay, they sat tway and tway at a board, him that they call Aylwardand the great red-headed man who snapped the Norman's arm-bone, and theblack man from Norwich, and a score of others, rattling their dice inan archer's gauntlet for want of a box. 'The ship can scarce last muchlonger, my masters, ' quoth I. 'That is your business, old swine's-head, 'cried the black galliard. 'Le diable t'emporte, ' says Aylward. 'A five, a four and the main, ' shouted the big man, with a voice like the flap ofa sail. Hark to them now, young sir, and say if I speak not sooth. " As he spoke, there sounded high above the shriek of the gale and thestraining of the timbers a gust of oaths with a roar of deep-chestedmirth from the gamblers in the forecastle. "Can I be of avail?" asked Alleyne. "Say the word and the thing is done, if two hands may do it. " "Nay, nay, your head I can see is still totty, and i' faith little headwould you have, had your bassinet not stood your friend. All that may bedone is already carried out, for we have stuffed the gape with sails andcorded it without and within. Yet when we bale our bowline and veer thesheet our lives will hang upon the breach remaining blocked. See howyonder headland looms upon us through the mist! We must tack withinthree arrow flights, or we may find a rock through our timbers. Now, St. Christopher be praised! here is Sir Nigel, with whom I may confer. " "I prythee that you will pardon me, " said the knight, clutching his wayalong the bulwark. "I would not show lack of courtesy toward a worthyman, but I was deep in a matter of some weight, concerning which, Alleyne, I should be glad of your rede. It touches the question ofdimidiation or impalement in the coat of mine uncle, Sir John Leightonof Shropshire, who took unto wife the widow of Sir Henry Oglanderof Nunwell. The case has been much debated by pursuivants andkings-of-arms. But how is it with you, master shipman?" "Ill enough, my fair lord. The cog must go about anon, and I know nothow we may keep the water out of her. " "Go call Sir Oliver!" said Sir Nigel, and presently the portly knightmade his way all astraddle down the slippery deck. "By my soul, master-shipman, this passes all patience!" he criedwrathfully. "If this ship of yours must needs dance and skip like aclown at a kermesse, then I pray you that you will put me into oneof these galeasses. I had but sat down to a flask of malvoisie and amortress of brawn, as is my use about this hour, when there comes acherking, and I find my wine over my legs and the flask in my lap, andthen as I stoop to clip it there comes another cursed cherk, and thereis a mortress of brawn stuck fast to the nape of my neck. At this momentI have two pages coursing after it from side to side, like hounds behinda leveret. Never did living pig gambol more lightly. But you have sentfor me, Sir Nigel?" "I would fain have your rede, Sir Oliver, for Master Hawtayne hath fearsthat when we veer there may come danger from the hole in our side. " "Then do not veer, " quoth Sir Oliver hastily. "And now, fair sir, I musthasten back to see how my rogues have fared with the brawn. " "Nay, but this will scarce suffice, " cried the shipman. "If we do notveer we will be upon the rocks within the hour. " "Then veer, " said Sir Oliver. "There is my rede; and now, Sir Nigel, Imust crave----" At this instant, however, a startled shout rang out from two seamen uponthe forecastle. "Rocks!" they yelled, stabbing into the air with theirforefingers. "Rocks beneath our very bows!" Through the belly of a greatblack wave, not one hundred paces to the front of them, there thrustforth a huge jagged mass of brown stone, which spouted spray as thoughit were some crouching monster, while a dull menacing boom and roarfilled the air. "Yare! yare!" screamed Goodwin Hawtayne, flinging himself upon the longpole which served as a tiller. "Cut the halliard! Haul her over! Lay hertwo courses to the wind!" Over swung the great boom, and the cog trembled and quivered within fivespear-lengths of the breakers. "She can scarce draw clear, " cried Hawtayne, with his eyes from the sailto the seething line of foam. "May the holy Julian stand by us and thethrice-sainted Christopher!" "If there be such peril, Sir Oliver, " quoth Sir Nigel, "it would bevery knightly and fitting that we should show our pennons. I pray you. Edricson, that you will command my guidon-bearer to put forward mybanner. " "And sound the trumpets!" cried Sir Oliver. "In manus tuas, Domine! Iam in the keeping of James of Compostella, to whose shrine I shall makepilgrimage, and in whose honor I vow that I will eat a carp each yearupon his feast-day. Mon Dieu, but the waves roar! How is it with us now, master-shipman?" "We draw! We draw!" cried Hawtayne, with his eyes still fixed upon thefoam which hissed under the very bulge of the side. "Ah, Holy Mother, bewith us now!" As he spoke the cog rasped along the edge of the reef, and a long whitecurling sheet of wood was planed off from her side from waist to poop bya jutting horn of the rock. At the same instant she lay suddenly over, the sail drew full, and she plunged seawards amid the shoutings of theseamen and the archers. "The Virgin be praised!" cried the shipman, wiping his brow. "For thisshall bell swing and candle burn when I see Southampton Water once more. Cheerily, my hearts! Pull yarely on the bowline!" "By my soul! I would rather have a dry death, " quoth Sir Oliver. "Though, Mort Dieu! I have eaten so many fish that it were but justicethat the fish should eat me. Now I must back to the cabin, for I havematters there which crave my attention. " "Nay, Sir Oliver, you had best bide with us, and still show yourensign, " Sir Nigel answered; "for, if I understand the matter aright, wehave but turned from one danger to the other. " "Good Master Hawtayne, " cried the boatswain, rushing aft, "the watercomes in upon us apace. The waves have driven in the sail wherewith westrove to stop the hole. " As he spoke the seamen came swarming on to thepoop and the forecastle to avoid the torrent which poured through thehuge leak into the waist. High above the roar of the wind and the clashof the sea rose the shrill half-human cries of the horses, as they foundthe water rising rapidly around them. "Stop it from without!" cried Hawtayne, seizing the end of the wet sailwith which the gap had been plugged. "Speedily, my hearts, or we aregone!" Swiftly they rove ropes to the corners, and then, rushing forwardto the bows, they lowered them under the keel, and drew them tight insuch a way that the sail should cover the outer face of the gap. Theforce of the rush of water was checked by this obstacle, but it stillsquirted plentifully from every side of it. At the sides the horseswere above the belly, and in the centre a man from the poop could scarcetouch the deck with a seven-foot spear. The cog lay lower in the waterand the waves splashed freely over the weather bulwark. "I fear that we can scarce bide upon this tack, " cried Hawtayne; "andyet the other will drive us on the rocks. " "Might we not haul down sail and wait for better times?" suggested SirNigel. "Nay, we should drift upon the rocks. Thirty years have I been on thesea, and never yet in greater straits. Yet we are in the hands of theSaints. " "Of whom, " cried Sir Oliver, "I look more particularly to St. James ofCompostella, who hath already befriended us this day, and on whose feastI hereby vow that I shall eat a second carp, if he will but interpose asecond time. " The wrack had thickened to seaward, and the coast was but a blurredline. Two vague shadows in the offing showed where the galeasses rolledand tossed upon the great Atlantic rollers, Hawtayne looked wistfully intheir direction. "If they would but lie closer we might find safety, even should the cogfounder. You will bear me out with good Master Witherton of Southamptonthat I have done all that a shipman might. It would be well that youshould doff camail and greaves, Sir Nigel, for, by the black rood! it islike enough that we shall have to swim for it. " "Nay, " said the little knight, "it would be scarce fitting that acavalier should throw off his harness for the fear of every puff of windand puddle of water. I would rather that my Company should gather roundme here on the poop, where we might abide together whatever God may bepleased to send. But, certes, Master Hawtayne, for all that my sightis none of the best, it is not the first time that I have seen thatheadland upon the left. " The seaman shaded his eyes with his hand, and gazed earnestly throughthe haze and spray. Suddenly he threw up his arms and shouted aloud inhis joy. "'Tis the point of La Tremblade!" he cried. "I had not thought that wewere as far as Oleron. The Gironde lies before us, and once over thebar, and under shelter of the Tour de Cordouan, all will be well withus. Veer again, my hearts, and bring her to try with the main course!" The sail swung round once more, and the cog, battered and torn andwell-nigh water-logged, staggered in for this haven of refuge. A bluffcape to the north and a long spit to the south marked the mouth of thenoble river, with a low-lying island of silted sand in the centre, allshrouded and curtained by the spume of the breakers. A line of brokenwater traced the dangerous bar, which in clear day and balmy weather hascracked the back of many a tall ship. "There is a channel, " said Hawtayne, "which was shown to me by thePrince's own pilot. Mark yonder tree upon the bank, and see the towerwhich rises behind it. If these two be held in a line, even as we holdthem now, it may be done, though our ship draws two good ells more thanwhen she put forth. " "God speed you, Master Hawtayne!" cried Sir Oliver. "Twice have we comescathless out of peril, and now for the third time I commend me to theblessed James of Compostella, to whom I vow----" "Nay, nay, old friend, " whispered Sir Nigel. "You are like to bring ajudgment upon us with these vows, which no living man could accomplish. Have I not already heard you vow to eat two carp in one day, and now youwould venture upon a third?" "I pray you that you will order the Company to lie down, " criedHawtayne, who had taken the tiller and was gazing ahead with a fixedeye. "In three minutes we shall either be lost or in safety. " Archers and seamen lay flat upon the deck, waiting in stolid silence forwhatever fate might come. Hawtayne bent his weight upon the tiller, andcrouched to see under the bellying sail. Sir Oliver and Sir Nigel stooderect with hands crossed in front of the poop. Down swooped the greatcog into the narrow channel which was the portal to safety. On eitherbow roared the shallow bar. Right ahead one small lane of black swirlingwater marked the pilot's course. But true was the eye and firm the handwhich guided. A dull scraping came from beneath, the vessel quiveredand shook, at the waist, at the quarter, and behind sounded that grimroaring of the waters, and with a plunge the yellow cog was over the barand speeding swiftly up the broad and tranquil estuary of the Gironde. CHAPTER XVIII. HOW SIR NIGEL LORING PUT A PATCH UPON HIS EYE. It was on the morning of Friday, the eight-and-twentieth day ofNovember, two days before the feast of St. Andrew, that the cog and hertwo prisoners, after a weary tacking up the Gironde and the Garonne, dropped anchor at last in front of the noble city of Bordeaux. Withwonder and admiration, Alleyne, leaning over the bulwarks, gazed at theforest of masts, the swarm of boats darting hither and thither on thebosom of the broad curving stream, and the gray crescent-shaped citywhich stretched with many a tower and minaret along the western shore. Never had he in his quiet life seen so great a town, nor was there inthe whole of England, save London alone, one which might match it insize or in wealth. Here came the merchandise of all the fair countrieswhich are watered by the Garonne and the Dordogne--the cloths of thesouth, the skins of Guienne, the wines of the Medoc--to be borne away toHull, Exeter, Dartmouth, Bristol or Chester, in exchange for the woolsand woolfels of England. Here too dwelt those famous smelters andwelders who had made the Bordeaux steel the most trusty upon earth, andcould give a temper to lance or to sword which might mean dear life toits owner. Alleyne could see the smoke of their forges reeking up in theclear morning air. The storm had died down now to a gentle breeze, whichwafted to his ears the long-drawn stirring bugle-calls which soundedfrom the ancient ramparts. "Hola, mon petit!" said Aylward, coming up to where he stood. "Thou arta squire now, and like enough to win the golden spurs, while I am stillthe master-bowman, and master-bowman I shall bide. I dare scarce wagmy tongue so freely with you as when we tramped together past WilverleyChase, else I might be your guide now, for indeed I know every house inBordeaux as a friar knows the beads on his rosary. " "Nay, Aylward, " said Alleyne, laying his hand upon the sleeve of hiscompanion's frayed jerkin, "you cannot think me so thrall as to throwaside an old friend because I have had some small share of good fortune. I take it unkind that you should have thought such evil of me. " "Nay, mon gar. 'Twas but a flight shot to see if the wind blew steady, though I were a rogue to doubt it. " "Why, had I not met you, Aylward, at the Lynhurst inn, who can say whereI had now been! Certes, I had not gone to Twynham Castle, nor becomesquire to Sir Nigel, nor met----" He paused abruptly and flushed to hishair, but the bowman was too busy with his own thoughts to notice hisyoung companion's embarrassment. "It was a good hostel, that of the 'Pied Merlin, '" he remarked. "By myten finger bones! when I hang bow on nail and change my brigandine for atunic, I might do worse than take over the dame and her business. " "I thought, " said Alleyne, "that you were betrothed to some one atChristchurch. " "To three, " Aylward answered moodily, "to three. I fear I may not goback to Christchurch. I might chance to see hotter service in Hampshirethan I have ever done in Gascony. But mark you now yonder lofty turretin the centre, which stands back from the river and hath a broad bannerupon the summit. See the rising sun flashes full upon it and sparkleson the golden lions. 'Tis the royal banner of England, crossed by theprince's label. There he dwells in the Abbey of St. Andrew, where hehath kept his court these years back. Beside it is the minster of thesame saint, who hath the town under his very special care. " "And how of yon gray turret on the left?" "'Tis the fane of St. Michael, as that upon the right is of St. Remi. There, too, above the poop of yonder nief, you see the towers of SaintCroix and of Pey Berland. Mark also the mighty ramparts which arepierced by the three water-gates, and sixteen others to the landwardside. " "And how is it, good Aylward, that there comes so much music from thetown? I seem to hear a hundred trumpets, all calling in chorus. " "It would be strange else, seeing that all the great lords of Englandand of Gascony are within the walls, and each would have his trumpeterblow as loud as his neighbor, lest it might be thought that his dignityhad been abated. Ma foi! they make as much louster as a Scotch army, where every man fills himself with girdle-cakes, and sits up all nightto blow upon the toodle-pipe. See all along the banks how the pageswater the horses, and there beyond the town how they gallop them overthe plain! For every horse you see a belted knight hath herbergage inthe town, for, as I learn, the men-at-arms and archers have already goneforward to Dax. " "I trust, Aylward, " said Sir Nigel, coming upon deck, "that the men areready for the land. Go tell them that the boats will be for them withinthe hour. " The archer raised his hand in salute, and hastened forward. In themeantime Sir Oliver had followed his brother knight, and the two pacedthe poop together, Sir Nigel in his plum-colored velvet suit with flatcap of the same, adorned in front with the Lady Loring's glove and girtround with a curling ostrich feather. The lusty knight, on the otherhand, was clad in the very latest mode, with cote-hardie, doublet, pourpoint, court-pie, and paltock of olive-green, picked out withpink and jagged at the edges. A red chaperon or cap, with long hangingcornette, sat daintily on the back of his black-curled head, while hisgold-hued shoes were twisted up _a la poulaine_, as though the toeswere shooting forth a tendril which might hope in time to entwine itselfaround his massive leg. "Once more, Sir Oliver, " said Sir Nigel, looking shorewards withsparkling eyes, "do we find ourselves at the gate of honor, the doorwhich hath so often led us to all that is knightly and worthy. Thereflies the prince's banner, and it would be well that we haste ashore andpay our obeisance to him. The boats already swarm from the bank. " "There is a goodly hostel near the west gate, which is famed for thestewing of spiced pullets, " remarked Sir Oliver. "We might take the edgeof our hunger off ere we seek the prince, for though his tables aregay with damask and silver he is no trencherman himself, and hath nosympathy for those who are his betters. " "His betters!" "His betters before the tranchoir, lad. Sniff not treason where none ismeant. I have seen him smile in his quiet way because I had looked forthe fourth time towards the carving squire. And indeed to watchhim dallying with a little gobbet of bread, or sipping his cup ofthrice-watered wine, is enough to make a man feel shame at his ownhunger. Yet war and glory, my good friend, though well enough in theirway, will not serve to tighten such a belt as clasps my waist. " "How read you that coat which hangs over yonder galley, Alleyne?" askedSir Nigel. "Argent, a bend vert between cotises dancette gules. " "It is a northern coat. I have seen it in the train of the Percies. Fromthe shields, there is not one of these vessels which hath not knight orbaron aboard. I would mine eyes were better. How read you this upon theleft?" "Argent and azure, a barry wavy of six. " "Ha, it is the sign of the Wiltshire Stourtons! And there beyond I seethe red and silver of the Worsleys of Apuldercombe, who like myself areof Hampshire lineage. Close behind us is the moline cross of the gallantWilliam Molyneux, and beside it the bloody chevrons of the NorforkWoodhouses, with the amulets of the Musgraves of Westmoreland. By St. Paul! it would be a very strange thing if so noble a company were togather without some notable deed of arms arising from it. And here isour boat, Sir Oliver, so it seems best to me that we should go to theabbey with our squires, leaving Master Hawtayne to have his own way inthe unloading. " The horses both of knights and squires were speedily lowered into abroad lighter, and reached the shore almost as soon as their masters. Sir Nigel bent his knee devoutly as he put foot on land, and taking asmall black patch from his bosom he bound it tightly over his left eye. "May the blessed George and the memory of my sweet lady-love raise highmy heart!" quoth he. "And as a token I vow that I will not take thispatch from my eye until I have seen something of this country of Spain, and done such a small deed as it lies in me to do. And this I swear uponthe cross of my sword and upon the glove of my lady. " "In truth, you take me back twenty years, Nigel, " quoth Sir Oliver, asthey mounted and rode slowly through the water-gate. "After Cadsand, I deem that the French thought that we were an army of the blind, forthere was scarce a man who had not closed an eye for the greater loveand honor of his lady. Yet it goes hard with you that you should darkenone side, when with both open you can scarce tell a horse from a mule. In truth, friend, I think that you step over the line of reason in thismatter. " "Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, " said the little knight shortly, "I would haveyou to understand that, blind as I am, I can yet see the path of honorvery clearly, and that that is the road upon which I do not craveanother man's guidance. " "By my soul, " said Sir Oliver, "you are as tart as verjuice thismorning! If you are bent upon a quarrel with me I must leave you to yourhumor and drop into the 'Tete d'Or' here, for I marked a varlet passthe door who bare a smoking dish, which had, methought, a most excellentsmell. " "Nenny, nenny, " cried his comrade, laying his hand upon his knee; "wehave known each other over long to fall out, Oliver, like two raw pagesat their first epreuves. You must come with me first to the prince, andthen back to the hostel; though sure I am that it would grieve his heartthat any gentle cavalier should turn from his board to a common tavern. But is not that my Lord Delewar who waves to us? Ha! my fair lord, Godand Our Lady be with you! And there is Sir Robert Cheney. Good-morrow, Robert! I am right glad to see you. " The two knights walked their horses abreast, while Alleyne and Ford, with John Norbury, who was squire to Sir Oliver, kept some paces behindthem, a spear's-length in front of Black Simon and of the Winchesterguidon-bearer. Norbury, a lean, silent man, had been to those partsbefore, and sat his horse with a rigid neck; but the two young squiresgazed eagerly to right or left, and plucked each other's sleeves to callattention to the many strange things on every side of them. "See to the brave stalls!" cried Alleyne. "See to the noble armor setforth, and the costly taffeta--and oh, Ford, see to where the scrivenersits with the pigments and the ink-horns, and the rolls of sheepskin aswhite as the Beaulieu napery! Saw man ever the like before?" "Nay, man, there are finer stalls in Cheapside, " answered Ford, whosefather had taken him to London on occasion of one of the Smithfieldjoustings. "I have seen a silversmith's booth there which would serve tobuy either side of this street. But mark these houses, Alleyne, how theythrust forth upon the top. And see to the coats-of-arms at every window, and banner or pensil on the roof. " "And the churches!" cried Alleyne. "The Priory at Christ church was anoble pile, but it was cold and bare, methinks, by one of these, withtheir frettings, and their carvings, and their traceries, as though somegreat ivy-plant of stone had curled and wantoned over the walls. " "And hark to the speech of the folk!" said Ford. "Was ever such ahissing and clacking? I wonder that they have not wit to learn Englishnow that they have come under the English crown. By Richard of Hampole!there are fair faces amongst them. See the wench with the brown whimple!Out on you, Alleyne, that you would rather gaze upon dead stone than onliving flesh!" It was little wonder that the richness and ornament, not only of churchand of stall, but of every private house as well, should have impresseditself upon the young squires. The town was now at the height of itsfortunes. Besides its trade and its armorers, other causes had combinedto pour wealth into it. War, which had wrought evil upon so many faircities around, had brought nought but good to this one. As her Frenchsisters decayed she increased, for here, from north, and from east, and from south, came the plunder to be sold and the ransom money to bespent. Through all her sixteen landward gates there had set for manyyears a double tide of empty-handed soldiers hurrying Francewards, andof enriched and laden bands who brought their spoils home. The prince'scourt, too, with its swarm of noble barons and wealthy knights, many ofwhom, in imitation of their master, had brought their ladies and theirchildren from England, all helped to swell the coffers of the burghers. Now, with this fresh influx of noblemen and cavaliers, food and lodgingwere scarce to be had, and the prince was hurrying forward his forces toDax in Gascony to relieve the overcrowding of his capital. In front of the minster and abbey of St. Andrew's was a large squarecrowded with priests, soldiers, women, friars, and burghers, who made ittheir common centre for sight-seeing and gossip. Amid the knot of noisyand gesticulating townsfolk, many small parties of mounted knights andsquires threaded their way towards the prince's quarters, where thehuge iron-clamped doors were thrown back to show that he held audiencewithin. Two-score archers stood about the gateway, and beat back fromtime to time with their bow-staves the inquisitive and chattering crowdwho swarmed round the portal. Two knights in full armor, with lancesraised and closed visors, sat their horses on either side, while in thecentre, with two pages to tend upon him, there stood a noble-faced manin flowing purple gown, who pricked off upon a sheet of parchment thestyle and title of each applicant, marshalling them in their due order, and giving to each the place and facility which his rank demanded. Hislong white beard and searching eyes imparted to him an air of masterfuldignity, which was increased by his tabardlike vesture and the heraldicbarret cap with triple plume which bespoke his office. "It is Sir William de Pakington, the prince's own herald and scrivener, "whispered Sir Nigel, as they pulled up amid the line of knights whowaited admission. "Ill fares it with the man who would venture todeceive him. He hath by rote the name of every knight of France or ofEngland; and all the tree of his family, with his kinships, coat-armor, marriages, augmentations, abatements, and I know not what beside. Wemay leave our horses here with the varlets, and push forward with oursquires. " Following Sir Nigel's counsel, they pressed on upon foot until they wereclose to the prince's secretary, who was in high debate with a young andfoppish knight, who was bent upon making his way past him. "Mackworth!" said the king-at-arms. "It is in my mind, young sir, thatyou have not been presented before. " "Nay, it is but a day since I set foot in Bordeaux, but I feared lestthe prince should think it strange that I had not waited upon him. " "The prince hath other things to think upon, " quoth Sir William dePakington; "but if you be a Mackworth you must be a Mackworth ofNormanton, and indeed I see now that your coat is sable and ermine. " "I am a Mackworth of Normanton, " the other answered, with someuneasiness of manner. "Then you must be Sir Stephen Mackworth, for I learn that when oldSir Guy died he came in for the arms and the name, the war-cry and theprofit. " "Sir Stephen is my elder brother, and I am Arthur, the second son, " saidthe youth. "In sooth and in sooth!" cried the king-at-arms with scornful eyes. "Andpray, sir second son, where is the cadency mark which should mark yourrank. Dare you to wear your brother's coat without the crescent whichshould stamp you as his cadet. Away to your lodgings, and come notnigh the prince until the armorer hath placed the true charge upon yourshield. " As the youth withdrew in confusion, Sir William's keen eyesingled out the five red roses from amid the overlapping shields andcloud of pennons which faced him. "Ha!" he cried, "there are charges here which are above counterfeit. The roses of Loring and the boar's head of Buttesthorn may stand backin peace, but by my faith! they are not to be held back in war. Welcome, Sir Oliver, Sir Nigel! Chandos will be glad to his very heart-roots whenhe sees you. This way, my fair sirs. Your squires are doubtless worthythe fame of their masters. Down this passage, Sir Oliver! Edricson! Ha!one of the old strain of Hampshire Edricsons, I doubt not. And Ford, they are of a south Saxon stock, and of good repute. There are Norburysin Cheshire and in Wiltshire, and also, as I have heard, upon theborders. So, my fair sirs, and I shall see that you are shortlyadmitted. " He had finished his professional commentary by flinging open a foldingdoor, and ushering the party into a broad hall, which was filled witha great number of people who were waiting, like themselves, for anaudience. The room was very spacious, lighted on one side by threearched and mullioned windows, while opposite was a huge fireplace inwhich a pile of faggots was blazing merrily. Many of the company hadcrowded round the flames, for the weather was bitterly cold; but thetwo knights seated themselves upon a bancal, with their squires standingbehind them. Looking down the room, Alleyne marked that both floor andceiling were of the richest oak, the latter spanned by twelve archingbeams, which were adorned at either end by the lilies and the lions ofthe royal arms. On the further side was a small door, on each side ofwhich stood men-at-arms. From time to time an elderly man in black withrounded shoulders and a long white wand in his hand came softly forthfrom this inner room, and beckoned to one or other of the company, whodoffed cap and followed him. The two knights were deep in talk, when Alleyne became aware of aremarkable individual who was walking round the room in their direction. As he passed each knot of cavaliers every head turned to look afterhim, and it was evident, from the bows and respectful salutations onall sides, that the interest which he excited was not due merely to hisstrange personal appearance. He was tall and straight as a lance, thoughof a great age, for his hair, which curled from under his velvet cap ofmaintenance, was as white as the new-fallen snow. Yet, from the swing ofhis stride and the spring of his step, it was clear that he had not yetlost the fire and activity of his youth. His fierce hawk-like face wasclean shaven like that of a priest, save for a long thin wisp of whitemoustache which drooped down half way to his shoulder. That he hadbeen handsome might be easily judged from his high aquiline nose andclear-cut chin; but his features had been so distorted by the seams andscars of old wounds, and by the loss of one eye which had been tornfrom the socket, that there was little left to remind one of the dashingyoung knight who had been fifty years ago the fairest as well as theboldest of the English chivalry. Yet what knight was there in that hallof St. Andrew's who would not have gladly laid down youth, beauty, andall that he possessed to win the fame of this man? For who could benamed with Chandos, the stainless knight, the wise councillor, thevaliant warrior, the hero of Crecy, of Winchelsea, of Poictiers, ofAuray, and of as many other battles as there were years to his life? "Ha, my little heart of gold!" he cried, darting forward suddenly andthrowing his arms round Sir Nigel. "I heard that you were here and havebeen seeking you. " "My fair and dear lord, " said the knight, returning the warrior'sembrace, "I have indeed come back to you, for where else shall I go thatI may learn to be a gentle and a hardy knight?" "By my troth!" said Chandos with a smile, "it is very fitting that weshould be companions, Nigel, for since you have tied up one of youreyes, and I have had the mischance to lose one of mine, we have but apair between us. Ah, Sir Oliver! you were on the blind side of me and Isaw you not. A wise woman hath made prophecy that this blind side willone day be the death of me. We shall go in to the prince anon; but intruth he hath much upon his hands, for what with Pedro, and the King ofMajorca, and the King of Navarre, who is no two days of the same mind, and the Gascon barons who are all chaffering for terms like so manyhucksters, he hath an uneasy part to play. But how left you the LadyLoring?" "She was well, my fair lord, and sent her service and greetings to you. " "I am ever her knight and slave. And your journey, I trust that it waspleasant?" "As heart could wish. We had sight of two rover galleys, and even cameto have some slight bickering with them. " "Ever in luck's way, Nigel!" quoth Sir John. "We must hear the taleanon. But I deem it best that ye should leave your squires and come withme, for, howsoe'er pressed the prince may be, I am very sure that hewould be loth to keep two old comrades-in-arms upon the further side ofthe door. Follow close behind me, and I will forestall old Sir William, though I can scarce promise to roll forth your style and rank as ishis wont. " So saying, he led the way to the inner chamber, the twocompanions treading close at his heels, and nodding to right and left asthey caught sight of familiar faces among the crowd. CHAPTER XIX. HOW THERE WAS STIR AT THE ABBEY OF ST. ANDREW'S. The prince's reception-room, although of no great size, was fitted upwith all the state and luxury which the fame and power of its ownerdemanded. A high dais at the further end was roofed in by a broad canopyof scarlet velvet spangled with silver fleurs-de-lis, and supported ateither corner by silver rods. This was approached by four steps carpetedwith the same material, while all round were scattered rich cushions, oriental mats and costly rugs of fur. The choicest tapestries which thelooms of Arras could furnish draped the walls, whereon the battles ofJudas Maccabaeus were set forth, with the Jewish warriors in plate ofproof, with crest and lance and banderole, as the naive artists of theday were wont to depict them. A few rich settles and bancals, choicelycarved and decorated with glazed leather hangings of the sort termed _orbasane_, completed the furniture of the apartment, save that at one sideof the dais there stood a lofty perch, upon which a cast of three solemnPrussian gerfalcons sat, hooded and jesseled, as silent and motionlessas the royal fowler who stood beside them. In the centre of the dais were two very high chairs with dorserets, which arched forwards over the heads of the occupants, the whole coveredwith light-blue silk thickly powdered with golden stars. On that to theright sat a very tall and well formed man with red hair, a livid face, and a cold blue eye, which had in it something peculiarly sinister andmenacing. He lounged back in a careless position, and yawned repeatedlyas though heartily weary of the proceedings, stooping from time to timeto fondle a shaggy Spanish greyhound which lay stretched at his feet. Onthe other throne there was perched bolt upright, with prim demeanor, asthough he felt himself to be upon his good behavior, a little, round, pippin faced person, who smiled and bobbed to every one whose eye hechanced to meet. Between and a little in front of them on a humblecharette or stool, sat a slim, dark young man, whose quiet attire andmodest manner would scarce proclaim him to be the most noted prince inEurope. A jupon of dark blue cloth, tagged with buckles and pendants ofgold, seemed but a sombre and plain attire amidst the wealth of silk andermine and gilt tissue of fustian with which he was surrounded. He satwith his two hands clasped round his knee, his head slightly bent, and an expression of impatience and of trouble upon his clear, well-chiselled features. Behind the thrones there stood two men inpurple gowns, with ascetic, clean-shaven faces, and half a dozen otherhigh dignitaries and office-holders of Aquitaine. Below on either sideof the steps were forty or fifty barons, knights, and courtiers, rangedin a triple row to the right and the left, with a clear passage in thecentre. "There sits the prince, " whispered Sir John Chandos, as they entered. "He on the right is Pedro, whom we are about to put upon the Spanishthrone. The other is Don James, whom we purpose with the aid of God tohelp to his throne in Majorca. Now follow me, and take it not to heartif he be a little short in his speech, for indeed his mind is full ofmany very weighty concerns. " The prince, however, had already observed their entrance, and, springingto his feet, he had advanced with a winning smile and the light ofwelcome in his eyes. "We do not need your good offices as herald here, Sir John, " said he ina low but clear voice; "these valiant knights are very well known to me. Welcome to Aquitaine, Sir Nigel Loring and Sir Oliver Buttesthorn. Nay, keep your knee for my sweet father at Windsor. I would have your hands, my friends. We are like to give you some work to do ere you see thedowns of Hampshire once more. Know you aught of Spain, Sir Oliver?" "Nought, my sire, save that I have heard men say that there is a dishnamed an olla which is prepared there, though I have never been clear inmy mind as to whether it was but a ragout such as is to be found in thesouth, or whether there is some seasoning such as fennel or garlic whichis peculiar to Spain. " "Your doubts, Sir Oliver, shall soon be resolved, " answered the prince, laughing heartily, as did many of the barons who surrounded them. "Hismajesty here will doubtless order that you have this dish hotly seasonedwhen we are all safely in Castile. " "I will have a hotly seasoned dish for some folk I know of, " answeredDon Pedro with a cold smile. "But my friend Sir Oliver can fight right hardily without either bite orsup, " remarked the prince. "Did I not see him at Poictiers, when for twodays we had not more than a crust of bread and a cup of foul water, yetcarrying himself most valiantly. With my own eyes I saw him in the routsweep the head from a knight of Picardy with one blow of his sword. " "The rogue got between me and the nearest French victual wain, " mutteredSir Oliver, amid a fresh titter from those who were near enough to catchhis words. "How many have you in your train?" asked the prince, assuming a gravermien. "I have forty men-at-arms, sire, " said Sir Oliver. "And I have one hundred archers and a score of lancers, but there aretwo hundred men who wait for me on this side of the water upon theborders of Navarre. " "And who are they, Sir Nigel?" "They are a free company, sire, and they are called the White Company. " To the astonishment of the knight, his words provoked a burst ofmerriment from the barons round, in which the two kings and the princewere fain to join. Sir Nigel blinked mildly from one to the other, untilat last perceiving a stout black-bearded knight at his elbow, whoselaugh rang somewhat louder than the others, he touched him lightly uponthe sleeve. "Perchance, my fair sir, " he whispered, "there is some small vow ofwhich I may relieve you. Might we not have some honorable debate uponthe matter. Your gentle courtesy may perhaps grant me an exchange ofthrusts. " "Nay, nay, Sir Nigel, " cried the prince, "fasten not the offence uponSir Robert Briquet, for we are one and all bogged in the same mire. Truth to say, our ears have just been vexed by the doings of the samecompany, and I have even now made vow to hang the man who held the rankof captain over it. I little thought to find him among the bravest of myown chosen chieftains. But the vow is now nought, for, as you havenever seen your company, it would be a fool's act to blame you for theirdoings. " "My liege, " said Sir Nigel, "it is a very small matter that I should behanged, albeit the manner of death is somewhat more ignoble than I hadhoped for. On the other hand, it would be a very grievous thing thatyou, the Prince of England and the flower of knighthood, should make avow, whether in ignorance or no, and fail to bring it to fulfilment. " "Vex not your mind on that, " the prince answered, smiling. "We have hada citizen from Montauban here this very day, who told us such a tale ofsack and murder and pillage that it moved our blood; but our wrath wasturned upon the man who was in authority over them. " "My dear and honored master, " cried Nigel, in great anxiety, "I fear memuch that in your gentleness of heart you are straining this vow whichyou have taken. If there be so much as a shadow of a doubt as to theform of it, it were a thousand times best----" "Peace! peace!" cried the prince impatiently. "I am very well able tolook to my own vows and their performance. We hope to see you bothin the banquet-hall anon. Meanwhile you will attend upon us with ourtrain. " He bowed, and Chandos, plucking Sir Oliver by the sleeve, ledthem both away to the back of the press of courtiers. "Why, little coz, " he whispered, "you are very eager to have your neckin a noose. By my soul! had you asked as much from our new ally DonPedro, he had not baulked you. Between friends, there is overmuch ofthe hangman in him, and too little of the prince. But indeed thisWhite Company is a rough band, and may take some handling ere you findyourself safe in your captaincy. " "I doubt not, with the help of St. Paul, that I shall bring them to someorder, " Sir Nigel answered. "But there are many faces here which are newto me, though others have been before me since first I waited upon mydear master, Sir Walter. I pray you to tell me, Sir John, who are thesepriests upon the dais?" "The one is the Archbishop of Bordeaux, Nigel, and the other the Bishopof Agen. " "And the dark knight with gray-streaked beard? By my troth, he seems tobe a man of much wisdom and valor. " "He is Sir William Felton, who, with my unworthy self, is the chiefcounsellor of the prince, he being high steward and I the seneschal ofAquitaine. " "And the knights upon the right, beside Don Pedro?" "They are cavaliers of Spain who have followed him in his exile. The oneat his elbow is Fernando de Castro, who is as brave and true a man asheart could wish. In front to the right are the Gascon lords. You maywell tell them by their clouded brows, for there hath been some ill-willof late betwixt the prince and them. The tall and burly man is theCaptal de Buch, whom I doubt not that you know, for a braver knightnever laid lance in rest. That heavy-faced cavalier who plucks hisskirts and whispers in his ear is Lord Oliver de Clisson, known also asthe butcher. He it is who stirs up strife, and forever blows the dyingembers into flame. The man with the mole upon his cheek is the LordPommers, and his two brothers stand behind him, with the Lord Lesparre, Lord de Rosem, Lord de Mucident, Sir Perducas d'Albret, the Souldich dela Trane, and others. Further back are knights from Quercy, Limousin, Saintonge, Poitou, and Aquitaine, with the valiant Sir Guiscard d'Angle. That is he in the rose-colored doublet with the ermine. " "And the knights upon this side?" "They are all Englishmen, some of the household and others who likeyourself, are captains of companies. There is Lord Neville, Sir StephenCossington, and Sir Matthew Gourney, with Sir Walter Huet, Sir ThomasBanaster, and Sir Thomas Felton, who is the brother of the high steward. Mark well the man with the high nose and flaxen beard who hath placedhis hand upon the shoulder of the dark hard-faced cavalier in therust-stained jupon. " "Aye, by St. Paul!" observed Sir Nigel, "they both bear the print oftheir armor upon their cotes-hardies. Methinks they are men who breathefreer in a camp than a court. " "There are many of us who do that, Nigel, " said Chandos, "and the headof the court is, I dare warrant, among them. But of these two men theone is Sir Hugh Calverley, and the other is Sir Robert Knolles. " Sir Nigel and Sir Oliver craned their necks to have the clearer view ofthese famous warriors, the one a chosen leader of free companies, theother a man who by his fierce valor and energy had raised himself fromthe lowest ranks until he was second only to Chandos himself in theesteem of the army. "He hath no light hand in war, hath Sir Robert, " said Chandos. "If hepasses through a country you may tell it for some years to come. I haveheard that in the north it is still the use to call a house which hathbut the two gable ends left, without walls or roof, a Knolles' mitre. " "I have often heard of him, " said Nigel, "and I have hoped to be so farhonored as to run a course with him. But hark, Sir John, what is amisswith the prince?" Whilst Chandos had been conversing with the two knights a continuousstream of suitors had been ushered in, adventurers seeking to sell theirswords and merchants clamoring over some grievance, a ship detainedfor the carriage of troops, or a tun of sweet wine which had the bottomknocked out by a troop of thirsty archers. A few words from the princedisposed of each case, and, if the applicant liked not the judgment, aquick glance from the prince's dark eyes sent him to the door with thegrievance all gone out of him. The younger ruler had sat listlessly uponhis stool with the two puppet monarchs enthroned behind him, but of asudden a dark shadow passed over his face, and he sprang to his feet inone of those gusts of passion which were the single blot upon his nobleand generous character. "How now, Don Martin de la Carra?" he cried. "How now, sirrah? Whatmessage do you bring to us from our brother of Navarre?" The new-comer to whom this abrupt query had been addressed was a talland exceedingly handsome cavalier who had just been ushered into theapartment. His swarthy cheek and raven black hair spoke of the fierysouth, and he wore his long black cloak swathed across his chest andover his shoulders in a graceful sweeping fashion, which was neitherEnglish nor French. With stately steps and many profound bows, headvanced to the foot of the dais before replying to the prince'squestion. "My powerful and illustrious master, " he began, "Charles, King ofNavarre, Earl of Evreux, Count of Champagne, who also writeth himselfOverlord of Bearn, hereby sends his love and greetings to his dearcousin Edward, the Prince of Wales, Governor of Aquitaine, GrandCommander of----" "Tush! tush! Don Martin!" interrupted the prince, who had been beatingthe ground with his foot impatiently during this stately preamble. "Wealready know our cousin's titles and style, and, certes, we know ourown. To the point, man, and at once. Are the passes open to us, or doesyour master go back from his word pledged to me at Libourne no laterthan last Michaelmas?" "It would ill become my gracious master, sire, to go back frompromise given. He does but ask some delay and certain conditions andhostages----" "Conditions! Hostages! Is he speaking to the Prince of England, or is itto the bourgeois provost of some half-captured town! Conditions, quotha?He may find much to mend in his own condition ere long. The passes are, then, closed to us?" "Nay, sire----" "They are open, then?" "Nay, sire, if you would but----" "Enough, enough, Don Martin, " cried the prince. "It is a sorry sight tosee so true a knight pleading in so false a cause. We know the doings ofour cousin Charles. We know that while with the right hand he takes ourfifty thousand crowns for the holding of the passes open, he hath hisleft outstretched to Henry of Trastamare, or to the King of France, allready to take as many more for the keeping them closed. I know our goodCharles, and, by my blessed name-saint the Confessor, he shall learnthat I know him. He sets his kingdom up to the best bidder, like somescullion farrier selling a glandered horse. He is----" "My lord, " cried Don Martin, "I cannot stand there to hear such wordsof my master. Did they come from other lips, I should know better how toanswer them. " Don Pedro frowned and curled his lip, but the prince smiled and noddedhis approbation. "Your bearing and your words, Don Martin, are such I should have lookedfor in you, " he remarked. "You will tell the king, your master, that hehath been paid his price and that if he holds to his promise he hath myword for it that no scath shall come to his people, nor to their housesor gear. If, however, we have not his leave, I shall come close at theheels of this message without his leave, and bearing a key with mewhich shall open all that he may close. " He stooped and whispered to SirRobert Knolles and Sir Huge Calverley, who smiled as men well pleased, and hastened from the room. "Our cousin Charles has had experience of our friendship, " the princecontinued, "and now, by the Saints! he shall feel a touch of ourdispleasure. I send now a message to our cousin Charles which his wholekingdom may read. Let him take heed lest worse befall him. Where is myLord Chandos? Ha, Sir John, I commend this worthy knight to your care. You will see that he hath refection, and such a purse of gold as maydefray his charges, for indeed it is great honor to any court to havewithin it so noble and gentle a cavalier. How say you, sire?" heasked, turning to the Spanish refugee, while the herald of Navarre wasconducted from the chamber by the old warrior. "It is not our custom in Spain to reward pertness in a messenger, " DonPedro answered, patting the head of his greyhound. "Yet we have allheard the lengths to which your royal generosity runs. " "In sooth, yes, " cried the King of Majorca. "Who should know it better than we?" said Don Pedro bitterly, "since wehave had to fly to you in our trouble as to the natural protector of allwho are weak. " "Nay, nay, as brothers to a brother, " cried the prince, with sparklingeyes. "We doubt not, with the help of God, to see you very soon restoredto those thrones from which you have been so traitorously thrust. " "When that happy day comes, " said Pedro, "then Spain shall be to you asAquitaine, and, be your project what it may, you may ever count on everytroop and every ship over which flies the banner of Castile. " "And, " added the other, "upon every aid which the wealth and power ofMajorca can bestow. " "Touching the hundred thousand crowns in which I stand your debtor, "continued Pedro carelessly, "it can no doubt----" "Not a word, sire, not a word!" cried the prince. "It is not now whenyou are in grief that I would vex your mind with such base and sordidmatters. I have said once and forever that I am yours with everybow-string of my army and every florin in my coffers. " "Ah! here is indeed a mirror of chivalry, " said Don Pedro. "I think, Sir Fernando, since the prince's bounty is stretched so far, that wemay make further use of his gracious goodness to the extent of fiftythousand crowns. Good Sir William Felton, here, will doubtless settlethe matter with you. " The stout old English counsellor looked somewhat blank at this promptacceptance of his master's bounty. "If it please you, sire, " he said, "the public funds are at theirlowest, seeing that I have paid twelve thousand men of the companies, and the new taxes--the hearth-tax and the wine-tax--not yet come in. Ifyou could wait until the promised help from England comes----" "Nay, nay, my sweet cousin, " cried Don Pedro. "Had we known that yourown coffers were so low, or that this sorry sum could have weighed oneway or the other, we had been loth indeed----" "Enough, sire, enough!" said the prince, flushing with vexation. "Ifthe public funds be, indeed, so backward, Sir William, there is still, I trust, my own private credit, which hath never been drawn upon for myown uses, but is now ready in the cause of a friend in adversity. Go, raise this money upon our own jewels, if nought else may serve, and seethat it be paid over to Don Fernando. " "In security I offer----" cried Don Pedro. "Tush! tush!" said the prince. "I am not a Lombard, sire. Your kinglypledge is my security, without bond or seal. But I have tidings for you, my lords and lieges, that our brother of Lancaster is on his way for ourcapital with four hundred lances and as many archers to aid us in ourventure. When he hath come, and when our fair consort is recovered inher health, which I trust by the grace of God may be ere many weeks bepast, we shall then join the army at Dax, and set our banners to thebreeze once more. " A buzz of joy at the prospect of immediate action rose up from the groupof warriors. The prince smiled at the martial ardor which shone uponevery face around him. "It will hearten you to know, " he continued, "that I have sure advicesthat this Henry is a very valiant leader, and that he has it in hispower to make such a stand against us as promises to give us much honorand pleasure. Of his own people he hath brought together, as I learn, some fifty thousand, with twelve thousand of the French free companies, who are, as you know very valiant and expert men-at-arms. It is certainalso, that the brave and worthy Bertrand de Guesclin hath ridden intoFrance to the Duke of Anjou, and purposes to take back with him greatlevies from Picardy and Brittany. We hold Bertrand in high esteem, forhe has oft before been at great pains to furnish us with an honorableencounter. What think you of it, my worthy Captal? He took you atCocherel, and, by my soul I you will have the chance now to pay thatscore. " The Gascon warrior winced a little at the allusion, nor were hiscountrymen around him better pleased, for on the only occasion when theyhad encountered the arms of France without English aid they had met witha heavy defeat. "There are some who say, sire, " said the burly De Clisson, "that thescore is already overpaid, for that without Gascon help Bertrand had notbeen taken at Auray, nor had King John been overborne at Poictiers. " "By heaven! but this is too much, " cried an English nobleman. "Methinksthat Gascony is too small a cock to crow so lustily. " "The smaller cock, my Lord Audley, may have the longer spur, " remarkedthe Captal de Buch. "May have its comb clipped if it make over-much noise, " broke in anEnglishman. "By our Lady of Rocamadour!" cried the Lord of Mucident, "this is morethan I can abide. Sir John Charnell, you shall answer to me for thosewords!" "Freely, my lord, and when you will, " returned the Englishmancarelessly. "My Lord de Clisson, " cried Lord Audley, "you look some, what fixedly inmy direction. By God's soul! I should be right glad to go further intothe matter with you. " "And you, my Lord of Pommers, " said Sir Nigel, pushing his way to thefront, "it is in my mind that we might break a lance in gentle andhonorable debate over the question. " For a moment a dozen challenges flashed backwards and forwards at thissudden bursting of the cloud which had lowered so long between theknights of the two nations. Furious and gesticulating the Gascons, whiteand cold and sneering the English, while the prince with a half smileglanced from one party to the other, like a man who loved to dwell upona fiery scene, and yet dreaded least the mischief go so far that hemight find it beyond his control. "Friends, friends!" he cried at last, "this quarrel must go no further. The man shall answer to me, be he Gascon or English, who carries itbeyond this room. I have overmuch need for your swords that you shouldturn them upon each other. Sir John Charnell, Lord Audley, you do notdoubt the courage of our friends of Gascony?" "Not I, sire, " Lord Audley answered. "I have seen them fight too oftennot to know that they are very hardy and valiant gentlemen. " "And so say I, " quoth the other Englishman; "but, certes, there is nofear of our forgetting it while they have a tongue in their heads. " "Nay, Sir John, " said the prince reprovingly, "all peoples have theirown use and customs. There are some who might call us cold and dull andsilent. But you hear, my lords of Gascony, that these gentlemen had nothought to throw a slur upon your honor or your valor, so let all angerfade from your mind. Clisson, Captal, De Pommers, I have your word?" "We are your subjects, sire, " said the Gascon barons, though with novery good grace. "Your words are our law. " "Then shall we bury all cause of unkindness in a flagon of Malvoisie, "said the prince, cheerily. "Ho, there! the doors of the banquet-hall!I have been over long from my sweet spouse but I shall be back with youanon. Let the sewers serve and the minstrels play, while we drain acup to the brave days that are before us in the south!" He turned away, accompanied by the two monarchs, while the rest of the company, withmany a compressed lip and menacing eye, filed slowly through theside-door to the great chamber in which the royal tables were set forth. CHAPTER XX. HOW ALLEYNE WON HIS PLACE IN AN HONORABLE GUILD. Whilst the prince's council was sitting, Alleyne and Ford had remainedin the outer hall, where they were soon surrounded by a noisy group ofyoung Englishmen of their own rank, all eager to hear the latest newsfrom England. "How is it with the old man at Windsor?" asked one. "And how with the good Queen Philippa?" "And how with Dame Alice Perrers?" cried a third. "The devil take your tongue, Wat!" shouted a tall young man, seizingthe last speaker by the collar and giving him an admonitory shake. "Theprince would take your head off for those words. " "By God's coif! Wat would miss it but little, " said another. "It is asempty as a beggar's wallet. " "As empty as an English squire, coz, " cried the first speaker. "What adevil has become of the maitre-des-tables and his sewers? They have notput forth the trestles yet. " "Mon Dieu! if a man could eat himself into knighthood, Humphrey, youhad been a banneret at the least, " observed another, amid a burst oflaughter. "And if you could drink yourself in, old leather-head, you had beenfirst baron of the realm, " cried the aggrieved Humphrey. "But how ofEngland, my lads of Loring?" "I take it, " said Ford, "that it is much as it was when you were therelast, save that perchance there is a little less noise there. " "And why less noise, young Solomon?" "Ah, that is for your wit to discover. " "Pardieu! here is a paladin come over, with the Hampshire mud stillsticking to his shoes. He means that the noise is less for our being outof the country. " "They are very quick in these parts, " said Ford, turning to Alleyne. "How are we to take this, sir?" asked the ruffling squire. "You may take it as it comes, " said Ford carelessly. "Here is pertness!" cried the other. "Sir, I honor your truthfulness, " said Ford. "Stint it, Humphrey, " said the tall squire, with a burst of laughter. "You will have little credit from this gentleman, I perceive. Tonguesare sharp in Hampshire, sir. " "And swords?" "Hum! we may prove that. In two days' time is the vepres du tournoi, when we may see if your lance is as quick as your wit. " "All very well, Roger Harcomb, " cried a burly, bull-necked young man, whose square shoulders and massive limbs told of exceptional personalstrength. "You pass too lightly over the matter. We are not to be soeasily overcrowed. The Lord Loring hath given his proofs; but we knownothing of his squires, save that one of them hath a railing tongue. And how of you, young sir?" bringing his heavy hand down on Alleyne'sshoulder. "And what of me, young sir?" "Ma foi! this is my lady's page come over. Your cheek will be brownerand your hand harder ere you see your mother again. " "If my hand is not hard, it is ready. " "Ready? Ready for what? For the hem of my lady's train?" "Ready to chastise insolence, sir, " cried Alleyne with hashing eyes. "Sweet little coz!" answered the burly squire. "Such a dainty color!Such a mellow voice! Eyes of a bashful maid, and hair like a threeyears' babe! Voila!" He passed his thick fingers roughly through theyouth's crisp golden curls. "You seek to force a quarrel, sir, " said the young man, white withanger. "And what then?" "Why, you do it like a country boor, and not like a gentle squire. Hastbeen ill bred and as ill taught. I serve a master who could show you howsuch things should be done. " "And how would he do it, O pink of squires?" "He would neither be loud nor would he be unmannerly, but rather moregentle than is his wont. He would say, 'Sir, I should take it as anhonor to do some small deed of arms against you, not for mine own gloryor advancement, but rather for the fame of my lady and for the upholdingof chivalry. ' Then he would draw his glove, thus, and throw it on theground; or, if he had cause to think that he had to deal with a churl, he might throw it in his face--as I do now!" A buzz of excitement went up from the knot of squires as Alleyne, hisgentle nature turned by this causeless attack into fiery resolution, dashed his glove with all his strength into the sneering face of hisantagonist. From all parts of the hall squires and pages came running, until a dense, swaying crowd surrounded the disputants. "Your life for this!" said the bully, with a face which was distortedwith rage. "If you can take it, " returned Alleyne. "Good lad!" whispered Ford. "Stick to it close as wax. " "I shall see justice, " cried Norbury, Sir Oliver's silent attendant. "You brought it upon yourself, John Tranter, " said the tall squire, who had been addressed as Roger Harcomb. "You must ever plague thenew-comers. But it were shame if this went further. The lad hath shown aproper spirit. " "But a blow! a blow!" cried several of the older squires. "There must bea finish to this. " "Nay; Tranter first laid hand upon his head, " said Harcomb. "How sayyou, Tranter? The matter may rest where it stands?" "My name is known in these parts, " said Tranter, proudly, "I can letpass what might leave a stain upon another. Let him pick up his gloveand say that he has done amiss. " "I would see him in the claws of the devil first, " whispered Ford. "You hear, young sir?" said the peacemaker. "Our friend will overlookthe matter if you do but say that you have acted in heat and haste. " "I cannot say that, " answered Alleyne. "It is our custom, young sir, when new squires come amongst us fromEngland, to test them in some such way. Bethink you that if a man havea destrier or a new lance he will ever try it in time of peace, lest indays of need it may fail him. How much more then is it proper to testthose who are our comrades in arms. " "I would draw out if it may honorably be done, " murmured Norburyin Alleyne's ear. "The man is a noted swordsman and far above yourstrength. " Edricson came, however, of that sturdy Saxon blood which is very slowlyheated, but once up not easily to be cooled. The hint of danger whichNorbury threw out was the one thing needed to harden his resolution. "I came here at the back of my master, " he said, "and I looked on everyman here as an Englishman and a friend. This gentleman hath shown me arough welcome, and if I have answered him in the same spirit he has buthimself to thank. I will pick the glove up; but, certes, I shall abidewhat I have done unless he first crave my pardon for what he hath saidand done. " Tranter shrugged his shoulders. "You have done what you could to savehim, Harcomb, " said he. "We had best settle at once. " "So say I, " cried Alleyne. "The council will not break up until the banquet, " remarked agray-haired squire. "You have a clear two hours. " "And the place?" "The tilting-yard is empty at this hour. " "Nay; it must not be within the grounds of the court, or it may go hardwith all concerned if it come to the ears of the prince. " "But there is a quiet spot near the river, " said one youth. "We havebut to pass through the abbey grounds, along the armory wall, past thechurch of St. Remi, and so down the Rue des Apotres. " "En avant, then!" cried Tranter shortly, and the whole assembly flockedout into the open air, save only those whom the special orders of theirmasters held to their posts. These unfortunates crowded to the smallcasements, and craned their necks after the throng as far as they couldcatch a glimpse of them. Close to the banks of the Garonne there lay a little tract of greensward, with the high wall of a prior's garden upon one side and anorchard with a thick bristle of leafless apple-trees upon the other. Theriver ran deep and swift up to the steep bank; but there were few boatsupon it, and the ships were moored far out in the centre of the stream. Here the two combatants drew their swords and threw off their doublets, for neither had any defensive armor. The duello with its statelyetiquette had not yet come into vogue, but rough and sudden encounterswere as common as they must ever be when hot-headed youth goes abroadwith a weapon strapped to its waist. In such combats, as well as inthe more formal sports of the tilting-yard, Tranter had won a name forstrength and dexterity which had caused Norbury to utter his well-meantwarning. On the other hand, Alleyne had used his weapons in constantexercise and practice for every day for many months, and being by naturequick of eye and prompt of hand, he might pass now as no mean swordsman. A strangely opposed pair they appeared as they approached each other:Tranter dark and stout and stiff, with hairy chest and corded arms, Alleyne a model of comeliness and grace, with his golden hair and hisskin as fair as a woman's. An unequal fight it seemed to most; but therewere a few, and they the most experienced, who saw something in theyouth's steady gray eye and wary step which left the issue open todoubt. "Hold, sirs, hold!" cried Norbury, ere a blow had been struck. "Thisgentleman hath a two-handed sword, a good foot longer than that of ourfriend. " "Take mine, Alleyne, " said Ford. "Nay, friends, " he answered, "I understand the weight and balance ofmine own. To work, sir, for our lord may need us at the abbey!" Tranter's great sword was indeed a mighty vantage in his favor. He stoodwith his feet close together, his knees bent outwards, ready for a dashinwards or a spring out. The weapon he held straight up in front of himwith blade erect, so that he might either bring it down with a swingingblow, or by a turn of the heavy blade he might guard his own head andbody. A further protection lay in the broad and powerful guard whichcrossed the hilt, and which was furnished with a deep and narrow notch, in which an expert swordsman might catch his foeman's blade, and bya quick turn of his wrist might snap it across. Alleyne, on the otherhand, must trust for his defence to his quick eye and active foot--forhis sword, though keen as a whetstone could make it, was of a light andgraceful build with a narrow, sloping pommel and a tapering steel. Tranter well knew his advantage and lost no time in putting it to use. As his opponent walked towards him he suddenly bounded forward and sentin a whistling cut which would have severed the other in twain had henot sprung lightly back from it. So close was it that the point rippeda gash in the jutting edge of his linen cyclas. Quick as a panther, Alleyne sprang in with a thrust, but Tranter, who was as active as hewas strong, had already recovered himself and turned it aside with amovement of his heavy blade. Again he whizzed in a blow which made thespectators hold their breath, and again Alleyne very quickly and swiftlyslipped from under it, and sent back two lightning thrusts which theother could scarce parry. So close were they to each other that Alleynehad no time to spring back from the next cut, which beat down his swordand grazed his forehead, sending the blood streaming into his eyes anddown his cheeks. He sprang out beyond sword sweep, and the pair stoodbreathing heavily, while the crowd of young squires buzzed theirapplause. "Bravely struck on both sides!" cried Roger Harcomb. "You have bothwon honor from this meeting, and it would be sin and shame to let it gofurther. " "You have done enough, Edricson, " said Norbury. "You have carried yourself well, " cried several of the older squires. "For my part, I have no wish to slay this young man, " said Tranter, wiping his heated brow. "Does this gentleman crave my pardon for having used me despitefully?"asked Alleyne. "Nay, not I. " "Then stand on your guard, sir!" With a clatter and dash the two bladesmet once more, Alleyne pressing in so as to keep within the full sweepof the heavy blade, while Tranter as continually sprang back to havespace for one of his fatal cuts. A three-parts-parried blow drew bloodfrom Alleyne's left shoulder, but at the same moment he wounded Tranterslightly upon the thigh. Next instant, however, his blade had slippedinto the fatal notch, there was a sharp cracking sound with a tinklingupon the ground, and he found a splintered piece of steel fifteen incheslong was all that remained to him of his weapon. "Your life is in my hands!" cried Tranter, with a bitter smile. "Nay, nay, he makes submission!" broke in several squires. "Another sword!" cried Ford. "Nay, sir, " said Harcomb, "that is not the custom. " "Throw down your hilt, Edricson, " cried Norbury. "Never!" said Alleyne. "Do you crave my pardon, sir?" "You are mad to ask it. " "Then on guard again!" cried the young squire, and sprang in with a fireand a fury which more than made up for the shortness of his weapon. Ithad not escaped him that his opponent was breathing in short, hoarsegasps, like a man who is dizzy with fatigue. Now was the time for thepurer living and the more agile limb to show their value. Back and backgave Tranter, ever seeking time for a last cut. On and on came Alleyne, his jagged point now at his foeman's face, now at his throat, now athis chest, still stabbing and thrusting to pass the line of steel whichcovered him. Yet his experienced foeman knew well that such effortscould not be long sustained. Let him relax for one instant, and hisdeath-blow had come. Relax he must! Flesh and blood could not standthe strain. Already the thrusts were less fierce, the foot less ready, although there was no abatement of the spirit in the steady gray eyes. Tranter, cunning and wary from years of fighting, knew that his chancehad come. He brushed aside the frail weapon which was opposed to him, whirled up his great blade, sprang back to get the fairer sweep--andvanished into the waters of the Garonne. So intent had the squires, both combatants and spectators, been onthe matter in hand, that all thought of the steep bank and swift stillstream had gone from their minds. It was not until Tranter, giving backbefore the other's fiery rush, was upon the very brink, that a generalcry warned him of his danger. That last spring, which he hoped wouldhave brought the fight to a bloody end, carried him clear of the edge, and he found himself in an instant eight feet deep in the ice-coldstream. Once and twice his gasping face and clutching fingers broke upthrough the still green water, sweeping outwards in the swirl of thecurrent. In vain were sword-sheaths, apple-branches and belts linkedtogether thrown out to him by his companions. Alleyne had dropped hisshattered sword and was standing, trembling in every limb, with his rageall changed in an instant to pity. For the third time the drowning mancame to the surface, his hands full of green slimy water-plants, hiseyes turned in despair to the shore. Their glance fell upon Alleyne, and he could not withstand the mute appeal which he read in them. In aninstant he, too, was in the Garonne, striking out with powerful strokesfor his late foeman. Yet the current was swift and strong, and, good swimmer as he was, itwas no easy task which Alleyne had set himself. To clutch at Tranter andto seize him by the hair was the work of a few seconds, but to hold hishead above water and to make their way out of the current was anothermatter. For a hundred strokes he did not seem to gain an inch. Then atlast, amid a shout of joy and praise from the bank, they slowly drewclear into more stagnant water, at the instant that a rope, made of adozen sword-belts linked together by the buckles, was thrown byFord into their very hands. Three pulls from eager arms, and the twocombatants, dripping and pale, were dragged up the bank, and lay pantingupon the grass. John Tranter was the first to come to himself, for although he had beenlonger in the water, he had done nothing during that fierce battle withthe current. He staggered to his feet and looked down upon his rescuer, who had raised himself upon his elbow, and was smiling faintly at thebuzz of congratulation and of praise which broke from the squires aroundhim. "I am much beholden to you, sir, " said Tranter, though in no veryfriendly voice. "Certes, I should have been in the river now but foryou, for I was born in Warwickshire, which is but a dry county, andthere are few who swim in those parts. " "I ask no thanks, " Alleyne answered shortly. "Give me your hand to rise, Ford. " "The river has been my enemy, " said Tranter, "but it hath been a goodfriend to you, for it has saved your life this day. " "That is as it may be, " returned Alleyne. "But all is now well over, " quoth Harcomb, "and no scath come of it, which is more than I had at one time hoped for. Our young friend herehath very fairly and honestly earned his right to be craftsman ofthe Honorable Guild of the Squires of Bordeaux. Here is your doublet, Tranter. " "Alas for my poor sword which lies at the bottom of the Garonne!" saidthe squire. "Here is your pourpoint, Edricson, " cried Norbury. "Throw it over yourshoulders, that you may have at least one dry garment. " "And now away back to the abbey!" said several. "One moment, sirs, " cried Alleyne, who was leaning on Ford's shoulder, with the broken sword, which he had picked up, still clutched in hisright hand. "My ears may be somewhat dulled by the water, and perchancewhat has been said has escaped me, but I have not yet heard thisgentleman crave pardon for the insults which he put upon me in thehall. " "What! do you still pursue the quarrel?" asked Tranter. "And why not, sir? I am slow to take up such things, but once afoot Ishall follow it while I have life or breath. " "Ma foi! you have not too much of either, for you are as white asmarble, " said Harcomb bluntly. "Take my rede, sir, and let it drop, foryou have come very well out from it. " "Nay, " said Alleyne, "this quarrel is none of my making; but, now that Iam here, I swear to you that I shall never leave this spot until I havethat which I have come for: so ask my pardon, sir, or choose anotherglaive and to it again. " The young squire was deadly white from his exertions, both on the landand in the water. Soaking and stained, with a smear of blood on hiswhite shoulder and another on his brow, there was still in his wholepose and set of face the trace of an inflexible resolution. Hisopponent's duller and more material mind quailed before the fire andintensity of a higher spiritual nature. "I had not thought that you had taken it so amiss, " said he awkwardly. "It was but such a jest as we play upon each other, and, if you musthave it so, I am sorry for it. " "Then I am sorry too, " quoth Alleyne warmly, "and here is my hand uponit. " "And the none-meat horn has blown three times, " quoth Harcomb, as theyall streamed in chattering groups from the ground. "I know not what theprince's maitre-de-cuisine will say or think. By my troth! master Ford, your friend here is in need of a cup of wine, for he hath drunk deeplyof Garonne water. I had not thought from his fair face that he had stoodto this matter so shrewdly. " "Faith, " said Ford, "this air of Bordeaux hath turned our turtle-doveinto a game-cock. A milder or more courteous youth never came out ofHampshire. " "His master also, as I understand, is a very mild and courteousgentleman, " remarked Harcomb; "yet I do not think that they are eitherof them men with whom it is very safe to trifle. " CHAPTER XXI. HOW AGOSTINO PISANO RISKED HIS HEAD. Even the squires' table at the Abbey of St. Andrew's at Bordeaux wason a very sumptuous scale while the prince held his court there. Herefirst, after the meagre fare of Beaulieu and the stinted board of theLady Loring, Alleyne learned the lengths to which luxury and refinementmight be pushed. Roasted peacocks, with the feathers all carefullyreplaced, so that the bird lay upon the dish even as it had strutted inlife, boars' heads with the tusks gilded and the mouth lined with silverfoil, jellies in the shape of the Twelve Apostles, and a great pastywhich formed an exact model of the king's new castle at Windsor--thesewere a few of the strange dishes which faced him. An archer had broughthim a change of clothes from the cog, and he had already, with theelasticity of youth, shaken off the troubles and fatigues of themorning. A page from the inner banqueting-hall had come with word thattheir master intended to drink wine at the lodgings of the Lord Chandosthat night, and that he desired his squires to sleep at the hotel of the"Half Moon" on the Rue des Apotres. Thither then they both set out inthe twilight after the long course of juggling tricks and glee-singingwith which the principal meal was concluded. A thin rain was falling as the two youths, with their cloaks over theirheads, made their way on foot through the streets of the old town, leaving their horses in the royal stables. An occasional oil lamp at thecorner of a street, or in the portico of some wealthy burgher, threw afaint glimmer over the shining cobblestones, and the varied motley crowdwho, in spite of the weather, ebbed and flowed along every highway. Inthose scattered circles of dim radiance might be seen the wholebusy panorama of life in a wealthy and martial city. Here passed theround-faced burgher, swollen with prosperity, his sweeping dark-clothedgaberdine, flat velvet cap, broad leather belt and dangling pouch allspeaking of comfort and of wealth. Behind him his serving wench, herblue whimple over her head, and one hand thrust forth to bear thelanthorn which threw a golden bar of light along her master's path. Behind them a group of swaggering, half-drunken Yorkshire dalesmen, speaking a dialect which their own southland countrymen could scarcecomprehend, their jerkins marked with the pelican, which showed thatthey had come over in the train of the north-country Stapletons. Theburgher glanced back at their fierce faces and quickened his step, whilethe girl pulled her whimple closer round her, for there was a meaning intheir wild eyes, as they stared at the purse and the maiden, whichmen of all tongues could understand. Then came archers of the guard, shrill-voiced women of the camp, English pages with their fair skins andblue wondering eyes, dark-robed friars, lounging men-at-arms, swarthyloud-tongued Gascon serving-men, seamen from the river, rude peasantsof the Medoc, and becloaked and befeathered squires of the court, alljostling and pushing in an ever-changing, many-colored stream, whileEnglish, French, Welsh, Basque, and the varied dialects of Gascony andGuienne filled the air with their babel. From time to time the throngwould be burst asunder and a lady's horse-litter would trot past tow torch-bearing archers walking in front of Gascon baron or Englishknight, as he sought his lodgings after the palace revels. Clatter ofhoofs, clinking of weapons, shouts from the drunken brawlers, and highlaughter of women, they all rose up, like the mist from a marsh, out ofthe crowded streets of the dim-lit city. One couple out of the moving throng especially engaged the attentionof the two young squires, the more so as they were going in their owndirection and immediately in front of them. They consisted of a man anda girl, the former very tall with rounded shoulders, a limp of onefoot, and a large flat object covered with dark cloth under his arm. His companion was young and straight, with a quick, elastic step andgraceful bearing, though so swathed in a black mantle that little couldbe seen of her face save a flash of dark eyes and a curve of raven hair. The tall man leaned heavily upon her to take the weight off his tenderfoot, while he held his burden betwixt himself and the wall, cuddling itjealously to his side, and thrusting forward his young companion to actas a buttress whenever the pressure of the crowd threatened to bear himaway. The evident anxiety of the man, the appearance of his attendant, and the joint care with which they defended their concealed possession, excited the interest of the two young Englishmen who walked withinhand-touch of them. "Courage, child!" they heard the tall man exclaim in strange hybridFrench. "If we can win another sixty paces we are safe. " "Hold it safe, father, " the other answered, in the same soft, mincingdialect. "We have no cause for fear. " "Verily, they are heathens and barbarians, " cried the man; "mad, howling, drunken barbarians! Forty more paces, Tita mia, and I swear tothe holy Eloi, patron of all learned craftsmen, that I will never setfoot over my door again until the whole swarm are safely hived in theircamp of Dax, or wherever else they curse with their presence. Twentymore paces, my treasure: Ah, my God! how they push and brawl! Getin their way, Tita mia! Put your little elbow bravely out! Set yourshoulders squarely against them, girl! Why should you give way to thesemad islanders? Ah, cospetto! we are ruined and destroyed!" The crowd had thickened in front, so that the lame man and the girl hadcome to a stand. Several half-drunken English archers, attracted, asthe squires had been, by their singular appearance, were facing towardsthem, and peering at them through the dim light. "By the three kings!" cried one, "here is an old dotard shrew to haveso goodly a crutch! Use the leg that God hath given you, man, and do notbear so heavily upon the wench. " "Twenty devils fly away with him!" shouted another. "What, how, man!are brave archers to go maidless while an old man uses one as awalking-staff?" "Come with me, my honey-bird!" cried a third, plucking at the girl'smantle. "Nay, with me, my heart's desire!" said the first. "By St. George! ourlife is short, and we should be merry while we may. May I never seeChester Bridge again, if she is not a right winsome lass!" "What hath the old toad under his arm?" cried one of the others. "Hehugs it to him as the devil hugged the pardoner. " "Let us see, old bag of bones; let us see what it is that you haveunder your arm!" They crowded in upon him, while he, ignorant of theirlanguage, could but clutch the girl with one hand and the parcel withthe other, looking wildly about in search of help. "Nay, lads, nay!" cried Ford, pushing back the nearest archer. "Thisis but scurvy conduct. Keep your hands off, or it will be the worse foryou. " "Keep your tongue still, or it will be the worse for you, " shouted themost drunken of the archers. "Who are you to spoil sport?" "A raw squire, new landed, " said another. "By St. Thomas of Kent! we areat the beck of our master, but we are not to be ordered by every babewhose mother hath sent him as far as Aquitaine. " "Oh, gentlemen, " cried the girl in broken French, "for dear Christ'ssake stand by us, and do not let these terrible men do us an injury. " "Have no fears, lady, " Alleyne answered. "We shall see that all iswell with you. Take your hand from the girl's wrist, you north-countryrogue!" "Hold to her, Wat!" said a great black-bearded man-at-arms, whose steelbreast-plate glimmered in the dusk. "Keep your hands from your bodkins, you two, for that was my trade before you were born, and, by God's soul!I will drive a handful of steel through you if you move a finger. " "Thank God!" said Alleyne suddenly, as he spied in the lamp-light ashock of blazing red hair which fringed a steel cap high above the headsof the crowd. "Here is John, and Aylward, too! Help us, comrades, forthere is wrong being done to this maid and to the old man. " "Hola, mon petit, " said the old bowman, pushing his way through thecrowd, with the huge forester at his heels. "What is all this, then?By the twang of string! I think that you will have some work upon yourhands if you are to right all the wrongs that you may see upon this sideof the water. It is not to be thought that a troop of bowmen, with thewine buzzing in their ears, will be as soft-spoken as so many youngclerks in an orchard. When you have been a year with the Companyyou will think less of such matters. But what is amiss here? Theprovost-marshal with his archers is coming this way, and some of you mayfind yourselves in the stretch-neck, if you take not heed. " "Why, it is old Sam Aylward of the White Company!" shouted theman-at-arms. "Why, Samkin, what hath come upon thee? I can call to mindthe day when you were as roaring a blade as ever called himself a freecompanion. By my soul! from Limoges to Navarre, who was there who wouldkiss a wench or cut a throat as readily as bowman Aylward of Hawkwood'scompany?" "Like enough, Peter, " said Aylward, "and, by my hilt! I may not havechanged so much. But it was ever a fair loose and a clear mark with me. The wench must be willing, or the man must be standing up against me, else, by these ten finger bones I either were safe enough for me. " A glance at Aylward's resolute face, and at the huge shoulders of HordleJohn, had convinced the archers that there was little to be got byviolence. The girl and the old man began to shuffle on in the crowdwithout their tormentors venturing to stop them. Ford and Alleynefollowed slowly behind them, but Aylward caught the latter by theshoulder. "By my hilt! camarade, " said he, "I hear that you have done great thingsat the Abbey to-day, but I pray you to have a care, for it was I whobrought you into the Company, and it would be a black day for me ifaught were to befall you. " "Nay, Aylward, I will have a care. " "Thrust not forward into danger too much, mon petit. In a little timeyour wrist will be stronger and your cut more shrewd. There will be someof us at the 'Rose de Guienne' to-night, which is two doors from thehotel of the 'Half Moon, ' so if you would drain a cup with a few simplearchers you will be right welcome. " Alleyne promised to be there if his duties would allow, and then, slipping through the crowd, he rejoined Ford, who was standing in talkwith the two strangers, who had now reached their own doorstep. "Brave young signor, " cried the tall man, throwing his arms roundAlleyne, "how can we thank you enough for taking our parts against thosehorrible drunken barbarians. What should we have done without you? MyTita would have been dragged away, and my head would have been shiveredinto a thousand fragments. " "Nay, I scarce think that they would have mishandled you so, " saidAlleyne in surprise. "Ho, ho!" cried he with a high crowing laugh, "it is not the head uponmy shoulders that I think of. Cospetto! no. It is the head under my armwhich you have preserved. " "Perhaps the signori would deign to come under our roof, father, " saidthe maiden. "If we bide here, who knows that some fresh tumult may notbreak out. " "Well said, Tita! Well said, my girl! I pray you, sirs, to honor myunworthy roof so far. A light, Giacomo! There are five steps up. Nowtwo more. So! Here we are at last in safety. Corpo di Bacco! I wouldnot have given ten maravedi for my head when those children of the devilwere pushing us against the wall. Tita mia, you have been a brave girl, and it was better that you should be pulled and pushed than that my headshould be broken. " "Yes indeed, father, " said she earnestly. "But those English! Ach! Take a Goth, a Hun, and a Vandal, mix themtogether and add a Barbary rover; then take this creature and make himdrunk--and you have an Englishman. My God I were ever such people uponearth! What place is free from them? I hear that they swarm in Italyeven as they swarm here. Everywhere you will find them, except inheaven. " "Dear father, " cried Tita, still supporting the angry old man, as helimped up the curved oaken stair. "You must not forget that these goodsignori who have preserved us are also English. " "Ah, yes. My pardon, sirs! Come into my rooms here. There are some whomight find some pleasure in these paintings, but I learn the art of waris the only art which is held in honor in your island. " The low-roofed, oak-panelled room into which he conducted them wasbrilliantly lit by four scented oil lamps. Against the walls, upon thetable, on the floor, and in every part of the chamber were great sheetsof glass painted in the most brilliant colors. Ford and Edricson gazedaround them in amazement, for never had they seen such magnificent worksof art. "You like them then, " the lame artist cried, in answer to the look ofpleasure and of surprise in their faces. "There are then some of you whohave a taste for such trifling. " "I could not have believed it, " exclaimed Alleyne. "What color! Whatoutlines! See to this martyrdom of the holy Stephen, Ford. Could you notyourself pick up one of these stones which lie to the hand of the wickedmurtherers?" "And see this stag, Alleyne, with the cross betwixt its horns. By myfaith! I have never seen a better one at the Forest of Bere. " "And the green of this grass--how bright and clear! Why all the paintingthat I have seen is but child's play beside this. This worthy gentlemanmust be one of those great painters of whom I have oft heard brotherBartholomew speak in the old days at Beaulieu. " The dark mobile face of the artist shone with pleasure at the unaffecteddelight of the two young Englishmen. His daughter had thrown off hermantle and disclosed a face of the finest and most delicate Italianbeauty, which soon drew Ford's eyes from the pictures in front of him. Alleyne, however, continued with little cries of admiration and ofwonderment to turn from the walls to the table and yet again to thewalls. "What think you of this, young sir?" asked the painter, tearing off thecloth which concealed the flat object which he had borne beneath hisarm. It was a leaf-shaped sheet of glass bearing upon it a face with ahalo round it, so delicately outlined, and of so perfect a tint, that itmight have been indeed a human face which gazed with sad and thoughtfuleyes upon the young squire. He clapped his hands, with that thrill ofjoy which true art will ever give to a true artist. "It is great!" he cried. "It is wonderful! But I marvel, sir, that youshould have risked a work of such beauty and value by bearing it atnight through so unruly a crowd. " "I have indeed been rash, " said the artist. "Some wine, Tita, from theFlorence flask! Had it not been for you, I tremble to think of whatmight have come of it. See to the skin tint: it is not to be replaced, for paint as you will, it is not once in a hundred times that it is noteither burned too brown in the furnace or else the color will not hold, and you get but a sickly white. There you can see the very veins and thethrob of thee blood. Yes, diavolo! if it had broken, my heart would havebroken too. It is for the choir window in the church of St. Remi, andwe had gone, my little helper and I, to see if it was indeed of the sizefor the stonework. Night had fallen ere we finished, and what could wedo save carry it home as best we might? But you, young sir, you speak asif you too knew something of the art. " "So little that I scarce dare speak of it in your presence, " Alleyneanswered. "I have been cloister-bred, and it was no very great matter tohandle the brush better than my brother novices. " "There are pigments, brush, and paper, " said the old artist. "I do notgive you glass, for that is another matter, and takes much skill in themixing of colors. Now I pray you to show me a touch of your art. I thankyou, Tita! The Venetian glasses, cara mia, and fill them to the brim. Aseat, signor!" While Ford, in his English-French, was conversing with Tita in herItalian French, the old man was carefully examining his precious head tosee that no scratch had been left upon its surface. When he glanced upagain, Alleyne had, with a few bold strokes of the brush, tinted in awoman's face and neck upon the white sheet in front of him. "Diavolo!" exclaimed the old artist, standing with his head on one side, "you have power; yes, cospetto! you have power, it is the face of anangel!" "It is the face of the Lady Maude Loring!" cried Ford, even moreastonished. "Why, on my faith, it is not unlike her!" said Alleyne, in someconfusion. "Ah! a portrait! So much the better. Young man, I am Agostino Pisano, the son of Andrea Pisano, and I say again that you have power. Further, I say, that, if you will stay with me, I will teach you all the secretsof the glass-stainers' mystery: the pigments and their thickening, which will fuse into the glass and which will not, the furnace and theglazing--every trick and method you shall know. " "I would be right glad to study under such a master, " said Alleyne; "butI am sworn to follow my lord whilst this war lasts. " "War! war!" cried the old Italian. "Ever this talk of war. And the menthat you hold to be great--what are they? Have I not heard their names?Soldiers, butchers, destroyers! Ah, per Bacco! we have men in Italy whoare in very truth great. You pull down, you despoil; but they build up, they restore. Ah, if you could but see my own dear Pisa, the Duomo, thecloisters of Campo Santo, the high Campanile, with the mellow throb ofher bells upon the warm Italian air! Those are the works of great men. And I have seen them with my own eyes, these very eyes which look uponyou. I have seen Andrea Orcagna, Taddeo Gaddi, Giottino, Stefano, SimoneMemmi--men whose very colors I am not worthy to mix. And I have seen theaged Giotto, and he in turn was pupil to Cimabue, before whom there wasno art in Italy, for the Greeks were brought to paint the chapel of theGondi at Florence. Ah, signori, there are the real great men whose nameswill be held in honor when your soldiers are shown to have been theenemies of humankind. " "Faith, sir, " said Ford, "there is something to say for the soldiersalso, for, unless they be defended, how are all these gentlemen whom youhave mentioned to preserve the pictures which they have painted?" "And all these!" said Alleyne. "Have you indeed done them all?--andwhere are they to go?" "Yes, signor, they are all from my hand. Some are, as you see, upon onesheet, and some are in many pieces which may fasten together. There aresome who do but paint upon the glass, and then, by placing another sheetof glass upon the top and fastening it, they keep the air from theirpainting. Yet I hold that the true art of my craft lies as much in thefurnace as in the brush. See this rose window, which is from the modelof the Church of the Holy Trinity at Vendome, and this other of the'Finding of the Grail, ' which is for the apse of the Abbey church. Timewas when none but my countrymen could do these things; but there isClement of Chartres and others in France who are very worthy workmen. But, ah! there is that ever shrieking brazen tongue which will not letus forget for one short hour that it is the arm of the savage, and notthe hand of the master, which rules over the world. " A stern, clear bugle call had sounded close at hand to summon somefollowing together for the night. "It is a sign to us as well, " said Ford. "I would fain stay here foreveramid all these beautiful things--" staring hard at the blushing Tita ashe spoke--"but we must be back at our lord's hostel ere he reach it. "Amid renewed thanks and with promises to come again, the two squiresbade their leave of the old Italian glass-stainer and his daughter. Thestreets were clearer now, and the rain had stopped, so they made theirway quickly from the Rue du Roi, in which their new friends dwelt, tothe Rue des Apotres, where the hostel of the "Half Moon" was situated. CHAPTER XXII. HOW THE BOWMEN HELD WASSAIL AT THE "ROSE DE GUIENNE. " "Mon Dieu! Alleyne, saw you ever so lovely a face?" cried Ford as theyhurried along together. "So pure, so peaceful, and so beautiful!" "In sooth, yes. And the hue of the skin the most perfect that ever Isaw. Marked you also how the hair curled round the brow? It was wonderfine. " "Those eyes, too!" cried Ford. "How clear and how tender--simple, andyet so full of thought!" "If there was a weakness it was in the chin, " said Alleyne. "Nay. I saw none. " "It was well curved, it is true. " "Most daintily so. " "And yet----" "What then, Alleyne? Wouldst find flaw in the sun?" "Well, bethink you, Ford, would not more power and expression have beenput into the face by a long and noble beard?" "Holy Virgin!" cried Ford, "the man is mad. A beard on the face oflittle Tita!" "Tita! Who spoke of Tita?" "Who spoke of aught else?" "It was the picture of St. Remi, man, of which I have been discoursing. " "You are indeed, " cried Ford, laughing, "a Goth, Hun, and Vandal, withall the other hard names which the old man called us. How could youthink so much of a smear of pigments, when there was such a picturepainted by the good God himself in the very room with you? But who isthis?" "If it please you, sirs, " said an archer, running across to them, "Aylward and others would be right glad to see you. They are withinhere. He bade me say to you that the Lord Loring will not need yourservice to-night, as he sleeps with the Lord Chandos. " "By my faith!" said Ford, "we do not need a guide to lead us to theirpresence. " As he spoke there came a roar of singing from the tavern uponthe right, with shouts of laughter and stamping of feet. Passing undera low door, and down a stone-flagged passage, they found themselves in along narrow hall lit up by a pair of blazing torches, one at either end. Trusses of straw had been thrown down along the walls, and reclining onthem were some twenty or thirty archers, all of the Company, theirsteel caps and jacks thrown off, their tunics open and their great limbssprawling upon the clay floor. At every man's elbow stood his leathernblackjack of beer, while at the further end a hogshead with its endknocked in promised an abundant supply for the future. Behind thehogshead, on a half circle of kegs, boxes, and rude settles, satAylward, John, Black Simon and three or four other leading men of thearchers, together with Goodwin Hawtayne, the master-shipman, who hadleft his yellow cog in the river to have a last rouse with his friendsof the Company. Ford and Alleyne took their seats between Aylward andBlack Simon, without their entrance checking in any degree the hubbubwhich was going on. "Ale, mes camarades?" cried the bowman, "or shall it be wine? Nay, but ye must have the one or the other. Here, Jacques, thou limb of thedevil, bring a bottrine of the oldest vernage, and see that you do notshake it. Hast heard the news?" "Nay, " cried both the squires. "That we are to have a brave tourney. " "A tourney?" "Aye, lads. For the Captal du Buch hath sworn that he will findfive knights from this side of the water who will ride over any fiveEnglishmen who ever threw leg over saddle; and Chandos hath taken up thechallenge, and the prince hath promised a golden vase for the man whocarries himself best, and all the court is in a buzz over it. " "Why should the knights have all the sport?" growled Hordle John. "Couldthey not set up five archers for the honor of Aquitaine and of Gascony?" "Or five men-at-arms, " said Black Simon. "But who are the English knights?" asked Hawtayne. "There are three hundred and forty-one in the town, " said Aylward, "andI hear that three hundred and forty cartels and defiances have alreadybeen sent in, the only one missing being Sir John Ravensholme, who is inhis bed with the sweating sickness, and cannot set foot to ground. " "I have heard of it from one of the archers of the guard, " cried abowman from among the straw; "I hear that the prince wished to break alance, but that Chandos would not hear of it, for the game is likely tobe a rough one. " "Then there is Chandos. " "Nay, the prince would not permit it. He is to be marshal of the lists, with Sir William Felton and the Duc d'Armagnac. The English will be theLord Audley, Sir Thomas Percy, Sir Thomas Wake, Sir William Beauchamp, and our own very good lord and leader. " "Hurrah for him, and God be with him!" cried several. "It is honor todraw string in his service. " "So you may well say, " said Aylward. "By my ten finger-bones! if youmarch behind the pennon of the five roses you are like to see all that agood bowman would wish to see. Ha! yes, mes garcons, you laugh, but, bymy hilt! you may not laugh when you find yourselves where he will takeyou, for you can never tell what strange vow he may not have sworn to. Isee that he has a patch over his eye, even as he had at Poictiers. Therewill come bloodshed of that patch, or I am the more mistaken. " "How chanced it at Poictiers, good Master Aylward?" asked one of theyoung archers, leaning upon his elbows, with his eyes fixed respectfullyupon the old bowman's rugged face. "Aye, Aylward, tell us of it, " cried Hordle John. "Here is to old Samkin Aylward!" shouted several at the further end ofthe room, waving their blackjacks in the air. "Ask him!" said Aylward modestly, nodding towards Black Simon. "He sawmore than I did. And yet, by the holy nails! there was not very muchthat I did not see either. " "Ah, yes, " said Simon, shaking his head, "it was a great day. I neverhope to see such another. There were some fine archers who drew theirlast shaft that day. We shall never see better men, Aylward. " "By my hilt! no. There was little Robby Withstaff, and AndrewSalblaster, and Wat Alspaye, who broke the neck of the German. Mon Dieu!what men they were! Take them how you would, at long butts or short, hoyles, rounds, or rovers, better bowmen never twirled a shaft overtheir thumb-nails. " "But the fight, Aylward, the fight!" cried several impatiently. "Let me fill my jack first, boys, for it is a thirsty tale. It was atthe first fall of the leaf that the prince set forth, and he passedthrough Auvergne, and Berry, and Anjou, and Touraine. In Auvergne themaids are kind, but the wines are sour. In Berry it is the women thatare sour, but the wines are rich. Anjou, however, is a very goodland for bowmen, for wine and women are all that heart could wish. InTouraine I got nothing save a broken pate, but at Vierzon I had a greatgood fortune, for I had a golden pyx from the minster, for which Iafterwards got nine Genoan janes from the goldsmith in the RueMont Olive. From thence we went to Bourges, were I had a tunic offlame-colored silk and a very fine pair of shoes with tassels of silkand drops of silver. " "From a stall, Aylward?" asked one of the young archers. "Nay, from a man's feet, lad. I had reason to think that he might notneed them again, seeing that a thirty-inch shaft had feathered in hisback. " "And what then, Aylward?" "On we went, coz, some six thousand of us, until we came to Issodun, andthere again a very great thing befell. " "A battle, Aylward?" "Nay, nay; a greater thing than that. There is little to be gained outof a battle, unless one have the fortune to win a ransom. At Issodun Iand three Welshmen came upon a house which all others had passed, andwe had the profit of it to ourselves. For myself, I had a finefeather-bed--a thing which you will not see in a long day's journey inEngland. You have seen it, Alleyne, and you, John. You will bear me outthat it is a noble bed. We put it on a sutler's mule, and bore it afterthe army. It was on my mind that I would lay it by until I came tostart house of mine own, and I have it now in a very safe place nearLyndhurst. " "And what then, master-bowman?" asked Hawtayne. "By St. Christopher! itis indeed a fair and goodly life which you have chosen, for you gatherup the spoil as a Warsash man gathers lobsters, without grace or favorfrom any man. " "You are right, master-shipman, " said another of the older archers. "It is an old bowyer's rede that the second feather of a fenny goose isbetter than the pinion of a tame one. Draw on old lad, for I have comebetween you and the clout. " "On we went then, " said Aylward, after a long pull at his blackjack. "There were some six thousand of us, with the prince and his knights, and the feather-bed upon a sutler's mule in the centre. We made greathavoc in Touraine, until we came into Romorantin, where I chanced upona gold chain and two bracelets of jasper, which were stolen from me thesame day by a black-eyed wench from the Ardennes. Mon Dieu! there aresome folk who have no fear of Domesday in them, and no sign of grace intheir souls, for ever clutching and clawing at another man's chattels. " "But the battle, Aylward, the battle!" cried several, amid a burst oflaughter. "I come to it, my young war-pups. Well, then, the King of France hadfollowed us with fifty thousand men, and he made great haste to catchus, but when he had us he scarce knew what to do with us, for we wereso drawn up among hedges and vineyards that they could not come nigh us, save by one lane. On both sides were archers, men-at-arms and knightsbehind, and in the centre the baggage, with my feather-bed upon asutler's mule. Three hundred chosen knights came straight for it, and, indeed, they were very brave men, but such a drift of arrows met themthat few came back. Then came the Germans, and they also fought verybravely, so that one or two broke through the archers and came as faras the feather-bed, but all to no purpose. Then out rides our own littlehothead with the patch over his eye, and my Lord Audley with his fourCheshire squires, and a few others of like kidney, and after them wentthe prince and Chandos, and then the whole throng of us, with axe andsword, for we had shot away our arrows. Ma foi! it was a foolish thing, for we came forth from the hedges, and there was naught to guard thebaggage had they ridden round behind us. But all went well with us, andthe king was taken, and little Robby Withstaff and I fell in with a wainwith twelve firkins of wine for the king's own table, and, by my hilt!if you ask me what happened after that, I cannot answer you, nor canlittle Robby Withstaff either. " "And next day?" "By my faith! we did not tarry long, but we hied back to Bordeaux, wherewe came in safety with the King of France and also the feather-bed. Isold my spoil, mes garcons, for as many gold-pieces as I could hold inmy hufken, and for seven days I lit twelve wax candles upon the altar ofSt. Andrew; for if you forget the blessed when things are well with you, they are very likely to forget you when you have need of them. I have ascore of one hundred and nineteen pounds of wax against the holy Andrew, and, as he was a very just man, I doubt not that I shall have full weighand measure when I have most need of it. " "Tell me, master Aylward, " cried a young fresh-faced archer at thefurther end of the room, "what was this great battle about?" "Why, you jack-fool, what would it be about save who should wear thecrown of France?" "I thought that mayhap it might be as to who should have thisfeather-bed of thine. " "If I come down to you, Silas, I may lay my belt across your shoulders, "Aylward answered, amid a general shout of laughter. "But it is timeyoung chickens went to roost when they dare cackle against their elders. It is late, Simon. " "Nay, let us have another song. " "Here is Arnold of Sowley will troll as good a stave as any man in theCompany. " "Nay, we have one here who is second to none, " said Hawtayne, laying hishand upon big John's shoulder. "I have heard him on the cog with a voicelike the wave upon the shore. I pray you, friend, to give us 'The Bellsof Milton, ' or, if you will, 'The Franklin's Maid. '" Hordle John drew the back of his hand across his mouth, fixed his eyesupon the corner of the ceiling, and bellowed forth, in a voice whichmade the torches flicker, the southland ballad for which he had beenasked:-- The franklin he hath gone to roam, The franklin's maid she bides at home, But she is cold and coy and staid, And who may win the franklin's maid? There came a knight of high renown In bassinet and ciclatoun; On bended knee full long he prayed, He might not win the franklin's maid. There came a squire so debonair His dress was rich, his words were fair, He sweetly sang, he deftly played: He could not win the franklin's maid. There came a mercer wonder-fine With velvet cap and gaberdine; For all his ships, for all his trade He could not buy the franklin's maid. There came an archer bold and true, With bracer guard and stave of yew; His purse was light, his jerkin frayed; Haro, alas! the franklin's maid! Oh, some have laughed and some have cried And some have scoured the country-side! But off they ride through wood and glade, The bowman and the franklin's maid. A roar of delight from his audience, with stamping of feet and beatingof blackjacks against the ground, showed how thoroughly the song wasto their taste, while John modestly retired into a quart pot, which hedrained in four giant gulps. "I sang that ditty in Hordle ale-house ereI ever thought to be an archer myself, " quoth he. "Fill up your stoups!" cried Black Simon, thrusting his own goblet intothe open hogshead in front of him. "Here is a last cup to the WhiteCompany, and every brave boy who walks behind the roses of Loring!" "To the wood, the flax, and the gander's wing!" said an old gray-headedarcher on the right. "To a gentle loose, and the King of Spain for a mark at fourteen score!"cried another. "To a bloody war!" shouted a fourth. "Many to go and few to come!" "With the most gold to the best steel!" added a fifth. "And a last cup to the maids of our heart!" cried Aylward. "A steadyhand and a true eye, boys; so let two quarts be a bowman's portion. "With shout and jest and snatch of song they streamed from the room, andall was peaceful once more in the "Rose de Guienne. " CHAPTER XXIII. HOW ENGLAND HELD THE LISTS AT BORDEAUX. So used were thegood burghers of Bordeaux to martial display and knightly sport, that anordinary joust or tournament was an everyday matter with them. The fameand brilliancy of the prince's court had drawn the knights-errant andpursuivants-of-arms from every part of Europe. In the long lists by theGaronne on the landward side of the northern gate there had been many astrange combat, when the Teutonic knight, fresh from the conquest of thePrussian heathen, ran a course against the knight of Calatrava, hardenedby continual struggle against the Moors, or cavaliers from Portugalbroke a lance with Scandinavian warriors from the further shore of thegreat Northern Ocean. Here fluttered many an outland pennon, bearingsymbol and blazonry from the banks of the Danube, the wilds of Lithuaniaand the mountain strongholds of Hungary; for chivalry was of no climeand of no race, nor was any land so wild that the fame and name of theprince had not sounded through it from border to border. Great, however, was the excitement through town and district when itwas learned that on the third Wednesday in Advent there would be helda passage-at-arms in which five knights of England would hold the listsagainst all comers. The great concourse of noblemen and famous soldiers, the national character of the contest, and the fact that this was a lasttrial of arms before what promised to be an arduous and bloody war, all united to make the event one of the most notable and brilliant thatBordeaux had ever seen. On the eve of the contest the peasants flockedin from the whole district of the Medoc, and the fields beyond the wallswere whitened with the tents of those who could find no warmer lodging. From the distant camp of Dax, too, and from Blaye, Bourge, Libourne, St. Emilion, Castillon, St. Macaire, Cardillac, Ryons, and all the clusterof flourishing towns which look upon Bordeaux as their mother, therethronged an unceasing stream of horsemen and of footmen, all convergingupon the great city. By the morning of the day on which the courses wereto be run, not less than eighty people had assembled round the listsand along the low grassy ridge which looks down upon the scene of theencounter. It was, as may well be imagined, no easy matter among so many notedcavaliers to choose out five on either side who should have precedenceover their fellows. A score of secondary combats had nearly arisen fromthe rivalries and bad blood created by the selection, and it was onlythe influence of the prince and the efforts of the older barons whichkept the peace among so many eager and fiery soldiers. Not till the daybefore the courses were the shields finally hung out for the inspectionof the ladies and the heralds, so that all men might know the namesof the champions and have the opportunity to prefer any charge againstthem, should there be stain upon them which should disqualify them fromtaking part in so noble and honorable a ceremony. Sir Hugh Calverley and Sir Robert Knolles had not yet returned fromtheir raid into the marches of the Navarre, so that the English partywere deprived of two of their most famous lances. Yet there remained somany good names that Chandos and Felton, to whom the selection had beenreferred, had many an earnest consultation, in which every feat ofarms and failure or success of each candidate was weighed and balancedagainst the rival claims of his companions. Lord Audley of Cheshire, the hero of Poictiers, and Loring of Hampshire, who was held to be thesecond lance in the army, were easily fixed upon. Then, of the youngermen, Sir Thomas Percy of Northumberland, Sir Thomas Wake of Yorkshire, and Sir William Beauchamp of Gloucestershire, were finally selected touphold the honor of England. On the other side were the veteran Captalde Buch and the brawny Olivier de Clisson, with the free companionSir Perducas d'Albret, the valiant Lord of Mucident, and Sigismond vonAltenstadt, of the Teutonic Order. The older soldiers among the Englishshook their heads as they looked upon the escutcheons of these famouswarriors, for they were all men who had spent their lives upon thesaddle, and bravery and strength can avail little against experience andwisdom of war. "By my faith! Sir John, " said the prince as he rode through the windingstreets on his way to the list, "I should have been glad to havesplintered a lance to-day. You have seen me hold a spear since I hadstrength to lift one, and should know best whether I do not merit aplace among this honorable company. " "There is no better seat and no truer lance, sire, " said Chandos; "but, if I may say so without fear of offence, it were not fitting that youshould join in this debate. " "And why, Sir John?" "Because, sire, it is not for you to take part with Gascons againstEnglish, or with English against Gascons, seeing that you are lord ofboth. We are not too well loved by the Gascons now, and it is but thegolden link of your princely coronet which holds us together. If that besnapped I know not what would follow. " "Snapped, Sir John!" cried the prince, with an angry sparkle in his darkeyes. "What manner of talk is this? You speak as though the allegianceof our people were a thing which might be thrown off or on like afalcon's jessel. " "With a sorry hack one uses whip and spur, sire, " said Chandos; "butwith a horse of blood and spirit a good cavalier is gentle and soothing, coaxing rather than forcing. These folk are strange people, and you musthold their love, even as you have it now, for you will get from theirkindness what all the pennons in your army could not wring from them. " "You are over-grave to-day, John, " the prince answered. "We may keepsuch questions for our council-chamber. But how now, my brothers ofSpain, and of Majorca, what think you of this challenge?" "I look to see some handsome joisting, " said Don Pedro, who rode withthe King of Majorca upon the right of the prince, while Chandos was onthe left. "By St. James of Compostella! but these burghers would bearsome taxing. See to the broadcloth and velvet that the rogues bear upontheir backs! By my troth! if they were my subjects they would be gladenough to wear falding and leather ere I had done with them. But mayhapit is best to let the wool grow long ere you clip it. " "It is our pride, " the prince answered coldly, "that we rule overfreemen and not slaves. " "Every man to his own humor, " said Pedro carelessly. "Carajo! there is asweet face at yonder window! Don Fernando, I pray you to mark the house, and to have the maid brought to us at the abbey. " "Nay, brother, nay!" cried the prince impatiently. "I have had occasionto tell you more than once that things are not ordered in this way inAquitaine. " "A thousand pardons, dear friend, " the Spaniard answered quickly, for aflush of anger had sprung to the dark cheek of the English prince. "Youmake my exile so like a home that I forget at times that I am not invery truth back in Castile. Every land hath indeed its ways and manners;but I promise you, Edward, that when you are my guest in Toledo orMadrid you shall not yearn in vain for any commoner's daughter on whomyou may deign to cast your eye. " "Your talk, sire, " said the prince still more coldly, "is not such asI love to hear from your lips. I have no taste for such amours as youspeak of, and I have sworn that my name shall be coupled with that of nowoman save my ever dear wife. " "Ever the mirror of true chivalry!" exclaimed Pedro, while James ofMajorca, frightened at the stern countenance of their all-powerfulprotector, plucked hard at the mantle of his brother exile. "Have a care, cousin, " he whispered; "for the sake of the Virgin have acare, for you have angered him. " "Pshaw! fear not, " the other answered in the same low tone. "If I missone stoop I will strike him on the next. Mark me else. Fair cousin, " hecontinued, turning to the prince, "these be rare men-at-arms and lustybowmen. It would be hard indeed to match them. " "They have Journeyed far, sire, but they have never yet found theirmatch. " "Nor ever will, I doubt not. I feel myself to be back upon my thronewhen I look at them. But tell me, dear coz, what shall we do next, when we have driven this bastard Henry from the kingdom which he hathfilched?" "We shall then compel the King of Aragon to place our good friend andbrother James of Majorca upon the throne. " "Noble and generous prince!" cried the little monarch. "That done, " said King Pedro, glancing out of the corners of his eyesat the young conqueror, "we shall unite the forces of England, ofAquitaine, of Spain and of Majorca. It would be shame to us if we didnot do some great deed with such forces ready to our hand. " "You say truly, brother, " cried the prince, his eyes kindling at thethought. "Methinks that we could not do anything more pleasing to OurLady than to drive the heathen Moors out of the country. " "I am with you, Edward, as true as hilt to blade. But, by St. James!we shall not let these Moors make mock at us from over the sea. We musttake ship and thrust them from Africa. " "By heaven, yes!" cried the prince. "And it is the dream of my heartthat our English pennons shall wave upon the Mount of Olives, and thelions and lilies float over the holy city. " "And why not, dear coz? Your bowmen have cleared a path to Paris, andwhy not to Jerusalem? Once there, your arms might rest. " "Nay, there is more to be done, " cried the prince, carried away by theambitious dream. "There is still the city of Constantine to be taken, and war to be waged against the Soldan of Damascus. And beyond him againthere is tribute to be levied from the Cham of Tartary and from thekingdom of Cathay. Ha! John, what say you? Can we not go as far eastwardas Richard of the Lion Heart?" "Old John will bide at home, sire, " said the rugged soldier. "By mysoul! as long as I am seneschal of Aquitaine I will find enough to doin guarding the marches which you have entrusted to me. It would bea blithe day for the King of France when he heard that the seas laybetween him and us. " "By my soul! John, " said the prince, "I have never known you turnlaggard before. " "The babbling hound, sire, is not always the first at the mort, " the oldknight answered. "Nay, my true-heart! I have tried you too often not to know. But, by mysoul! I have not seen so dense a throng since the day that we broughtKing John down Cheapside. " It was indeed an enormous crowd which covered the whole vast plain fromthe line of vineyards to the river bank. From the northern gate theprince and his companions looked down at a dark sea of heads, brightenedhere and there by the colored hoods of the women, or by the sparklinghead-pieces of archers and men-at-arms. In the centre of this vastassemblage the lists seemed but a narrow strip of green marked out withbanners and streamers, while a gleam of white with a flutter of pennonsat either end showed where the marquees were pitched which served as thedressing-rooms of the combatants. A path had been staked off from thecity gate to the stands which had been erected for the court and thenobility. Down this, amid the shouts of the enormous multitude, theprince cantered with his two attendant kings, his high officers ofstate, and his long train of lords and ladies, courtiers, counsellors, and soldiers, with toss of plume and flash of jewel, sheen of silk andglint of gold--as rich and gallant a show as heart could wish. The headof the cavalcade had reached the lists ere the rear had come clear ofthe city gate, for the fairest and the bravest had assembled from allthe broad lands which are watered by the Dordogne and the Garonne. Hererode dark-browed cavaliers from the sunny south, fiery soldiers fromGascony, graceful courtiers of Limousin or Saintonge, and gallant youngEnglishmen from beyond the seas. Here too were the beautiful brunettesof the Gironde, with eyes which out-flashed their jewels, while besidethem rode their blonde sisters of England, clear cut and aquiline, swathed in swans'-down and in ermine, for the air was biting thoughthe sun was bright. Slowly the long and glittering train wound into thelists, until every horse had been tethered by the varlets in waiting, and every lord and lady seated in the long stands which stretched, richin tapestry and velvet and blazoned arms, on either side of the centreof the arena. The holders of the lists occupied the end which was nearest to the citygate. There, in front of their respective pavilions, flew the martletsof Audley, the roses of Loring, the scarlet bars of Wake, the lion ofthe Percies and the silver wings of the Beauchamps, each supported bya squire clad in hanging green stuff to represent so many Tritons, andbearing a huge conch-shell in their left hands. Behind the tents thegreat war-horses, armed at all points, champed and reared, while theirmasters sat at the doors of their pavilions, with their helmets upontheir knees, chatting as to the order of the day's doings. The Englisharchers and men-at-arms had mustered at that end of the lists, but thevast majority of the spectators were in favor of the attacking party, for the English had declined in popularity ever since the bitter disputeas to the disposal of the royal captive after the battle of Poictiers. Hence the applause was by no means general when the herald-at-armsproclaimed, after a flourish of trumpets, the names and styles of theknights who were prepared, for the honor of their country and for thelove of their ladies, to hold the field against all who might do themthe favor to run a course with them. On the other hand, a deafeningburst of cheering greeted the rival herald, who, advancing from theother end of the lists, rolled forth the well-known titles of the fivefamous warriors who had accepted the defiance. "Faith, John, " said the prince, "it sounds as though you were right. Ha! my grace D'Armagnac, it seems that our friends on this side will notgrieve if our English champions lose the day. " "It may be so, sire, " the Gascon nobleman answered. "I have little doubtthat in Smithfield or at Windsor an English crowd would favor their owncountrymen. " "By my faith! that's easily seen, " said the prince, laughing, "for a fewscore English archers at yonder end are bellowing as though they wouldout-shout the mighty multitude. I fear that they will have little toshout over this tourney, for my gold vase has small prospect of crossingthe water. What are the conditions, John?" "They are to tilt singly not less than three courses, sire, and thevictory to rest with that party which shall have won the greater numberof courses, each pair continuing till one or other have the vantage. Hewho carries himself best of the victors hath the prize, and he who isjudged best of the other party hath a jewelled clasp. Shall I order thatthe nakirs sound, sire?" The prince nodded, and the trumpets rang out, while the champions rodeforth one after the other, each meeting his opponent in the centre ofthe lists. Sir William Beauchamp went down before the practiced lanceof the Captal de Buch. Sir Thomas Percy won the vantage over the Lordof Mucident, and the Lord Audley struck Sir Perducas d'Albret fromthe saddle. The burly De Clisson, however, restored the hopes of theattackers by beating to the ground Sir Thomas Wake of Yorkshire. So far, there was little to choose betwixt challengers and challenged. "By Saint James of Santiago!" cried Don Pedro, with a tinge of colorupon his pale cheeks, "win who will, this has been a most notablecontest. " "Who comes next for England, John?" asked the prince in a voice whichquivered with excitement. "Sir Nigel Loring of Hampshire, sire. " "Ha! he is a man of good courage, and skilled in the use of allweapons. " "He is indeed, sire. But his eyes, like my own, are the worse for wars. Yet he can tilt or play his part at hand-strokes as merrily as ever. Itwas he, sire, who won the golden crown which Queen Philippa, your royalmother, gave to be jousted for by all the knights of England afterthe harrying of Calais. I have heard that at Twynham Castle there is abuffet which groans beneath the weight of his prizes. " "I pray that my vase may join them, " said the prince. "But here is thecavalier of Germany, and by my soul! he looks like a man of great valorand hardiness. Let them run their full three courses, for the issue isover-great to hang upon one. " As the prince spoke, amid a loud flourish of trumpets and the shoutingof the Gascon party, the last of the assailants rode gallantly into thelists. He was a man of great size, clad in black armor without blazonryor ornament of any kind, for all worldly display was forbidden by therules of the military brotherhood to which he belonged. No plume ornobloy fluttered from his plain tilting salade, and even his lance wasdevoid of the customary banderole. A white mantle fluttered behind him, upon the left side of which was marked the broad black cross pickedout with silver which was the well-known badge of the Teutonic Order. Mounted upon a horse as large, as black, and as forbidding as himself, he cantered slowly forward, with none of those prancings and gambadeswith which a cavalier was accustomed to show his command over hischarger. Gravely and sternly he inclined his head to the prince, andtook his place at the further end of the arena. He had scarce done so before Sir Nigel rode out from the holders'enclosure, and galloping at full speed down the lists, drew his chargerup before the prince's stand with a jerk which threw it back uponits haunches. With white armor, blazoned shield, and plume ofostrich-feathers from his helmet, he carried himself in so jaunty andjoyous a fashion, with tossing pennon and curveting charger, that ashout of applause ran the full circle of the arena. With the air of aman who hastes to a joyous festival, he waved his lance in salute, andreining the pawing horse round without permitting its fore-feet to touchthe ground, he hastened back to his station. A great hush fell over the huge multitude as the two last championsfaced each other. A double issue seemed to rest upon their contest, fortheir personal fame was at stake as well as their party's honor. Bothwere famous warriors, but as their exploits had been performed in widelysundered countries, they had never before been able to cross lances. Acourse between such men would have been enough in itself to cause thekeenest interest, apart from its being the crisis which would decide whoshould be the victors of the day. For a moment they waited--the Germansombre and collected, Sir Nigel quivering in every fibre witheagerness and fiery resolution. Then, amid a long-drawn breath fromthe spectators, the glove fell from the marshal's hand, and the twosteel-clad horsemen met like a thunderclap in front of the royal stand. The German, though he reeled for an instant before the thrust of theEnglishman, struck his opponent so fairly upon the vizor that the lacesburst, the plumed helmet flew to pieces, and Sir Nigel galloped on downthe lists with his bald head shimmering in the sunshine. A thousandwaving scarves and tossing caps announced that the first bout had fallento the popular party. The Hampshire knight was not a man to be disheartened by a reverse. Hespurred back to the pavilion, and was out in a few instants with anotherhelmet. The second course was so equal that the keenest judges could notdiscern any vantage. Each struck fire from the other's shield, and eachendured the jarring shock as though welded to the horse beneath him. Inthe final bout, however, Sir Nigel struck his opponent with so true anaim that the point of the lance caught between the bars of his vizor andtore the front of his helmet out, while the German, aiming somewhatlow, and half stunned by the shock, had the misfortune to strike hisadversary upon the thigh, a breach of the rules of the tilting-yard, bywhich he not only sacrificed his chances of success, but would alsohave forfeited his horse and his armor, had the English knight chosento claim them. A roar of applause from the English soldiers, with anominous silence from the vast crowd who pressed round the barriers, announced that the balance of victory lay with the holders. Already theten champions had assembled in front of the prince to receive his award, when a harsh bugle call from the further end of the lists drew all eyesto a new and unexpected arrival. CHAPTER XXIV. HOW A CHAMPION CAME FORTH FROM THE EAST. The Bordeaux lists were, as has already been explained, situatedupon the plain near the river upon those great occasions when thetilting-ground in front of the Abbey of St. Andrew's was deemed to betoo small to contain the crowd. On the eastern side of this plain thecountry-side sloped upwards, thick with vines in summer, but now ridgedwith the brown bare enclosures. Over the gently rising plain curved thewhite road which leads inland, usually flecked with travellers, but nowwith scarce a living form upon it, so completely had the lists drainedall the district of its inhabitants. Strange it was to see such a vastconcourse of people, and then to look upon that broad, white, emptyhighway which wound away, bleak and deserted, until it narrowed itselfto a bare streak against the distant uplands. Shortly after the contest had begun, any one looking from the listsalong this road might have remarked, far away in the extreme distance, two brilliant and sparkling points which glittered and twinkled inthe bright shimmer of the winter sun. Within an hour these had becomeclearer and nearer, until they might be seen to come from the reflectionfrom the head-pieces of two horsemen who were riding at the top of theirspeed in the direction of Bordeaux. Another half-hour had broughtthem so close that every point of their bearing and equipment could bediscerned. The first was a knight in full armor, mounted upon a brownhorse with a white blaze upon breast and forehead. He was a short man ofgreat breadth of shoulder, with vizor closed, and no blazonry upon hissimple white surcoat or plain black shield. The other, who was evidentlyhis squire and attendant, was unarmed save for the helmet upon hishead, but bore in his right hand a very long and heavy oaken spear whichbelonged to his master. In his left hand the squire held not only thereins of his own horse but those of a great black war-horse, fullyharnessed, which trotted along at his side. Thus the three horses andtheir two riders rode swiftly to the lists, and it was the blare of thetrumpet sounded by the squire as his lord rode into the arena whichhad broken in upon the prize-giving and drawn away the attention andinterest of the spectators. "Ha, John!" cried the prince, craning his neck, "who is this cavalier, and what is it that he desires?" "On my word, sire, " replied Chandos, with the utmost surprise upon hisface, "it is my opinion that he is a Frenchman. " "A Frenchman!" repeated Don Pedro. "And how can you tell that, my LordChandos, when he has neither coat-armor, crest, or blazonry?" "By his armor, sire, which is rounder at elbow and at shoulder than anyof Bordeaux or of England. Italian he might be were his bassinet moresloped, but I will swear that those plates were welded betwixt this andRhine. Here comes his squire, however, and we shall hear what strangefortune hath brought him over the marches. " As he spoke the attendant cantered up the grassy enclosure, and pullingup his steed in front of the royal stand, blew a second fanfare uponhis bugle. He was a raw-boned, swarthy-cheeked man, with black bristlingbeard and a swaggering bearing. Having sounded his call, he thrust the bugle into his belt, and, pushinghis way betwixt the groups of English and of Gascon knights, he reinedup within a spear's length of the royal party. "I come, " he shouted in a hoarse, thick voice, with a strong Bretonaccent, "as squire and herald from my master, who is a very valiantpursuivant-of-arms, and a liegeman to the great and powerful monarch, Charles, king of the French. My master has heard that there is joustinghere, and prospect of honorable advancement, so he has come to ask thatsome English cavalier will vouchsafe for the love of his lady to run acourse with sharpened lances with him, or to meet him with sword, mace, battle-axe, or dagger. He bade me say, however, that he would fight onlywith a true Englishman, and not with any mongrel who is neither Englishnor French, but speaks with the tongue of the one, and fights under thebanner of the other. " "Sir!" cried De Clisson, with a voice of thunder, while his countrymenclapped their hands to their swords. The squire, however, took no noticeof their angry faces, but continued with his master's message. "He is now ready, sire, " he said, "albeit his destrier has travelledmany miles this day, and fast, for we were in fear lest we come too latefor the jousting. " "Ye have indeed come too late, " said the prince, "seeing that the prizeis about to be awarded; yet I doubt not that one of these gentlemen willrun a course for the sake of honor with this cavalier of France. " "And as to the prize, sire, " quoth Sir Nigel, "I am sure that I speakfor all when I say this French knight hath our leave to bear it awaywith him if he can fairly win it. " "Bear word of this to your master, " said the prince, "and ask him whichof these five Englishmen he would desire to meet. But stay; your masterbears no coat-armor, and we have not yet heard his name. " "My master, sire, is under vow to the Virgin neither to reveal his namenor to open his vizor until he is back upon French ground once more. " "Yet what assurance have we, " said the prince, "that this is not somevarlet masquerading in his master's harness, or some caitiff knight, the very touch of whose lance might bring infamy upon an honorablegentleman?" "It is not so, sire, " cried the squire earnestly. "There is no man uponearth who would demean himself by breaking a lance with my master. " "You speak out boldly, squire, " the prince answered; "but unless I havesome further assurance of your master's noble birth and gentle name Icannot match the choicest lances of my court against him. " "You refuse, sire?" "I do refuse. " "Then, sire, I was bidden to ask you from my master whether you wouldconsent if Sir John Chandos, upon hearing my master's name, shouldassure you that he was indeed a man with whom you might yourself crossswords without indignity. " "I ask no better, " said the prince. "Then I must ask, Lord Chandos, that you will step forth. I have yourpledge that the name shall remain ever a secret, and that you willneither say nor write one word which might betray it. The name is----"He stooped down from his horse and whispered something into the oldknight's ear which made him start with surprise, and stare with muchcuriosity at the distant Knight, who was sitting his charger at thefurther end of the arena. "Is this indeed sooth?" he exclaimed. "It is, my lord, and I swear it by St. Ives of Brittany. " "I might have known it, " said Chandos, twisting his moustache, and stilllooking thoughtfully at the cavalier. "What then, Sir John?" asked the prince. "Sire, this is a knight whom it is indeed great honor to meet, and Iwould that your grace would grant me leave to send my squire for myharness, for I would dearly love to run a course with him. "Nay, nay, Sir John, you have gained as much honor as one man can bear, and it were hard if you could not rest now. But I pray you, squire, totell your master that he is very welcome to our court, and that winesand spices will be served him, if he would refresh himself beforejousting. " "My master will not drink, " said the squire. "Let him then name the gentleman with whom he would break a spear. " "He would contend with these five knights, each to choose such weaponsas suit him best. " "I perceive, " said the prince, "that your master is a man of great heartand high of enterprise. But the sun already is low in the west, andthere will scarce be light for these courses. I pray you, gentlemen, totake your places, that we may see whether this stranger's deeds are asbold as his words. " The unknown knight had sat like a statue of steel, looking neither tothe right nor to the left during these preliminaries. He had changedfrom the horse upon which he had ridden, and bestrode the black chargerwhich his squire had led beside him. His immense breadth, his sterncomposed appearance, and the mode in which he handled his shield and hislance, were enough in themselves to convince the thousands of criticalspectators that he was a dangerous opponent. Aylward, who stood inthe front row of the archers with Simon, big John, and others of theCompany, had been criticising the proceedings from the commencement withthe ease and freedom of a man who had spent his life under arms and hadlearned in a hard school to know at a glance the points of a horse andhis rider. He stared now at the stranger with a wrinkled brow and theair of a man who is striving to stir his memory. "By my hilt! I have seen the thick body of him before to-day. Yet Icannot call to mind where it could have been. At Nogent belike, or wasit at Auray? Mark me, lads, this man will prove to be one of the bestlances of France, and there are no better in the world. " "It is but child's play, this poking game, " said John. "I would faintry my hand at it, for, by the black rood! I think that it might beamended. " "What then would you do, John?" asked several. "There are many things which might be done, " said the foresterthoughtfully. "Methinks that I would begin by breaking my spear. " "So they all strive to do. " "Nay, but not upon another man's shield. I would break it over my ownknee. " "And what the better for that, old beef and bones?" asked Black Simon. "So I would turn what is but a lady's bodkin of a weapon into a veryhandsome club. " "And then, John?" "Then I would take the other's spear into my arm or my leg, or whereit pleased him best to put it, and I would dash out his brains with myclub. " "By my ten finger-bones! old John, " said Aylward, "I would give myfeather-bed to see you at a spear-running. This is a most courtly andgentle sport which you have devised. " "So it seems to me, " said John seriously. "Or, again, one might seizethe other round the middle, pluck him off his horse and bear him to thepavilion, there to hold him to ransom. " "Good!" cried Simon, amid a roar of laughter from all the archers round. "By Thomas of Kent I we shall make a camp-marshal of thee, and thoushalt draw up rules for our jousting. But, John, who is it that youwould uphold in this knightly and pleasing fashion?" "What mean you?" "Why, John, so strong and strange a tilter must fight for the brightnessof his lady's eyes or the curve of her eyelash, even as Sir Nigel doesfor the Lady Loring. " "I know not about that, " said the big archer, scratching his head inperplexity. "Since Mary hath played me false, I can scarce fight forher. " "Yet any woman will serve. " "There is my mother then, " said John. "She was at much pains at myupbringing, and, by my soul! I will uphold the curve of her eyelashes, for it tickleth my very heart-root to think of her. But who is here?" "It is Sir William Beauchamp. He is a valiant man, but I fear that he isscarce firm enough upon the saddle to bear the thrust of such a tilteras this stranger promises to be. " Aylward's words were speedily justified, for even as he spoke the twoknights met in the centre of the lists. Beauchamp struck his opponent ashrewd blow upon the helmet, but was met with so frightful a thrust thathe whirled out of his saddle and rolled over and over upon the ground. Sir Thomas Percy met with little better success, for his shield wassplit, his vambrace torn and he himself wounded slightly in the side. Lord Audley and the unknown knight struck each other fairly upon thehelmet; but, while the stranger sat as firm and rigid as ever upon hischarger, the Englishman was bent back to his horse's cropper by theweight of the blow, and had galloped half-way down the lists ere hecould recover himself. Sir Thomas Wake was beaten to the ground with abattle-axe--that being the weapon which he had selected--and had to becarried to his pavilion. These rapid successes, gained one after theother over four celebrated warriors, worked the crowd up to a pitch ofwonder and admiration. Thunders of applause from the English soldiers, as well as from the citizens and peasants, showed how far the love ofbrave and knightly deeds could rise above the rivalries of race. "By my soul! John, " cried the prince, with his cheek flushed and hiseyes shining, "this is a man of good courage and great hardiness. Icould not have thought that there was any single arm upon earth whichcould have overthrown these four champions. " "He is indeed, as I have said, sire, a knight from whom much honor is tobe gained. But the lower edge of the sun is wet, and it will be beneaththe sea ere long. " "Here is Sir Nigel Loring, on foot and with his sword, " said the prince. "I have heard that he is a fine swordsman. " "The finest in your army, sire, " Chandos answered. "Yet I doubt not thathe will need all his skill this day. " As he spoke, the two combatants advanced from either end in full armorwith their two-handed swords sloping over their shoulders. The strangerwalked heavily and with a measured stride, while the English knightadvanced as briskly as though there was no iron shell to weigh down thefreedom of his limbs. At four paces distance they stopped, eyed eachother for a moment, and then in an instant fell to work with a clatterand clang as though two sturdy smiths were busy upon their anvils. Upand down went the long, shining blades, round and round they circled incurves of glimmering light, crossing, meeting, disengaging, with flashof sparks at every parry. Here and there bounded Sir Nigel, his headerect, his jaunty plume fluttering in the air, while his dark opponentsent in crashing blow upon blow, following fiercely up with cut and withthrust, but never once getting past the practised blade of the skilledswordsman. The crowd roared with delight as Sir Nigel would stoop hishead to avoid a blow, or by some slight movement of his body allow someterrible thrust to glance harmlessly past him. Suddenly, however, histime came. The Frenchman, whirling up his sword, showed for an instanta chink betwixt his shoulder piece and the rerebrace which guarded hisupper arm. In dashed Sir Nigel, and out again so swiftly that the eyecould not follow the quick play of his blade, but a trickle of bloodfrom the stranger's shoulder, and a rapidly widening red smudge upon hiswhite surcoat, showed where the thrust had taken effect. The wound was, however, but a slight one, and the Frenchman was about to renew hisonset, when, at a sign from the prince, Chandos threw down his baton, and the marshals of the lists struck up the weapons and brought thecontest to an end. "It were time to check it, " said the prince, smiling, "for Sir Nigel istoo good a man for me to lose, and, by the five holy wounds! if one ofthose cuts came home I should have fears for our champion. What thinkyou, Pedro?" "I think, Edward, that the little man was very well able to take care ofhimself. For my part, I should wish to see so well matched a pair fighton while a drop of blood remained in their veins. " "We must have speech with him. Such a man must not go from my courtwithout rest or sup. Bring him hither, Chandos, and, certes, if the LordLoring hath resigned his claim upon this goblet, it is right and properthat this cavalier should carry it to France with him as a sign of theprowess that he has shown this day. " As he spoke, the knight-errant, who had remounted his warhorse, gallopedforward to the royal stand, with a silken kerchief bound round hiswounded arm. The setting sun cast a ruddy glare upon his burnishedarms, and sent his long black shadow streaming behind him up the levelclearing. Pulling up his steed, he slightly inclined his head, andsat in the stern and composed fashion with which he had borne himselfthroughout, heedless of the applauding shouts and the flutter ofkerchiefs from the long lines of brave men and of fair women who werelooking down upon him. "Sir knight, " said the prince, "we have all marvelled this day at thisgreat skill and valor with which God has been pleased to endow you. I would fain that you should tarry at our court, for a time at least, until your hurt is healed and your horses rested. . " "My hurt is nothing, sire, nor are my horses weary, " returned thestranger in a deep, stern voice. "Will you not at least hie back to Bordeaux with us, that you may draina cup of muscadine and sup at our table?" "I will neither drink your wine nor sit at your table, " returned theother. "I bear no love for you or for your race, and there is noughtthat I wish at your hands until the day when I see the last sail whichbears you back to your island vanishing away against the western sky. " "These are bitter words, sir knight, " said Prince Edward, with an angryfrown. "And they come from a bitter heart, " answered the unknown knight. "Howlong is it since there has been peace in my hapless country? Where arethe steadings, and orchards, and vineyards, which made France fair?Where are the cities which made her great? From Providence to Burgundywe are beset by every prowling hireling in Christendom, who rend andtear the country which you have left too weak to guard her own marches. Is it not a by-word that a man may ride all day in that unhappy landwithout seeing thatch upon roof or hearing the crow of cock? Does notone fair kingdom content you, that you should strive so for this otherone which has no love for you? Pardieu! a true Frenchman's words maywell be bitter, for bitter is his lot and bitter his thoughts as herides through his thrice unhappy country. " "Sir knight, " said the prince, "you speak like a brave man, and ourcousin of France is happy in having a cavalier who is so fit to upholdhis cause either with tongue or with sword. But if you think such evilof us, how comes it that you have trusted yourselves to us withoutwarranty or safe-conduct?" "Because I knew that you would be here, sire. Had the man who sits uponyour right been ruler of this land, I had indeed thought twice before Ilooked to him for aught that was knightly or generous. " With a soldierlysalute, he wheeled round his horse, and, galloping down the lists, disappeared amid the dense crowd of footmen and of horsemen who werestreaming away from the scene of the tournament. "The insolent villain!" cried Pedro, glaring furiously after him. "Ihave seen a man's tongue torn from his jaws for less. Would it not bewell even now, Edward, to send horsemen to hale him back? Bethink youthat it may be one of the royal house of France, or at least some knightwhose loss would be a heavy blow to his master. Sir William Felton, youare well mounted, gallop after the caitiff, I pray you. " "Do so, Sir William, " said the prince, "and give him this purse of ahundred nobles as a sign of the respect which I bear for him; for, by St. George! he has served his master this day even as I would wishliegeman of mine to serve me. " So saying, the prince turned his backupon the King of Spain, and springing upon his horse, rode slowlyhomewards to the Abbey of Saint Andrew's. CHAPTER XXV. HOW SIR NIGEL WROTE TO TWYNHAM CASTLE. On the morning after the jousting, when Alleyne Edricson went, as washis custom, into his master's chamber to wait upon him in his dressingand to curl his hair, he found him already up and very busily at work. He sat at a table by the window, a deer-hound on one side of him and alurcher on the other, his feet tucked away under the trestle on whichhe sat, and his tongue in his cheek, with the air of a man who is muchperplexed. A sheet of vellum lay upon the board in front of him, andhe held a pen in his hand, with which he had been scribbling in a rudeschoolboy hand. So many were the blots, however, and so numerous thescratches and erasures, that he had at last given it up in despair, andsat with his single uncovered eye cocked upwards at the ceiling, as onewho waits upon inspiration. "By Saint Paul!" he cried, as Alleyne entered, "you are the man who willstand by me in this matter. I have been in sore need of you, Alleyne. " "God be with you, my fair lord!" the squire answered. "I trust that youhave taken no hurt from all that you have gone through yesterday. " "Nay; I feel the fresher for it, Alleyne. It has eased my joints, whichwere somewhat stiff from these years of peace. I trust, Alleyne, thatthou didst very carefully note and mark the bearing and carriage ofthis knight of France; for it is time, now when you are young, that youshould see all that is best, and mould your own actions in accordance. This was a man from whom much honor might be gained, and I have seldommet any one for whom I have conceived so much love and esteem. CouldI but learn his name, I should send you to him with my cartel, that wemight have further occasion to watch his goodly feats of arms. " "It is said, my fair lord, that none know his name save only the LordChandos, and that he is under vow not to speak it. So ran the gossip atthe squires' table. " "Be he who he might, he was a very hardy gentleman. But I have a taskhere, Alleyne, which is harder to me than aught that was set before meyesterday. " "Can I help you, my lord?" "That indeed you can. I have been writing my greetings to my sweet wife;for I hear that a messenger goes from the prince to Southampton withinthe week, and he would gladly take a packet for me. I pray you, Alleyne, to cast your eyes upon what I have written, and see it they are suchwords as my lady will understand. My fingers, as you can see, are moreused to iron and leather than to the drawing of strokes and turning ofletters. What then? Is there aught amiss, that you should stare so?" "It is this first word, my lord. In what tongue were you pleased towrite?" "In English; for my lady talks it more than she doth French. "Yet this is no English word, my sweet lord. Here are four t's and nevera letter betwixt them. " "By St. Paul! it seemed strange to my eye when I wrote it, " said SirNigel. "They bristle up together like a clump of lances. We must breaktheir ranks and set them farther apart. The word is 'that. ' Now I willread it to you, Alleyne, and you shall write it out fair; for we leaveBordeaux this day, and it would be great joy to me to think that theLady Loring had word from me. " Alleyne sat down as ordered, with a pen in his hand and a fresh sheetof parchment before him, while Sir Nigel slowly spelled out his letter, running his forefinger on from word to word. "That my heart is with thee, my dear sweeting, is what thine own heartwill assure thee of. All is well with us here, save that Pepin haththe mange on his back, and Pommers hath scarce yet got clear of hisstiffness from being four days on ship-board, and the more so becausethe sea was very high, and we were like to founder on account of a holein her side, which was made by a stone cast at us by certain sea-rovers, who may the saints have in their keeping, for they have gone fromamongst us, as has young Terlake, and two-score mariners and archers, who would be the more welcome here as there is like to be a very finewar, with much honor and all hopes of advancement, for which I go togather my Company together, who are now at Montaubon, where they pillageand destroy; yet I hope that, by God's help, I may be able to show thatI am their master, even as, my sweet lady, I am thy servant. " "How of that, Alleyne?" continued Sir Nigel, blinking at his squire, with an expression of some pride upon his face. "Have I not told her allthat hath befallen us?" "You have said much, my fair lord; and yet, if I may say so, it issomewhat crowded together, so that my Lady Loring can, mayhap, scarcefollow it. Were it in shorter periods----" "Nay, it boots me not how you marshal them, as long as they are allthere at the muster. Let my lady have the words, and she will placethem in such order as pleases her best. But I would have you add what itwould please her to know. " "That will I, " said Alleyne, blithely, and bent to the task. "My fair lady and mistress, " he wrote, "God hath had us in His keeping, and my lord is well and in good cheer. He hath won much honor at thejousting before the prince, when he alone was able to make it goodagainst a very valiant man from France. Touching the moneys, there isenough and to spare until we reach Montaubon. Herewith, my fair lady, I send my humble regards, entreating you that you will give the sameto your daughter, the Lady Maude. May the holy saints have you both intheir keeping is ever the prayer of thy servant, "ALLEYNE EDRICSON. " "That is very fairly set forth, " said Sir Nigel, nodding his bald headas each sentence was read to him. "And for thyself, Alleyne, if there beany dear friend to whom you would fain give greeting, I can send it forthee within this packet. " "There is none, " said Alleyne, sadly. "Have you no kinsfolk, then?" "None, save my brother. " "Ha! I had forgotten that there was ill blood betwixt you. But are therenone in all England who love thee?" "None that I dare say so. " "And none whom you love?" "Nay, I will not say that, " said Alleyne. Sir Nigel shook his head and laughed softly to himself, "I see how itis with you, " he said. "Have I not noted your frequent sighs and vacanteye? Is she fair?" "She is indeed, " cried Alleyne from his heart, all tingling at thissudden turn of the talk. "And good?" "As an angel. " "And yet she loves you not?" "Nay, I cannot say that she loves another. " "Then you have hopes?" "I could not live else. " "Then must you strive to be worthy of her love. Be brave and pure, fearless to the strong and humble to the weak; and so, whether this loveprosper or no, you will have fitted yourself to be honored by a maiden'slove, which is, in sooth, the highest guerdon which a true knight canhope for. " "Indeed, my lord, I do so strive, " said Alleyne; "but she is so sweet, so dainty, and of so noble a spirit, that I fear me that I shall neverbe worthy of her. " "By thinking so you become worthy. Is she then of noble birth?" "She is, my lord, " faltered Alleyne. "Of a knightly house?" "Yes. " "Have a care, Alleyne, have a care!" said Sir Nigel, kindly. "The higherthe steed the greater the fall. Hawk not at that which may be beyond thyflight. " "My lord, I know little of the ways and usages of the world, " criedAlleyne, "but I would fain ask your rede upon the matter. You have knownmy father and my kin: is not my family one of good standing and repute?" "Beyond all question. " "And yet you warn me that I must not place my love too high. " "Were Minstead yours, Alleyne, then, by St. Paul! I cannot think thatany family in the land would not be proud to take you among them, seeingthat you come of so old a strain. But while the Socman lives----Ha, bymy soul! if this is not Sir Oliver's step I am the more mistaken. " As he spoke, a heavy footfall was heard without, and the portly knightflung open the door and strode into the room. "Why, my little coz, " said he, "I have come across to tell you thatI live above the barber's in the Rue de la Tour, and that there is avenison pasty in the oven and two flasks of the right vintage on thetable. By St. James! a blind man might find the place, for one has butto get in the wind from it, and follow the savory smell. Put on yourcloak, then, and come, for Sir Walter Hewett and Sir Robert Briquet, with one or two others, are awaiting us. " "Nay, Oliver, I cannot be with you, for I must to Montaubon this day. " "To Montaubon? But I have heard that your Company is to come with myforty Winchester rascals to Dax. " "If you will take charge of them, Oliver. For I will go to Montaubonwith none save my two squires and two archers. Then, when I have foundthe rest of my Company I shall lead them to Dax. We set forth thismorning. " "Then I must back to my pasty, " said Sir Oliver. "You will find us atDax, I doubt not, unless the prince throw me into prison, for he is verywroth against me. " "And why, Oliver?" "Pardieu! because I have sent my cartel, gauntlet, and defiance to SirJohn Chandos and to Sir William Felton. " "To Chandos? In God's name, Oliver, why have you done this?" "Because he and the other have used me despitefully. " "And how?" "Because they have passed me over in choosing those who should joust forEngland. Yourself and Audley I could pass, coz, for you are mature men;but who are Wake, and Percy, and Beauchamp? By my soul! I was proddingfor my food into a camp-kettle when they were howling for their pap. Isa man of my weight and substance to be thrown aside for the first threehalf-grown lads who have learned the trick of the tilt-yard? But harkye, coz, I think of sending my cartel also to the prince. " "Oliver! Oliver! You are mad!" "Not I, i' faith! I care not a denier whether he be prince or no. BySaint James! I see that your squire's eyes are starting from his headlike a trussed crab. Well, friend, we are all three men of Hampshire, and not lightly to be jeered at. " "Has he jeered at you than?" "Pardieu! yes, 'Old Sir Oliver's heart is still stout, ' said one of hiscourt. 'Else had it been out of keeping with the rest of him, ' quoth theprince. 'And his arm is strong, ' said another. 'So is the backbone ofhis horse, ' quoth the prince. This very day I will send him my carteland defiance. " "Nay, nay, my dear Oliver, " said Sir Nigel, laying his hand upon hisangry friend's arm. "There is naught in this, for it was but saying thatyou were a strong and robust man, who had need of a good destrier. Andas to Chandos and Felton, bethink you that if when you yourself wereyoung the older lances had ever been preferred, how would you then havehad the chance to earn the good name and fame which you now bear? You donot ride as light as you did, Oliver, and I ride lighter by the weightof my hair, but it would be an ill thing if in the evening of our liveswe showed that our hearts were less true and loyal than of old. If sucha knight as Sir Oliver Buttesthorn may turn against his own prince forthe sake of a light word, then where are we to look for steadfast faithand constancy?" "Ah! my dear little coz, it is easy to sit in the sunshine and preach tothe man in the shadow. Yet you could ever win me over to your side withthat soft voice of yours. Let us think no more of it then. But, holyMother! I had forgot the pasty, and it will be as scorched as JudasIscariot! Come, Nigel, lest the foul fiend get the better of me again. " "For one hour, then; for we march at mid-day. Tell Aylward, Alleyne, that he is to come with me to Montaubon, and to choose one archer forhis comrade. The rest will to Dax when the prince starts, which will bebefore the feast of the Epiphany. Have Pommers ready at mid-day with mysycamore lance, and place my harness on the sumpter mule. " With these brief directions, the two old soldiers strode off together, while Alleyne hastened to get all in order for their journey. CHAPTER XXVI. HOW THE THREE COMRADES GAINED A MIGHTY TREASURE It was a bright, crisp winter's day when the little party set off fromBordeaux on their journey to Montaubon, where the missing half of theirCompany had last been heard of. Sir Nigel and Ford had ridden on inadvance, the knight upon his hackney, while his great war-horse trottedbeside his squire. Two hours later Alleyne Edricson followed; for he hadthe tavern reckoning to settle, and many other duties which fell to himas squire of the body. With him came Aylward and Hordle John, armedas of old, but mounted for their journey upon a pair of clumsy Landeshorses, heavy-headed and shambling, but of great endurance, and capableof jogging along all day, even when between the knees of the hugearcher, who turned the scale at two hundred and seventy pounds. Theytook with them the sumpter mules, which carried in panniers the wardrobeand table furniture of Sir Nigel; for the knight, though neither fop norepicure, was very dainty in small matters, and loved, however bare theboard or hard the life, that his napery should still be white and hisspoon of silver. There had been frost during the night, and the white hard road rang loudunder their horses' irons as they spurred through the east gate of thetown, along the same broad highway which the unknown French championhad traversed on the day of the jousts. The three rode abreast, AlleyneEdricson with his eyes cast down and his mind distrait, for his thoughtswere busy with the conversation which he had had with Sir Nigel in themorning. Had he done well to say so much, or had he not done better tohave said more? What would the knight have said had he confessed to hislove for the Lady Maude? Would he cast him off in disgrace, or might hechide him as having abused the shelter of his roof? It had been readyupon his tongue to tell him all when Sir Oliver had broken in upon them. Perchance Sir Nigel, with his love of all the dying usages of chivalry, might have contrived some strange ordeal or feat of arms by which hislove should be put to the test. Alleyne smiled as he wondered whatfantastic and wondrous deed would be exacted from him. Whatever it was, he was ready for it, whether it were to hold the lists in the court ofthe King of Tartary, to carry a cartel to the Sultan of Baghdad, or toserve a term against the wild heathen of Prussia. Sir Nigel had saidthat his birth was high enough for any lady, if his fortune could butbe amended. Often had Alleyne curled his lip at the beggarly craving forland or for gold which blinded man to the higher and more lasting issuesof life. Now it seemed as though it were only by this same land and goldthat he might hope to reach his heart's desire. But then, again, theSocman of Minstead was no friend to the Constable of Twynham Castle. Itmight happen that, should he amass riches by some happy fortune of war, this feud might hold the two families aloof. Even if Maude loved him, heknew her too well to think that she would wed him without the blessingof her father. Dark and murky was it all, but hope mounts high in youth, and it ever fluttered over all the turmoil of his thoughts like a whiteplume amid the shock of horsemen. If Alleyne Edricson had enough to ponder over as he rode through thebare plains of Guienne, his two companions were more busy with thepresent and less thoughtful of the future. Aylward rode for half a milewith his chin upon his shoulder, looking back at a white kerchief whichfluttered out of the gable window of a high house which peeped over thecorner of the battlements. When at last a dip of the road hid it fromhis view, he cocked his steel cap, shrugged his broad shoulders, androde on with laughter in his eyes, and his weather-beaten face allashine with pleasant memories. John also rode in silence, but his eyeswandered slowly from one side of the road to the other, and he staredand pondered and nodded his head like a traveller who makes his notesand saves them up for the re-telling. "By the rood!" he broke out suddenly, slapping his thigh with his greatred hand, "I knew that there was something a-missing, but I could notbring to my mind what it was. " "What was it then?" asked Alleyne, coming with a start out of hisreverie. "Why, it is the hedgerows, " roared John, with a shout of laughter. "Thecountry is all scraped as clear as a friar's poll. But indeed I cannotthink much of the folk in these parts. Why do they not get to work anddig up these long rows of black and crooked stumps which I see on everyhand? A franklin of Hampshire would think shame to have such litter uponhis soil. " "Thou foolish old John!" quoth Aylward. "You should know better, sinceI have heard that the monks of Beaulieu could squeeze a good cup ofwine from their own grapes. Know then that if these rows were dug upthe wealth of the country would be gone, and mayhap there would be drythroats and gaping mouths in England, for in three months' time theseblack roots will blossom and snoot and burgeon, and from them will comemany a good ship-load of Medoc and Gascony which will cross the narrowseas. But see the church in the hollow, and the folk who cluster in thechurchyard! By my hilt! it is a burial, and there is a passing bell!"He pulled off his steel cap as he spoke and crossed himself, with amuttered prayer for the repose of the dead. "There too, " remarked Alleyne, as they rode on again, "that which seemsto the eye to be dead is still full of the sap of life, even as thevines were. Thus God hath written Himself and His laws very broadly onall that is around us, if our poor dull eyes and duller souls could butread what He hath set before us. " "Ha! mon petit, " cried the bowman, "you take me back to the days whenyou were new fledged, as sweet a little chick as ever pecked his wayout of a monkish egg. I had feared that in gaining our debonair youngman-at-arms we had lost our soft-spoken clerk. In truth, I have notedmuch change in you since we came from Twynham Castle. " "Surely it would be strange else, seeing that I have lived in a worldso new to me. Yet I trust that there are many things in which I have notchanged. If I have turned to serve an earthly master, and to carry armsfor an earthly king, it would be an ill thing if I were to lose allthought of the great high King and Master of all, whose humble andunworthy servant I was ere ever I left Beaulieu. You, John, are alsofrom the cloisters, but I trow that you do not feel that you havedeserted the old service in taking on the new. " "I am a slow-witted man, " said John, "and, in sooth, when I try to thinkabout such matters it casts a gloom upon me. Yet I do not look uponmyself as a worse man in an archer's jerkin than I was in a white cowl, if that be what you mean. " "You have but changed from one white company to the other, " quothAylward. "But, by these ten finger-bones! it is a passing strange thingto me to think that it was but in the last fall of the leaf that wewalked from Lyndhurst together, he so gentle and maidenly, and you, John, like a great red-limbed overgrown moon-calf; and now here youare as sprack a squire and as lusty an archer as ever passed down thehighway from Bordeaux, while I am still the same old Samkin Aylward, with never a change, save that I have a few more sins on my soul and afew less crowns in my pouch. But I have never yet heard, John, what thereason was why you should come out of Beaulieu. " "There were seven reasons, " said John thoughtfully. "The first of themwas that they threw me out. " "Ma foi! camarade, to the devil with the other six! That is enough forme and for thee also. I can see that they are very wise and discreetfolk at Beaulieu. Ah! mon ange, what have you in the pipkin?" "It is milk, worthy sir, " answered the peasant-maid, who stood by thedoor of a cottage with a jug in her hand. "Would it please you, gentles, that I should bring you out three horns of it?" "Nay, ma petite, but here is a two-sous piece for thy kindly tongue andfor the sight of thy pretty face. Ma foi! but she has a bonne mine. Ihave a mind to bide and speak with her. " "Nay, nay, Aylward, " cried Alleyne. "Sir Nigel will await us, and he inhaste. " "True, true, camarade! Adieu, ma cherie! mon coeur est toujours atoi. Her mother is a well-grown woman also. See where she digs by thewayside. Ma foi! the riper fruit is ever the sweeter. Bon jour, ma belledame! God have you in his keeping! Said Sir Nigel where he would awaitus?" "At Marmande or Aiguillon. He said that we could not pass him, seeingthat there is but the one road. " "Aye, and it is a road that I know as I know the Midhurst parishbutts, " quoth the bowman. "Thirty times have I journeyed it, forward andbackward, and, by the twang of string! I am wont to come back this waymore laden than I went. I have carried all that I had into France ina wallet, and it hath taken four sumpter-mules to carry it back again. God's benison on the man who first turned his hand to the making of war!But there, down in the dingle, is the church of Cardillac, and you maysee the inn where three poplars grow beyond the village. Let us on, fora stoup of wine would hearten us upon our way. " The highway had lain through the swelling vineyard country, whichstretched away to the north and east in gentle curves, with many apeeping spire and feudal tower, and cluster of village houses, all clearcut and hard in the bright wintry air. To their right stretched the blueGaronne, running swiftly seawards, with boats and barges dotted over itsbroad bosom. On the other side lay a strip of vineyard, and beyond itthe desolate and sandy region of the Landes, all tangled with fadedgorse and heath and broom, stretching away in unbroken gloom to the bluehills which lay low upon the furthest sky-line. Behind them might stillbe seen the broad estuary of the Gironde, with the high towers ofSaint Andre and Saint Remi shooting up from the plain. In front, amidradiating lines of poplars, lay the riverside townlet of Cardillac--graywalls, white houses, and a feather of blue smoke. "This is the 'Mouton d'Or, '" said Aylward, as they pulled up theirhorses at a whitewashed straggling hostel. "What ho there!" hecontinued, beating upon the door with the hilt of his sword. "Tapster, ostler, varlet, hark hither, and a wannion on your lazy limbs! Ha!Michel, as red in the nose as ever! Three jacks of the wine of thecountry, Michel--for the air bites shrewdly. I pray you, Alleyne, totake note of this door, for I have a tale concerning it. " "Tell me, friend, " said Alleyne to the portly red-faced inn-keeper, "hasa knight and a squire passed this way within the hour?" "Nay, sir, it would be two hours back. Was he a small man, weak in theeyes, with a want of hair, and speaks very quiet when he is most to befeared?" "The same, " the squire answered. "But I marvel how you should know howhe speaks when he is in wrath, for he is very gentle-minded with thosewho are beneath him. " "Praise to the saints! it was not I who angered him, " said the fatMichel. "Who, then?" "It was young Sieur de Crespigny of Saintonge, who chanced to be here, and made game of the Englishman, seeing that he was but a small man andhath a face which is full of peace. But indeed this good knight was avery quiet and patient man, for he saw that the Sieur de Crespignywas still young and spoke from an empty head, so he sat his horseand quaffed his wine, even as you are doing now, all heedless of theclacking tongue. " "And what then, Michel?" "Well, messieurs, it chanced that the Sieur de Crespigny, having saidthis and that, for the laughter of the varlets, cried out at last aboutthe glove that the knight wore in his coif, asking if it was the customin England for a man to wear a great archer's glove in his cap. Pardieu!I have never seen a man get off his horse as quick as did that strangerEnglishman. Ere the words were past the other's lips he was beside him, his face nigh touching, and his breath hot upon his cheeks. 'I think, young sir, ' quoth he softly, looking into the other's eyes, 'that nowthat I am nearer you will very clearly see that the glove is not anarcher's glove. ' 'Perchance not, ' said the Sieur de Crespigny with atwitching lip. 'Nor is it large, but very small, ' quoth the Englishman. 'Less large than I had thought, ' said the other, looking down, for theknight's gaze was heavy upon his eyelids. 'And in every way such a gloveas might be worn by the fairest and sweetest lady in England, ' quoththe Englishman. 'It may be so, ' said the Sieur de Crespigny, turning hisface from him. 'I am myself weak in the eyes, and have often taken onething for another, ' quoth the knight, as he sprang back into his saddleand rode off, leaving the Sieur de Crespigny biting his nails before thedoor. Ha! by the five wounds, many men of war have drunk my wine, butnever one was more to my fancy than this little Englishman. " "By my hilt! he is our master, Michel, " quoth Aylward, "and such men aswe do not serve under a laggart. But here are four deniers, Michel, andGod be with you! En avant, camarades! for we have a long road beforeus. " At a brisk trot the three friends left Cardillac and its wine-housebehind them, riding without a halt past St. Macaire, and on by ferryover the river Dorpt. At the further side the road winds through LaReolle, Bazaille, and Marmande, with the sunlit river still gleamingupon the right, and the bare poplars bristling up upon either side. Johnand Alleyne rode silent on either side, but every inn, farm-steading, or castle brought back to Aylward some remembrance of love, foray, orplunder, with which to beguile the way. "There is the smoke from Bazas, on the further side of Garonne, " quothhe. "There were three sisters yonder, the daughters of a farrier, and, by these ten finger-bones! a man might ride for a long June day andnever set eyes upon such maidens. There was Marie, tall and grave, andBlanche petite and gay, and the dark Agnes, with eyes that went throughyou like a waxed arrow. I lingered there as long as four days, and wasbetrothed to them all; for it seemed shame to set one above her sisters, and might make ill blood in the family. Yet, for all my care, thingswere not merry in the house, and I thought it well to come away. There, too, is the mill of Le Souris. Old Pierre Le Caron, who owned it, was aright good comrade, and had ever a seat and a crust for a weary archer. He was a man who wrought hard at all that he turned his hand to; but heheated himself in grinding bones to mix with his flour, and so throughover-diligence he brought a fever upon himself and died. " "Tell me, Aylward, " said Alleyne, "what was amiss with the door ofyonder inn that you should ask me to observe it. " "Pardieu! yes, I had well-nigh forgot. What saw you on yonder door?" "I saw a square hole, through which doubtless the host may peep when heis not too sure of those who knock. " "And saw you naught else?" "I marked that beneath this hole there was a deep cut in the door, asthough a great nail had been driven in. " "And naught else?" "No. " "Had you looked more closely you might have seen that there was a stainupon the wood. The first time that I ever heard my comrade Black Simonlaugh was in front of that door. I heard him once again when he slew aFrench squire with his teeth, he being unarmed and the Frenchman havinga dagger. " "And why did Simon laugh in front of the inn-door!" asked John. "Simon is a hard and perilous man when he hath the bitter drop in him;and, by my hilt! he was born for war, for there is little sweetness orrest in him. This inn, the 'Mouton d'Or, ' was kept in the old days byone Francois Gourval, who had a hard fist and a harder heart. It wassaid that many and many an archer coming from the wars had been servedwith wine with simples in it, until he slept, and had then been strippedof all by this Gourval. Then on the morrow, if he made complaint, thiswicked Gourval would throw him out upon the road or beat him, for hewas a very lusty man, and had many stout varlets in his service. Thischanced to come to Simon's ears when we were at Bordeaux together, andhe would have it that we should ride to Cardillac with a good hempencord, and give this Gourval such a scourging as he merited. Forth werode then, but when we came to the Mouton d'Or, ' Gourval had had word ofour coming and its purpose, so that the door was barred, nor was thereany way into the house. 'Let us in, good Master Gourval!' cried Simon, and 'Let us in, good Master Gourval!' cried I, but no word could we getthrough the hole in the door, save that he would draw an arrow upon usunless we went on our way. 'Well, Master Gourval, ' quoth Simon at last, 'this is but a sorry welcome, seeing that we have ridden so far just toshake you by the hand. ' 'Canst shake me by the hand without coming in, 'said Gourval. 'And how that?' asked Simon. 'By passing in your handthrough the hole, ' said he. 'Nay, my hand is wounded, ' quoth Simon, 'andof such a size that I cannot pass it in. ' 'That need not hinder, ' saidGourval, who was hot to be rid of us, 'pass in your left hand. ' 'But Ihave something for thee, Gourval, ' said Simon. 'What then?' he asked. 'There was an English archer who slept here last week of the name ofHugh of Nutbourne. ' 'We have had many rogues here, ' said Gourval. 'Hisconscience hath been heavy within him because he owes you a debt offourteen deniers, having drunk wine for which he hath never paid. For the easing of his soul, he asked me to pay the money to you as Ipassed. ' Now this Gourval was very greedy for money, so he thrust forthhis hand for the fourteen deniers, but Simon had his dagger ready andhe pinned his hand to the door. 'I have paid the Englishman's debt, Gourval!' quoth he, and so rode away, laughing so that he could scarcesit his horse, leaving mine host still nailed to his door. Such is thestory of the hole which you have marked, and of the smudge upon thewood. I have heard that from that time English archers have been bettertreated in the auberge of Cardillac. But what have we here by thewayside?" "It appears to be a very holy man, " said Alleyne. "And, by the rood! he hath some strange wares, " cried John. "What arethese bits of stone, and of wood, and rusted nails, which are set out infront of him?" The man whom they had remarked sat with his back against a cherry-tree, and his legs shooting out in front of him, like one who is greatly athis ease. Across his thighs was a wooden board, and scattered over itall manner of slips of wood and knobs of brick and stone, each laidseparate from the other, as a huckster places his wares. He was dressedin a long gray gown, and wore a broad hat of the same color, muchweather-stained, with three scallop-shells dangling from the brim. Asthey approached, the travellers observed that he was advanced in years, and that his eyes were upturned and yellow. "Dear knights and gentlemen, " he cried in a high crackling voice, "worthy Christian cavaliers, will ye ride past and leave an aged pilgrimto die of hunger? The sight hast been burned from mine eyes by the sandsof the Holy Land, and I have had neither crust of bread nor cup of winethese two days past. " "By my hilt! father, " said Aylward, looking keenly at him, "it is amarvel to me that thy girdle should have so goodly a span and clip theeso closely, if you have in sooth had so little to place within it. " "Kind stranger, " answered the pilgrim, "you have unwittingly spokenwords which are very grievous to me to listen to. Yet I should be lothto blame you, for I doubt not that what you said was not meant to saddenme, nor to bring my sore affliction back to my mind. It ill becomes meto prate too much of what I have endured for the faith, and yet, sinceyou have observed it, I must tell you that this thickness and roundnessof the waist is caused by a dropsy brought on by over-haste injourneying from the house of Pilate to the Mount of Olives. " "There, Aylward, " said Alleyne, with a reddened cheek, "let that curbyour blunt tongue. How could you bring a fresh pang to this holy man, who hath endured so much and hath journeyed as far as Christ's ownblessed tomb?" "May the foul fiend strike me dumb!" cried the bowman in hot repentance;but both the palmer and Alleyne threw up their hands to stop him. "I forgive thee from my heart, dear brother, " piped the blind man. "But, oh, these wild words of thine are worse to mine ears than aught whichyou could say of me. " "Not another word shall I speak, " said Aylward; "but here is a franc forthee and I crave thy blessing. " "And here is another, " said Alleyne. "And another, " cried Hordle John. But the blind palmer would have none of their alms. "Foolish, foolishpride!" he cried, beating upon his chest with his large brown hand. "Foolish, foolish pride! How long then will it be ere I can scourge itforth? Am I then never to conquer it? Oh, strong, strong are the ties offlesh, and hard it is to subdue the spirit! I come, friends, of a noblehouse, and I cannot bring myself to touch this money, even though it beto save me from the grave. " "Alas! father, " said Alleyne, "how then can we be of help to thee?" "I had sat down here to die, " quoth the palmer; "but for many years Ihave carried in my wallet these precious things which you see set forthnow before me. It were sin, thought I, that my secret should perish withme. I shall therefore sell these things to the first worthy passers-by, and from them I shall have money enough to take me to the shrine of OurLady at Rocamadour, where I hope to lay these old bones. " "What are these treasures, then, father?" asked Hordle John. "I can butsee an old rusty nail, with bits of stone and slips of wood. " "My friend, " answered the palmer, "not all the money that is in thiscountry could pay a just price for these wares of mine. This nail, " hecontinued, pulling off his hat and turning up his sightless orbs, "isone of those wherewith man's salvation was secured. I had it, togetherwith this piece of the true rood, from the five-and-twentieth descendantof Joseph of Arimathea, who still lives in Jerusalem alive and well, though latterly much afflicted by boils. Aye, you may well crossyourselves, and I beg that you will not breathe upon it or touch it withyour fingers. " "And the wood and stone, holy father?" asked Alleyne, with bated breath, as he stared awe-struck at his precious relics. "This cantle of wood is from the true cross, this other from Noah hisark, and the third is from the door-post of the temple of the wise KingSolomon. This stone was thrown at the sainted Stephen, and the other twoare from the Tower of Babel. Here, too, is part of Aaron's rod, and alock of hair from Elisha the prophet. " "But, father, " quoth Alleyne, "the holy Elisha was bald, which broughtdown upon him the revilements of the wicked children. " "It is very true that he had not much hair, " said the palmer quickly, "and it is this which makes this relic so exceeding precious. Take nowyour choice of these, my worthy gentlemen, and pay such a price asyour consciences will suffer you to offer; for I am not a chapman nora huckster, and I would never part with them, did I not know that I amvery near to my reward. " "Aylward, " said Alleyne excitedly, "This is such a chance as few folkhave twice in one life. The nail I must have, and I will give it to theabbey of Beaulieu, so that all the folk in England may go thither towonder and to pray. " "And I will have the stone from the temple, " cried Hordle John. "Whatwould not my old mother give to have it hung over her bed?" "And I will have Aaron's rod, " quoth Aylward. "I have but five florinsin the world, and here are four of them. " "Here are three more, " said John. "And here are five more, " added Alleyne. "Holy father, I hand you twelveflorins, which is all that we can give, though we well know how poor apay it is for the wondrous things which you sell us. " "Down, pride, down!" cried the pilgrim, still beating upon his chest. "Can I not bend myself then to take this sorry sum which is offered mefor that which has cost me the labors of a life. Give me the dross! Hereare the precious relics, and, oh, I pray you that you will handle themsoftly and with reverence, else had I rather left my unworthy bones hereby the wayside. " With doffed caps and eager hands, the comrades took their new andprecious possessions, and pressed onwards upon their journey, leavingthe aged palmer still seated under the cherry-tree. They rode insilence, each with his treasure in his hand, glancing at it from time totime, and scarce able to believe that chance had made them sole ownersof relics of such holiness and worth that every abbey and churchin Christendom would have bid eagerly for their possession. So theyjourneyed, full of this good fortune, until opposite the town of Le Mas, where John's horse cast a shoe, and they were glad to find a waysidesmith who might set the matter to rights. To him Aylward narrated thegood hap which had befallen them; but the smith, when his eyes lit uponthe relics, leaned up against his anvil and laughed, with his hand tohis side, until the tears hopped down his sooty cheeks. "Why, masters, " quoth he, "this man is a coquillart, or seller of falserelics, and was here in the smithy not two hours ago. This nail thathe hath sold you was taken from my nail-box, and as to the wood and thestones, you will see a heap of both outside from which he hath filledhis scrip. " "Nay, nay, " cried Alleyne, "this was a holy man who had journeyed toJerusalem, and acquired a dropsy by running from the house of Pilate tothe Mount of Olives. " "I know not about that, " said the smith; "but I know that a man with agray palmer's hat and gown was here no very long time ago, and that hesat on yonder stump and ate a cold pullet and drank a flask of wine. Then he begged from me one of my nails, and filling his scrip withstones, he went upon his way. Look at these nails, and see if they arenot the same as that which he has sold you. " "Now may God save us!" cried Alleyne, all aghast. "Is there no end thento the wickedness of humankind? He so humble, so aged, so loth to takeour money--and yet a villain and a cheat. Whom can we trust or believein?" "I will after him, " said Aylward, flinging himself into the saddle. "Come, Alleyne, we may catch him ere John's horse be shod. " Away they galloped together, and ere long they saw the old gray palmerwalking slowly along in front of them. He turned, however, at the soundof their hoofs, and it was clear that his blindness was a cheat like allthe rest of him, for he ran swiftly through a field and so into a wood, where none could follow him. They hurled their relics after him, and sorode back to the blacksmith's the poorer both in pocket and in faith. CHAPTER XXVII. HOW ROGER CLUB-FOOT WAS PASSED INTO PARADISE. It was evening before the three comrades came into Aiguillon, There theyfound Sir Nigel Loring and Ford safely lodged at the sign of the"Baton Rouge, " where they supped on good fare and slept betweenlavender-scented sheets. It chanced, however, that a knight of Poitou, Sir Gaston d'Estelle, was staying there on his way back from Lithuania, where he had served a term with the Teutonic knights under theland-master of the presbytery of Marienberg. He and Sir Nigel sat latein high converse as to bushments, outfalls, and the intaking of cities, with many tales of warlike men and valiant deeds. Then their talk turnedto minstrelsy, and the stranger knight drew forth a cittern, upon whichhe played the minne-lieder of the north, singing the while in a highcracked voice of Hildebrand and Brunhild and Siegfried, and all thestrength and beauty of the land of Almain. To this Sir Nigel answeredwith the romances of Sir Eglamour, and of Sir Isumbras, and so throughthe long winter night they sat by the crackling wood-fire answering eachother's songs until the crowing cocks joined in their concert. Yet, withscarce an hour of rest, Sir Nigel was as blithe and bright as ever asthey set forth after breakfast upon their way. "This Sir Gaston is a very worthy man, " said he to his squires as theyrode from the "Baton Rouge. " "He hath a very strong desire to advancehimself, and would have entered upon some small knightly debate with me, had he not chanced to have his arm-bone broken by the kick of a horse. I have conceived a great love for him, and I have promised him that whenhis bone is mended I will exchange thrusts with him. But we must keep tothis road upon the left. " "Nay, my fair lord, " quoth Aylward. "The road to Montaubon is over theriver, and so through Quercy and the Agenois. " "True, my good Aylward; but I have learned from this worthy knight, whohath come over the French marches, that there is a company of Englishmenwho are burning and plundering in the country round Villefranche. I havelittle doubt, from what he says, that they are those whom we seek. " "By my hilt! it is like enough, " said Aylward. "By all accounts they hadbeen so long at Montaubon, that there would be little there worth thetaking. Then as they have already been in the south, they would comenorth to the country of the Aveyron. " "We shall follow the Lot until we come to Cahors, and then cross themarches into Villefranche, " said Sir Nigel. "By St. Paul! as we are buta small band, it is very likely that we may have some very honorableand pleasing adventure, for I hear that there is little peace upon theFrench border. " All morning they rode down a broad and winding road, barred with theshadows of poplars. Sir Nigel rode in front with his squires, while thetwo archers followed behind with the sumpter mule between them. Theyhad left Aiguillon and the Garonne far to the south, and rode now bythe tranquil Lot, which curves blue and placid through a gently rollingcountry. Alleyne could not but mark that, whereas in Guienne there hadbeen many townlets and few castles, there were now many castles and fewhouses. On either hand gray walls and square grim keeps peeped out atevery few miles from amid the forests while the few villages whichthey passed were all ringed round with rude walls, which spoke of theconstant fear and sudden foray of a wild frontier land. Twice during themorning there came bands of horsemen swooping down upon them from theblack gateways of wayside strongholds, with short, stern questions as towhence they came and what their errand. Bands of armed men clankedalong the highway, and the few lines of laden mules which carried themerchandise of the trader were guarded by armed varlets, or by archershired for the service. "The peace of Bretigny hath not made much change in these parts, "quoth Sir Nigel, "for the country is overrun with free companions andmasterless men. Yonder towers, between the wood and the hill, mark thetown of Cahors, and beyond it is the land of France. But here is a manby the wayside, and as he hath two horses and a squire I make littledoubt that he is a knight. I pray you, Alleyne, to give him greetingfrom me, and to ask him for his titles and coat-armor. It may be that Ican relieve him of some vow, or perchance he hath a lady whom he wouldwish to advance. " "Nay, my fair lord, " said Alleyne, "these are not horses and a squire, but mules and a varlet. The man is a mercer, for he hath a great bundlebeside him. " "Now, God's blessing on your honest English voice!" cried the stranger, pricking up his ears at the sound of Alleyne's words. "Never have Iheard music that was so sweet to mine ear. Come, Watkin lad, throw thebales over Laura's back! My heart was nigh broke, for it seemed that Ihad left all that was English behind me, and that I would never set eyesupon Norwich market square again. " He was a tall, lusty, middle-agedman with a ruddy face, a brown forked beard shot with gray, and abroad Flanders hat set at the back of his head. His servant, as tall ashimself, but gaunt and raw-boned, had swung the bales on the back ofone mule, while the merchant mounted upon the other and rode to jointhe party. It was easy to see, as he approached, from the quality ofhis dress and the richness of his trappings, that he was a man of somewealth and position. "Sir knight, " said he, "my name is David Micheldene, and I am a burgherand alderman of the good town of Norwich, where I live five doors fromthe church of Our Lady, as all men know on the banks of Yare. I havehere my bales of cloth which I carry to Cahors--woe worth the day thatever I started on such an errand! I crave your gracious protection uponthe way for me, my servant, and my mercery; for I have already hadmany perilous passages, and have now learned that Roger Club-foot, therobber-knight of Quercy, is out upon the road in front of me. I herebyagree to give you one rose-noble if you bring me safe to the inn of the'Angel' in Cahors, the same to be repaid to me or my heirs if any harmcome to me or my goods. " "By Saint Paul!" answered Sir Nigel, "I should be a sorry knight if Iask pay for standing by a countryman in a strange land. You may ridewith me and welcome, Master Micheldene, and your varlet may follow withmy archers. " "God's benison upon thy bounty!" cried the stranger. "Should you come toNorwich you may have cause to remember that you have been of service toAlderman Micheldene. It is not very far to Cahors, for surely I see thecathedral towers against the sky-line; but I have heard much of thisRoger Clubfoot, and the more I hear the less do I wish to look upon hisface. Oh, but I am sick and weary of it all, and I would give half thatI am worth to see my good dame sitting in peace beside me, and to hearthe bells of Norwich town. " "Your words are strange to me, " quoth Sir Nigel, "for you have theappearance of a stout man, and I see that you wear a sword by yourside. " "Yet it is not my trade, " answered the merchant. "I doubt not that ifI set you down in my shop at Norwich you might scarce tell fustian fromfalding, and know little difference between the velvet of Genoa and thethree-piled cloth of Bruges. There you might well turn to me for help. But here on a lone roadside, with thick woods and robber-knights, I turnto you, for it is the business to which you have been reared. " "There is sooth in what you say, Master Micheldene, " said Sir Nigel, "and I trust that we may come upon this Roger Clubfoot, for I have heardthat he is a very stout and skilful soldier, and a man from whom muchhonor is to be gained. " "He is a bloody robber, " said the trader, curtly, "and I wish I saw himkicking at the end of a halter. " "It is such men as he, " Sir Nigel remarked, "who give the true knighthonorable deeds to do, whereby he may advance himself. " "It is such men as he, " retorted Micheldene, "who are like rats ina wheat-rick or moths in a woolfels, a harm and a hindrance to allpeaceful and honest men. " "Yet, if the dangers of the road weigh so heavily upon you, masteralderman, it is a great marvel to me that you should venture so far fromhome. " "And sometimes, sir knight, it is a marvel to myself. But I am a man whomay grutch and grumble, but when I have set my face to do a thing Iwill not turn my back upon it until it be done. There is one, FrancoisVillet, at Cahors, who will send me wine-casks for my cloth-bales, so toCahors I will go, though all the robber-knights of Christendom were toline the roads like yonder poplars. " "Stoutly spoken, master alderman! But how have you fared hitherto?" "As a lamb fares in a land of wolves. Five times we have had to beg andpray ere we could pass. Twice I have paid toll to the wardens of theroad. Three times we have had to draw, and once at La Reolle we stoodseer our wool-bales, Watkin and I, and we laid about us for as long as aman might chant a litany, slaying one rogue and wounding two others. ByGod's coif! we are men of peace, but we are free English burghers, notto be mishandled either in our country or abroad. Neither lord, baron, knight, or commoner shall have as much as a strike of flax of minewhilst I have strength to wag this sword. " "And a passing strange sword it is, " quoth Sir Nigel. "What make you, Alleyne, of these black lines which are drawn across the sheath?" "I cannot tell what they are, my fair lord. " "Nor can I, " said Ford. The merchant chuckled to himself. "It was a thought of mine own, "said he; "for the sword was made by Thomas Wilson, the armorer, who isbetrothed to my second daughter Margery. Know then that the sheath isone cloth-yard, in length, marked off according to feet and inches toserve me as a measuring wand. It is also of the exact weight of twopounds, so that I may use it in the balance. " "By Saint Paul!" quoth Sir Nigel, "it is very clear to me that the swordis like thyself, good alderman, apt either for war or for peace. ButI doubt not that even in England you have had much to suffer from thehands of robbers and outlaws. " "It was only last Lammastide, sir knight, that I was left for dead nearReading as I journeyed to Winchester fair. Yet I had the rogues up atthe court of pie-powder, and they will harm no more peaceful traders. " "You travel much then!" "To Winchester, Linn mart, Bristol fair, Stourbridge, and Bartholomew'sin London Town. The rest of the year you may ever find me five doorsfrom the church of Our Lady, where I would from my heart that I was atthis moment, for there is no air like Norwich air, and no water like theYare, nor can all the wines of France compare with the beer of old SamYelverton who keeps the 'Dun Cow. ' But, out and alack, here is an evilfruit which hangs upon this chestnut-tree!" As he spoke they had ridden round a curve of the road and come upon agreat tree which shot one strong brown branch across their path. Fromthe centre of this branch there hung a man, with his head at a horridslant to his body and his toes just touching the ground. He was nakedsave for a linen under shirt and pair of woollen drawers. Beside himon a green bank there sat a small man with a solemn face, and a greatbundle of papers of all colors thrusting forth from the scrip which laybeside him. He was very richly dressed, with furred robes, a scarlethood, and wide hanging sleeves lined with flame-colored silk. A greatgold chain hung round his neck, and rings glittered from every finger ofhis hands. On his lap he had a little pile of gold and of silver, whichhe was dropping, coin by coin, into a plump pouch which hung from hisgirdle. "May the saints be with you, good travellers!" he shouted, as theparty rode up. "May the four Evangelists watch over you! May the twelveApostles bear you up! May the blessed army of martyrs direct your feetand lead you to eternal bliss!" "Gramercy for these good wishes!" said Sir Nigel. "But I perceive, master alderman, that this man who hangs here is, by mark of foot, thevery robber-knight of whom we have spoken. But there is a cartel pinnedupon his breast, and I pray you, Alleyne, to read it to me. " The dead robber swung slowly to and fro in the wintry wind, a fixedsmile upon his swarthy face, and his bulging eyes still glaring down thehighway of which he had so long been the terror; on a sheet of parchmentupon his breast was printed in rude characters; ROGER PIED-BOT. Par l'ordre du Senechal de Castelnau, et de l'Echevin de Cahors, servantes fideles du tres vaillant et tres puissant Edouard, Prince de Galles et d'Aquitaine. Ne touchez pas, Ne coutez pas, Ne depechez pas "He took a sorry time in dying, " said the man who sat beside him. "Hecould stretch one toe to the ground and bear him self up, so that Ithought he would never have done. Now at last, however, he is safely inparadise, and so I may jog on upon my earthly way. " He mounted, as hespoke, a white mule which had been grazing by the wayside, all gaywith fustian of gold and silver bells, and rode onward with Sir Nigel'sparty. "How know you then that he is in paradise?" asked Sir Nigel. "All thingsare possible to God, but, certes, without a miracle, I should scarceexpect to find the soul of Roger Clubfoot amongst the just. " "I know that he is there because I have just passed him in there, "answered the stranger, rubbing his bejewelled hands together in placidsatisfaction. "It is my holy mission to be a sompnour or pardoner. I amthe unworthy servant and delegate of him who holds the keys. A contriteheart and ten nobles to holy mother Church may stave off perdition; buthe hath a pardon of the first degree, with a twenty-five livre benison, so that I doubt if he will so much as feel a twinge of purgatory. I cameup even as the seneschal's archers were tying him up, and I gave him myfore-word that I would bide with him until he had passed. There were twoleaden crowns among the silver, but I would not for that stand in theway of his salvation. " "By Saint Paul!" said Sir Nigel, "if you have indeed this power to openand to shut the gates of hope, then indeed you stand high above mankind. But if you do but claim to have it, and yet have it not, then it seemsto me, master clerk, that you may yourself find the gate barred when youshall ask admittance. " "Small of faith! Small of faith!" cried the sompnour. "Ah, Sir Didymusyet walks upon earth! And yet no words of doubt can bring anger to mineheart, or a bitter word to my lip, for am I not a poor unworthy workerin the cause of gentleness and peace? Of all these pardons which I bearevery one is stamped and signed by our holy father, the prop and centreof Christendom. " "Which of them?" asked Sir Nigel. "Ha, ha!" cried the pardoner, shaking a jewelled forefinger. "Thouwouldst be deep in the secrets of mother Church? Know then that I haveboth in my scrip. Those who hold with Urban shall have Urban's pardon, while I have Clement's for the Clementist--or he who is in doubt mayhave both, so that come what may he shall be secure. I pray you that youwill buy one, for war is bloody work, and the end is sudden with littletime for thought or shrift. Or you, sir, for you seem to me to be a manwho would do ill to trust to your own merits. " This to the alderman ofNorwich, who had listened to him with a frowning brow and a sneeringlip. "When I sell my cloth, " quoth he, "he who buys may weigh and feel andhandle. These goods which you sell are not to be seen, nor is thereany proof that you hold them. Certes, if mortal man might control God'smercy, it would be one of a lofty and God-like life, and not one who isdecked out with rings and chains and silks, like a pleasure-wench at akermesse. "Thou wicked and shameless man!" cried the clerk. "Dost thou dare toraise thy voice against the unworthy servant of mother Church?" "Unworthy enough!" quoth David Micheldene. "I would have you to know, clerk, that I am a free English burgher, and that I dare say my mind toour father the Pope himself, let alone such a lacquey's lacquey as you!" "Base-born and foul-mouthed knave!" cried the sompnour. "You prate ofholy things, to which your hog's mind can never rise. Keep silence, lestI call a curse upon you!" "Silence yourself!" roared the other. "Foul bird! we found thee by thegallows like a carrion-crow. A fine life thou hast of it with thy silksand thy baubles, cozening the last few shillings from the pouches ofdying men. A fig for thy curse! Bide here, if you will take my rede, forwe will make England too hot for such as you, when Master Wicliff hasthe ordering of it. Thou vile thief! it is you, and such as you, whobring an evil name upon the many churchmen who lead a pure and a holylife. Thou outside the door of heaven! Art more like to be inside thedoor of hell. " At this crowning insult the sompnour, with a face ashen with rage, raised up a quivering hand and began pouring Latin imprecations uponthe angry alderman. The latter, however, was not a man to be quelled bywords, for he caught up his ell-measure sword-sheath and belabored thecursing clerk with it. The latter, unable to escape from the showerof blows, set spurs to his mule and rode for his life, with his enemythundering behind him. At sight of his master's sudden departure, thevarlet Watkin set off after him, with the pack-mule beside him, so thatthe four clattered away down the road together, until they swept rounda curve and their babble was but a drone in the distance. Sir Nigeland Alleyne gazed in astonishment at one another, while Ford burst outa-laughing. "Pardieu!" said the knight, "this David Micheldene must be one of thoseLollards about whom Father Christopher of the priory had so much to say. Yet he seemed to be no bad man from what I have seen of him. " "I have heard that Wicliff hath many followers in Norwich, " answeredAlleyne. "By St. Paul! I have no great love for them, " quoth Sir Nigel. "I am aman who am slow to change; and, if you take away from me the faith thatI have been taught, it would be long ere I could learn one to set in itsplace. It is but a chip here and a chip there, yet it may bring the treedown in time. Yet, on the other hand, I cannot but think it shame that aman should turn God's mercy on and off, as a cellarman doth wine with aspigot. " "Nor is it, " said Alleyne, "part of the teachings of that mother Churchof which he had so much to say. There was sooth in what the aldermansaid of it. " "Then, by St. Paul! they may settle it betwixt them, " quoth Sir Nigel. "For me, I serve God, the king and my lady; and so long as I can keepthe path of honor I am well content. My creed shall ever be that ofChandos: "Fais ce que dois--adviegne que peut, C'est commande au chevalier. " CHAPTER XXVIII. HOW THE COMRADES CAME OVER THE MARCHES OF FRANCE After passing Cahors, the party branched away from the main road, andleaving the river to the north of them, followed a smaller track whichwound over a vast and desolate plain. This path led them amid marshesand woods, until it brought them out into a glade with a broad streamswirling swiftly down the centre of it. Through this the horses splashedtheir way, and on the farther shore Sir Nigel announced to them thatthey were now within the borders of the land of France. For some milesthey still followed the same lonely track, which led them througha dense wood, and then widening out, curved down to an open rollingcountry, such as they had traversed between Aiguillon and Cahors. If it were grim and desolate upon the English border, however, whatcan describe the hideous barrenness of this ten times harried tractof France? The whole face of the country was scarred and disfigured, mottled over with the black blotches of burned farm-steadings, andthe gray, gaunt gable-ends of what had been chateaux. Broken fences, crumbling walls, vineyards littered with stones, the shattered arches ofbridges--look where you might, the signs of ruin and rapine met the eye. Here and there only, on the farthest sky-line, the gnarled turrets of acastle, or the graceful pinnacles of church or of monastery showed wherethe forces of the sword or of the spirit had preserved some small isletof security in this universal flood of misery. Moodily and in silencethe little party rode along the narrow and irregular track, their heartsweighed down by this far-stretching land of despair. It was indeeda stricken and a blighted country, and a man might have ridden fromAuvergne in the north to the marches of Foix, nor ever seen a smilingvillage or a thriving homestead. From time to time as they advanced they saw strange lean figuresscraping and scratching amid the weeds and thistles, who, on sightof the band of horsemen, threw up their arms and dived in among thebrushwood, as shy and as swift as wild animals. More than once, however, they came on families by the wayside, who were too weak from hunger anddisease to fly, so that they could but sit like hares on a tussock, withpanting chests and terror in their eyes. So gaunt were these poor folk, so worn and spent--with bent and knotted frames, and sullen, hopeless, mutinous faces--that it made the young Englishman heart-sick to lookupon them. Indeed, it seemed as though all hope and light had gone sofar from them that it was not to be brought back; for when Sir Nigelthrew down a handful of silver among them there came no softening oftheir lined faces, but they clutched greedily at the coins, peeringquestioningly at him, and champing with their animal jaws. Here andthere amid the brushwood the travellers saw the rude bundle ofsticks which served them as a home--more like a fowl's nest than thedwelling-place of man. Yet why should they build and strive, when thefirst adventurer who passed would set torch to their thatch, and whentheir own feudal lord would wring from them with blows and curses thelast fruits of their toil? They sat at the lowest depth of human misery, and hugged a bitter comfort to their souls as they realized that theycould go no lower. Yet they had still the human gift of speech, andwould take council among themselves in their brushwood hovels, glaringwith bleared eyes and pointing with thin fingers at the great widespreadchateaux which ate like a cancer into the life of the country-side. Whensuch men, who are beyond hope and fear, begin in their dim minds to seethe source their woes, it may be an evil time for those who have wrongedthem. The weak man becomes strong when he has nothing, for then only canhe feel the wild, mad thrill of despair. High and strong the chateaux, lowly and weak the brushwood hut; but God help the seigneur and his ladywhen the men of the brushwood set their hands to the work of revenge! Through such country did the party ride for eight or it might be ninemiles, until the sun began to slope down in the west and their shadowsto stream down the road in front of them. Wary and careful they mustbe, with watchful eyes to the right and the left, for this was no man'sland, and their only passports were those which hung from their belts. Frenchmen and Englishmen, Gascon and Provencal, Brabanter, Tardvenu, Scorcher, Flayer, and Free Companion, wandered and struggled over thewhole of this accursed district. So bare and cheerless was the outlook, and so few and poor the dwellings, that Sir Nigel began to have fears asto whether he might find food and quarters for his little troop. It wasa relief to him, therefore, when their narrow track opened out upon alarger road, and they saw some little way down it a square white housewith a great bunch of holly hung out at the end of a stick from one ofthe upper windows. "By St. Paul!" said he, "I am right glad; for I had feared that we mighthave neither provant nor herbergage. Ride on, Alleyne, and tell thisinn-keeper that an English knight with his party will lodge with himthis night. " Alleyne set spurs to his horse and reached the inn door a long bow-shotbefore his companions. Neither varlet nor ostler could be seen, so hepushed open the door and called loudly for the landlord. Three times heshouted, but, receiving no reply, he opened an inner door and advancedinto the chief guest-room of the hostel. A very cheerful wood-fire was sputtering and cracking in an open grateat the further end of the apartment. At one side of this fire, in ahigh-backed oak chair, sat a lady, her face turned towards the door. The firelight played over her features, and Alleyne thought that he hadnever seen such queenly power, such dignity and strength, upon a woman'sface. She might have been five-and-thirty years of age, with aquilinenose, firm yet sensitive mouth, dark curving brows, and deep-set eyeswhich shone and sparkled with a shifting brilliancy. Beautiful as shewas, it was not her beauty which impressed itself upon the beholder;it was her strength, her power, the sense of wisdom which hung overthe broad white brow, the decision which lay in the square jaw anddelicately moulded chin. A chaplet of pearls sparkled amid her blackhair, with a gauze of silver network flowing back from it over hershoulders; a black mantle was swathed round her, and she leaned back inher chair as one who is fresh from a journey. In the opposite corner there sat a very burly and broad-shouldered man, clad in a black jerkin trimmed with sable, with a black velvet cap withcurling white feather cocked upon the side of his head. A flask of redwine stood at his elbow, and he seemed to be very much at his ease, forhis feet were stuck up on a stool, and between his thighs he held a dishfull of nuts. These he cracked between his strong white teeth and chewedin a leisurely way, casting the shells into the blaze. As Alleyne gazedin at him he turned his face half round and cocked an eye at him overhis shoulder. It seemed to the young Englishman that he had never seenso hideous a face, for the eyes were of the lightest green, the nose wasbroken and driven inwards, while the whole countenance was seared andpuckered with wounds. The voice, too, when he spoke, was as deep and asfierce as the growl of a beast of prey. "Young man, " said he, "I know not who you may be, and I am not muchinclined to bestir myself, but if it were not that I am bent upon takingmy ease, I swear, by the sword of Joshua! that I would lay my dog-whipacross your shoulders for daring to fill the air with these discordantbellowings. " Taken aback at this ungentle speech, and scarce knowing how to answer itfitly in the presence of the lady, Alleyne stood with his hand upon thehandle of the door, while Sir Nigel and his companions dismounted. Atthe sound of these fresh voices, and of the tongue in which they spoke, the stranger crashed his dish of nuts down upon the floor, and beganhimself to call for the landlord until the whole house re-echoed withhis roarings. With an ashen face the white-aproned host came runningat his call, his hands shaking and his very hair bristling withapprehension. "For the sake of God, sirs, " he whispered as he passed, "speak him fair and do not rouse him! For the love of the Virgin, bemild with him!" "Who is this, then?" asked Sir Nigel. Alleyne was about to explain, when a fresh roar from the strangerinterrupted him. "Thou villain inn-keeper, " he shouted, "did I not ask you when I broughtmy lady here whether your inn was clean?" "You did, sire. " "Did I not very particularly ask you whether there were any vermin init?" "You did, sire. " "And you answered me?" "That there were not, sire. " "And yet ere I have been here an hour I find Englishmen crawling aboutwithin it. Where are we to be free from this pestilent race? Can aFrenchman upon French land not sit down in a French auberge withouthaving his ears pained by the clack of their hideous talk? Send thempacking, inn-keeper, or it may be the worse for them and for you. " "I will, sire, I will!" cried the frightened host, and bustled fromthe room, while the soft, soothing voice of the woman was heardremonstrating with her furious companion. "Indeed, gentlemen, you had best go, " said mine host. "It is but sixmiles to Villefranche, where there are very good quarters at the sign ofthe 'Lion Rouge. '" "Nay, " answered Sir Nigel, "I cannot go until I have seen more of thisperson, for he appears to be a man from whom much is to be hoped. Whatis his name and title?" "It is not for my lips to name it unless by his desire. But I beg andpray you, gentlemen, that you will go from my house, for I know not whatmay come of it if his rage should gain the mastery of him. " "By Saint Paul!" lisped Sir Nigel, "this is certainly a man whom itis worth journeying far to know. Go tell him that a humble knight ofEngland would make his further honorable acquaintance, not from anypresumption, pride, or ill-will, but for the advancement of chivalry andthe glory of our ladies. Give him greeting from Sir Nigel Loring, andsay that the glove which I bear in my cap belongs to the most peerlessand lovely of her sex, whom I am now ready to uphold against any ladywhose claim he might be desirous of advancing. " The landlord was hesitating whether to carry this message or no, whenthe door of the inner room was flung open, and the stranger bounded outlike a panther from its den, his hair bristling and his deformed faceconvulsed with anger. "Still here!" he snarled. "Dogs of England, must ye be lashed hence?Tiphaine, my sword!" He turned to seize his weapon, but as he did so hisgaze fell upon the blazonry of sir Nigel's shield, and he stood staring, while the fire in his strange green eyes softened into a sly andhumorous twinkle. "Mort Dieu!" cried he, "it is my little swordsman of Bordeaux. I shouldremember that coat-armor, seeing that it is but three days since Ilooked upon it in the lists by Garonne. Ah! Sir Nigel, Sir Nigel! youowe me a return for this, " and he touched his right arm, which was girtround just under the shoulder with a silken kerchief. But the surprise of the stranger at the sight of Sir Nigel was asnothing compared with the astonishment and the delight which shone uponthe face of the knight of Hampshire as he looked upon the strange faceof the Frenchman. Twice he opened his mouth and twice he peered again, as though to assure himself that his eyes had not played him a trick. "Bertrand!" he gasped at last. "Bertrand du Guesclin!" "By Saint Ives!" shouted the French soldier, with a hoarse roar oflaughter, "it is well that I should ride with my vizor down, for he thathas once seen my face does not need to be told my name. It is indeed I, Sir Nigel, and here is my hand! I give you my word that there are butthree Englishmen in this world whom I would touch save with the sharpedge of the sword: the prince is one, Chandos the second, and you thethird; for I have heard much that is good of you. " "I am growing aged, and am somewhat spent in the wars, " quoth Sir Nigel;"but I can lay by my sword now with an easy mind, for I can say thatI have crossed swords with him who hath the bravest heart and thestrongest arm of all this great kingdom of France. I have longed for it, I have dreamed of it, and now I can scarce bring my mind to understandthat this great honor hath indeed been mine. " "By the Virgin of Rennes! you have given me cause to be very certain ofit, " said Du Guesclin, with a gleam of his broad white teeth. "And perhaps, most honored sir, it would please you to continue thedebate. Perhaps you would condescend to go farther into the matter. God He knows that I am unworthy of such honor, yet I can show myfour-and-sixty quarterings, and I have been present at some bickeringsand scufflings during these twenty years. " "Your fame is very well known to me, and I shall ask my lady to enteryour name upon my tablets, " said Sir Bertrand. "There are many who wishto advance themselves, and who bide their turn, for I refuse no man whocomes on such an errand. At present it may not be, for mine arm is stifffrom this small touch, and I would fain do you full honor when we crossswords again. Come in with me, and let your squires come also, that mysweet spouse, the Lady Tiphaine, may say that she hath seen so famed andgentle a knight. " Into the chamber they went in all peace and concord, where the LadyTiphaine sat like queen on throne for each in turn to be presented toher. Sooth to say, the stout heart of Sir Nigel, which cared little forthe wrath of her lion-like spouse, was somewhat shaken by the calm, coldface of this stately dame, for twenty years of camp-life had left himmore at ease in the lists than in a lady's boudoir. He bethought him, too, as he looked at her set lips and deep-set questioning eyes, that hehad heard strange tales of this same Lady Tiphaine du Guesclin. Wasit not she who was said to lay hands upon the sick and raise them fromtheir couches when the leeches had spent their last nostrums? Had shenot forecast the future, and were there not times when in the lonelinessof her chamber she was heard to hold converse with some being upon whommortal eye never rested--some dark familiar who passed where doors werebarred and windows high? Sir Nigel sunk his eye and marked a cross onthe side of his leg as he greeted this dangerous dame, and yet erefive minutes had passed he was hers, and not he only but his two youngsquires as well. The mind had gone out of them, and they could but lookat this woman and listen to the words which fell from her lips--wordswhich thrilled through their nerves and stirred their souls like thebattle-call of a bugle. Often in peaceful after-days was Alleyne to think of that scene of thewayside inn of Auvergne. The shadows of evening had fallen, and thecorners of the long, low, wood-panelled room were draped in darkness. The sputtering wood fire threw out a circle of red flickering lightwhich played over the little group of wayfarers, and showed up everyline and shadow upon their faces. Sir Nigel sat with elbows upon knees, and chin upon hands, his patch still covering one eye, but his othershining like a star, while the ruddy light gleamed upon his smooth whitehead. Ford was seated at his left, his lips parted, his eyes staring, and a fleck of deep color on either cheek, his limbs all rigid as onewho fears to move. On the other side the famous French captain leanedback in his chair, a litter of nut-shells upon his lap, his huge headhalf buried in a cushion, while his eyes wandered with an amused gleamfrom his dame to the staring, enraptured Englishmen. Then, last ofall, that pale clear-cut face, that sweet clear voice, with its highthrilling talk of the deathlessness of glory, of the worthlessness oflife, of the pain of ignoble joys, and of the joy which lies in allpains which lead to a noble end. Still, as the shadows deepened, shespoke of valor and virtue, of loyalty, honor, and fame, and still theysat drinking in her words while the fire burned down and the red ashturned to gray. "By the sainted Ives!" cried Du Guesclin at last, "it is time that wespoke of what we are to do this night, for I cannot think that in thiswayside auberge there are fit quarters for an honorable company. " Sir Nigel gave a long sigh as he came back from the dreams of chivalryand hardihood into which this strange woman's words had wafted him. "Icare not where I sleep, " said he; "but these are indeed somewhat rudelodgings for this fair lady. " "What contents my lord contents me, " quoth she. "I perceive, Sir Nigel, that you are under vow, " she added, glancing at his covered eye. "It is my purpose to attempt some small deed, " he answered. "And the glove--is it your lady's?" "It is indeed my sweet wife's. " "Who is doubtless proud of you. " "Say rather I of her, " quoth he quickly. "God He knows that I am notworthy to be her humble servant. It is easy, lady, for a man to rideforth in the light of day, and do his devoir when all men have eyes forhim. But in a woman's heart there is a strength and truth which asks nopraise, and can but be known to him whose treasure it is. " The Lady Tiphaine smiled across at her husband. "You have often toldme, Bertrand, that there were very gentle knights amongst the English, "quoth she. "Aye, aye, " said he moodily. "But to horse, Sir Nigel, you and yoursand we shall seek the chateau of Sir Tristram de Rochefort, which istwo miles on this side of Villefranche. He is Seneschal of Auvergne, andmine old war companion. " "Certes, he would have a welcome for you, " quoth Sir Nigel; "but indeedhe might look askance at one who comes without permit over the marches. " "By the Virgin! when he learns that you have come to draw away theserascals he will be very blithe to look upon your face. Inn-keeper, hereare ten gold pieces. What is over and above your reckoning you may takeoff from your charges to the next needy knight who comes this way. Comethen, for it grows late and the horses are stamping in the roadway. " The Lady Tiphaine and her spouse sprang upon their steeds withoutsetting feet to stirrup, and away they jingled down the white moonlithighway, with Sir Nigel at the lady's bridle-arm, and Ford a spear'slength behind them. Alleyne had lingered for an instant in the passage, and as he did so there came a wild outcry from a chamber upon theleft, and out there ran Aylward and John, laughing together like twoschoolboys who are bent upon a prank. At sight of Alleyne they slunkpast him with somewhat of a shame-faced air, and springing upon theirhorses galloped after their party. The hubbub within the chamber did notcease, however, but rather increased, with yells of: "A moi, mes amis! Amoi, camarades! A moi, l'honorable champion de l'Eveque de Montaubon! Ala recousse de l'eglise sainte!" So shrill was the outcry that both theinn-keeper and Alleyne, with every varlet within hearing, rushed wildlyto the scene of the uproar. It was indeed a singular scene which met their eyes. The room was a longand lofty one, stone floored and bare, with a fire at the further endupon which a great pot was boiling. A deal table ran down the centre, with a wooden wine-pitcher upon it and two horn cups. Some way from itwas a smaller table with a single beaker and a broken wine-bottle. Fromthe heavy wooden rafters which formed the roof there hung rows of hookswhich held up sides of bacon, joints of smoked beef, and strings ofonions for winter use. In the very centre of all these, upon thelargest hook of all, there hung a fat little red-faced man with enormouswhiskers, kicking madly in the air and clawing at rafters, hams, andall else that was within hand-grasp. The huge steel hook had been passedthrough the collar of his leather jerkin, and there he hung like a fishon a line, writhing, twisting, and screaming, but utterly unable to freehimself from his extraordinary position. It was not until Alleyne andthe landlord had mounted on the table that they were able to lift himdown, when he sank gasping with rage into a seat, and rolled his eyesround in every direction. "Has he gone?" quoth he. "Gone? Who?" "He, the man with the red head, the giant man. " "Yes, " said Alleyne, "he hath gone. " "And comes not back?" "No. " "The better for him!" cried the little man, with a long sigh of relief. "Mon Dieu! What! am I not the champion of the Bishop of Montaubon? Ah, could I have descended, could I have come down, ere he fled! Then youwould have seen. You would have beheld a spectacle then. There wouldhave been one rascal the less upon earth. Ma, foi, yes!" "Good master Pelligny, " said the landlord, "these gentlemen have notgone very fast, and I have a horse in the stable at your disposal, forI would rather have such bloody doings as you threaten outside the fourwalls of mine auberge. " "I hurt my leg and cannot ride, " quoth the bishop's champion. "Istrained a sinew on the day that I slew the three men at Castelnau. " "God save you, master Pelligny!" cried the landlord. "It must be anawesome thing to have so much blood upon one's soul. And yet I do notwish to see so valiant a man mishandled, and so I will, for friendship'ssake, ride after this Englishman and bring him back to you. " "You shall not stir, " cried the champion, seizing the inn-keeper in aconvulsive grasp. "I have a love for you, Gaston, and I would notbring your house into ill repute, nor do such scath to these walls andchattels as must befall if two such men as this Englishman and I fall towork here. " "Nay, think not of me!" cried the inn-keeper. "What are my walls whenset against the honor of Francois Poursuivant d'Amour Pelligny, championof the Bishop of Montaubon. My horse, Andre!" "By the saints, no! Gaston, I will not have it! You have said truly thatit is an awesome thing to have such rough work upon one's soul. I ambut a rude soldier, yet I have a mind. Mon Dieu! I reflect, I weigh, Ibalance. Shall I not meet this man again? Shall I not bear him in mind?Shall I not know him by his great paws and his red head? Ma foi, yes!" "And may I ask, sir, " said Alleyne, "why it is that you call yourselfchampion of the Bishop of Montaubon?" "You may ask aught which it is becoming to me to answer. The bishop hathneed of a champion, because, if any cause be set to test of combat, itwould scarce become his office to go down into the lists with leatherand shield and cudgel to exchange blows with any varlet. He looks aroundhim then for some tried fighting man, some honest smiter who can give ablow or take one. It is not for me to say how far he hath succeeded, butit is sooth that he who thinks that he hath but to do with the Bishop ofMontaubon, finds himself face to face with Francois Poursuivant d'AmourPelligny. " At this moment there was a clatter of hoofs upon the road, and a varletby the door cried out that one of the Englishmen was coming back. The champion looked wildly about for some corner of safety, and wasclambering up towards the window, when Ford's voice sounded fromwithout, calling upon Alleyne to hasten, or he might scarce find hisway. Bidding adieu to landlord and to champion, therefore, he set off ata gallop, and soon overtook the two archers. "A pretty thing this, John, " said he. "Thou wilt have holy Church uponyou if you hang her champions upon iron hooks in an inn kitchen. " "It was done without thinking, " he answered apologetically, whileAylward burst into a shout of laughter. "By my hilt! mon petit, " said he, "you would have laughed also couldyou have seen it. For this man was so swollen with pride that he wouldneither drink with us, nor sit at the same table with us, nor as much asanswer a question, but must needs talk to the varlet all the time thatit was well there was peace, and that he had slain more Englishmen thanthere were tags to his doublet. Our good old John could scarce lay histongue to French enough to answer him, so he must needs reach out hisgreat hand to him and place him very gently where you saw him. But wemust on, for I can scarce hear their hoofs upon the road. " "I think that I can see them yet, " said Ford, peering down the moonlitroad. "Pardieu! yes. Now they ride forth from the shadow. And yonder darkclump is the Castle of Villefranche. En avant camarades! or Sir Nigelmay reach the gates before us. But hark, mes amis, what sound is that?" As he spoke the hoarse blast of a horn was heard from some woods uponthe right. An answering call rung forth upon their left, and hard uponit two others from behind them. "They are the horns of swine-herds, " quoth Aylward. "Though why theyblow them so late I cannot tell. " "Let us on, then, " said Ford, and the whole party, setting their spursto their horses, soon found themselves at the Castle of Villefranche, where the drawbridge had already been lowered and the portcullis raisedin response to the summons of Du Guesclin. CHAPTER XXIX. HOW THE BLESSED HOUR OF SIGHT CAME TO THE LADY TIPHAINE. Sir Tristram de Rochefort, Seneschal of Auvergne and Lord ofVillefranche, was a fierce and renowned soldier who had grown gray inthe English wars. As lord of the marches and guardian of an exposedcountry-side, there was little rest for him even in times of so-calledpeace, and his whole life was spent in raids and outfalls upon theBrabanters, late-comers, flayers, free companions, and roving archerswho wandered over his province. At times he would come back in triumph, and a dozen corpses swinging from the summit of his keep would warnevil-doers that there was still a law in the land. At others hisventures were not so happy, and he and his troop would spur it overthe drawbridge with clatter of hoofs hard at their heels and whistle ofarrows about their ears. Hard he was of hand and harder of heart, hatedby his foes, and yet not loved by those whom he protected, for twice hehad been taken prisoner, and twice his ransom had been wrung by dintof blows and tortures out of the starving peasants and ruined farmers. Wolves or watch-dogs, it was hard to say from which the sheep had mostto fear. The Castle of Villefranche was harsh and stern as its master. A broadmoat, a high outer wall turreted at the corners, with a great black keeptowering above all--so it lay before them in the moonlight. By the lightof two flambeaux, protruded through the narrow slit-shaped openings ateither side of the ponderous gate, they caught a glimpse of the glitterof fierce eyes and of the gleam of the weapons of the guard. The sightof the two-headed eagle of Du Guesclin, however, was a passport intoany fortalice in France, and ere they had passed the gate the old borderknight came running forwards with hands out-thrown to greet his famouscountryman. Nor was he less glad to see Sir Nigel, when the Englishman'serrand was explained to him, for these archers had been a sore thorn inhis side and had routed two expeditions which he had sent against them. A happy day it would be for the Seneschal of Auvergne when they shouldlearn that the last yew bow was over the marches. The material for a feast was ever at hand in days when, if there wasgrim want in the cottage, there was at least rude plenty in the castle. Within an hour the guests were seated around a board which creaked underthe great pasties and joints of meat, varied by those more daintydishes in which the French excelled, the spiced ortolan and the truffledbeccaficoes. The Lady Rochefort, a bright and laughter-loving dame, satupon the left of her warlike spouse, with Lady Tiphaine upon the right. Beneath sat Du Guesclin and Sir Nigel, with Sir Amory Monticourt, of theorder of the Hospitallers, and Sir Otto Harnit, a wandering knightfrom the kingdom of Bohemia. These with Alleyne and Ford, four Frenchsquires, and the castle chaplain, made the company who sat together thatnight and made good cheer in the Castle of Villefranche. The great firecrackled in the grate, the hooded hawks slept upon their perches, therough deer-hounds with expectant eyes crouched upon the tiled floor;close at the elbows of the guests stood the dapper little lilac-coatedpages; the laugh and jest circled round and all was harmony and comfort. Little they recked of the brushwood men who crouched in their rags alongthe fringe of the forest and looked with wild and haggard eyes at therich, warm glow which shot a golden bar of light from the high archedwindows of the castle. Supper over, the tables dormant were cleared away as by magic andtrestles and bancals arranged around the blazing fire, for there was abitter nip in the air. The Lady Tiphaine had sunk back in her cushionedchair, and her long dark lashes drooped low over her sparkling eyes. Alleyne, glancing at her, noted that her breath came quick and short, and that her cheeks had blanched to a lily white. Du Guesclin eyed herkeenly from time to time, and passed his broad brown fingers through hiscrisp, curly black hair with the air of a man who is perplexed in hismind. "These folk here, " said the knight of Bohemia, "they do not seem toowell fed. " "Ah, canaille!" cried the Lord of Villefranche. "You would scarce creditit, and yet it is sooth that when I was taken at Poictiers it was allthat my wife and foster-brother could do to raise the money from themfor my ransom. The sulky dogs would rather have three twists of a rack, or the thumbikins for an hour, than pay out a denier for their ownfeudal father and liege lord. Yet there is not one of them but hath anold stocking full of gold pieces hid away in a snug corner. " "Why do they not buy food then?" asked Sir Nigel. "By St. Paul! itseemed to me their bones were breaking through their skin. " "It is their grutching and grumbling which makes them thin. We have asaying here, Sir Nigel, that if you pummel Jacques Bonhomme he will patyou, but if you pat him he will pummel you. Doubtless you find it so inEngland. " "Ma foi, no!" said Sir Nigel. "I have two Englishmen of this class inmy train, who are at this instant, I make little doubt, as full of yourwine as any cask in your cellar. He who pummelled them might come bysuch a pat as he would be likely to remember. " "I cannot understand it, " quoth the seneschal, "for the English knightsand nobles whom I have met were not men to brook the insolence of thebase born. " "Perchance, my fair lord, the poor folk are sweeter and of a bettercountenance in England, " laughed the Lady Rochefort. "Mon Dieu! youcannot conceive to yourself how ugly they are! Without hair, withoutteeth, all twisted and bent; for me, I cannot think how the good Godever came to make such people. I cannot bear it, I, and so my trustyRaoul goes ever before me with a cudgel to drive them from my path. " "Yet they have souls, fair lady, they have souls!" murmured thechaplain, a white-haired man with a weary, patient face. "So I have heard you tell them, " said the lord of the castle; "and formyself, father, though I am a true son of holy Church, yet I thinkthat you were better employed in saying your mass and in teaching thechildren of my men-at-arms, than in going over the country-side to putideas in these folks' heads which would never have been there but foryou. I have heard that you have said to them that their souls are asgood as ours, and that it is likely that in another life they may standas high as the oldest blood of Auvergne. For my part, I believe thatthere are so many worthy knights and gallant gentlemen in heaven whoknow how such things should be arranged, that there is little fear thatwe shall find ourselves mixed up with base roturiers and swine-herds. Tell your beads, father, and con your psalter, but do not come betweenme and those whom the king has given to me!" "God help them!" cried the old priest. "A higher King than yours hasgiven them to me, and I tell you here in your own castle hall, SirTristram de Rochefort, that you have sinned deeply in your dealings withthese poor folk, and that the hour will come, and may even now be athand, when God's hand will be heavy upon you for what you have done. " Herose as he spoke, and walked slowly from the room. "Pest take him!" cried the French knight. "Now, what is a man to do witha priest, Sir Bertrand?--for one can neither fight him like a man norcoax him like a woman. " "Ah, Sir Bertrand knows, the naughty one!" cried the Lady Rochefort. "Have we not all heard how he went to Avignon and squeezed fiftythousand crowns out of the Pope. " "Ma foi!" said Sir Nigel, looking with a mixture of horror andadmiration at Du Guesclin. "Did not your heart sink within you? Were younot smitten with fears? Have you not felt a curse hang over you?" "I have not observed it, " said the Frenchman carelessly. "But by SaintIves! Tristram, this chaplain of yours seems to me to be a worthy man, and you should give heed to his words, for though I care nothing forthe curse of a bad pope, it would be a grief to me to have aught but ablessing from a good priest. " "Hark to that, my fair lord, " cried the Lady Rochefort. "Take heed, Ipray thee, for I do not wish to have a blight cast over me, nor a palsyof the limbs. I remember that once before you angered Father Stephen, and my tire-woman said that I lost more hair in seven days than everbefore in a month. " "If that be sign of sin, then, by Saint Paul! I have much upon my soul, "said Sir Nigel, amid a general laugh. "But in very truth, Sir Tristram, if I may venture a word of counsel, I should advise that you make yourpeace with this good man. " "He shall have four silver candlesticks, " said the seneschal moodily. "And yet I would that he would leave the folk alone. You cannot conceivein your mind how stubborn and brainless they are. Mules and pigs arefull of reason beside them. God He knows that I have had great patiencewith them. It was but last week that, having to raise some money, I called up to the castle Jean Goubert, who, as all men know, has acasketful of gold pieces hidden away in some hollow tree. I give you myword that I did not so much as lay a stripe upon his fool's back, butafter speaking with him, and telling him how needful the money was tome, I left him for the night to think over the matter in my dungeon. What think you that the dog did? Why, in the morning we found that hehad made a rope from strips of his leathern jerkin, and had hung himselfto the bar of the window. " "For me, I cannot conceive such wickedness!" cried the lady. "And there was Gertrude Le Boeuf, as fair a maiden as eye could see, butas bad and bitter as the rest of them. When young Amory de Valance washere last Lammastide he looked kindly upon the girl, and even spoke oftaking her into his service. What does she do, with her dog of a father?Why, they tie themselves together and leap into the Linden Pool, wherethe water is five spears'-lengths deep. I give you my word that it wasa great grief to young Amory, and it was days ere he could cast itfrom his mind. But how can one serve people who are so foolish and soungrateful?" Whilst the Seneschal of Villefranche had been detailing the evil doingsof his tenants, Alleyne had been unable to take his eyes from the faceof Lady Tiphaine. She had lain back in her chair, with drooping eyelidsand bloodless face, so that he had feared at first her journey hadweighed heavily upon her, and that the strength was ebbing out of her. Of a sudden, however, there came a change, for a dash of bright colorflickered up on to either cheek, and her lids were slowly raised againupon eyes which sparkled with such lustre as Alleyne had never seenin human eyes before, while their gaze was fixed intently, not on thecompany, but on the dark tapestry which draped the wall. So transformedand so ethereal was her expression, that Alleyne, in his loftiest dreamof archangel or of seraph, had never pictured so sweet, so womanly, andyet so wise a face. Glancing at Du Guesclin, Alleyne saw that he alsowas watching his wife closely, and from the twitching of his features, and the beads upon his brick-colored brow, it was easy to see that hewas deeply agitated by the change which he marked in her. "How is it with you, lady?" he asked at last, in a tremulous voice. Her eyes remained fixed intently upon the wall, and there was a longpause ere she answered him. Her voice, too, which had been so clearand ringing, was now low and muffled as that of one who speaks from adistance. "All is very well with me, Bertrand, " said she. "The blessed hour ofsight has come round to me again. " "I could see it come! I could see it come!" he exclaimed, passing hisfingers through his hair with the same perplexed expression as before. "This is untoward, Sir Tristram, " he said at last. "And I scarce knowin what words to make it clear to you, and to your fair wife, and to SirNigel Loring, and to these other stranger knights. My tongue is a bluntone, and fitter to shout word of command than to clear up such a matteras this, of which I can myself understand little. This, however, I know, that my wife is come of a very sainted race, whom God hath in Hiswisdom endowed with wondrous powers, so that Tiphaine Raquenel was knownthroughout Brittany ere ever I first saw her at Dinan. Yet these powersare ever used for good, and they are the gift of God and not of thedevil, which is the difference betwixt white magic and black. " "Perchance it would be as well that we should send for Father Stephen, "said Sir Tristram. "It would be best that he should come, " cried the Hospitaller. "And bring with him a flask of holy water, " added the knight of Bohemia. "Not so, gentlemen, " answered Sir Bertrand. "It is not needful that thispriest should be called, and it is in my mind that in asking for this yecast some slight shadow or slur upon the good name of my wife, as thoughit were still doubtful whether her power came to her from above orbelow. If ye have indeed such a doubt I pray that you will say so, thatwe may discuss the matter in a fitting way. " "For myself, " said Sir Nigel, "I have heard such words fall from thelips of this lady that I am of the opinion that there is no woman, save only one, who can be in any way compared to her in beauty and ingoodness. Should any gentleman think otherwise, I should deem it greathonor to run a small course with him, or debate the matter in whateverway might be most pleasing to him. " "Nay, it would ill become me to cast a slur upon a lady who is bothmy guest and the wife of my comrade-in-arms, " said the Seneschal ofVillefranche. "I have perceived also that on her mantle there is markeda silver cross, which is surely sign enough that there is nought of evilin these strange powers which you say that she possesses. " This argument of the seneschal's appealed so powerfully to the Bohemianand to the Hospitaller that they at once intimated that their objectionshad been entirely overcome, while even the Lady Rochefort, who had satshivering and crossing herself, ceased to cast glances at the door, andallowed her fears to turn to curiosity. "Among the gifts which have been vouchsafed to my wife, " said DuGuesclin, "there is the wondrous one of seeing into the future; but itcomes very seldom upon her, and goes as quickly, for none can commandit. The blessed hour of sight, as she hath named it, has come but twicesince I have known her, and I can vouch for it that all that she hathtold me was true, for on the evening of the Battle of Auray she saidthat the morrow would be an ill day for me and for Charles of Blois. Ere the sun had sunk again he was dead, and I the prisoner of Sir JohnChandos. Yet it is not every question that she can answer, but onlythose----" "Bertrand, Bertrand!" cried the lady in the same mutterings far-awayvoice, "the blessed hour passes. Use it, Bertrand, while you may. " "I will, my sweet. Tell me, then, what fortune comes upon me?" "Danger, Bertrand--deadly, pressing danger--which creeps upon you andyou know it not. " The French soldier burst into a thunderous laugh, and his green eyestwinkled with amusement. "At what time during these twenty years wouldnot that have been a true word?" he cried. "Danger is in the air that Ibreathe. But is this so very close, Tiphaine?" "Here--now--close upon you!" The words came out in broken, strenuousspeech, while the lady's fair face was writhed and drawn like that ofone who looks upon a horror which strikes, the words from her lips. DuGuesclin gazed round the tapestried room, at the screens, the tables, the abace, the credence, the buffet with its silver salver, and thehalf-circle of friendly, wondering faces. There was an utter stillness, save for the sharp breathing of the Lady Tiphaine and for the gentlesoughing of the wind outside, which wafted to their ears the distantcall upon a swine-herd's horn. "The danger may bide, " said he, shrugging his broad shoulders. "And now, Tiphaine, tell us what will come of this war in Spain. " "I can see little, " she answered, straining her eyes and puckering herbrow, as one who would fain clear her sight. "There are mountains, anddry plains, and flash of arms and shouting of battle-cries. Yet it iswhispered to me that by failure you will succeed. " "Ha! Sir Nigel, how like you that?" quoth Bertrand, shaking his head. "It is like mead and vinegar, half sweet, half sour. And is there noquestion which you would ask my lady?" "Certes there is. I would fain know, fair lady, how all things are atTwynham Castle, and above all how my sweet lady employs herself. " "To answer this I would fain lay hand upon one whose thoughts turnstrongly to this castle which you have named. Nay, my Lord Loring, it iswhispered to me that there is another here who hath thought more deeplyof it than you. " "Thought more of mine own home?" cried Sir Nigel. "Lady, I fear that inthis matter at least you are mistaken. " "Not so, Sir Nigel. Come hither, young man, young English squire withthe gray eyes! Now give me your hand, and place it here across my brow, that I may see that which you have seen. What is this that rises beforeme? Mist, mist, rolling mist with a square black tower above it. See itshreds out, it thins, it rises, and there lies a castle in green plain, with the sea beneath it, and a great church within a bow-shot. There aretwo rivers which run through the meadows, and between them lie the tentsof the besiegers. " "The besiegers!" cried Alleyne, Ford, and Sir Nigel, all three in abreath. "Yes, truly, and they press hard upon the castle, for they are anexceeding multitude and full of courage. See how they storm and rageagainst the gate, while some rear ladders, and others, line after line, sweep the walls with their arrows. They are many leaders who shout andbeckon, and one, a tall man with a golden beard, who stands before thegate stamping his foot and hallooing them on, as a pricker doth thehounds. But those in the castle fight bravely. There is a woman, twowomen, who stand upon the walls, and give heart to the men-at-arms. Theyshower down arrows, darts and great stones. Ah! they have struck downthe tall leader, and the others give back. The mist thickens and I cansee no more. " "By Saint Paul!" said Sir Nigel, "I do not think that there can be anysuch doings at Christchurch, and I am very easy of the fortalice so longas my sweet wife hangs the key of the outer bailey at the head of herbed. Yet I will not deny that you have pictured the castle as well as Icould have done myself, and I am full of wonderment at all that I haveheard and seen. " "I would, Lady Tiphaine, " cried the Lady Rochefort, "that you would useyour power to tell me what hath befallen my golden bracelet which I worewhen hawking upon the second Sunday of Advent, and have never set eyesupon since. " "Nay, lady, " said du Guesclin, "it does not befit so great and wondrousa power to pry and search and play the varlet even to the beautifulchatelaine of Villefranche. Ask a worthy question, and, with theblessing of God, you shall have a worthy answer. " "Then I would fain ask, " cried one of the French squires, "as to whichmay hope to conquer in these wars betwixt the English and ourselves. " "Both will conquer and each will hold its own, " answered the LadyTiphaine. "Then we shall still hold Gascony and Guienne?" cried Sir Nigel. The lady shook her head. "French land, French blood, French speech, " sheanswered. "They are French, and France shall have them. " "But not Bordeaux?" cried Sir Nigel excitedly. "Bordeaux also is for France. " "But Calais?" "Calais too. " "Woe worth me then, and ill hail to these evil words! If Bordeaux andCalais be gone, then what is left for England?" "It seems indeed that there are evil times coming upon your country, "said Du Guesclin. "In our fondest hopes we never thought to holdBordeaux. By Saint Ives! this news hath warmed the heart within me. Ourdear country will then be very great in the future, Tiphaine?" "Great, and rich, and beautiful, " she cried. "Far down the course oftime I can see her still leading the nations, a wayward queen among thepeoples, great in war, but greater in peace, quick in thought, deft inaction, with her people's will for her sole monarch, from the sands ofCalais to the blue seas of the south. " "Ha!" cried Du Guesclin, with his eyes flashing in triumph, "you hearher, Sir Nigel?--and she never yet said word which was not sooth. " The English knight shook his head moodily. "What of my own poorcountry?" said he. "I fear, lady, that what you have said bodes butsmall good for her. " The lady sat with parted lips, and her breath came quick and fast. "MyGod!" she cried, "what is this that is shown me? Whence come they, thesepeoples, these lordly nations, these mighty countries which rise upbefore me? I look beyond, and others rise, and yet others, far andfarther to the shores of the uttermost waters. They crowd! They swarm!The world is given to them, and it resounds with the clang of theirhammers and the ringing of their church bells. They call them manynames, and they rule them this way or that but they are all English, for I can hear the voices of the people. On I go, and onwards over seaswhere man hath never yet sailed, and I see a great land under newstars and a stranger sky, and still the land is England. Where have herchildren not gone? What have they not done? Her banner is planted onice. Her banner is scorched in the sun. She lies athwart the lands, andher shadow is over the seas. Bertrand, Bertrand! we are undone for thebuds of her bud are even as our choicest flower!" Her voice rose intoa wild cry, and throwing up her arms she sank back white and nervelessinto the deep oaken chair. "It is over, " said Du Guesclin moodily, as he raised her drooping headwith his strong brown hand. "Wine for the lady, squire! The blessed hourof sight hath passed. " CHAPTER XXX. HOW THE BRUSHWOOD MEN CAME TO THE CHATEAU OF VILLEFRANCHE. It was late ere Alleyne Edricson, having carried Sir Nigel the gobletof spiced wine which it was his custom to drink after the curling of hishair, was able at last to seek his chamber. It was a stone-flagged roomupon the second floor, with a bed in a recess for him, and two smallerpallets on the other side, on which Aylward and Hordle John were alreadysnoring. Alleyne had knelt down to his evening orisons, when there camea tap at his door, and Ford entered with a small lamp in his hand. Hisface was deadly pale, and his hand shook until the shadows flickered upand down the wall. "What is it, Ford?" cried Alleyne, springing to his feet. "I can scarce tell you, " said he, sitting down on the side of the couch, and resting his chin upon his hand. "I know not what to say or what tothink. " "Has aught befallen you, then?" "Yes, or I have been slave to my own fancy. I tell you, lad, that I amall undone, like a fretted bow-string. Hark hither, Alleyne! itcannot be that you have forgotten little Tita, the daughter of the oldglass-stainer at Bordeaux?" "I remember her well. " "She and I, Alleyne, broke the lucky groat together ere we parted, andshe wears my ring upon her finger. 'Caro mio, ' quoth she when last weparted, 'I shall be near thee in the wars, and thy danger will be mydanger. ' Alleyne, as God is my help, as I came up the stairs this nightI saw her stand before me, her face in tears, her hands out as though inwarning--I saw it, Alleyne, even as I see those two archers upon theircouches. Our very finger-tips seemed to meet, ere she thinned away likea mist in the sunshine. " "I would not give overmuch thought to it, " answered Alleyne. "Our mindswill play us strange pranks, and bethink you that these words of theLady Tiphaine Du Guesclin have wrought upon us and shaken us. " Ford shook his head. "I saw little Tita as clearly as though I were backat the Rue des Apotres at Bordeaux, " said he. "But the hour is late, and I must go. " "Where do you sleep, then?" "In the chamber above you. May the saints be with us all!" He rosefrom the couch and left the chamber, while Alleyne could hear his feetsounding upon the winding stair. The young squire walked across to thewindow and gazed out at the moonlit landscape, his mind absorbed bythe thought of the Lady Tiphaine, and of the strange words that shehad spoken as to what was going forward at Castle Twynham. Leaning hiselbows upon the stonework, he was deeply plunged in reverie, when in amoment his thoughts were brought back to Villefranche and to the scenebefore him. The window at which he stood was in the second floor of that portion ofthe castle which was nearest to the keep. In front lay the broad moat, with the moon lying upon its surface, now clear and round, now drawnlengthwise as the breeze stirred the waters. Beyond, the plain slopeddown to a thick wood, while further to the left a second wood shutout the view. Between the two an open glade stretched, silvered in themoonshine, with the river curving across the lower end of it. As he gazed, he saw of a sudden a man steal forth from the wood into theopen clearing. He walked with his head sunk, his shoulders curved, andhis knees bent, as one who strives hard to remain unseen. Ten paces fromthe fringe of trees he glanced around, and waving his hand he croucheddown, and was lost to sight among a belt of furze-bushes. After himthere came a second man, and after him a third, a fourth, and a fifthstealing across the narrow open space and darting into the shelter ofthe brushwood. Nine-and-seventy Alleyne counted of these dark figuresflitting across the line of the moonlight. Many bore huge burdens upontheir backs, though what it was that they carried he could not tell atthe distance. Out of the one wood and into the other they passed, allwith the same crouching, furtive gait, until the black bristle of treeshad swallowed up the last of them. For a moment Alleyne stood in the window, still staring down at thesilent forest, uncertain as to what he should think of these midnightwalkers. Then he bethought him that there was one beside him who wasfitter to judge on such a matter. His fingers had scarce rested uponAylward's shoulder ere the bowman was on his feet, with his handoutstretched to his sword. "Qui va?" he cried. "Hola! mon petit. By my hilt! I thought there hadbeen a camisade. What then, mon gar. ?" "Come hither by the window, Aylward, " said Alleyne. "I have seenfour-score men pass from yonder shaw across the glade, and nigh everyman of them had a great burden on his back. What think you of it?" "I think nothing of it, mon camarade! There are as many masterless folkin this country as there are rabbits on Cowdray Down, and there are manywho show their faces by night but would dance in a hempen collar ifthey stirred forth in the day. On all the French marches are drovesof outcasts, reivers, spoilers, and draw-latches, of whom I judge thatthese are some, though I marvel that they should dare to come so nighto the castle of the seneschal. All seems very quiet now, " he added, peering out of the window. "They are in the further wood, " said Alleyne. "And there they may bide. Back to rest, mon petit; for, by my hilt! eachday now will bring its own work. Yet it would be well to shoot the boltin yonder door when one is in strange quarters. So!" He threw himselfdown upon his pallet and in an instant was fast asleep. It might have been about three o'clock in the morning when Alleyne wasaroused from a troubled sleep by a low cry or exclamation. He listened, but, as he heard no more, he set it down as the challenge of the guardupon the walls, and dropped off to sleep once more. A few minutes laterhe was disturbed by a gentle creaking of his own door, as though someone were pushing cautiously against it, and immediately afterwards heheard the soft thud of cautious footsteps upon the stair which ledto the room above, followed by a confused noise and a muffled groan. Alleyne sat up on his couch with all his nerves in a tingle, uncertainwhether these sounds might come from a simple cause--some sick archerand visiting leech perhaps--or whether they might have a more sinistermeaning. But what danger could threaten them here in this strong castle, under the care of famous warriors, with high walls and a broad moataround them? Who was there that could injure them? He had well-nighpersuaded himself that his fears were a foolish fancy, when his eyesfell upon that which sent the blood cold to his heart and left himgasping, with hands clutching at the counterpane. Right in front of him was the broad window of the chamber, with the moonshining brightly through it. For an instant something had obscured thelight, and now a head was bobbing up and down outside, the face lookingin at him, and swinging slowly from one side of the window to the other. Even in that dim light there could be no mistaking those features. Drawn, distorted and blood-stained, they were still those of the youngfellow-squire who had sat so recently upon his own couch. With a cry ofhorror Alleyne sprang from his bed and rushed to the casement, while thetwo archers, aroused by the sound, seized their weapons and stared aboutthem in bewilderment. One glance was enough to show Edricson that hisfears were but too true. Foully murdered, with a score of wounds uponhim and a rope round his neck, his poor friend had been cast fromthe upper window and swung slowly in the night wind, his body raspingagainst the wall and his disfigured face upon a level with the casement. "My God!" cried Alleyne, shaking in every limb. "What has come upon us?What devil's deed is this?" "Here is flint and steel, " said John stolidly. "The lamp, Aylward! Thismoonshine softens a man's heart. Now we may use the eyes which God hathgiven us. " "By my hilt!" cried Aylward, as the yellow flame flickered up, "it isindeed young master Ford, and I think that this seneschal is a blackvillain, who dare not face us in the day but would murther us in oursleep. By the twang of string! if I do not soak a goose's feather withhis heart's blood, it will be no fault of Samkin Aylward of the WhiteCompany. " "But, Aylward, think of the men whom I saw yesternight, " said Alleyne. "It may not be the seneschal. It may be that others have come into thecastle. I must to Sir Nigel ere it be too late. Let me go, Aylward, formy place is by his side. " "One moment, mon gar. Put that steel head-piece on the end of myyew-stave. So! I will put it first through the door; for it is ill tocome out when you can neither see nor guard yourself. Now, camarades, out swords and stand ready! Hola, by my hilt! it is time that we werestirring!" As he spoke, a sudden shouting broke forth in the castle, with thescream of a woman and the rush of many feet. Then came the sharp clinkof clashing steel, and a roar like that of an angry lion--"Notre Dame DuGuesclin! St. Ives! St. Ives!" The bow-man pulled back the bolt of thedoor, and thrust out the headpiece at the end of the bow. A clash, theclatter of the steel-cap upon the ground, and, ere the man who struckcould heave up for another blow, the archer had passed his sword throughhis body. "On, camarades, on!" he cried; and, breaking fiercely past twomen who threw themselves in his way, he sped down the broad corridor inthe direction of the shouting. A sharp turning, and then a second one, brought them to the head of ashort stair, from which they looked straight down upon the scene of theuproar. A square oak-floored hall lay beneath them, from which openedthe doors of the principal guest-chambers. This hall was as light asday, for torches burned in numerous sconces upon the walls, throwingstrange shadows from the tusked or antlered heads which ornamented them. At the very foot of the stair, close to the open door of their chamber, lay the seneschal and his wife: she with her head shorn from hershoulders, he thrust through with a sharpened stake, which stillprotruded from either side of his body. Three servants of the castle laydead beside them, all torn and draggled, as though a pack of wolves hadbeen upon them. In front of the central guest-chamber stood Du Guesclinand Sir Nigel, half-clad and unarmored, with the mad joy of battlegleaming in their eyes. Their heads were thrown back, their lipscompressed, their blood-stained swords poised over their rightshoulders, and their left feet thrown out. Three dead men lay huddledtogether in front of them: while a fourth, with the blood squirtingfrom a severed vessel, lay back with updrawn knees, breathing inwheezy gasps. Further back--all panting together, like the wind in atree--there stood a group of fierce, wild creatures, bare-armed andbare-legged, gaunt, unshaven, with deep-set murderous eyes and wildbeast faces. With their flashing teeth, their bristling hair, their madleapings and screamings, they seemed to Alleyne more like fiends fromthe pit than men of flesh and blood. Even as he looked, they brokeinto a hoarse yell and dashed once more upon the two knights, hurlingthemselves madly upon their sword-points; clutching, scrambling, biting, tearing, careless of wounds if they could but drag the two soldiers toearth. Sir Nigel was thrown down by the sheer weight of them, and SirBertrand with his thunderous war-cry was swinging round his heavy swordto clear a space for him to rise, when the whistle of two long Englisharrows, and the rush of the squire and the two English archers down thestairs, turned the tide of the combat. The assailants gave back, theknights rushed forward, and in a very few moments the hall was cleared, and Hordle John had hurled the last of the wild men down the steep stepswhich led from the end of it. "Do not follow them, " cried Du Guesclin. "We are lost if we scatter. Formyself I care not a denier, though it is a poor thing to meet one's endat the hands of such scum; but I have my dear lady here, who must by nomeans be risked. We have breathing-space now, and I would ask you, SirNigel, what it is that you would counsel?" "By St. Paul!" answered Sir Nigel, "I can by no means understand whathath befallen us, save that I have been woken up by your battle-cry, and, rushing forth, found myself in the midst of this small bickering. Harrow and alas for the lady and the seneschal! What dogs are they whohave done this bloody deed?" "They are the Jacks, the men of the brushwood. They have the castle, though I know not how it hath come to pass. Look from this window intothe bailey. " "By heaven!" cried Sir Nigel, "it is as bright as day with the torches. The gates stand open, and there are three thousand of them within thewalls. See how they rush and scream and wave! What is it that theythrust out through the postern door? My God! it is a man-at-arms, andthey pluck him limb from limb like hounds on a wolf. Now another, andyet another. They hold the whole castle, for I see their faces at thewindows. See, there are some with great bundles on their backs. " "It is dried wood from the forest. They pile them against the walls andset them in a blaze. Who is this who tries to check them? By St. Ives!it is the good priest who spake for them in the hall. He kneels, heprays, he implores! What! villains, would ye raise hands against thosewho have befriended you? Ah, the butcher has struck him! He is down!They stamp him under their feet! They tear off his gown and wave it inthe air! See now, how the flames lick up the walls! Are there none leftto rally round us? With a hundred men we might hold our own. " "Oh, for my Company!" cried Sir Nigel. "But where is Ford, Alleyne?" "He is foully murdered, my fair lord. " "The saints receive him! May he rest in peace! But here come some atlast who may give us counsel, for amid these passages it is ill to stirwithout a guide. " As he spoke, a French squire and the Bohemian knight came rushing downthe steps, the latter bleeding from a slash across his forehead. "All is lost!" he cried. "The castle is taken and on fire, the seneschalis slain, and there is nought left for us. " "On the contrary, " quoth Sir Nigel, "there is much left to us, for thereis a very honorable contention before us, and a fair lady for whom togive our lives. There are many ways in which a man might die, but nonebetter than this. " "You can tell us, Godfrey, " said Du Guesclin to the French squire: "howcame these men into the castle, and what succors can we count upon? BySt. Ives! if we come not quickly to some counsel we shall be burned likeyoung rooks in a nest. " The squire, a dark, slender stripling, spoke firmly and quickly, as onewho was trained to swift action. "There is a passage under the earthinto the castle, " said he, "and through it some of the Jacks made theirway, casting open the gates for the others. They have had help fromwithin the walls, and the men-at-arms were heavy with wine: they musthave been slain in their beds, for these devils crept from room to roomwith soft step and ready knife. Sir Amory the Hospitaller was struckdown with an axe as he rushed before us from his sleeping-chamber. Saveonly ourselves, I do not think that there are any left alive. " "What, then, would you counsel?" "That we make for the keep. It is unused, save in time of war, and thekey hangs from my poor lord and master's belt. " "There are two keys there. " "It is the larger. Once there, we might hold the narrow stair; and atleast, as the walls are of a greater thickness, it would be longer erethey could burn them. Could we but carry the lady across the bailey, allmight be well with us. " "Nay; the lady hath seen something of the work of war, " said Tiphainecoming forth, as white, as grave, and as unmoved as ever. "I would notbe a hamper to you, my dear spouse and gallant friend. Rest assured ofthis, that if all else fail I have always a safeguard here"--drawing asmall silver-hilted poniard from her bosom--"which sets me beyond thefear of these vile and blood-stained wretches. " "Tiphaine, " cried Du Guesclin, "I have always loved you; and now, by OurLady of Rennes! I love you more than ever. Did I not know that your handwill be as ready as your words I would myself turn my last blow uponyou, ere you should fall into their hands. Lead on, Godfrey! A newgolden pyx will shine in the minster of Dinan if we come safely throughwith it. " The attention of the insurgents had been drawn away from murder toplunder, and all over the castle might be heard their cries and whoopsof delight as they dragged forth the rich tapestries, the silverflagons, and the carved furniture. Down in the courtyard half-cladwretches, their bare limbs all mottled with blood-stains, struttedabout with plumed helmets upon their heads, or with the Lady Rochefort'ssilken gowns girt round their loins and trailing on the ground behindthem. Casks of choice wine had been rolled out from the cellars, andstarving peasants squatted, goblet in hand, draining off vintages whichDe Rochefort had set aside for noble and royal guests. Others, withslabs of bacon and joints of dried meat upon the ends of their pikes, held them up to the blaze or tore at them ravenously with their teeth. Yet all order had not been lost amongst them, for some hundreds of thebetter armed stood together in a silent group, leaning upon their rudeweapons and looking up at the fire, which had spread so rapidly as toinvolve one whole side of the castle. Already Alleyne could hear thecrackling and roaring of the flames, while the air was heavy with heatand full of the pungent whiff of burning wood. CHAPTER XXXI. HOW FIVE MEN HELD THE KEEP OF VILLEFRANCHE Under the guidance of the French squire the party passed down two narrowcorridors. The first was empty, but at the head of the second stood apeasant sentry, who started off at the sight of them, yelling loudly tohis comrades. "Stop him, or we are undone!" cried Du Guesclin, and hadstarted to run, when Aylward's great war-bow twanged like a harp-string, and the man fell forward upon his face, with twitching limbs andclutching fingers. Within five paces of where he lay a narrow andlittle-used door led out into the bailey. From beyond it came such aBabel of hooting and screaming, horrible oaths and yet more horriblelaughter, that the stoutest heart might have shrunk from casting downthe frail barrier which faced them. "Make straight for the keep!" said Du Guesclin, in a sharp, sternwhisper. "The two archers in front, the lady in the centre, a squireon either side, while we three knights shall bide behind and beat backthose who press upon us. So! Now open the door, and God have us in hisholy keeping!" For a few moments it seemed that their object would be attained withoutdanger, so swift and so silent had been their movements. They werehalf-way across the bailey ere the frantic, howling peasants made amovement to stop them. The few who threw themselves in their way wereoverpowered or brushed aside, while the pursuers were beaten back by theready weapons of the three cavaliers. Unscathed they fought their way tothe door of the keep, and faced round upon the swarming mob, while thesquire thrust the great key into the lock. "My God!" he cried, "it is the wrong key. " "The wrong key!" "Dolt, fool that I am! This is the key of the castle gate; the otheropens the keep. I must back for it!" He turned, with some wild intentionof retracing his steps, but at the instant a great jagged rock, hurledby a brawny peasant, struck him full upon the ear, and he droppedsenseless to the ground. "This is key enough for me!" quoth Hordle John, picking up the hugestone, and hurling it against the door with all the strength of hisenormous body. The lock shivered, the wood smashed, the stone flew intofive pieces, but the iron clamps still held the door in its position. Bending down, he thrust his great fingers under it, and with a heaveraised the whole mass of wood and iron from its hinges. For a moment ittottered and swayed, and then, falling outward, buried him in its ruin, while his comrades rushed into the dark archway which led to safety. "Up the steps, Tiphaine!" cried Du Guesclin. "Now round, friends, andbeat them back!" The mob of peasants had surged in upon their heels, butthe two trustiest blades in Europe gleamed upon that narrow stair, andfour of their number dropped upon the threshold. The others gave back, and gathered in a half circle round the open door, gnashing their teethand shaking their clenched hands at the defenders. The body of theFrench squire had been dragged out by them and hacked to pieces. Threeor four others had pulled John from under the door, when he suddenlybounded to his feet, and clutching one in either hand dashed themtogether with such force that they fell senseless across each other uponthe ground. With a kick and a blow he freed himself from two otherswho clung to him, and in a moment he was within the portal with hiscomrades. Yet their position was a desperate one. The peasants from far and nearhad been assembled for this deed of vengeance, and not less than sixthousand were within or around the walls of the Chateau of Villefranche. Ill armed and half starved, they were still desperate men, to whomdanger had lost all fears: for what was death that they should shunit to cling to such a life as theirs? The castle was theirs, and theroaring flames were spurting through the windows and flickering highabove the turrets on two sides of the quadrangle. From either side theywere sweeping down from room to room and from bastion to bastion in thedirection of the keep. Faced by an army, and girt in by fire, were sixmen and one woman; but some of them were men so trained to danger andso wise in war that even now the combat was less unequal than it seemed. Courage and resource were penned in by desperation and numbers, whilethe great yellow sheets of flame threw their lurid glare over the sceneof death. "There is but space for two upon a step to give free play to oursword-arms, " said Du Guesclin. "Do you stand with me, Nigel, upon thelowest. France and England will fight together this night. Sir Otto, Ipray you to stand behind us with this young squire. The archers may gohigher yet and shoot over our heads. I would that we had our harness, Nigel. " "Often have I heard my dear Sir John Chandos say that a knight shouldnever, even when a guest, be parted from it. Yet it will be more honorto us if we come well out of it. We have a vantage, since we see themagainst the light and they can scarce see us. It seems to me that theymuster for an onslaught. " "If we can but keep them in play, " said the Bohemian, "it is likelythat these flames may bring us succor if there be any true men in thecountry. " "Bethink you, my fair lord, " said Alleyne to Sir Nigel, "that we havenever injured these men, nor have we cause of quarrel against them. Would it not be well, if but for the lady's sake, to speak them fair andsee if we may not come to honorable terms with them?" "Not so, by St. Paul!" cried Sir Nigel. "It does not accord with minehonor, nor shall it ever be said that I, a knight of England, was readyto hold parley with men who have slain a fair lady and a holy priest. " "As well hold parley with a pack of ravening wolves, " said the Frenchcaptain. "Ha! Notre Dame Du Guesclin! Saint Ives! Saint Ives!" As he thundered forth his war-cry, the Jacks who had been gatheringbefore the black arch of the gateway rushed in madly in a desperateeffort to carry the staircase. Their leaders were a small man, dark inthe face, with his beard done up in two plaits, and another larger man, very bowed in the shoulders, with a huge club studded with sharp nailsin his hand. The first had not taken three steps ere an arrow fromAylward's bow struck him full in the chest, and he fell coughing andspluttering across the threshold. The other rushed onwards, and breakingbetween Du Guesclin and Sir Nigel he dashed out the brains of theBohemian with a single blow of his clumsy weapon. With three swordsthrough him he still struggled on, and had almost won his way throughthem ere he fell dead upon the stair. Close at his heels came a hundredfurious peasants, who flung themselves again and again against the fiveswords which confronted them. It was cut and parry and stab as quick aseye could see or hand act. The door was piled with bodies, and the stonefloor was slippery with blood. The deep shout of Du Guesclin, the hard, hissing breath of the pressing multitude, the clatter of steel, thethud of falling bodies, and the screams of the stricken, made up sucha medley as came often in after years to break upon Alleyne's sleep. Slowly and sullenly at last the throng drew off, with many a fiercebackward glance, while eleven of their number lay huddled in front ofthe stair which they had failed to win. "The dogs have had enough, " said Du Guesclin. "By Saint Paul! there appear to be some very worthy and valiant personsamong them, " observed Sir Nigel. "They are men from whom, had they beenof better birth, much honor and advancement might be gained. Even as itis, it is a great pleasure to have seen them. But what is this that theyare bringing forward?" "It is as I feared, " growled Du Guesclin. "They will burn us out, sincethey cannot win their way past us. Shoot straight and hard, archers;for, by St. Ives! our good swords are of little use to us. " As he spoke, a dozen men rushed forward, each screening himself behind ahuge fardel of brushwood. Hurling their burdens in one vast heap withinthe portal, they threw burning torches upon the top of it. The woodhad been soaked in oil, for in an instant it was ablaze, and a long, hissing, yellow flame licked over the heads of the defenders, and drovethem further up to the first floor of the keep. They had scarce reachedit, however, ere they found that the wooden joists and planks of theflooring were already on fire. Dry and worm-eaten, a spark upon thembecame a smoulder, and a smoulder a blaze. A choking smoke filled theair, and the five could scarce grope their way to the staircase whichled up to the very summit of the square tower. Strange was the scene which met their eyes from this eminence. Beneaththem on every side stretched the long sweep of peaceful country, rolling plain, and tangled wood, all softened and mellowed in the silvermoonshine. No light, nor movement, nor any sign of human aid could beseen, but far away the hoarse clangor of a heavy bell rose and fell uponthe wintry air. Beneath and around them blazed the huge fire, roaringand crackling on every side of the bailey, and even as they looked thetwo corner turrets fell in with a deafening crash, and the whole castlewas but a shapeless mass, spouting flames and smoke from every windowand embrasure. The great black tower upon which they stood rose like alast island of refuge amid this sea of fire but the ominous cracklingand roaring below showed that it would not be long ere it was engulfedalso in the common ruin. At their very feet was the square courtyard, crowded with the howling and dancing peasants, their fierce facesupturned, their clenched hands waving, all drunk with bloodshed and withvengeance. A yell of execration and a scream of hideous laughter burstfrom the vast throng, as they saw the faces of the last survivors oftheir enemies peering down at them from the height of the keep. Theystill piled the brushwood round the base of the tower, and gambolledhand in hand around the blaze, screaming out the doggerel lines whichhad long been the watchword of the Jacquerie: Cessez, cessez, gens d'armes et pietons, De piller et manger le bonhomme Qui de longtemps Jacques Bonhomme Se nomme. Their thin, shrill voices rose high above the roar of the flames and thecrash of the masonry, like the yelping of a pack of wolves who see theirquarry before them and know that they have well-nigh run him down. "By my hilt!" said Aylward to John, "it is in my mind that we shall notsee Spain this journey. It is a great joy to me that I have placedmy feather-bed and other things of price with that worthy woman atLyndhurst, who will now have the use of them. I have thirteen arrowsyet, and if one of them fly unfleshed, then, by the twang of string! Ishall deserve my doom. First at him who flaunts with my lady's silkenfrock. Clap in the clout, by God! though a hand's-breadth lower thanI had meant. Now for the rogue with the head upon his pike. Ha! tothe inch, John. When my eye is true, I am better at rovers than atlong-butts or hoyles. A good shoot for you also, John! The villain hathfallen forward into the fire. But I pray you, John, to loose gently, andnot to pluck with the drawing-hand, for it is a trick that hath marredmany a fine bowman. " Whilst the two archers were keeping up a brisk fire upon the mob beneaththem, Du Guesclin and his lady were consulting with Sir Nigel upon theirdesperate situation. "'Tis a strange end for one who has seen so many stricken fields, " saidthe French chieftain. "For me one death is as another, but it is thethought of my sweet lady which goes to my heart. " "Nay, Bertrand, I fear it as little as you, " said she. "Had I my dearestwish, it would be that we should go together. " "Well answered, fair lady!" cried Sir Nigel. "And very sure I am that myown sweet wife would have said the same. If the end be now come, I havehad great good fortune in having lived in times when so much glory wasto be won, and in knowing so many valiant gentlemen and knights. But whydo you pluck my sleeve, Alleyne?" "If it please you, my fair lord, there are in this corner two greattubes of iron, with many heavy balls, which may perchance be thosebombards and shot of which I have heard. " "By Saint Ives! it is true, " cried Sir Bertrand, striding across tothe recess where the ungainly, funnel-shaped, thick-ribbed engines werestanding. "Bombards they are, and of good size. We may shoot down uponthem. " "Shoot with them, quotha?" cried Aylward in high disdain, for pressingdanger is the great leveller of classes. "How is a man to take aim withthese fool's toys, and how can he hope to do scath with them?" "I will show you, " answered Sir Nigel; "for here is the great box ofpowder, and if you will raise it for me, John, I will show you how itmay be used. Come hither, where the folk are thickest round the fire. Now, Aylward, crane thy neck and see what would have been deemed an oldwife's tale when we first turned our faces to the wars. Throw back thelid, John, and drop the box into the fire!" A deafening roar, a fluff of bluish light, and the great square towerrocked and trembled from its very foundations, swaying this way and thatlike a reed in the wind. Amazed and dizzy, the defenders, clutching atthe cracking parapets for support, saw great stones, burning beams ofwood, and mangled bodies hurtling past them through the air. When theystaggered to their feet once more, the whole keep had settled down uponone side, so that they could scarce keep their footing upon the slopingplatform. Gazing over the edge, they looked down upon the horribledestruction which had been caused by the explosion. For forty yardsround the portal the ground was black with writhing, screaming figures, who struggled up and hurled themselves down again, tossing this wayand that, sightless, scorched, with fire bursting from their tatteredclothing. Beyond this circle of death their comrades, bewildered andamazed, cowered away from this black tower and from these invinciblemen, who were most to be dreaded when hope was furthest from theirhearts. "A sally, Du Guesclin, a sally!" cried Sir Nigel. "By Saint Paul! theyare in two minds, and a bold rush may turn them. " He drew his sword ashe spoke and darted down the winding stairs, closely followed by hisfour comrades. Ere he was at the first floor, however, he threw up hisarms and stopped. "Mon Dieu!" he said, "we are lost men!" "What then?" cried those behind him. "The wail hath fallen in, the stair is blocked, and the fire still ragesbelow. By Saint Paul! friends, we have fought a very honorable fight, and may say in all humbleness that we have done our devoir, but I thinkthat we may now go back to the Lady Tiphaine and say our orisons, for wehave played our parts in this world, and it is time that we made readyfor another. " The narrow pass was blocked by huge stones littered in wild confusionover each other, with the blue choking smoke reeking up through thecrevices. The explosion had blown in the wall and cut off the only pathby which they could descend. Pent in, a hundred feet from earth, witha furnace raging under them and a ravening multitude all round whothirsted for their blood, it seemed indeed as though no men had evercome through such peril with their lives. Slowly they made their wayback to the summit, but as they came out upon it the Lady Tiphainedarted forward and caught her husband by the wrist. "Bertrand, " said she, "hush and listen! I have heard the voices of menall singing together in a strange tongue. " Breathless they stood and silent, but no sound came up to them, save theroar of the flames and the clamor of their enemies. "It cannot be, lady, " said Du Guesclin. "This night hath over wroughtyou, and your senses play you false. What men ere there in this countrywho would sing in a strange tongue?" "Hola!" yelled Aylward, leaping suddenly into the air with waving handsand joyous face. "I thought I heard it ere we went down, and now I hearit again. We are saved, comrades! By these ten finger-bones, we aresaved! It is the marching song of the White Company. Hush!" With upraised forefinger and slanting head, he stood listening. Suddenlythere came swelling up a deep-voiced, rollicking chorus from somewhereout of the darkness. Never did choice or dainty ditty of Provence orLanguedoc sound more sweetly in the ears than did the rough-tonguedSaxon to the six who strained their ears from the blazing keep: We'll drink all together To the gray goose feather And the land where the gray goose flew. "Ha, by my hilt!" shouted Aylward, "it is the dear old bow song of theCompany. Here come two hundred as tight lads as ever twirled a shaftover their thumbnails. Hark to the dogs, how lustily they sing!" Nearer and clearer, swelling up out of the night, came the gay marchinglilt: What of the bow? The bow was made in England. Of true wood, of yew wood, The wood of English bows; For men who are free Love the old yew-tree And the land where the yew tree grows. What of the men? The men were bred in England, The bowmen, the yeomen, The lads of the dale and fell, Here's to you and to you, To the hearts that are true, And the land where the true hearts dwell. "They sing very joyfully, " said Du Guesclin, "as though they were goingto a festival. " "It is their wont when there is work to be done. " "By Saint Paul!" quoth Sir Nigel, "it is in my mind that they come toolate, for I cannot see how we are to come down from this tower. " "There they come, the hearts of gold!" cried Aylward. "See, they moveout from the shadow. Now they cross the meadow. They are on the furtherside of the moat. Hola camarades, hola! Johnston, Eccles, Cooke, Harward, Bligh! Would ye see a fair lady and two gallant knights donefoully to death?" "Who is there?" shouted a deep voice from below. "Who is this who speakswith an English tongue?" "It is I, old lad. It is Sam Aylward of the Company; and here is yourcaptain, Sir Nigel Loring, and four others, all laid out to be grilledlike an Easterling's herrings. " "Curse me if I did not think that it was the style of speech of oldSamkin Aylward, " said the voice, amid a buzz from the ranks. "Whereverthere are knocks going there is Sammy in the heart of it. But who arethese ill-faced rogues who block the path? To your kennels, canaille!What! you dare look us in the eyes? Out swords, lads, and give them theflat of them! Waste not your shafts upon such runagate knaves. " There was little fight left in the peasants, however, still dazed by theexplosion, amazed at their own losses and disheartened by the arrival ofthe disciplined archers. In a very few minutes they were in full flightfor their brushwood homes, leaving the morning sun to rise upon ablackened and blood-stained ruin, where it had left the night before themagnificent castle of the Seneschal of Auvergne. Already the white linesin the east were deepening into pink as the archers gathered round thekeep and took counsel how to rescue the survivors. "Had we a rope, " said Alleyne, "there is one side which is not yet onfire, down which we might slip. " "But how to get a rope?" "It is an old trick, " quoth Aylward. "Hola! Johnston, cast me up a rope, even as you did at Maupertuis in the war time. " The grizzled archer thus addressed took several lengths of rope from hiscomrades, and knotting them firmly together, he stretched them out inthe long shadow which the rising sun threw from the frowning keep. Thenhe fixed the yew-stave of his bow upon end and measured the long, thin, black line which it threw upon the turf. "A six-foot stave throws a twelve-foot shadow, " he muttered. "The keepthrows a shadow of sixty paces. Thirty paces of rope will be enow and tospare. Another strand, Watkin! Now pull at the end that all may be safe. So! It is ready for them. ' "But how are they to reach it?" asked the young archer beside him. "Watch and see, young fool's-head, " growled the old bowman. He took along string from his pouch and fastened one end to an arrow. "All ready, Samkin?" "Ready, camarade. " "Close to your hand then. " With an easy pull he sent the shaftflickering gently up, falling upon the stonework within a foot of whereAylward was standing. The other end was secured to the rope, so that ina minute a good strong cord was dangling from the only sound side of theblazing and shattered tower. The Lady Tiphaine was lowered with a noosedrawn fast under the arms, and the other five slid swiftly down, amidthe cheers and joyous outcry of their rescuers. CHAPTER XXXII. HOW THE COMPANY TOOK COUNSEL ROUND THE FALLEN TREE. "Where is Sir Claude Latour?" asked Sir Nigel, as his feet touchedground. "He is in camp, near Montpezat, two hours' march from here, my fairlord, " said Johnston, the grizzled bowman who commanded the archers. "Then we shall march thither, for I would fain have you all back at Daxin time to be in the prince's vanguard. " "My lord, " cried Alleyne, joyfully, "here are our chargers in the field, and I see your harness amid the plunder which these rogues have leftbehind them. " "By Saint Ives! you speak sooth, young squire, " said Du Guesclin. "Thereis my horse and my lady's jennet. The knaves led them from the stables, but fled without them. Now, Nigel, it is great joy to me to have seenone of whom I have often heard. Yet we must leave you now, for I must bewith the King of Spain ere your army crosses the mountains. " "I had thought that you were in Spain with the valiant Henry ofTrastamare. " "I have been there, but I came to France to raise succor for him. Ishall ride back, Nigel, with four thousand of the best lances of Franceat my back, so that your prince may find he hath a task which is worthyof him. God be with you, friend, and may we meet again in better times!" "I do not think, " said Sir Nigel, as he stood by Alleyne's side lookingafter the French knight and his lady, "that in all Christendom you willmeet with a more stout-hearted man or a fairer and sweeter dame. Butyour face is pale and sad, Alleyne! Have you perchance met with somehurt during the ruffle?" "Nay, my fair lord, I was but thinking of my friend Ford, and how he satupon my couch no later than yesternight. " Sir Nigel shook his head sadly. "Two brave squires have I lost, " saidhe. "I know not why the young shoots should be plucked, and an old weedleft standing, yet certes there must be come good reason, since God hathso planned it. Did you not note, Alleyne, that the Lady Tiphaine didgive us warning last night that danger was coming upon us?" "She did, my lord. " "By Saint Paul! my mind misgives me as to what she saw at TwynhamCastle. And yet I cannot think that any Scottish or French rovers couldland in such force as to beleaguer the fortalice. Call the Companytogether, Aylward; and let us on, for it will be shame to us if we arenot at Dax upon the trysting day. " The archers had spread themselves over the ruins, but a blast upon abugle brought them all back to muster, with such booty as they couldbear with them stuffed into their pouches or slung over their shoulders. As they formed into ranks, each man dropping silently into his place, Sir Nigel ran a questioning eye over them, and a smile of pleasureplayed over his face. Tall and sinewy, and brown, clear-eyed, hard-featured, with the stern and prompt bearing of experiencedsoldiers, it would be hard indeed for a leader to seek for a choicerfollowing. Here and there in the ranks were old soldiers of the Frenchwars, grizzled and lean, with fierce, puckered features and shaggy, bristling brows. The most, however, were young and dandy archers, withfresh English faces, their beards combed out, their hair curling fromunder their close steel hufkens, with gold or jewelled earrings gleamingin their ears, while their gold-spangled baldrics, their silken belts, and the chains which many of them wore round their thick brown necks, all spoke of the brave times which they had had as free companions. Eachhad a yew or hazel stave slung over his shoulder, plain and serviceablewith the older men, but gaudily painted and carved at either end withthe others. Steel caps, mail brigandines, white surcoats with the redlion of St. George, and sword or battle-axe swinging from their belts, completed this equipment, while in some cases the murderous maule orfive-foot mallet was hung across the bowstave, being fastened to theirleathern shoulder-belt by a hook in the centre of the handle. SirNigel's heart beat high as he looked upon their free bearing andfearless faces. For two hours they marched through forest and marshland, along the leftbank of the river Aveyron; Sir Nigel riding behind his Company, withAlleyne at his right hand, and Johnston, the old master bowman, walkingby his left stirrup. Ere they had reached their journey's end the knighthad learned all that he would know of his men, their doings and theirintentions. Once, as they marched, they saw upon the further bank of theriver a body of French men-at-arms, riding very swiftly in the directionof Villefranche. "It is the Seneschal of Toulouse, with his following, " said Johnston, shading his eyes with his hand. "Had he been on this side of the waterhe might have attempted something upon us. " "I think that it would be well that we should cross, " said Sir Nigel. "It were pity to balk this worthy seneschal, should he desire to trysome small feat of arms. " "Nay, there is no ford nearer than Tourville, " answered the old archer. "He is on his way to Villefranche, and short will be the shrift of anyJacks who come into his hands, for he is a man of short speech. Itwas he and the Seneschal of Beaucaire who hung Peter Wilkins, of theCompany, last Lammastide; for which, by the black rood of Waltham! theyshall hang themselves, if ever they come into our power. But here areour comrades, Sir Nigel, and here is our camp. " As he spoke, the forest pathway along which they marched opened out intoa green glade, which sloped down towards the river. High, leafless treesgirt it in on three sides, with a thick undergrowth of holly betweentheir trunks. At the farther end of this forest clearing there stoodforty or fifty huts, built very neatly from wood and clay, with theblue smoke curling out from the roofs. A dozen tethered horses and mulesgrazed around the encampment, while a number of archers lounged about:some shooting at marks, while others built up great wooden fires in theopen, and hung their cooking kettles above them. At the sight of theirreturning comrades there was a shout of welcome, and a horseman, whohad been exercising his charger behind the camp, came cantering downto them. He was a dapper, brisk man, very richly clad, with a round, clean-shaven face, and very bright black eyes, which danced and sparkledwith excitement. "Sir Nigel!" he cried. "Sir Nigel Loring, at last! By my soul we haveawaited you this month past. Right welcome, Sir Nigel! You have had myletter?" "It was that which brought me here, " said Sir Nigel. "But indeed, SirClaude Latour, it is a great wonder to me that you did not yourself leadthese bowmen, for surely they could have found no better leader?" "None, none, by the Virgin of L'Esparre!" he cried, speaking in thestrange, thick Gascon speech which turns every _v_ into a _b_. "But youknow what these islanders of yours are, Sir Nigel. They will not be ledby any save their own blood and race. There is no persuading them. Not even I, Claude Latour Seigneur of Montchateau, master of the highjustice, the middle and the low, could gain their favor. They must needshold a council and put their two hundred thick heads together, and thenthere comes this fellow Aylward and another, as their spokesmen, to saythat they will disband unless an Englishman of good name be set overthem. There are many of them, as I understand, who come from some greatforest which lies in Hampi, or Hampti--I cannot lay my tongue to thename. Your dwelling is in those parts, and so their thoughts turned toyou as their leader. But we had hoped that you would bring a hundred menwith you. " "They are already at Dax, where we shall join them, " said Sir Nigel. "But let the men break their fast, and we shall then take counsel whatto do. " "Come into my hut, " said Sir Claude. "It is but poor fare that I can laybefore you--milk, cheese, wine, and bacon--yet your squire and yourselfwill doubtless excuse it. This is my house where the pennon flies beforethe door--a small residence to contain the Lord of Montchateau. " Sir Nigel sat silent and distrait at his meal, while Alleyne hearkenedto the clattering tongue of the Gascon, and to his talk of the gloriesof his own estate, his successes in love, and his triumphs in war. "And now that you are here, Sir Nigel, " he said at last, "I have manyfine ventures all ready for us. I have heard that Montpezat is of nogreat strength, and that there are two hundred thousand crowns in thecastle. At Castelnau also there is a cobbler who is in my pay, and whowill throw us a rope any dark night from his house by the town wall. Ipromise you that you shall thrust your arms elbow-deep among good silverpieces ere the nights are moonless again; for on every hand of us arefair women, rich wine, and good plunder, as much as heart could wish. " "I have other plans, " answered Sir Nigel curtly; "for I have come hitherto lead these bowmen to the help of the prince, our master, who may havesore need of them ere he set Pedro upon the throne of Spain. It is mypurpose to start this very day for Dax upon the Adour, where he hath nowpitched his camp. " The face of the Gascon darkened, and his eyes flashed with resentment, "For me, " he said, "I care little for this war, and I find the lifewhich I lead a very joyous and pleasant one. I will not go to Dax. " "Nay, think again, Sir Claude, " said Sir Nigel gently; "for you haveever had the name of a true and loyal knight. Surely you will not holdback now when your master hath need of you. " "I will not go to Dax, " the other shouted. "But your devoir--your oath of fealty?" "I say that I will not go. " "Then, Sir Claude, I must lead the Company without you. " "If they will follow, " cried the Gascon with a sneer. "These are nothired slaves, but free companions, who will do nothing save by their owngood wills. In very sooth, my Lord Loring, they are ill men to triflewith, and it were easier to pluck a bone from a hungry bear than to leada bowman out of a land of plenty and of pleasure. " "Then I pray you to gather them together, " said Sir Nigel, "and I willtell them what is in my mind; for if I am their leader they must to Dax, and if I am not then I know not what I am doing in Auvergne. Have myhorse ready, Alleyne; for, by St. Paul! come what may, I must be uponthe homeward road ere mid-day. " A blast upon the bugle summoned the bowmen to counsel, and they gatheredin little knots and groups around a great fallen tree which lay athwartthe glade. Sir Nigel sprang lightly upon the trunk, and stood withblinking eye and firm lips looking down at the ring of upturned warlikefaces. "They tell me, bowmen, " said he, "that ye have grown so fond of ease andplunder and high living that ye are not to be moved from this pleasantcountry. But, by Saint Paul! I will believe no such thing of you, forI can readily see that you are all very valiant men, who would scorn tolive here in peace when your prince hath so great a venture before him. Ye have chosen me as a leader, and a leader I will be if ye come withme to Spain; and I vow to you that my pennon of the five roses shall, ifGod give me strength and life, be ever where there is most honor tobe gained. But if it be your wish to loll and loiter in these glades, bartering glory and renown for vile gold and ill-gotten riches, thenye must find another leader; for I have lived in honor, and in honor Itrust that I shall die. If there be forest men or Hampshire men amongstye, I call upon them to say whether they will follow the banner ofLoring. " "Here's a Romsey man for you!" cried a young bowman with a sprig ofevergreen set in his helmet. "And a lad from Alresford!" shouted another. "And from Milton!" "And from Burley!" "And from Lymington!" "And a little one from Brockenhurst!" shouted a huge-limbed fellow whosprawled beneath a tree. "By my hilt! lads, " cried Aylward, jumping upon the fallen trunk, "Ithink that we could not look the girls in the eyes if we let the princecross the mountains and did not pull string to clear a path for him. It is very well in time of peace to lead such a life as we have hadtogether, but now the war-banner is in the wind once more, and, by theseten finger-bones! if he go alone, old Samkin Aylward will walk besideit. " These words from a man as popular as Aylward decided many of thewaverers, and a shout of approval burst from his audience. "Far be it from me, " said Sir Claude Latour suavely, "to persuade youagainst this worthy archer, or against Sir Nigel Loring; yet we havebeen together in many ventures, and perchance it may not be amiss if Isay to you what I think upon the matter. " "Peace for the little Gascon!" cried the archers. "Let every man havehis word. Shoot straight for the mark, lad, and fair play for all. " "Bethink you, then, " said Sir Claude, "that you go under a hard rule, with neither freedom nor pleasure--and for what? For sixpence a day, at the most; while now you may walk across the country and stretch outeither hand to gather in whatever you have a mind for. What do we nothear of our comrades who have gone with Sir John Hawkwood to Italy? Inone night they have held to ransom six hundred of the richest noblemenof Mantua. They camp before a great city, and the base burghers comeforth with the keys, and then they make great spoil; or, if it pleasethem better, they take so many horse-loads of silver as a composition;and so they journey on from state to state, rich and free and feared byall. Now, is not that the proper life for a soldier?" "The proper life for a robber!" roared Hordle John, in his thunderingvoice. "And yet there is much in what the Gascon says, " said a swarthy fellowin a weather-stained doublet; "and I for one would rather prosper inItaly than starve in Spain. " "You were always a cur and a traitor, Mark Shaw, " cried Aylward. "Bymy hilt! if you will stand forth and draw your sword I will warrant youthat you will see neither one nor the other. " "Nay, Aylward, " said Sir Nigel, "we cannot mend the matter by broiling. Sir Claude, I think that what you have said does you little honor, andif my words aggrieve you I am ever ready to go deeper into the matterwith you. But you shall have such men as will follow you, and you maygo where you will, so that you come not with us. Let all who lovetheir prince and country stand fast, while those who think more of awell-lined purse step forth upon the farther side. " Thirteen bowmen, with hung heads and sheepish faces, stepped forwardwith Mark Shaw and ranged themselves behind Sir Claude. Amid thehootings and hissings of their comrades, they marched off together tothe Gascon's hut, while the main body broke up their meeting and setcheerily to work packing their possessions, furbishing their weapons, and preparing for the march which lay before them. Over the Tarn and theGaronne, through the vast quagmires of Armagnac, past the swift-flowingLosse, and so down the long valley of the Adour, there was many along league to be crossed ere they could join themselves to that darkwar-cloud which was drifting slowly southwards to the line of the snowypeaks, beyond which the banner of England had never yet been seen. CHAPTER XXXIII. HOW THE ARMY MADE THE PASSAGE OF RONCESVALLES. The whole vast plain of Gascony and of Languedoc is an arid andprofitless expanse in winter save where the swift-flowing Adour and hersnow-fed tributaries, the Louts, the Oloron and the Pau, run down tothe sea of Biscay. South of the Adour the jagged line of mountains whichfringe the sky-line send out long granite claws, running down into thelowlands and dividing them into "gaves" or stretches of valley. Hillocksgrow into hills, and hills into mountains, each range overlying itsneighbor, until they soar up in the giant chain which raises itsspotless and untrodden peaks, white and dazzling, against the pale bluewintry sky. A quiet land is this--a land where the slow-moving Basque, with his flatbiretta-cap, his red sash and his hempen sandals, tills his scanty farmor drives his lean flock to their hill-side pastures. It is the countryof the wolf and the isard, of the brown bear and the mountain-goat, aland of bare rock and of rushing water. Yet here it was that the will ofa great prince had now assembled a gallant army; so that from the Adourto the passes of Navarre the barren valleys and wind-swept wastes werepopulous with soldiers and loud with the shouting of orders and theneighing of horses. For the banners of war had been flung to the windonce more, and over those glistening peaks was the highway along whichHonor pointed in an age when men had chosen her as their guide. And now all was ready for the enterprise. From Dax to St. JeanPied-du-Port the country was mottled with the white tents of Gascons, Aquitanians and English, all eager for the advance. From all sides thefree companions had trooped in, until not less than twelve thousand ofthese veteran troops were cantoned along the frontiers of Navarre. FromEngland had arrived the prince's brother, the Duke of Lancaster, withfour hundred knights in his train and a strong company of archers. Aboveall, an heir to the throne had been born in Bordeaux, and the princemight leave his spouse with an easy mind, for all was well with motherand with child. The keys of the mountain passes still lay in the hands of the shifty andignoble Charles of Navarre, who had chaffered and bargained both withthe English and with the Spanish, taking money from the one side to holdthem open and from the other to keep them sealed. The mallet hand ofEdward, however, had shattered all the schemes and wiles of the plotter. Neither entreaty nor courtly remonstrance came from the English prince;but Sir Hugh Calverley passed silently over the border with his company, and the blazing walls of the two cities of Miranda and Puenta de laReyna warned the unfaithful monarch that there were other metals besidesgold, and that he was dealing with a man to whom it was unsafe to lie. His price was paid, his objections silenced, and the mountain gorges layopen to the invaders. From the Feast of the Epiphany there was musteringand massing, until, in the first week of February--three days after theWhite Company joined the army--the word was given for a general advancethrough the defile of Roncesvalles. At five in the cold winter's morningthe bugles were blowing in the hamlet of St. Jean Pied-du-Port, and bysix Sir Nigel's Company, three hundred strong, were on their way for thedefile, pushing swiftly in the dim light up the steep curving road; forit was the prince's order that they should be the first to pass through, and that they should remain on guard at the further end until the wholearmy had emerged from the mountains. Day was already breaking in theeast, and the summits of the great peaks had turned rosy red, while thevalleys still lay in the shadow, when they found themselves with thecliffs on either hand and the long, rugged pass stretching away beforethem. Sir Nigel rode his great black war-horse at the head of his archers, dressed in full armor, with Black Simon bearing his banner behind him, while Alleyne at his bridle-arm carried his blazoned shield and hiswell-steeled ashen spear. A proud and happy man was the knight, and manya time he turned in his saddle to look at the long column of bowmen whoswung swiftly along behind him. "By Saint Paul! Alleyne, " said he, "this pass is a very perilous place, and I would that the King of Navarre had held it against us, for itwould have been a very honorable venture had it fallen to us to win apassage. I have heard the minstrels sing of one Sir Roland who was slainby the infidels in these very parts. " "If it please you, my fair lord, " said Black Simon, "I know somethingof these parts, for I have twice served a term with the King of Navarre. There is a hospice of monks yonder, where you may see the roof among thetrees, and there it was that Sir Roland was slain. The village upon theleft is Orbaiceta, and I know a house therein where the right wine ofJurancon is to be bought, if it would please you to quaff a morningcup. " "There is smoke yonder upon the right. " "That is a village named Les Aldudes, and I know a hostel there alsowhere the wine is of the best. It is said that the inn-keeper hath aburied treasure, and I doubt not, my fair lord, that if you grant meleave I could prevail upon him to tell us where he hath hid it. " "Nay, nay, Simon, " said Sir Nigel curtly, "I pray you to forget thesefree companion tricks. Ha! Edricson, I see that you stare about you, andin good sooth these mountains must seem wondrous indeed to one who hathbut seen Butser or the Portsdown hill. " The broken and rugged road had wound along the crests of low hills, with wooded ridges on either side of it over which peeped the loftiermountains, the distant Peak of the South and the vast Altabisca, whichtowered high above them and cast its black shadow from left to rightacross the valley. From where they now stood they could look forwarddown a long vista of beech woods and jagged rock-strewn wilderness, allwhite with snow, to where the pass opened out upon the uplands beyond. Behind them they could still catch a glimpse of the gray plains ofGascony, and could see her rivers gleaming like coils of silver in thesunshine. As far as eye could see from among the rocky gorges and thebristles of the pine woods there came the quick twinkle and glitter ofsteel, while the wind brought with it sudden distant bursts of martialmusic from the great host which rolled by every road and by-path towardsthe narrow pass of Roncesvalles. On the cliffs on either side might alsobe seen the flash of arms and the waving of pennons where the force ofNavarre looked down upon the army of strangers who passed through theirterritories. "By Saint Paul!" said Sir Nigel, blinking up at them, "I think thatwe have much to hope for from these cavaliers, for they cluster verythickly upon our flanks. Pass word to the men, Aylward, that theyunsling their bows, for I have no doubt that there are some veryworthy gentlemen yonder who may give us some opportunity for honorableadvancement. " "I hear that the prince hath the King of Navarre as hostage, " saidAlleyne, "and it is said that he hath sworn to put him to death if therebe any attack upon us. " "It was not so that war was made when good King Edward first turned hishand to it, " said Sir Nigel sadly. "Ah! Alleyne, I fear that you willnever live to see such things, for the minds of men are more set uponmoney and gain than of old. By Saint Paul! it was a noble sight when twogreat armies would draw together upon a certain day, and all who hada vow would ride forth to discharge themselves of it. What noblespear-runnings have I not seen, and even in an humble way had a part in, when cavaliers would run a course for the easing of their souls and forthe love of their ladies! Never a bad word have I for the French, for, though I have ridden twenty times up to their array, I have never yetfailed to find some very gentle and worthy knight or squire who waswilling to do what he might to enable me to attempt some small feat ofarms. Then, when all cavaliers had been satisfied, the two armies wouldcome to hand-strokes, and fight right merrily until one or other had thevantage. By Saint Paul! it was not our wont in those days to pay goldfor the opening of passes, nor would we hold a king as hostage lesthis people come to thrusts with us. In good sooth, if the war is to becarried out in such a fashion, then it is grief to me that I ever cameaway from Castle Twynham, for I would not have left my sweet lady had Inot thought that there were deeds of arms to be done. " "But surely, my fair lord, " said Alleyne, "you have done some greatfeats of arms since we left the Lady Loring. " "I cannot call any to mind, " answered Sir Nigel. "There was the taking of the sea-rovers, and the holding of the keepagainst the Jacks. " "Nay, nay, " said the knight, "these were not feats of arms, but merewayside ventures and the chances of travel. By Saint Paul! if it werenot that these hills are over-steep for Pommers, I would ride to thesecavaliers of Navarre and see if there were not some among them who wouldhelp me to take this patch from mine eye. It is a sad sight to see thisvery fine pass, which my own Company here could hold against an army, and yet to ride through it with as little profit as though it were thelane from my kennels to the Avon. " All morning Sir Nigel rode in a very ill-humor, with his Companytramping behind him. It was a toilsome march over broken ground andthrough snow, which came often as high as the knee, yet ere the sun hadbegun to sink they had reached the spot where the gorge opens out on tothe uplands of Navarre, and could see the towers of Pampeluna juttingup against the southern sky-line. Here the Company were quartered in ascattered mountain hamlet, and Alleyne spent the day looking downupon the swarming army which poured with gleam of spears and flaunt ofstandards through the narrow pass. "Hola, mon gar. , " said Aylward, seating himself upon a boulder by hisside. "This is indeed a fine sight upon which it is good to look, and aman might go far ere he would see so many brave men and fine horses. By my hilt! our little lord is wroth because we have come peacefullythrough the passes, but I will warrant him that we have fightingenow ere we turn our faces northward again. It is said that there arefour-score thousand men behind the King of Spain, with Du Guesclin andall the best lances of France, who have sworn to shed their heart'sblood ere this Pedro come again to the throne. " "Yet our own army is a great one, " said Alleyne. "Nay, there are but seven-and-twenty thousand men. Chandos hathpersuaded the prince to leave many behind, and indeed I think that he isright, for there is little food and less water in these parts for whichwe are bound. A man without his meat or a horse without his fodder islike a wet bow-string, fit for little. But voila, mon petit, here comesChandos and his company, and there is many a pensil and banderole amongyonder squadrons which show that the best blood of England is ridingunder his banners. " Whilst Aylward had been speaking, a strong column of archers had defiledthrough the pass beneath them. They were followed by a banner-bearerwho held high the scarlet wedge upon a silver field which proclaimed thepresence of the famous warrior. He rode himself within a spear's-lengthof his standard, clad from neck to foot in steel, but draped in the longlinen gown or parement which was destined to be the cause of his death. His plumed helmet was carried behind him by his body-squire, and hishead was covered by a small purple cap, from under which his snow-whitehair curled downwards to his shoulders. With his long beak-like nose andhis single gleaming eye, which shone brightly from under a thick tuftof grizzled brow, he seemed to Alleyne to have something of the lookof some fierce old bird of prey. For a moment he smiled, as his eye litupon the banner of the five roses waving from the hamlet; but his courselay for Pampeluna, and he rode on after the archers. Close at his heels came sixteen squires, all chosen from the highestfamilies, and behind them rode twelve hundred English knights, withgleam of steel and tossing of plumes, their harness jingling, their longstraight swords clanking against their stirrup-irons, and the beat oftheir chargers' hoofs like the low deep roar of the sea upon the shore. Behind them marched six hundred Cheshire and Lancashire archers, bearingthe badge of the Audleys, followed by the famous Lord Audley himself, with the four valiant squires, Dutton of Dutton, Delves of Doddington, Fowlehurst of Crewe, and Hawkestone of Wainehill, who had all won suchglory at Poictiers. Two hundred heavily-armed cavalry rode behind theAudley standard, while close at their heels came the Duke of Lancasterwith a glittering train, heralds tabarded with the royal arms ridingthree deep upon cream-colored chargers in front of him. On either sideof the young prince rode the two seneschals of Aquitaine, Sir Guiscardd'Angle and Sir Stephen Cossington, the one bearing the banner of theprovince and the other that of Saint George. Away behind him as far aseye could reach rolled the far-stretching, unbroken river of steel--rankafter rank and column after column, with waving of plumes, glitter ofarms, tossing of guidons, and flash and flutter of countless armorialdevices. All day Alleyne looked down upon the changing scene, and allday the old bowman stood by his elbow, pointing out the crests of famouswarriors and the arms of noble houses. Here were the gold mullets of thePakingtons, the sable and ermine of the Mackworths, the scarlet bars ofthe Wakes, the gold and blue of the Grosvenors, the cinque-foils ofthe Cliftons, the annulets of the Musgraves, the silver pinions of theBeauchamps, the crosses of the Molineaux, the bloody chevron of theWoodhouses, the red and silver of the Worsleys, the swords of theClarks, the boars'-heads of the Lucies, the crescents of the Boyntons, and the wolf and dagger of the Lipscombs. So through the sunny winterday the chivalry of England poured down through the dark pass ofRoncesvalles to the plains of Spain. It was on a Monday that the Duke of Lancaster's division passed safelythrough the Pyrenees. On the Tuesday there was a bitter frost, and theground rung like iron beneath the feet of the horses; yet ere eveningthe prince himself, with the main battle of his army, had passed thegorge and united with his vanguard at Pampeluna. With him rode the Kingof Majorca, the hostage King of Navarre, and the fierce Don Pedro ofSpain, whose pale blue eyes gleamed with a sinister light as they restedonce more upon the distant peaks of the land which had disowned him. Under the royal banners rode many a bold Gascon baron and many ahot-blooded islander. Here were the high stewards of Aquitaine, ofSaintonge, of La Rochelle, of Quercy, of Limousin, of Agenois, ofPoitou, and of Bigorre, with the banners and musters of their provinces. Here also were the valiant Earl of Angus, Sir Thomas Banaster with hisgarter over his greave, Sir Nele Loring, second cousin to Sir Nigel, and a long column of Welsh footmen who marched under the red bannerof Merlin. From dawn to sundown the long train wound through the pass, their breath reeking up upon the frosty air like the steam from acauldron. The weather was less keen upon the Wednesday, and the rear-guardmade good their passage, with the bombards and the wagon-train. Freecompanions and Gascons made up this portion of the army to the number often thousand men. The fierce Sir Hugh Calverley, with his yellow mane, and the rugged Sir Robert Knolles, with their war-hardened and veterancompanies of English bowmen, headed the long column; while behind themcame the turbulent bands of the Bastard of Breteuil, Nandon de Bagerant, one-eyed Camus, Black Ortingo, La Nuit and others whose very names seemto smack of hard hands and ruthless deeds. With them also were thepick of the Gascon chivalry--the old Duc d'Armagnac, his nephew Lordd'Albret, brooding and scowling over his wrongs, the giant Oliver deClisson, the Captal de Buch, pink of knighthood, the sprightly SirPerducas d'Albret, the red-bearded Lord d'Esparre, and a long train ofneedy and grasping border nobles, with long pedigrees and short purses, who had come down from their hill-side strongholds, all hungering forthe spoils and the ransoms of Spain. By the Thursday morning the wholearmy was encamped in the Vale of Pampeluna, and the prince had calledhis council to meet him in the old palace of the ancient city ofNavarre. CHAPTER XXXIV. HOW THE COMPANY MADE SPORT IN THE VALE OF PAMPELUNA. Whilst the council was sitting in Pampeluna the White Company, havingencamped in a neighboring valley, close to the companies of La Nuit andof Black Ortingo, were amusing themselves with sword-play, wrestling, and shooting at the shields, which they had placed upon the hillsideto serve them as butts. The younger archers, with their coats of mailthrown aside, their brown or flaxen hair tossing in the wind, and theirjerkins turned back to give free play to their brawny chests and arms, stood in lines, each loosing his shaft in turn, while Johnston, Aylward, Black Simon, and half-a-score of the elders lounged up and down withcritical eyes, and a word of rough praise or of curt censure for themarksmen. Behind stood knots of Gascon and Brabant crossbowmen fromthe companies of Ortingo and of La Nuit, leaning upon their unsightlyweapons and watching the practice of the Englishmen. "A good shot, Hewett, a good shot!" said old Johnston to a young bowman, who stood with his bow in his left hand, gazing with parted lips afterhis flying shaft. "You see, she finds the ring, as I knew she would fromthe moment that your string twanged. " "Loose it easy, steady, and yet sharp, " said Aylward. "By my hilt! mongar. , it is very well when you do but shoot at a shield, but when thereis a man behind the shield, and he rides at you with wave of sword andglint of eyes from behind his vizor, you may find him a less easy mark. " "It is a mark that I have found before now, " answered the young bowman. "And shall again, camarade, I doubt not. But hola! Johnston, who is thiswho holds his bow like a crow-keeper?" "It is Silas Peterson, of Horsham. Do not wink with one eye and lookwith the other, Silas, and do not hop and dance after you shoot, withyour tongue out, for that will not speed it upon its way. Stand straightand firm, as God made you. Move not the bow arm, and steady with thedrawing hand!" "I' faith, " said Black Simon, "I am a spearman myself, and am morefitted for hand-strokes than for such work as this. Yet I have spent mydays among bowmen, and I have seen many a brave shaft sped. I will notsay but that we have some good marksmen here, and that this Companywould be accounted a fine body of archers at any time or place. Yet Ido not see any men who bend so strong a bow or shoot as true a shaft asthose whom I have known. " "You say sooth, " said Johnston, turning his seamed and grizzled faceupon the man-at-arms. "See yonder, " he added, pointing to a bombardwhich lay within the camp: "there is what hath done scath to goodbowmanship, with its filthy soot and foolish roaring mouth. I wonderthat a true knight, like our prince, should carry such a scurvy thing inhis train. Robin, thou red-headed lurden, how oft must I tell thee notto shoot straight with a quarter-wind blowing across the mark?" "By these ten finger-bones! there were some fine bowmen at the intakingof Calais, " said Aylward. "I well remember that, on occasion of anoutfall, a Genoan raised his arm over his mantlet, and shook it at us, ahundred paces from our line. There were twenty who loosed shafts at him, and when the man was afterwards slain it was found that he had takeneighteen through his forearm. " "And I can call to mind, " remarked Johnston, "that when the greatcog 'Christopher, ' which the French had taken from us, was moored twohundred paces from the shore, two archers, little Robin Withstaff andElias Baddlesmere, in four shots each cut every strand of her hempenanchor-cord, so that she well-nigh came upon the rocks. " "Good shooting, i' faith rare shooting!" said Black Simon. "But I haveseen you, Johnston, and you, Samkin Aylward, and one or two others whoare still with us, shoot as well as the best. Was it not you, Johnston, who took the fat ox at Finsbury butts against the pick of London town?" A sunburnt and black-eyed Brabanter had stood near the old archers, leaning upon a large crossbow and listening to their talk, which hadbeen carried on in that hybrid camp dialect which both nations couldunderstand. He was a squat, bull-necked man, clad in the iron helmet, mail tunic, and woollen gambesson of his class. A jacket with hangingsleeves, slashed with velvet at the neck and wrists, showed that he wasa man of some consideration, an under-officer, or file-leader of hiscompany. "I cannot think, " said he, "why you English should be so fond of yoursix-foot stick. If it amuse you to bend it, well and good; but whyshould I strain and pull, when my little moulinet will do all for me, and better than I can do it for myself?" "I have seen good shooting with the prod and with the latch, " saidAylward, "but, by my hilt! camarade, with all respect to you and to yourbow, I think that is but a woman's weapon, which a woman can point andloose as easily as a man. " "I know not about that, " answered the Brabanter, "but this I know, that though I have served for fourteen years, I have never yet seen anEnglishman do aught with the long-bow which I could not do better withmy arbalest. By the three kings! I would even go further, and say that Ihave done things with my arbalest which no Englishman could do with hislong-bow. " "Well said, mon gar. , " cried Aylward. "A good cock has ever a bravecall. Now, I have shot little of late, but there is Johnston here whowill try a round with you for the honor of the Company. " "And I will lay a gallon of Jurancon wine upon the long-bow, " said BlackSimon, "though I had rather, for my own drinking, that it were a quartof Twynham ale. " "I take both your challenge and your wager, " said the man of Brabant, throwing off his jacket and glancing keenly about him with his black, twinkling eyes. "I cannot see any fitting mark, for I care not to wastea bolt upon these shields, which a drunken boor could not miss at avillage kermesse. " "This is a perilous man, " whispered an English man-at-arms, plucking atAylward's sleeve. "He is the best marksman of all the crossbow companiesand it was he who brought down the Constable de Bourbon at Brignais, Ifear that your man will come by little honor with him. " "Yet I have seen Johnston shoot these twenty years, and I will notflinch from it. How say you, old war-hound, will you not have a flightshot or two with this springald?" "Tut, tut, Aylward, " said the old bowman. "My day is past, and it isfor the younger ones to hold what we have gained. I take it unkindly ofthee, Samkin, that thou shouldst call all eyes thus upon a broken bowmanwho could once shoot a fair shaft. Let me feel that bow, Wilkins! It isa Scotch bow, I see, for the upper nock is without and the lower within. By the black rood! it is a good piece of yew, well nocked, well strung, well waxed, and very joyful to the feel. I think even now that I mighthit any large and goodly mark with a bow like this. Turn thy quiver tome, Aylward. I love an ash arrow pierced with cornel-wood for a rovingshaft. " "By my hilt! and so do I, " cried Aylward. "These three gander-wingedshafts are such. " "So I see, comrade. It has been my wont to choose a saddle-backedfeather for a dead shaft, and a swine-backed for a smooth flier. I willtake the two of them. Ah! Samkin, lad, the eye grows dim and the handless firm as the years pass. " "Come then, are you not ready?" said the Brabanter, who had watchedwith ill-concealed impatience the slow and methodic movements of hisantagonist. "I will venture a rover with you, or try long-butts or hoyles, " said oldJohnston. "To my mind the long-bow is a better weapon than the arbalest, but it may be ill for me to prove it. " "So I think, " quoth the other with a sneer. He drew his moulinet fromhis girdle, and fixing it to the windlass, he drew back the powerfuldouble cord until it had clicked into the catch. Then from his quiver hedrew a short, thick quarrel, which he placed with the utmost care uponthe groove. Word had spread of what was going forward, and the rivalswere already surrounded, not only by the English archers of the Company, but by hundreds of arbalestiers and men-at-arms from the bands ofOrtingo and La Nuit, to the latter of which the Brabanter belonged. "There is a mark yonder on the hill, " said he; "mayhap you can discernit. " "I see something, " answered Johnston, shading his eyes with his hand;"but it is a very long shoot. " "A fair shoot--a fair shoot! Stand aside, Arnaud, lest you find a boltthrough your gizzard. Now, comrade, I take no flight shot, and I giveyou the vantage of watching my shaft. " As he spoke he raised his arbalest to his shoulder and was about to pullthe trigger, when a large gray stork flapped heavily into view skimmingover the brow of the hill, and then soaring up into the air to pass thevalley. Its shrill and piercing cries drew all eyes upon it, and, as itcame nearer, a dark spot which circled above it resolved itself into aperegrine falcon, which hovered over its head, poising itself from timeto time, and watching its chance of closing with its clumsy quarry. Nearer and nearer came the two birds, all absorbed in their own contest, the stork wheeling upwards, the hawk still fluttering above it, untilthey were not a hundred paces from the camp. The Brabanter raised hisweapon to the sky, and there came the short, deep twang of his powerfulstring. His bolt struck the stork just where its wing meets the body, and the bird whirled aloft in a last convulsive flutter before fallingwounded and flapping to the earth. A roar of applause burst from thecrossbowmen; but at the instant that the bolt struck its mark oldJohnston, who had stood listlessly with arrow on string, bent his bowand sped a shaft through the body of the falcon. Whipping the other fromhis belt, he sent it skimming some few feet from the earth with so truean aim that it struck and transfixed the stork for the second time ereit could reach the ground. A deep-chested shout of delight burst fromthe archers at the sight of this double feat, and Aylward, dancing withjoy, threw his arms round the old marksman and embraced him with suchvigor that their mail tunics clanged again. "Ah! camarade, " he cried, "you shall have a stoup with me for this! Whatthen, old dog, would not the hawk please thee, but thou must have thestork as well. Oh, to my heart again!" "It is a pretty piece of yew, and well strung, " said Johnston with atwinkle in his deep-set gray eyes. "Even an old broken bowman might findthe clout with a bow like this. " "You have done very well, " remarked the Brabanter in a surly voice. "But it seems to me that you have not yet shown yourself to be a bettermarksman than I, for I have struck that at which I aimed, and, by thethree kings! no man can do more. " "It would ill beseem me to claim to be a better marksman, " answeredJohnston, "for I have heard great things of your skill. I did but wishto show that the long-bow could do that which an arbalest could not do, for you could not with your moulinet have your string ready to speedanother shaft ere the bird drop to the earth. " "In that you have vantage, " said the crossbowman. "By Saint James! itis now my turn to show you where my weapon has the better of you. I prayyou to draw a flight shaft with all your strength down the valley, thatwe may see the length of your shoot. " "That is a very strong prod of yours, " said Johnston, shaking hisgrizzled head as he glanced at the thick arch and powerful strings ofhis rival's arbalest. "I have little doubt that you can overshoot me, and yet I have seen bowmen who could send a cloth-yard arrow furtherthan you could speed a quarrel. " "So I have heard, " remarked the Brabanter; "and yet it is a strangething that these wondrous bowmen are never where I chance to be. Paceout the distances with a wand at every five score, and do you, Arnaud, stand at the fifth wand to carry back my bolts to me. " A line was measured down the valley, and Johnston, drawing an arrow tothe very head, sent it whistling over the row of wands. "Bravely drawn! A rare shoot!" shouted the bystanders. "It is well up to the fourth mark. " "By my hilt! it is over it, " cried Aylward. "I can see where they havestooped to gather up the shaft. " "We shall hear anon, " said Johnston quietly, and presently a youngarcher came running to say that the arrow had fallen twenty paces beyondthe fourth wand. "Four hundred paces and a score, " cried Black Simon. "I' faith, it is avery long flight. Yet wood and steel may do more than flesh and blood. " The Brabanter stepped forward with a smile of conscious triumph, andloosed the cord of his weapon. A shout burst from his comrades as theywatched the swift and lofty flight of the heavy bolt. "Over the fourth!" groaned Aylward. "By my hilt! I think that it is wellup to the fifth. " "It is over the fifth!" cried a Gascon loudly, and a comrade camerunning with waving arms to say that the bolt had pitched eight pacesbeyond the mark of the five hundred. "Which weapon hath the vantage now?" cried the Brabanter, Struttingproudly about with shouldered arbalest, amid the applause of hiscompanions. "You can overshoot me, " said Johnston gently. "Or any other man who ever bent a long-bow, " cried his victoriousadversary. "Nay, not so fast, " said a huge archer, whose mighty shoulders and redhead towered high above the throng of his comrades. "I must have a wordwith you ere you crow so loudly. Where is my little popper? By saintedDick of Hampole! it will be a strange thing if I cannot outshoot thatthing of thine, which to my eyes is more like a rat-trap than a bow. Will you try another flight, or do you stand by your last?" "Five hundred and eight paces will serve my turn, " answered theBrabanter, looking askance at this new opponent. "Tut, John, " whispered Aylward, "you never were a marksman. Why must youthrust your spoon into this dish?" "Easy and slow, Aylward. There are very many things which I cannot do, but there are also one or two which I have the trick of. It is in mymind that I can beat this shoot, if my bow will but hold together. " "Go on, old babe of the woods!" "Have at it, Hampshire!" cried thearchers laughing. "By my soul! you may grin, " cried John. "But I learned how to make thelong shoot from old Hob Miller of Milford. " He took up a great blackbow, as he spoke, and sitting down upon the ground he placed his twofeet on either end of the stave. With an arrow fitted, he then pulledthe string towards him with both hands until the head of the shaft waslevel with the wood. The great bow creaked and groaned and the cordvibrated with the tension. "Who is this fool's-head who stands in the way of my shoot?" said he, craning up his neck from the ground. "He stands on the further side of my mark, " answered the Brabanter, "sohe has little to fear from you. " "Well, the saints assoil him!" cried John. "Though I think he isover-near to be scathed. " As he spoke he raised his two feet, with thebow-stave upon their soles, and his cord twanged with a deep rich humwhich might be heard across the valley. The measurer in the distancefell flat upon his face, and then jumping up again, he began to run inthe opposite direction. "Well shot, old lad! It is indeed over his head, " cried the bowmen. "Mon Dieu!" exclaimed the Brabanter, "who ever saw such a shoot?" "It is but a trick, " quoth John. "Many a time have I won a gallon of aleby covering a mile in three flights down Wilverley Chase. " "It fell a hundred and thirty paces beyond the fifth mark, " shouted anarcher in the distance. "Six hundred and thirty paces! Mon Dieu! but that is a shoot! And yet itsays nothing for your weapon, mon gros camarade, for it was by turningyourself into a crossbow that you did it. " "By my hilt! there is truth in that, " cried Aylward. "And now, friend, I will myself show you a vantage of the long-bow. I pray you to speeda bolt against yonder shield with all your force. It is an inch of elmwith bull's hide over it. " "I scarce shot as many shafts at Brignais, " growled the man of Brabant;"though I found a better mark there than a cantle of bull's hide. Butwhat is this, Englishman? The shield hangs not one hundred paces fromme, and a blind man could strike it. " He screwed up his string to thefurthest pitch, and shot his quarrel at the dangling shield. Aylward, who had drawn an arrow from his quiver, carefully greased the head ofit, and sped it at the same mark. "Run, Wilkins, " quoth he, "and fetch me the shield. " Long were the faces of the Englishmen and broad the laugh of thecrossbowmen as the heavy mantlet was carried towards them, for there inthe centre was the thick Brabant bolt driven deeply into the wood, whilethere was neither sign nor trace of the cloth-yard shaft. "By the three kings!" cried the Brabanter, "this time at least there isno gainsaying which is the better weapon, or which the truer hand thatheld it. You have missed the shield, Englishman. " "Tarry a bit! tarry a bit, mon gar. !" quoth Aylward, and turning roundthe shield he showed a round clear hole in the wood at the back of it. "My shaft has passed through it, camarade, and I trow the one which goesthrough is more to be feared than that which bides on the way. " The Brabanter stamped his foot with mortification, and was about to makesome angry reply, when Alleyne Edricson came riding up to the crowds ofarchers. "Sir Nigel will be here anon, " said he, "and it is his wish to speakwith the Company. " In an instant order and method took the place of general confusion. Bows, steel caps, and jacks were caught up from the grass. A long cordoncleared the camp of all strangers, while the main body fell into fourlines with under-officers and file-leaders in front and on either flank. So they stood, silent and motionless, when their leader came ridingtowards them, his face shining and his whole small figure swelling withthe news which he bore. "Great honor has been done to us, men, " cried he: "for, of all the army, the prince has chosen us out that we should ride onwards into the landsof Spain to spy upon our enemies. Yet, as there are many of us, and asthe service may not be to the liking of all, I pray that those will stepforward from the ranks who have the will to follow me. " There was a rustle among the bowmen, but when Sir Nigel looked up atthem no man stood forward from his fellows, but the four lines of menstretched unbroken as before. Sir Nigel blinked at them in amazement, and a look of the deepest sorrow shadowed his face. "That I should live to see the day!" he cried, "What! not one----" "My fair lord, " whispered Alleyne, "they have all stepped forward. " "Ah, by Saint Paul! I see how it is with them. I could not think thatthey would desert me. We start at dawn to-morrow, and ye are to havethe horses of Sir Robert Cheney's company. Be ready, I pray ye, at earlycock-crow. " A buzz of delight burst from the archers, as they broke their ranks andran hither and thither, whooping and cheering like boys who have news ofa holiday. Sir Nigel gazed after them with a smiling face, when a heavyhand fell upon his shoulder. "What ho! my knight-errant of Twynham!" said a voice, "You are off toEbro, I hear; and, by the holy fish of Tobias! you must take me underyour banner. " "What! Sir Oliver Buttesthorn!" cried Sir Nigel. "I had heard that youwere come into camp, and had hoped to see you. Glad and proud shall I beto have you with me. " "I have a most particular and weighty reason for wishing to go, " saidthe sturdy knight. "I can well believe it, " returned Sir Nigel; "I have met no man who isquicker to follow where honor leads. " "Nay, it is not for honor that I go, Nigel. " "For what then?" "For pullets. " "Pullets?" "Yes, for the rascal vanguard have cleared every hen from thecountry-side. It was this very morning that Norbury, my squire, lamed his horse in riding round in quest of one, for we have a bag oftruffles, and nought to eat with them. Never have I seen such locusts asthis vanguard of ours. Not a pullet shall we see until we are in frontof them; so I shall leave my Winchester runagates to the care of theprovost-marshal, and I shall hie south with you, Nigel, with my trufflesat my saddle-bow. " "Oliver, Oliver, I know you over-well, " said Sir Nigel, shaking hishead, and the two old soldiers rode off together to their pavilion. CHAPTER XXXV. HOW SIR NIGEL HAWKED AT AN EAGLE. To the south of Pampeluna in the kingdom of Navarre there stretcheda high table-land, rising into bare, sterile hills, brown or gray incolor, and strewn with huge boulders of granite. On the Gascon side ofthe great mountains there had been running streams, meadows, forests, and little nestling villages. Here, on the contrary, were nothing butnaked rocks, poor pasture, and savage, stone-strewn wastes. Gloomydefiles or barrancas intersected this wild country with mountaintorrents dashing and foaming between their rugged sides. The clatterof waters, the scream of the eagle, and the howling of wolves the onlysounds which broke upon the silence in that dreary and inhospitableregion. Through this wild country it was that Sir Nigel and his Company pushedtheir way, riding at times through vast defiles where the brown, gnarledcliffs shot up on either side of them, and the sky was but a longwinding blue slit between the clustering lines of box which fringed thelips of the precipices; or, again leading their horses along the narrowand rocky paths worn by the muleteers upon the edges of the chasm, whereunder their very elbows they could see the white streak which markedthe _gave_ which foamed a thousand feet below them. So for two days theypushed their way through the wild places of Navarre, past Fuente, over the rapid Ega, through Estella, until upon a winter's evening themountains fell away from in front of them, and they saw the broad blueEbro curving betwixt its double line or homesteads and of villages. Thefishers of Viana were aroused that night by rough voices speaking in astrange tongue, and ere morning Sir Nigel and his men had ferried theriver and were safe upon the land of Spain. All the next day they lay in a pine wood near to the town of Logrono, resting their horses and taking counsel as to what they should do. SirNigel had with him Sir William Felton, Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, stout oldSir Simon Burley, the Scotch knight-errant, the Earl of Angus, and SirRichard Causton, all accounted among the bravest knights in the army, together with sixty veteran men-at-arms, and three hundred and twentyarchers. Spies had been sent out in the morning, and returned afternightfall to say that the King of Spain was encamped some fourteen milesoff in the direction of Burgos, having with him twenty thousand horseand forty-five thousand foot. A dry-wood fire had been lit, and round this the leaders crouched, theglare beating upon their rugged faces, while the hardy archers loungedand chatted amid the tethered horses, while they munched their scantyprovisions. "For my part, " said Sir Simon Burley, "I am of opinion that we havealready done that which we have come for. For do we not now know wherethe king is, and how great a following he hath, which was the end of ourjourney. " "True, " answered Sir William Felton, "but I have come on this venturebecause it is a long time since I have broken a spear in war, and, certes, I shall not go back until I have run a course with some cavalierof Spain. Let those go back who will, but I must see more of theseSpaniards ere I turn. " "I will not leave you, Sir William, " returned Sir Simon Burley; "andyet, as an old soldier and one who hath seen much of war, I cannot butthink that it is an ill thing for four hundred men to find themselvesbetween an army of sixty thousand on the one side and a broad river onthe other. " "Yet, " said Sir Richard Causton, "we cannot for the honor of England goback without a blow struck. " "Nor for the honor of Scotland either, " cried the Earl of Angus. "BySaint Andrew! I wish that I may never set eyes upon the water ofLeith again, if I pluck my horse's bridle ere I have seen this camp oftheirs. " "By Saint Paul! you have spoken very well, " said Sir Nigel, "and I havealways heard that there were very worthy gentlemen among the Scots, andfine skirmishing to be had upon their border. Bethink you, Sir Simon, that we have this news from the lips of common spies, who can scarcetell us as much of the enemy and of his forces as the prince would wishto hear. " "You are the leader in this venture, Sir Nigel, " the other answered, "and I do but ride under your banner. " "Yet I would fain have your rede and counsel, Sir Simon. But, touchingwhat you say of the river, we can take heed that we shall not have itat the back of us, for the prince hath now advanced to Salvatierra, andthence to Vittoria, so that if we come upon their camp from the furtherside we can make good our retreat. " "What then would you propose?" asked Sir Simon, shaking his grizzledhead as one who is but half convinced. "That we ride forward ere the news reach them that we have crossed theriver. In this way we may have sight of their army, and perchance evenfind occasion for some small deed against them. " "So be it, then, " said Sir Simon Burley; and the rest of the councilhaving approved, a scanty meal was hurriedly snatched, and the advanceresumed under the cover of the darkness. All night they led theirhorses, stumbling and groping through wild defiles and rugged valleys, following the guidance of a frightened peasant who was strapped by thewrist to Black Simon's stirrup-leather. With the early dawn they foundthemselves in a black ravine, with others sloping away from it on eitherside, and the bare brown crags rising in long bleak terraces all roundthem. "If it please you, fair lord, " said Black Simon, "this man hath misledus, and since there is no tree upon which we may hang him, it might bewell to hurl him over yonder cliff. " The peasant, reading the soldier's meaning in his fierce eyes and harshaccents dropped upon his knees, screaming loudly for mercy. "How comes it, dog?" asked Sir William Felton in Spanish. "Where is thiscamp to which you swore that you would lead us?" "By the sweet Virgin! By the blessed Mother of God!" cried the tremblingpeasant, "I swear to you that in the darkness I have myself lost thepath. " "Over the cliff with him!" shouted half a dozen voices; but ere thearchers could drag him from the rocks to which he clung Sir Nigel hadridden up and called upon them to stop. "How is this, sirs?" said he. "As long as the prince doth me the honorto entrust this venture to me, it is for me only to give orders; and, by Saint Paul! I shall be right blithe to go very deeply into thematter with any one to whom my words may give offence. How say you, SirWilliam? Or you, my Lord of Angus? Or you, Sir Richard?" "Nay, nay, Nigel!" cried Sir William. "This base peasant is too smalla matter for old comrades to quarrel over. But he hath betrayed us, andcertes he hath merited a dog's death. " "Hark ye, fellow, " said Sir Nigel. "We give you one more chance tofind the path. We are about to gain much honor, Sir William, in thisenterprise, and it would be a sorry thing if the first blood shed werethat of an unworthy boor. Let us say our morning orisons, and it maychance that ere we finish he may strike upon the track. " With bowed heads and steel caps in hand, the archers stood at theirhorse's heads, while Sir Simon Burley repeated the Pater, the Ave, andthe Credo. Long did Alleyne bear the scene in mind--the knot of knightsin their dull leaden-hued armor, the ruddy visage of Sir Oliver, thecraggy features of the Scottish earl, the shining scalp of Sir Nigel, with the dense ring of hard, bearded faces and the long brown heads ofthe horses, all topped and circled by the beetling cliffs. Scarce hadthe last deep "amen" broken from the Company, when, in an instant, thererose the scream of a hundred bugles, with the deep rolling of drums andthe clashing of cymbals, all sounding together in one deafening uproar. Knights and archers sprang to arms, convinced that some great host wasupon them; but the guide dropped upon his knees and thanked Heaven forits mercies. "We have found them, caballeros!" he cried. "This is their morning call. If ye will but deign to follow me, I will set them before you ere a manmight tell his beads. " As he spoke he scrambled down one of the narrow ravines, and, climbingover a low ridge at the further end, he led them into a short valleywith a stream purling down the centre of it and a very thick growth ofelder and of box upon either side. Pushing their way through the densebrushwood, they looked out upon a scene which made their hearts beatharder and their breath come faster. In front of them there lay a broad plain, watered by two winding streamsand covered with grass, stretching away to where, in the furthestdistance, the towers of Burgos bristled up against the light bluemorning sky. Over all this vast meadow there lay a great city oftents--thousands upon thousands of them, laid out in streets and insquares like a well-ordered town. High silken pavilions or coloredmarquees, shooting up from among the crowd of meaner dwellings, markedwhere the great lords and barons of Leon and Castile displayed theirstandards, while over the white roofs, as far as eye could reach, thewaving of ancients, pavons, pensils, and banderoles, with flash of goldand glow of colors, proclaimed that all the chivalry of Iberia weremustered in the plain beneath them. Far off, in the centre of the camp, a huge palace of red and white silk, with the royal arms of Castilewaiving from the summit, announced that the gallant Henry lay there inthe midst of his warriors. As the English adventurers, peeping out from behind their brushwoodscreen, looked down upon this wondrous sight they could see that thevast army in front of them was already afoot. The first pink light ofthe rising sun glittered upon the steel caps and breastplates of densemasses of slingers and of crossbowmen, who drilled and marched in thespaces which had been left for their exercise. A thousand columns ofsmoke reeked up into the pure morning air where the faggots were piledand the camp-kettles already simmering. In the open plain clouds oflight horse galloped and swooped with swaying bodies and wavingjavelins, after the fashion which the Spanish had adopted from theirMoorish enemies. All along by the sedgy banks of the rivers long linesof pages led their masters' chargers down to water, while the knightsthemselves lounged in gayly-dressed groups about the doors of theirpavilions, or rode out, with their falcons upon their wrists and theirgreyhounds behind them, in quest of quail or of leveret. "By my hilt! mon gar. !" whispered Aylward to Alleyne, as the youngsquire stood with parted lips and wondering eyes, gazing down at thenovel scene before him, "we have been seeking them all night, but nowthat we have found them I know not what we are to do with them. " "You say sooth, Samkin, " quoth old Johnston. "I would that we were uponthe far side of Ebro again, for there is neither honor nor profit to begained here. What say you, Simon?" "By the rood!" cried the fierce man-at-arms, "I will see the color oftheir blood ere I turn my mare's head for the mountains. Am I a child, that I should ride for three days and nought but words at the end ofit?" "Well said, my sweet honeysuckle!" cried Hordle John. "I am with you, like hilt to blade. Could I but lay hands upon one of those gay prancersyonder, I doubt not that I should have ransom enough from him to buy mymother a new cow. " "A cow!" said Aylward. "Say rather ten acres and a homestead on thebanks of Avon. " "Say you so? Then, by our Lady! here is for yonder one in the redjerkin!" He was about to push recklessly forward into the open, when Sir Nigelhimself darted in front of him, with his hand upon his breast. "Back!" said he. "Our time is not yet come, and we must lie here untilevening. Throw off your jacks and headpieces, least their eyes catch theshine, and tether the horses among the rocks. " The order was swiftly obeyed, and in ten minutes the archers werestretched along by the side of the brook, munching the bread and thebacon which they had brought in their bags, and craning their necks towatch the ever-changing scene beneath them. Very quiet and still theylay, save for a muttered jest or whispered order, for twice during thelong morning they heard bugle-calls from amid the hills on either sideof them, which showed that they had thrust themselves in between theoutposts of the enemy. The leaders sat amongst the box-wood, and tookcounsel together as to what they should do; while from below theresurged up the buzz of voices, the shouting, the neighing of horses, andall the uproar of a great camp. "What boots it to wait?" said Sir William Felton. "Let us ride down upontheir camp ere they discover us. " "And so say I, " cried the Scottish earl; "for they do not know thatthere is any enemy within thirty long leagues of them. " "For my part, " said Sir Simon Burley, "I think that it is madness, foryou cannot hope to rout this great army; and where are you to go andwhat are you to do when they have turned upon you? How say you, SirOliver Buttesthorn?" "By the apple of Eve!" cried the fat knight, "it appears to me thatthis wind brings a very savory smell of garlic and of onions from theircooking-kettles. I am in favor of riding down upon them at once, if myold friend and comrade here is of the same mind. " "Nay, " said Sir Nigel, "I have a plan by which we may attempt some smalldeed upon them, and yet, by the help of God, may be able to draw offagain; which, as Sir Simon Burley hath said, would be scarce possible inany other way. " "How then, Sir Nigel?" asked several voices. "We shall lie here all day; for amid this brushwood it is ill for themto see us. Then when evening comes we shall sally out upon them and seeif we may not gain some honorable advancement from them. " "But why then rather than now?" "Because we shall have nightfall to cover us when we draw off, so thatwe may make our way back through the mountains. I would station a scoreof archers here in the pass, with all our pennons jutting forth from therocks, and as many nakirs and drums and bugles as we have with us, sothat those who follow us in the fading light may think that the wholearmy of the prince is upon them, and fear to go further. What think youof my plan, Sir Simon?" "By my troth! I think very well of it, " cried the prudent old commander. "If four hundred men must needs run a tilt against sixty thousand, Icannot see how they can do it better or more safely. " "And so say I, " cried Felton, heartily. "But I wish the day were over, for it will be an ill thing for us if they chance to light upon us. " The words were scarce out of his mouth when there came a clatter ofloose stones, the sharp clink of trotting hoofs, and a dark-facedcavalier, mounted upon a white horse, burst through the bushes and rodeswiftly down the valley from the end which was farthest from the Spanishcamp. Lightly armed, with his vizor open and a hawk perched upon hisleft wrist, he looked about him with the careless air of a man who isbent wholly upon pleasure, and unconscious of the possibility of danger. Suddenly, however, his eyes lit upon the fierce faces which glared outat him from the brushwood. With a cry of terror, he thrust his spursinto his horse's sides and dashed for the narrow opening of the gorge. For a moment it seemed as though he would have reached it, for he hadtrampled over or dashed aside the archers who threw themselves in hisway; but Hordle John seized him by the foot in his grasp of iron anddragged him from the saddle, while two others caught the frightenedhorse. "Ho, ho!" roared the great archer. "How many cows wilt buy my mother, ifI set thee free?" "Hush that bull's bellowing!" cried Sir Nigel impatiently. "Bring theman here. By St. Paul! it is not the first time that we have met; for, if I mistake not, it is Don Diego Alvarez, who was once at the prince'scourt. " "It is indeed I, " said the Spanish knight, speaking in the Frenchtongue, "and I pray you to pass your sword through my heart, for how canI live--I, a caballero of Castile--after being dragged from my horse bythe base hands of a common archer?" "Fret not for that, " answered Sir Nigel. "For, in sooth, had he notpulled you down, a dozen cloth-yard shafts had crossed each other inyour body. " "By St. James! it were better so than to be polluted by his touch, "answered the Spaniard, with his black eyes sparkling with rage andhatred. "I trust that I am now the prisoner of some honorable knight orgentleman. " "You are the prisoner of the man who took you, Sir Diego, " answered SirNigel. "And I may tell you that better men than either you or I havefound themselves before now prisoners in the hands of archers ofEngland. " "What ransom, then, does he demand?" asked the Spaniard. Big John scratched his red head and grinned in high delight when thequestion was propounded to him. "Tell him, " said he, "that I shall haveten cows and a bull too, if it be but a little one. Also a dress ofblue sendall for mother and a red one for Joan; with five acres ofpasture-land, two scythes, and a fine new grindstone. Likewise a smallhouse, with stalls for the cows, and thirty-six gallons of beer for thethirsty weather. " "Tut, tut!" cried Sir Nigel, laughing. "All these things may be had formoney; and I think, Don Diego, that five thousand crowns is not too muchfor so renowned a knight. " "It shall be duly paid him. " "For some days we must keep you with us; and I must crave leave also touse your shield, your armor, and your horse. " "My harness is yours by the law of arms, " said the Spaniard, gloomily. "I do but ask the loan of it. I have need of it this day, but it shallbe duly returned to you. Set guards, Aylward, with arrow on string, ateither end of the pass; for it may happen that some other cavaliers mayvisit us ere the time be come. " All day the little band of Englishmenlay in the sheltered gorge, looking down upon the vast host of theirunconscious enemies. Shortly after mid-day, a great uproar of shoutingand cheering broke out in the camp, with mustering of men and calling ofbugles. Clambering up among the rocks, the companions saw a long rollingcloud of dust along the whole eastern sky-line, with the glint of spearsand the flutter of pennons, which announced the approach of a large bodyof cavalry. For a moment a wild hope came upon them that perhaps theprince had moved more swiftly than had been planned, that he had crossedthe Ebro, and that this was his vanguard sweeping to the attack. "Surely I see the red pile of Chandos at the head of yonder squadron!"cried Sir Richard Causton, shading his eyes with his hand. "Not so, " answered Sir Simon Burley, who had watched the approachinghost with a darkening face. "It is even as I feared. That is the doubleeagle of Du Guesclin. " "You say very truly, " cried the Earl of Angus. "These are the levies ofFrance, for I can see the ensigns of the Marshal d'Andreghen, withthat of the Lord of Antoing and of Briseuil, and of many another fromBrittany and Anjou. " "By St. Paul! I am very glad of it, " said Sir Nigel. "Of these SpaniardsI know nothing; but the French are very worthy gentlemen, and will dowhat they can for our advancement. " "There are at the least four thousand of them, and all men-at-arms, "cried Sir William Felton. "See, there is Bertrand himself, beside hisbanner, and there is King Henry, who rides to welcome him. Now they allturn and come into the camp together. " As he spoke, the vast throng of Spaniards and of Frenchmen troopedacross the plain, with brandished arms and tossing banners. All day longthe sound of revelry and of rejoicing from the crowded camp swelled upto the ears of the Englishmen, and they could see the soldiers of thetwo nations throwing themselves into each other's arms and dancinghand-in-hand round the blazing fires. The sun had sunk behind acloud-bank in the west before Sir Nigel at last gave word that the menshould resume their arms and have their horses ready. He had himselfthrown off his armor, and had dressed himself from head to foot in theharness of the captured Spaniard. "Sir William, " said he, "it is my intention to attempt a small deed, andI ask you therefore that you will lead this outfall upon the camp. Forme, I will ride into their camp with my squire and two archers. I prayyou to watch me, and to ride forth when I am come among the tents. Youwill leave twenty men behind here, as we planned this morning, and youwill ride back here after you have ventured as far as seems good toyou. " "I will do as you order, Nigel; but what is it that you propose to do?" "You will see anon, and indeed it is but a trifling matter. Alleyne, youwill come with me, and lead a spare horse by the bridle. I will have thetwo archers who rode with us through France, for they are trusty men andof stout heart. Let them ride behind us, and let them leave their bowshere among the bushes for it is not my wish that they should know thatwe are Englishmen. Say no word to any whom we may meet, and, if anyspeak to you, pass on as though you heard them not. Are you ready?" "I am ready, my fair lord, " said Alleyne. "And I, " "And I, " cried Aylward and John. "Then the rest I leave to your wisdom, Sir William; and if God sends usfortune we shall meet you again in this gorge ere it be dark. " So saying, Sir Nigel mounted the white horse of the Spanish cavalier, and rode quietly forth from his concealment with his three companionsbehind him, Alleyne leading his master's own steed by the bridle. Somany small parties of French and Spanish horse were sweeping hither andthither that the small band attracted little notice, and making its wayat a gentle trot across the plain, they came as far as the camp withoutchallenge or hindrance. On and on they pushed past the endless lines oftents, amid the dense swarms of horsemen and of footmen, until the hugeroyal pavilion stretched in front of them. They were close upon it whenof a sudden there broke out a wild hubbub from a distant portion of thecamp, with screams and war-cries and all the wild tumult of battle. Atthe sound soldiers came rushing from their tents, knights shouted loudlyfor their squires, and there was mad turmoil on every hand of bewilderedmen and plunging horses. At the royal tent a crowd of gorgeously dressedservants ran hither and thither in helpless panic for the guardof soldiers who were stationed there had already ridden off in thedirection of the alarm. A man-at-arms on either side of the doorway werethe sole protectors of the royal dwelling. "I have come for the king, " whispered Sir Nigel; "and, by Saint Paul! hemust back with us or I must bide here. " Alleyne and Aylward sprang from their horses, and flew at the twosentries, who were disarmed and beaten down in an instant by so furiousand unexpected an attack. Sir Nigel dashed into the royal tent, and wasfollowed by Hordle John as soon as the horses had been secured. Fromwithin came wild screamings and the clash of steel, and then the twoemerged once more, their swords and forearms reddened with blood, while John bore over his shoulder the senseless body of a man whose gaysurcoat, adorned with the lions and towers of Castile, proclaimed himto belong to the royal house. A crowd of white-faced sewers and pagesswarmed at their heels, those behind pushing forwards, while theforemost shrank back from the fierce faces and reeking weapons of theadventurers. The senseless body was thrown across the spare horse, thefour sprang to their saddles, and away they thundered with loose reinsand busy spurs through the swarming camp. But confusion and disorder still reigned among the Spaniards for SirWilliam Felton and his men had swept through half their camp, leavinga long litter of the dead and the dying to mark their course. Uncertainwho were their attackers, and unable to tell their English enemiesfrom their newly-arrived Breton allies, the Spanish knights rode wildlyhither and thither in aimless fury. The mad turmoil, the mixture ofraces, and the fading light, were all in favor of the four who aloneknew their own purpose among the vast uncertain multitude. Twice erethey reached open ground they had to break their way through smallbodies of horses, and once there came a whistle of arrows and singing ofstones about their ears; but, still dashing onwards, they shot outfrom among the tents and found their own comrades retreating for themountains at no very great distance from them. Another five minutes ofwild galloping over the plain, and they were all back in their gorge, while their pursuers fell back before the rolling of drums and blare oftrumpets, which seemed to proclaim that the whole army of the prince wasabout to emerge from the mountain passes. "By my soul! Nigel, " cried Sir Oliver, waving a great boiled ham overhis head, "I have come by something which I may eat with my truffles! Ihad a hard fight for it, for there were three of them with their mouthsopen and the knives in their hands, all sitting agape round the table, when I rushed in upon them. How say you, Sir William, will you not trythe smack of the famed Spanish swine, though we have but the brook waterto wash it down?" "Later, Sir Oliver, " answered the old soldier, wiping his grimed face. "We must further into the mountains ere we be in safety. But what havewe here, Nigel?" "It is a prisoner whom I have taken, and in sooth, as he came from theroyal tent and wears the royal arms upon his jupon, I trust that he isthe King of Spain. " "The King of Spain!" cried the companions, crowding round in amazement. "Nay, Sir Nigel, " said Felton, peering at the prisoner through theuncertain light, "I have twice seen Henry of Transtamare, and certesthis man in no way resembles him. " "Then, by the light of heaven! I will ride back for him, " cried SirNigel. "Nay, nay, the camp is in arms, and it would be rank madness. Who areyou, fellow?" he added in Spanish, "and how is it that you dare to wearthe arms of Castile?" The prisoner was bent recovering the consciousness which had beensqueezed from him by the grip of Hordle John. "If it please you, " heanswered, "I and nine others are the body-squires of the king, and mustever wear his arms, so as to shield him from even such perils as havethreatened him this night. The king is at the tent of the brave DuGuesclin, where he will sup to night. But I am a caballero of Aragon, Don Sancho Penelosa, and, though I be no king, I am yet ready to pay afitting price for my ransom. " "By Saint Paul! I will not touch your gold, " cried Sir Nigel. "Go backto your master and give him greeting from Sir Nigel Loring of TwynhamCastle, telling him that I had hoped to make his better acquaintancethis night, and that, if I have disordered his tent, it was but in myeagerness to know so famed and courteous a knight. Spur on, comrades!for we must cover many a league ere we can venture to light fire or toloosen girth. I had hoped to ride without this patch to-night, but itseems that I must carry it yet a little longer. " CHAPTER XXXVI. HOW SIR NIGEL TOOK THE PATCH FROM HIS EYE. It was a cold, bleak morning in the beginning of March, and the mist wasdrifting in dense rolling clouds through the passes of the Cantabrianmountains. The Company, who had passed the night in a sheltered gully, were already astir, some crowding round the blazing fires and othersromping or leaping over each other's backs for their limbs were chilledand the air biting. Here and there, through the dense haze whichsurrounded them, there loomed out huge pinnacles and jutting bouldersof rock: while high above the sea of vapor there towered up one giganticpeak, with the pink glow of the early sunshine upon its snow-cappedhead. The ground was wet, the rocks dripping, the grass and ever-greenssparkling with beads of moisture; yet the camp was loud with laughterand merriment, for a messenger had ridden in from the prince with wordsof heart-stirring praise for what they had done, and with orders thatthey should still abide in the forefront of the army. Round one of the fires were clustered four or five of the leading menof the archers, cleaning the rust from their weapons, and glancingimpatiently from time to time at a great pot which smoked over theblaze. There was Aylward squatting cross-legged in his shirt, while hescrubbed away at his chain-mail brigandine, whistling loudly the while. On one side of him sat old Johnston, who was busy in trimming thefeathers of some arrows to his liking; and on the other Hordle John, wholay with his great limbs all asprawl, and his headpiece balanced uponhis uplifted foot. Black Simon of Norwich crouched amid the rocks, crooning an Eastland ballad to himself, while he whetted his sword upona flat stone which lay across his knees; while beside him sat AlleyneEdricson, and Norbury, the silent squire of Sir Oliver, holding outtheir chilled hands towards the crackling faggots. "Cast on another culpon, John, and stir the broth with thysword-sheath, " growled Johnston, looking anxiously for the twentiethtime at the reeking pot. "By my hilt!" cried Aylward, "now that John hath come by this greatransom, he will scarce abide the fare of poor archer lads. How say you, camarade? When you see Hordle once more, there will be no penny ale andfat bacon, but Gascon wines and baked meats every day of the seven. " "I know not about that, " said John, kicking his helmet up into the airand catching it in his hand. "I do but know that whether the broth beready or no, I am about to dip this into it. " "It simmers and it boils, " cried Johnston, pushing his hard-lined facethrough the smoke. In an instant the pot had been plucked from theblaze, and its contents had been scooped up in half a dozen steelhead-pieces, which were balanced betwixt their owners' knees, while, with spoon and gobbet of bread, they devoured their morning meal. "It is ill weather for bows, " remarked John at last, when, with a longsigh, he drained the last drop from his helmet. "My strings are as limpas a cow's tail this morning. " "You should rub them with water glue, " quoth Johnston. "You remember, Samkin, that it was wetter than this on the morning of Crecy, and yet Icannot call to mind that there was aught amiss with our strings. " "It is in my thoughts, " said Black Simon, still pensively grinding hissword, "that we may have need of your strings ere sundown. I dreamed ofthe red cow last night. " "And what is this red cow, Simon?" asked Alleyne. "I know not, young sir; but I can only say that on the eve of Cadsand, and on the eve of Crecy, and on the eve of Nogent, I dreamed of a redcow; and now the dream has come upon me again, so I am now setting avery keen edge to my blade. " "Well said, old war-dog!" cried Aylward. "By my hilt! I pray that yourdream may come true, for the prince hath not set us out here to drinkbroth or to gather whortle-berries. One more fight, and I am ready tohang up my bow, marry a wife, and take to the fire corner. But how now, Robin? Whom is it that you seek?" "The Lord Loring craves your attendance in his tent, " said a youngarcher to Alleyne. The squire rose and proceeded to the pavilion, where he found the knightseated upon a cushion, with his legs crossed in front of him and a broadribbon of parchment laid across his knees, over which he was poring withfrowning brows and pursed lips. "It came this morning by the prince's messenger, " said he, "and wasbrought from England by Sir John Fallislee, who is new come from Sussex. What make you of this upon the outer side?" "It is fairly and clearly written, " Alleyne answered, "and it signifiesTo Sir Nigel Loring, Knight Constable of Twynham Castle, by the hand ofChristopher, the servant of God at the Priory of Christchurch. " "So I read it, " said Sir Nigel. "Now I pray you to read what is setforth within. " Alleyne turned to the letter, and, as his eyes rested upon it, his faceturned pale and a cry of surprise and grief burst from his lips. "What then?" asked the knight, peering up at him anxiously. "There isnought amiss with the Lady Mary or with the Lady Maude?" "It is my brother--my poor unhappy brother!" cried Alleyne, with hishand to his brow. "He is dead. " "By Saint Paul! I have never heard that he had shown so much love foryou that you should mourn him so. " "Yet he was my brother--the only kith or kin that I had upon earth. Mayhap he had cause to be bitter against me, for his land was given tothe abbey for my upbringing. Alas! alas! and I raised my staff againsthim when last we met! He has been slain--and slain, I fear, amidst crimeand violence. " "Ha!" said Sir Nigel. "Read on, I pray you. " "'God be with thee, my honored lord, and have thee in his holy keeping. The Lady Loring hath asked me to set down in writing what hath befallenat Twynham, and all that concerns the death of thy ill neighbor theSocman of Minstead. For when ye had left us, this evil man gatheredaround him all outlaws, villeins, and masterless men, until they werecome to such a force that they slew and scattered the king's men whowent against them. Then, coming forth from the woods, they laid siege tothy castle, and for two days they girt us in and shot hard against us, with such numbers as were a marvel to see. Yet the Lady Loring held theplace stoutly, and on the second day the Socman was slain--by his ownmen, as some think--so that we were delivered from their hands; forwhich praise be to all the saints, and more especially to the holyAnselm, upon whose feast it came to pass. The Lady Loring, and the LadyMaude, thy fair daughter, are in good health; and so also am I, save foran imposthume of the toe-joint, which hath been sent me for my sins. Mayall the saints preserve thee!'" "It was the vision of the Lady Tiphaine, " said Sir Nigel, after a pause. "Marked you not how she said that the leader was one with a yellowbeard, and how he fell before the gate. But how came it, Alleyne, thatthis woman, to whom all things are as crystal, and who hath not said oneword which has not come to pass, was yet so led astray as to say thatyour thoughts turned to Twynham Castle even more than my own?" "My fair lord, " said Alleyne, with a flush on his weather-stainedcheeks, "the Lady Tiphaine may have spoken sooth when she said it; forTwynham Castle is in my heart by day and in my dreams by night. " "Ha!" cried Sir Nigel, with a sidelong glance. "Yes, my fair lord; for indeed I love your daughter, the Lady Maude;and, unworthy as I am, I would give my heart's blood to serve her. " "By St. Paul! Edricson, " said the knight coldly, arching his eyebrows, "you aim high in this matter. Our blood is very old. " "And mine also is very old, " answered the squire. "And the Lady Maude is our single child. All our name and lands centreupon her. " "Alas! that I should say it, but I also am now the only Edricson. " "And why have I not heard this from you before, Alleyne? In sooth, Ithink that you have used me ill. " "Nay, my fair lord, say not so; for I know not whether your daughterloves me, and there is no pledge between us. " Sir Nigel pondered for a few moments, and then burst out a-laughing. "BySt. Paul!" said he, "I know not why I should mix in the matter; for I h look to her own affairs. Since first she could stamp her little foot, she hath ever been able to get that for which she craved; and if she sether heart on thee, Alleyne, and thou on her, I do not think that thisSpanish king, with his three-score thousand men, could hold you apart. Yet this I will say, that I would see you a full knight ere you go to mydaughter with words of love. I have ever said that a brave lance shouldwed her; and, by my soul! Edricson, if God spare you, I think that youwill acquit yourself well. But enough of such trifles, for we have ourwork before us, and it will be time to speak of this matter when we seethe white cliffs of England once more. Go to Sir William Felton, I prayyou, and ask him to come hither, for it is time that we were marching. There is no pass at the further end of the valley, and it is a perilousplace should an enemy come upon us. " Alleyne delivered his message, and then wandered forth from the camp, for his mind was all in a whirl with this unexpected news, and with histalk with Sir Nigel. Sitting upon a rock, with his burning brow restingupon his hands, he thought of his brother, of their quarrel, of the LadyMaude in her bedraggled riding-dress, of the gray old castle, of theproud pale face in the armory, and of the last fiery words with whichshe had sped him on his way. Then he was but a penniless, monk-bred lad, unknown and unfriended. Now he was himself Socman of Minstead, the headof an old stock, and the lord of an estate which, if reduced from itsformer size, was still ample to preserve the dignity of his family. Further, he had become a man of experience, was counted brave amongbrave men, had won the esteem and confidence of her father, and, aboveall, had been listened to by him when he told him the secret of hislove. As to the gaining of knighthood, in such stirring times it was nogreat matter for a brave squire of gentle birth to aspire to that honor. He would leave his bones among these Spanish ravines, or he would dosome deed which would call the eyes of men upon him. Alleyne was still seated on the rock, his griefs and his joys driftingswiftly over his mind like the shadow of clouds upon a sunlit meadow, when of a sudden he became conscious of a low, deep sound which camebooming up to him through the fog. Close behind him he could hear themurmur of the bowmen, the occasional bursts of hoarse laughter, and thechamping and stamping of their horses. Behind it all, however, came thatlow-pitched, deep-toned hum, which seemed to come from every quarter andto fill the whole air. In the old monastic days he remembered tohave heard such a sound when he had walked out one windy night atBucklershard, and had listened to the long waves breaking upon theshingly shore. Here, however, was neither wind nor sea, and yet the dullmurmur rose ever louder and stronger out of the heart of the rolling seaof vapor. He turned and ran to the camp, shouting an alarm at the top ofhis voice. It was but a hundred paces, and yet ere he had crossed it every bowmanwas ready at his horse's head, and the group of knights were out andlistening intently to the ominous sound. "It is a great body of horse, " said Sir William Felton, "and they areriding very swiftly hitherwards. " "Yet they must be from the prince's army, " remarked Sir Richard Causton, "for they come from the north. " "Nay, " said the Earl of Angus, "it is not so certain; for the peasantwith whom we spoke last night said that it was rumored that Don Tello, the Spanish king's brother, had ridden with six thousand chosen men tobeat up the prince's camp. It may be that on their backward road theyhave come this way. " "By St. Paul!" cried Sir Nigel, "I think that it is even as you say, forthat same peasant had a sour face and a shifting eye, as one who bore uslittle good will. I doubt not that he has brought these cavaliers uponus. " "But the mist covers us, " said Sir Simon Burley. "We have yet time toride through the further end of the pass. " "Were we a troop of mountain goats we might do so, " answered Sir WilliamFelton, "but it is not to be passed by a company of horsemen. If thesebe indeed Don Tello and his men, then we must bide where we are, and dowhat we can to make them rue the day that they found us in their path. " "Well spoken, William!" cried Sir Nigel, in high delight. "If there beso many as has been said, then there will be much honor to be gainedfrom them and every hope of advancement. But the sound has ceased, and Ifear that they have gone some other way. " "Or mayhap they have come to the mouth of the gorge, and are marshallingtheir ranks. Hush and hearken! for they are no great way from us. " The Company stood peering into the dense fog-wreath, amidst a silence soprofound that the dripping of the water from the rocks and the breathingof the horses grew loud upon the ear. Suddenly from out the sea of mistcame the shrill sound of a neigh, followed by a long blast upon a bugle. "It is a Spanish call, my fair lord, " said Black Simon. "It is used bytheir prickers and huntsmen when the beast hath not fled, but is stillin its lair. " "By my faith!" said Sir Nigel, smiling, "if they are in a humor forvenerie we may promise them some sport ere they sound the mort over us. But there is a hill in the centre of the gorge on which we might takeour stand. " "I marked it yester-night, " said Felton, "and no better spot could befound for our purpose, for it is very steep at the back. It is but abow-shot to the left, and, indeed, I can see the shadow of it. " The whole Company, leading their horses, passed across to the small hillwhich loomed in front of them out of the mist. It was indeed admirablydesigned for defence, for it sloped down in front, all jagged andboulder-strewn, while it fell away in a sheer cliff of a hundred feet ormore. On the summit was a small uneven plateau, with a stretch across ofa hundred paces, and a depth of half as much again. "Unloose the horses!" said Sir Nigel. "We have no space for them, and ifwe hold our own we shall have horses and to spare when this day's workis done. Nay, keep yours, my fair sirs, for we may have work for them. Aylward, Johnston, let your men form a harrow on either side of theridge. Sir Oliver and you, my Lord Angus, I give you the right wing, andthe left to you, Sir Simon, and to you, Sir Richard Causton. I and SirWilliam Felton will hold the centre with our men-at-arms. Now orderthe ranks, and fling wide the banners, for our souls are God's and ourbodies the king's, and our swords for Saint George and for England!" Sir Nigel had scarcely spoken when the mist seemed to thin in thevalley, and to shred away into long ragged clouds which trailed fromthe edges of the cliffs. The gorge in which they had camped was a merewedge-shaped cleft among the hills, three-quarters of a mile deep, withthe small rugged rising upon which they stood at the further end, andthe brown crags walling it in on three sides. As the mist parted, andthe sun broke through, it gleamed and shimmered with dazzling brightnessupon the armor and headpieces of a vast body of horsemen who stretchedacross the barranca from one cliff to the other, and extended backwardsuntil their rear guard were far out upon the plain beyond. Line afterline, and rank after rank, they choked the neck of the valley witha long vista of tossing pennons, twinkling lances, waving plumes andstreaming banderoles, while the curvets and gambades of the chargerslent a constant motion and shimmer to the glittering, many-colored mass. A yell of exultation, and a forest of waving steel through the lengthand breadth of their column, announced that they could at last see theirentrapped enemies, while the swelling notes of a hundred bugles anddrums, mixed with the clash of Moorish cymbals, broke forth into a proudpeal of martial triumph. Strange it was to these gallant and sparklingcavaliers of Spain to look upon this handful of men upon the hill, thethin lines of bowmen, the knots of knights and men-at-arms with armorrusted and discolored from long service, and to learn that these wereindeed the soldiers whose fame and prowess had been the camp-fire talkof every army in Christendom. Very still and silent they stood, leaningupon their bows, while their leaders took counsel together in front ofthem. No clang of bugle rose from their stern ranks, but in the centrewaved the leopards of England, on the right the ensign of their Companywith the roses of Loring, and on the left, over three score of Welshbowmen, there floated the red banner of Merlin with the boars'-heads ofthe Buttesthorns. Gravely and sedately they stood beneath the morningsun waiting for the onslaught of their foemen. "By Saint Paul!" said Sir Nigel, gazing with puckered eye down thevalley, "there appear to be some very worthy people among them. What isthis golden banner which waves upon the left?" "It is the ensign of the Knights of Calatrava, " answered Felton. "And the other upon the right?" "It marks the Knights of Santiago, and I see by his flag that theirgrand-master rides at their head. There too is the banner of Castileamid yonder sparkling squadron which heads the main battle. There aresix thousand men-at-arms with ten squadrons of slingers as far as I mayjudge their numbers. " "There are Frenchmen among them, my fair lord, " remarked Black Simon. "I can see the pennons of De Couvette, De Brieux, Saint Pol, and manyothers who struck in against us for Charles of Blois. " "You are right, " said Sir William, "for I can also see them. There ismuch Spanish blazonry also, if I could but read it. Don Diego, you knowthe arms of your own land. Who are they who have done us this honor?" The Spanish prisoner looked with exultant eyes upon the deep and serriedranks of his countrymen. "By Saint James!" said he, "if ye fall this day ye fall by no meanhands, for the flower of the knighthood of Castile ride under the bannerof Don Tello, with the chivalry of Asturias, Toledo, Leon, Cordova, Galicia, and Seville. I see the guidons of Albornez, Cacorla, Rodriguez, Tavora, with the two great orders, and the knights of France and ofAragon. If you will take my rede you will come to a composition withthem, for they will give you such terms as you have given me. " "Nay, by Saint Paul! it were pity if so many brave men were drawntogether, and no little deed of arms to come of it. Ha! William, theyadvance upon us; and, by my soul! it is a sight that is worth comingover the seas to see. " As he spoke, the two wings of the Spanish host, consisting of theKnights of Calatrava on the one side and of Santiago upon the other, came swooping swiftly down the valley, while the main body followed moreslowly behind. Five hundred paces from the English the two great bodiesof horse crossed each other, and, sweeping round in a curve, retiredin feigned confusion towards their centre. Often in bygone wars had theMoors tempted the hot-blooded Spaniards from their places of strength bysuch pretended flights, but there were men upon the hill to whom everyruse an trick of war were as their daily trade and practice. Again andeven nearer came the rallying Spaniards, and again with cry of fearand stooping bodies they swerved off to right and left, but the Englishstill stood stolid and observant among their rocks. The vanguard halteda long bow shot from the hill, and with waving spears and vauntingshouts challenged their enemies to come forth, while two cavaliers, pricking forward from the glittering ranks, walked their horses slowlybetween the two arrays with targets braced and lances in rest like thechallengers in a tourney. "By Saint Paul!" cried Sir Nigel, with his one eye glowing like anember, "these appear to be two very worthy and debonair gentlemen. I donot call to mind when I have seen any people who seemed of so great aheart and so high of enterprise. We have our horses, Sir William: shallwe not relieve them of any vow which they may have upon their souls?" Felton's reply was to bound upon his charger, and to urge it down theslope, while Sir Nigel followed not three spears'-lengths behind him. It was a rugged course, rocky and uneven, yet the two knights, choosingtheir men, dashed onwards at the top of their speed, while the gallantSpaniards flew as swiftly to meet them. The one to whom Felton foundhimself opposed was a tall stripling with a stag's head upon his shield, while Sir Nigel's man was broad and squat with plain steel harness, anda pink and white torse bound round his helmet. The first struck Feltonon the target with such force as to split it from side to side, but SirWilliam's lance crashed through the camail which shielded the Spaniard'sthroat, and he fell, screaming hoarsely, to the ground. Carried away bythe heat and madness of fight, the English knight never drew rein, butcharged straight on into the array of the knights of Calatrava. Longtime the silent ranks upon the hill could see a swirl and eddy deep downin the heart of the Spanish column, with a circle of rearing chargersand flashing blades. Here and there tossed the white plume of theEnglish helmet, rising and falling like the foam upon a wave, with thefierce gleam and sparkle ever circling round it until at last it hadsunk from view, and another brave man had turned from war to peace. Sir Nigel, meanwhile, had found a foeman worthy of his steel for hisopponent was none other than Sebastian Gomez, the picked lance ofthe monkish Knights of Santiago, who had won fame in a hundred bloodycombats with the Moors of Andalusia. So fierce was their meeting thattheir spears shivered up to the very grasp, and the horses rearedbackwards until it seemed that they must crash down upon their riders. Yet with consummate horsemanship they both swung round in a long curvet, and then plucking out their swords they lashed at each other like twolusty smiths hammering upon an anvil. The chargers spun round eachother, biting and striking, while the two blades wheeled and whizzed andcircled in gleams of dazzling light. Cut, parry, and thrust followedso swiftly upon each other that the eye could not follow them, until atlast coming thigh to thigh, they cast their arms around each otherand rolled off their saddles to the ground. The heavier Spaniard threwhimself upon his enemy, and pinning him down beneath him raised hissword to slay him, while a shout of triumph rose from the ranks of hiscountrymen. But the fatal blow never fell, for even as his arm quiveredbefore descending, the Spaniard gave a shudder, and stiffening himselfrolled heavily over upon his side, with the blood gushing from hisarmpit and from the slit of his vizor. Sir Nigel sprang to his feet withhis bloody dagger in his left hand and gazed down upon his adversary, but that fatal and sudden stab in the vital spot, which the Spaniard hadexposed by raising his arm, had proved instantly mortal. The Englishmanleaped upon his horse and made for the hill, at the very instant that ayell of rage from a thousand voices and the clang of a score of buglesannounced the Spanish onset. But the islanders were ready and eager for the encounter. With feetfirmly planted, their sleeves rolled back to give free play to theirmuscles, their long yellow bow-staves in their left hands, and theirquivers slung to the front, they had waited in the four-deep harrowformation which gave strength to their array, and yet permitted everyman to draw his arrow freely without harm to those in front. Aylward andJohnston had been engaged in throwing light tufts of grass into the airto gauge the wind force, and a hoarse whisper passed down the ranks fromthe file-leaders to the men, with scraps of advice and admonition. "Do not shoot outside the fifteen-score paces, " cried Johnston. "We mayneed all our shafts ere we have done with them. " "Better to overshoot than to undershoot, " added Aylward. "Better tostrike the rear guard than to feather a shaft in the earth. " "Loose quick and sharp when they come, " added another. "Let it be theeye to the string, the string to the shaft, and the shaft to the mark. By Our Lady! their banners advance, and we must hold our ground now ifever we are to see Southampton Water again. " Alleyne, standing with his sword drawn amidst the archers, saw a longtoss and heave of the glittering squadrons. Then the front ranks beganto surge slowly forward, to trot, to canter, to gallop, and in aninstant the whole vast array was hurtling onward, line after line, theair full of the thunder of their cries, the ground shaking with the beatof their hoots, the valley choked with the rushing torrent of steel, topped by the waving plumes, the slanting spears and the flutteringbanderoles. On they swept over the level and up to the slope, ere theymet the blinding storm of the English arrows. Down went the whole ranksin a whirl of mad confusion, horses plunging and kicking, bewildered menfalling, rising, staggering on or back, while ever new lines of horsemencame spurring through the gaps and urged their chargers up the fatalslope. All around him Alleyne could hear the stern, short orders of themaster-bowmen, while the air was filled with the keen twanging of thestrings and the swish and patter of the shafts. Right across the footof the hill there had sprung up a long wall of struggling horses andstricken men, which ever grew and heightened as fresh squadrons pouredon the attack. One young knight on a gray jennet leaped over his fallencomrades and galloped swiftly up the hill, shrieking loudly upon SaintJames, ere he fell within a spear-length of the English line, with thefeathers of arrows thrusting out from every crevice and joint of hisarmor. So for five long minutes the gallant horsemen of Spain and ofFrance strove ever and again to force a passage, until the wailingnote of a bugle called them back, and they rode slowly out of bow-shot, leaving their best and their bravest in the ghastly, blood-mottled heapbehind them. But there was little rest for the victors. Whilst the knights hadcharged them in front the slingers had crept round upon either flank andhad gained a footing upon the cliffs and behind the outlying rocks. A storm of stones broke suddenly upon the defenders, who, drawn up inlines upon the exposed summit, offered a fair mark to their hiddenfoes. Johnston, the old archer, was struck upon the temple and fell deadwithout a groan, while fifteen of his bowmen and six of the men-at-armswere struck down at the same moment. The others lay on their faces toavoid the deadly hail, while at each side of the plateau a fringe ofbowmen exchanged shots with the slingers and crossbowmen among therocks, aiming mainly at those who had swarmed up the cliffs, andbursting into laughter and cheers when a well-aimed shaft brought one oftheir opponents toppling down from his lofty perch. "I think, Nigel, " said Sir Oliver, striding across to the little knight, "that we should all acquit ourselves better had we our none-meat, forthe sun is high in the heaven. " "By Saint Paul!" quoth Sir Nigel, plucking the patch from his eye, "I think that I am now clear of my vow, for this Spanish knight was aperson from whom much honor might be won. Indeed, he was a very worthygentleman, of good courage, and great hardiness, and it grieves me thathe should have come by such a hurt. As to what you say of food, Oliver, it is not to be thought of, for we have nothing with us upon the hill. " "Nigel!" cried Sir Simon Burley, hurrying up with consternation upon hisface, "Aylward tells me that there are not ten-score arrows left in alltheir sheaves. See! they are springing from their horses, and cuttingtheir sollerets that they may rush upon us. Might we not even now make aretreat?" "My soul will retreat from my body first!" cried the little knight. "Here I am, and here I bide, while God gives me strength to lift asword. " "And so say I!" shouted Sir Oliver, throwing his mace high into the airand catching it again by the handle. "To your arms, men!" roared Sir Nigel. "Shoot while you may, and thenout sword, and let us live or die together!" CHAPTER XXXVII. HOW THE WHITE COMPANY CAME TO BE DISBANDED. Then up rose from the hill in the rugged Cantabrian valley a sound suchas had not been heard in those parts before, nor was again, untilthe streams which rippled amid the rocks had been frozen by over fourhundred winters and thawed by as many returning springs. Deep and fulland strong it thundered down the ravine, the fierce battle-call of awarrior race, the last stern welcome to whoso should join with them inthat world-old game where the stake is death. Thrice it swelled forthand thrice it sank away, echoing and reverberating amidst the crags. Then, with set faces, the Company rose up among the storm of stones, and looked down upon the thousands who sped swiftly up the slope againstthem. Horse and spear had been set aside, but on foot, with sword andbattle-axe, their broad shields slung in front of them, the chivalry ofSpain rushed to the attack. And now arose a struggle so fell, so long, so evenly sustained, that even now the memory of it is handed down amongst the Cantabrianmountaineers and the ill-omened knoll is still pointed out by fathersto their children as the "Altura de los Inglesos, " where the men fromacross the sea fought the great fight with the knights of the south. Thelast arrow was quickly shot, nor could the slingers hurl their stones, so close were friend and foe. From side to side stretched the thin lineof the English, lightly armed and quick-footed, while against it stormedand raged the pressing throng of fiery Spaniards and of gallant Bretons. The clink of crossing sword-blades, the dull thudding of heavy blows, the panting and gasping of weary and wounded men, all rose together ina wild, long-drawn note, which swelled upwards to the ears of thewondering peasants who looked down from the edges of the cliffs upon theswaying turmoil of the battle beneath them. Back and forward reeled theleopard banner, now borne up the slope by the rush and weight of theonslaught, now pushing downwards again as Sir Nigel, Burley, and BlackSimon with their veteran men-at arms, flung themselves madly into thefray. Alleyne, at his lord's right hand, found himself swept hither andthither in the desperate struggle, exchanging savage thrusts one instantwith a Spanish cavalier, and the next torn away by the whirl of men anddashed up against some new antagonist. To the right Sir Oliver, Aylward, Hordle John, and the bowmen of the Company fought furiously against themonkish Knights of Santiago, who were led up the hill by their prior--agreat, deep-chested man, who wore a brown monastic habit over his suitof mail. Three archers he slew in three giant strokes, but Sir Oliverflung his arms round him, and the two, staggering and straining, reeledbackwards and fell, locked in each other's grasp, over the edge of thesteep cliff which flanked the hill. In vain his knights stormed andraved against the thin line which barred their path: the sword ofAylward and the great axe of John gleamed in the forefront of the battleand huge jagged pieces of rock, hurled by the strong arms of the bowmen, crashed and hurtled amid their ranks. Slowly they gave back down thehill, the archers still hanging upon their skirts, with a long litter ofwrithing and twisted figures to mark the course which they had taken. Atthe same instant the Welshmen upon the left, led on by the Scotch earl, had charged out from among the rocks which sheltered them, and by thefury of their outfall had driven the Spaniards in front of them inheadlong flight down the hill. In the centre only things seemed to begoing ill with the defenders. Black Simon was down--dying, as he wouldwish to have died, like a grim old wolf in its lair with a ring of hisslain around him. Twice Sir Nigel had been overborne, and twice Alleynehad fought over him until he had staggered to his feet once more. Burley lay senseless, stunned by a blow from a mace, and half of themen-at-arms lay littered upon the ground around him. Sir Nigel's shieldwas broken, his crest shorn, his armor cut and smashed, and the vizortorn from his helmet; yet he sprang hither and thither with lightfoot and ready hand, engaging two Bretons and a Spaniard at the sameinstant--thrusting, stooping, dashing in, springing out--while Alleynestill fought by his side, stemming with a handful of men the fierce tidewhich surged up against them. Yet it would have fared ill with themhad not the archers from either side closed in upon the flanks of theattackers, and pressed them very slowly and foot by foot down the longslope, until they were on the plain once more, where their fellows werealready rallying for a fresh assault. But terrible indeed was the cost at which the last had been repelled. Of the three hundred and seventy men who had held the crest, one hundredand seventy-two were left standing, many of whom were sorely wounded andweak from loss of blood. Sir Oliver Buttesthorn, Sir Richard Causton, Sir Simon Burley, Black Simon, Johnston, a hundred and fifty archers, and forty-seven men-at-arms had fallen, while the pitiless hail ofstones was already whizzing and piping once more about their ears, threatening every instant to further reduce their numbers. Sir Nigel looked about him at his shattered ranks, and his face flushedwith a soldier's pride. "By St. Paul!" he cried, "I have fought in many a little bickering, butnever one that I would be more loth to have missed than this. But youare wounded, Alleyne?" "It is nought, " answered his squire, stanching the blood which drippedfrom a sword-cut across his forehead. "These gentlemen of Spain seem to be most courteous and worthy people. Isee that they are already forming to continue this debate with us. Formup the bowmen two deep instead of four. By my faith! some very brave menhave gone from among us. Aylward, you are a trusty soldier, for allthat your shoulder has never felt accolade, nor your heels worn the goldspurs. Do you take charge of the right; I will hold the centre, and you, my Lord of Angus, the left. " "Ho! for Sir Samkin Aylward!" cried a rough voice among the archers, anda roar of laughter greeted their new leader. "By my hilt!" said the old bowman, "I never thought to lead a wing in astricken field. Stand close, camarades, for, by these finger-bones! wemust play the man this day. " "Come hither, Alleyne, " said Sir Nigel, walking back to the edge of thecliff which formed the rear of their position. "And you, Norbury, " hecontinued, beckoning to the squire of Sir Oliver, "do you also comehere. " The two squires hurried across to him, and the three stood looking downinto the rocky ravine which lay a hundred and fifty feet beneath them. "The prince must hear of how things are with us, " said the knight. "Another onfall we may withstand, but they are many and we are few, sothat the time must come when we can no longer form line across the hill. Yet if help were brought us we might hold the crest until it comes. Seeyonder horses which stray among the rocks beneath us?" "I see them, my fair lord. " "And see yonder path which winds along the hill upon the further end ofthe valley?" "I see it. " "Were you on those horses, and riding up yonder track, steep and roughas it is, I think that ye might gain the valley beyond. Then on to theprince, and tell him how we fare. " "But, my fair lord, how can we hope to reach the horses?" asked Norbury. "Ye cannot go round to them, for they would be upon ye ere ye could cometo them. Think ye that ye have heart enough to clamber down this cliff?" "Had we but a rope. " "There is one here. It is but one hundred feet long, and for the rest yemust trust to God and to your fingers. Can you try it, Alleyne?" "With all my heart, my dear lord, but how can I leave you in such astrait?" "Nay, it is to serve me that ye go. And you, Norbury?" The silent squire said nothing, but he took up the rope, and, havingexamined it, he tied one end firmly round a projecting rock. Then hecast off his breast-plate, thigh pieces, and greaves, while Alleynefollowed his example. "Tell Chandos, or Calverley, or Knolles, should the prince have goneforward, " cried Sir Nigel. "Now may God speed ye, for ye are brave andworthy men. " It was, indeed, a task which might make the heart of the bravest sinkwithin him. The thin cord dangling down the face of the brown cliffseemed from above to reach little more than half-way down it. Beyondstretched the rugged rock, wet and shining, with a green tuft here andthere thrusting out from it, but little sign of ridge or foothold. Farbelow the jagged points of the boulders bristled up, dark and menacing. Norbury tugged thrice with all his strength upon the cord, and thenlowered himself over the edge, while a hundred anxious faces peered overat him as he slowly clambered downwards to the end of the rope. Twice hestretched out his foot, and twice he failed to reach the point at whichhe aimed, but even as he swung himself for a third effort a stone froma sling buzzed like a wasp from amid the rocks and struck him full uponthe side of his head. His grasp relaxed, his feet slipped, and inan instant he was a crushed and mangled corpse upon the sharp ridgesbeneath him. "If I have no better fortune, " said Alleyne, leading Sir Nigel aside. "Ipray you, my dear lord, that you will give my humble service to the LadyMaude, and say to her that I was ever her true servant and most unworthycavalier. " The old knight said no word, but he put a hand on either shoulder, andkissed his squire, with the tears shining in his eyes. Alleyne sprang tothe rope, and sliding swiftly down, soon found himself at its extremity. From above it seemed as though rope and cliff were well-nigh touching, but now, when swinging a hundred feet down, the squire found that hecould scarce reach the face of the rock with his foot, and that it wasas smooth as glass, with no resting-place where a mouse could stand. Some three feet lower, however, his eye lit upon a long jagged crackwhich slanted downwards, and this he must reach if he would save notonly his own poor life, but that of the eight-score men above him. Yetit were madness to spring for that narrow slit with nought but the wet, smooth rock to cling to. He swung for a moment, full of thought, andeven as he hung there another of the hellish stones sang through hiscurls, and struck a chip from the face of the cliff. Up he clambereda few feet, drew up the loose end after him, unslung his belt, held onwith knee and with elbow while he spliced the long, tough leathern beltto the end of the cord: then lowering himself as far as he could go, heswung backwards and forwards until his hand reached the crack, when heleft the rope and clung to the face of the cliff. Another stone struckhim on the side, and he heard a sound like a breaking stick, with a keenstabbing pain which shot through his chest. Yet it was no time now tothink of pain or ache. There was his lord and his eight-score comrades, and they must be plucked from the jaws of death. On he clambered, withhis hand shuffling down the long sloping crack, sometimes bearing allhis weight upon his arms, at others finding some small shelf or tufton which to rest his foot. Would he never pass over that fifty feet? Hedared not look down and could but grope slowly onwards, his face tothe cliff, his fingers clutching, his feet scraping and feeling for asupport. Every vein and crack and mottling of that face of rock remainedforever stamped upon his memory. At last, however, his foot came upona broad resting-place and he ventured to cast a glance downwards. ThankGod! he had reached the highest of those fatal pinnacles upon which hiscomrade had fallen. Quickly now he sprang from rock to rock until hisfeet were on the ground, and he had his hand stretched out for thehorse's rein, when a sling-stone struck him on the head, and he droppedsenseless upon the ground. An evil blow it was for Alleyne, but a worse one still for him whostruck it. The Spanish slinger, seeing the youth lie slain, and judgingfrom his dress that he was no common man, rushed forward to plunder him, knowing well that the bowmen above him had expended their last shaft. He was still three paces, however, from his victim's side when Johnupon the cliff above plucked up a huge boulder, and, poising it foran instant, dropped it with fatal aim upon the slinger beneath him. Itstruck upon his shoulder, and hurled him, crushed and screaming, to theground, while Alleyne, recalled to his senses by these shrill cries inhis very ear, staggered on to his feet, and gazed wildly about him. Hiseyes fell upon the horses, grazing upon the scanty pasture, and in aninstant all had come back to him--his mission, his comrades, the needfor haste. He was dizzy, sick, faint, but he must not die, and he mustnot tarry, for his life meant many lives that day. In an instant hewas in his saddle and spurring down the valley. Loud rang the swiftcharger's hoofs over rock and reef, while the fire flew from the strokeof iron, and the loose stones showered up behind him. But his head waswhirling round, the blood was gushing from his brow, his temple, hismouth. Ever keener and sharper was the deadly pain which shot like ared-hot arrow through his side. He felt that his eye was glazing, hissenses slipping from him, his grasp upon the reins relaxing. Then withone mighty effort, he called up all his strength for a single minute. Stooping down, he loosened the stirrup-straps, bound his knees tightlyto his saddle-flaps, twisted his hands in the bridle, and then, puttingthe gallant horse's head for the mountain path, he dashed the spursin and fell forward fainting with his face buried in the coarse, blackmane. Little could he ever remember of that wild ride. Half conscious, butever with the one thought beating in his mind, he goaded the horseonwards, rushing swiftly down steep ravines over huge boulders, alongthe edges of black abysses. Dim memories he had of beetling cliffs, of agroup of huts with wondering faces at the doors, of foaming, clatteringwater, and of a bristle of mountain beeches. Once, ere he had riddenfar, he heard behind him three deep, sullen shouts, which told him thathis comrades had set their faces to the foe once more. Then all wasblank, until he woke to find kindly blue English eyes peering down uponhim and to hear the blessed sound of his country's speech. They were buta foraging party--a hundred archers and as many men-at-arms--but theirleader was Sir Hugh Calverley, and he was not a man to bide idle whengood blows were to be had not three leagues from him. A scout was sentflying with a message to the camp, and Sir Hugh, with his two hundredmen, thundered off to the rescue. With them went Alleyne, still bound tohis saddle, still dripping with blood, and swooning and recovering, andswooning once again. On they rode, and on, until, at last, topping aridge, they looked down upon the fateful valley. Alas! and alas! for thesight that met their eyes. There, beneath them, was the blood-bathed hill, and from the highestpinnacle there flaunted the yellow and white banner with the lions andthe towers of the royal house of Castile. Up the long slope rushed ranksand ranks of men exultant, shouting, with waving pennons and brandishedarms. Over the whole summit were dense throngs of knights, with no enemythat could be seen to face them, save only that at one corner of theplateau an eddy and swirl amid the crowded mass seemed to show that allresistance was not yet at an end. At the sight a deep groan of rage andof despair went up from the baffled rescuers, and, spurring on theirhorses, they clattered down the long and winding path which led to thevalley beneath. But they were too late to avenge, as they had been too late to save. Long ere they could gain the level ground, the Spaniards, seeing themriding swiftly amid the rocks, and being ignorant of their numbers, drewoff from the captured hill, and, having secured their few prisoners, rode slowly in a long column, with drum-beating and cymbal-clashing, outof the valley. Their rear ranks were already passing out of sight erethe new-comers were urging their panting, foaming horses up the slopewhich had been the scene of that long drawn and bloody fight. And a fearsome sight it was that met their eyes! Across the lower endlay the dense heap of men and horses where the first arrow-storm hadburst. Above, the bodies of the dead and the dying--French, Spanish, andAragonese--lay thick and thicker, until they covered the whole groundtwo and three deep in one dreadful tangle of slaughter. Above them laythe Englishmen in their lines, even as they had stood, and higher yetupon the plateau a wild medley of the dead of all nations, where thelast deadly grapple had left them. In the further corner, under theshadow of a great rock, there crouched seven bowmen, with great Johnin the centre of them--all wounded, weary, and in sorry case, but stillunconquered, with their blood-stained weapons waving and their voicesringing a welcome to their countrymen. Alleyne rode across to John, while Sir Hugh Calverley followed close behind him. "By Saint George!" cried Sir Hugh, "I have never seen signs of so sterna fight, and I am right glad that we have been in time to save you. " "You have saved more than us, " said John, pointing to the banner whichleaned against the rock behind him. "You have done nobly, " cried the old free companion, gazing with asoldier's admiration at the huge frame and bold face of the archer. "Butwhy is it, my good fellow, that you sit upon this man. " "By the rood! I had forgot him, " John answered, rising and draggingfrom under him no less a person than the Spanish caballero, Don DiegoAlvarez. "This man, my fair lord, means to me a new house, ten cows, one bull--if it be but a little one--a grindstone, and I know not whatbesides; so that I thought it well to sit upon him, lest he should takea fancy to leave me. " "Tell me, John, " cried Alleyne faintly: "where is my dear lord, SirNigel Loring?" "He is dead, I fear. I saw them throw his body across a horse and rideaway with it, but I fear the life had gone from him. " "Now woe worth me! And where is Aylward?" "He sprang upon a riderless horse and rode after Sir Nigel to save him. I saw them throng around him, and he is either taken or slain. " "Blow the bugles!" cried Sir Hugh, with a scowling brow. "We must backto camp, and ere three days I trust that we may see these Spaniardsagain. I would fain have ye all in my company. " "We are of the White Company, my fair lord, " said John. "Nay, the White Company is here disbanded, " answered Sir Hugh solemnly, looking round him at the lines of silent figures, "Look to the bravesquire, for I fear that he will never see the sun rise again. " CHAPTER XXXVIII. OF THE HOME-COMING TO HAMPSHIRE. It was a bright July morning four months after that fatal fight in theSpanish barranca. A blue heaven stretched above, a green rolling plainundulated below, intersected with hedge-rows and flecked with grazingsheep. The sun was yet low in the heaven, and the red cows stood in thelong shadow of the elms, chewing the cud and gazing with great vacanteyes at two horsemen who were spurring it down the long white road whichdipped and curved away back to where the towers and pinnacles beneaththe flat-topped hill marked the old town of Winchester. Of the riders one was young, graceful, and fair, clad in plain doubletand hosen of blue Brussels cloth, which served to show his active andwell-knit figure. A flat velvet cap was drawn forward to keep the glarefrom his eyes, and he rode with lips compressed and anxious face, as onewho has much care upon his mind. Young as he was, and peaceful aswas his dress, the dainty golden spurs which twinkled upon his heelsproclaimed his knighthood, while a long seam upon his brow and ascar upon his temple gave a manly grace to his refined and delicatecountenance. His comrade was a large, red-headed man upon a great blackhorse, with a huge canvas bag slung from his saddle-bow, which jingledand clinked with every movement of his steed. His broad, brown face waslighted up by a continual smile, and he looked slowly from side toside with eyes which twinkled and shone with delight. Well might Johnrejoice, for was he not back in his native Hampshire, had he not DonDiego's five thousand crowns rasping against his knee, and above all washe not himself squire now to Sir Alleyne Edricson, the young Socman ofMinstead lately knighted by the sword of the Black Prince himself, andesteemed by the whole army as one of the most rising of the soldiers ofEngland. For the last stand of the Company had been told throughout Christendomwherever a brave deed of arms was loved, and honors had flowed in uponthe few who had survived it. For two months Alleyne had wavered betwixtdeath and life, with a broken rib and a shattered head; yet youth andstrength and a cleanly life were all upon his side, and he awoke fromhis long delirium to find that the war was over, that the Spaniardsand their allies had been crushed at Navaretta, and that the prince hadhimself heard the tale of his ride for succor and had come in person tohis bedside to touch his shoulder with his sword and to insure that sobrave and true a man should die, if he could not live, within the orderof chivalry. The instant that he could set foot to ground Alleyne hadstarted in search of his lord, but no word could he hear of him, deador alive, and he had come home now sad-hearted, in the hope of raisingmoney upon his estates and so starting upon his quest once more. Landingat London, he had hurried on with a mind full of care, for he had heardno word from Hampshire since the short note which had announced hisbrother's death. "By the rood!" cried John, looking around him exultantly, "where have weseen since we left such noble cows, such fleecy sheep, grass so green, or a man so drunk as yonder rogue who lies in the gap of the hedge?" "Ah, John, " Alleyne answered wearily, "it is well for you, but I neverthought that my home-coming would be so sad a one. My heart is heavy formy dear lord and for Aylward, and I know not how I may break the news tothe Lady Mary and to the Lady Maude, if they have not yet had tidings ofit. " John gave a groan which made the horses shy. "It is indeed a blackbusiness, " said he. "But be not sad, for I shall give half these crownsto my old mother, and half will I add to the money which you may have, and so we shall buy that yellow cog wherein we sailed to Bordeaux, andin it we shall go forth and seek Sir Nigel. " Alleyne smiled, but shook his head. "Were he alive we should have hadword of him ere now, " said he. "But what is this town before us?" "Why, it is Romsey!" cried John. "See the tower of the old gray church, and the long stretch of the nunnery. But here sits a very holy man, andI shall give him a crown for his prayers. " Three large stones formed a rough cot by the roadside, and beside it, basking in the sun, sat the hermit, with clay-colored face, dull eyes, and long withered hands. With crossed ankles and sunken head, he satas though all his life had passed out of him, with the beads slippingslowly through his thin, yellow fingers. Behind him lay the narrow cell, clay-floored and damp, comfortless, profitless and sordid. Beyond itthere lay amid the trees the wattle-and-daub hut of a laborer, thedoor open, and the single room exposed to the view. The man ruddy andyellow-haired, stood leaning upon the spade wherewith he had been atwork upon the garden patch. From behind him came the ripple of a happywoman's laughter, and two young urchins darted forth from the hut, bare-legged and towsy, while the mother, stepping out, laid her handupon her husband's arm and watched the gambols of the children. Thehermit frowned at the untoward noise which broke upon his prayers, buthis brow relaxed as he looked upon the broad silver piece which Johnheld out to him. "There lies the image of our past and of our future, " cried Alleyne, asthey rode on upon their way. "Now, which is better, to till God's earth, to have happy faces round one's knee, and to love and be loved, orto sit forever moaning over one's own soul, like a mother over a sickbabe?" "I know not about that, " said John, "for it casts a great cloud over mewhen I think of such matters. But I know that my crown was well spent, for the man had the look of a very holy person. As to the other, therewas nought holy about him that I could see, and it would be cheaper forme to pray for myself than to give a crown to one who spent his days indigging for lettuces. " Ere Alleyne could answer there swung round the curve of the road alady's carriage drawn by three horses abreast with a postilion uponthe outer one. Very fine and rich it was, with beams painted and gilt, wheels and spokes carved in strange figures, and over all an archedcover of red and white tapestry. Beneath its shade there sat a stoutand elderly lady in a pink cote-hardie, leaning back among a pile ofcushions, and plucking out her eyebrows with a small pair of silvertweezers. None could seem more safe and secure and at her ease than thislady, yet here also was a symbol of human life, for in an instant, evenas Alleyne reined aside to let the carriage pass, a wheel flew outfrom among its fellows, and over it all toppled--carving, tapestryand gilt--in one wild heap, with the horses plunging, the postilionshouting, and the lady screaming from within. In an instant Alleyne andJohn were on foot, and had lifted her forth all in a shake with fear, but little the worse for her mischance. "Now woe worth me!" she cried, "and ill fall on Michael Easover ofRomsey! for I told him that the pin was loose, and yet he must needsgainsay me, like the foolish daffe that he is. " "I trust that you have taken no hurt, my fair lady, " said Alleyne, conducting her to the bank, upon which John had already placed acushion. "Nay, I have had no scath, though I have lost my silver tweezers. Now, lack-a-day! did God ever put breath into such a fool as Michael Easoverof Romsey? But I am much beholden to you, gentle sirs. Soldiers ye are, as one may readily see. I am myself a soldier's daughter, " she added, casting a somewhat languishing glance at John, "and my heart ever goesout to a brave man. " "We are indeed fresh from Spain, " quoth Alleyne. "From Spain, say you? Ah! it was an ill and sorry thing that so manyshould throw away the lives that Heaven gave them. In sooth, it is badfor those who fall, but worse for those who bide behind. I have but nowbid farewell to one who hath lost all in this cruel war. " "And how that, lady?" "She is a young damsel of these parts, and she goes now into a nunnery. Alack! it is not a year since she was the fairest maid from Avon toItchen, and now it was more than I could abide to wait at Romsey Nunneryto see her put the white veil upon her face, for she was made for a wifeand not for the cloister. Did you ever, gentle sir, hear of a body ofmen called 'The White Company' over yonder?" "Surely so, " cried both the comrades. "Her father was the leader of it, and her lover served under him assquire. News hath come that not one of the Company was left alive, andso, poor lamb, she hath----" "Lady!" cried Alleyne, with catching breath, "is it the Lady MaudeLoring of whom you speak?" "It is, in sooth. " "Maude! And in a nunnery! Did, then, the thought of her father's deathso move her?" "Her father!" cried the lady, smiling. "Nay; Maude is a good daughter, but I think it was this young golden-haired squire of whom I have heardwho has made her turn her back upon the world. " "And I stand talking here!" cried Alleyne wildly. "Come, John, come!" Rushing to his horse, he swung himself into the saddle, and was off downthe road in a rolling cloud of dust as fast as his good steed could bearhim. Great had been the rejoicing amid the Romsey nuns when the Lady MaudeLoring had craved admission into their order--for was she not sole childand heiress of the old knight, with farms and fiefs which she couldbring to the great nunnery? Long and earnest had been the talks of thegaunt lady abbess, in which she had conjured the young novice to turnforever from the world, and to rest her bruised heart under the broadand peaceful shelter of the church. And now, when all was settled, andwhen abbess and lady superior had had their will, it was but fittingthat some pomp and show should mark the glad occasion. Hence was it thatthe good burghers of Romsey were all in the streets, that gay flags andflowers brightened the path from the nunnery to the church, and that along procession wound up to the old arched door leading up the bride tothese spiritual nuptials. There was lay-sister Agatha with the high goldcrucifix, and the three incense-bearers, and the two-and-twenty garbedin white, who cast flowers upon either side of them and sang sweetly thewhile. Then, with four attendants, came the novice, her drooping headwreathed with white blossoms, and, behind, the abbess and her council ofolder nuns, who were already counting in their minds whether their ownbailiff could manage the farms of Twynham, or whether a reeve would beneeded beneath him, to draw the utmost from these new possessions whichthis young novice was about to bring them. But alas! for plots and plans when love and youth and nature, and aboveall, fortune are arrayed against them. Who is this travel-stained youthwho dares to ride so madly through the lines of staring burghers? Whydoes he fling himself from his horse and stare so strangely abouthim? See how he has rushed through the incense-bearers, thrust asidelay-sister Agatha, scattered the two-and-twenty damosels who sang sosweetly--and he stands before the novice with his hands out-stretched, and his face shining, and the light of love in his gray eyes. Her footis on the very lintel of the church, and yet he bars the way--and she, she thinks no more of the wise words and holy rede of the lady abbess, but she hath given a sobbing cry and hath fallen forward with his armsaround her drooping body and her wet cheek upon his breast. A sorrysight this for the gaunt abbess, an ill lesson too for the stainlesstwo-and-twenty who have ever been taught that the way of nature is theway of sin. But Maude and Alleyne care little for this. A dank, coldair comes out from the black arch before them. Without, the sun shinesbright and the birds are singing amid the ivy on the drooping beeches. Their choice is made, and they turn away hand-in-hand, with their backsto the darkness and their faces to the light. Very quiet was the wedding in the old priory church at Christchurch, where Father Christopher read the service, and there were few to seesave the Lady Loring and John, and a dozen bowmen from the castle. TheLady of Twynham had drooped and pined for weary months, so that her facewas harsher and less comely than before, yet she still hoped on, for herlord had come through so many dangers that she could scarce believe thathe might be stricken down at last. It had been her wish to start forSpain and to search for him, but Alleyne had persuaded her to let himgo in her place. There was much to look after, now that the lands ofMinstead were joined to those of Twynham, and Alleyne had promised herthat if she would but bide with his wife he would never come back toHampshire again until he had gained some news, good or ill, of her lordand lover. The yellow cog had been engaged, with Goodwin Hawtayne in command, and amonth after the wedding Alleyne rode down to Bucklershard to see if shehad come round yet from Southampton. On the way he passed the fishingvillage of Pitt's Deep, and marked that a little creyer or brig wastacking off the land, as though about to anchor there. On his way back, as he rode towards the village, he saw that she had indeed anchored, andthat many boats were round her, bearing cargo to the shore. A bow-shot from Pitt's Deep there was an inn a little back from theroad, very large and wide-spread, with a great green bush hung upon apole from one of the upper windows. At this window he marked, as he rodeup, that a man was seated who appeared to be craning his neck in hisdirection. Alleyne was still looking up at him, when a woman camerushing from the open door of the inn, and made as though she wouldclimb a tree, looking back the while with a laughing face. Wonderingwhat these doings might mean, Alleyne tied his horse to a tree, andwas walking amid the trunks towards the inn, when there shot from theentrance a second woman who made also for the trees. Close at her heelscame a burly, brown-faced man, who leaned against the door-post andlaughed loudly with his hand to his side, "Ah, mes belles!" he cried, "and is it thus you treat me? Ah, mes petites! I swear by thesefinger-bones that I would not hurt a hair of your pretty heads; but Ihave been among the black paynim, and, by my hilt! it does me good tolook at your English cheeks. Come, drink a stoup of muscadine with me, mes anges, for my heart is warm to be among ye again. " At the sight of the man Alleyne had stood staring, but at the sound ofhis voice such a thrill of joy bubbled up in his heart that he hadto bite his lip to keep himself from shouting outright. But a deeperpleasure yet was in store. Even as he looked, the window above waspushed outwards, and the voice of the man whom he had seen there cameout from it. "Aylward, " cried the voice, "I have seen just now a veryworthy person come down the road, though my eyes could scarce discernwhether he carried coat-armor. I pray you to wait upon him and tell himthat a very humble knight of England abides here, so that if he be inneed of advancement, or have any small vow upon his soul, or desire toexalt his lady, I may help him to accomplish it. " Aylward at this order came shuffling forward amid the trees, and in aninstant the two men were clinging in each other's arms, laughing andshouting and patting each other in their delight; while old Sir Nigelcame running with his sword, under the impression that some smallbickering had broken out, only to embrace and be embraced himself, until all three were hoarse with their questions and outcries andcongratulations. On their journey home through the woods Alleyne learnt theirwondrous story: how, when Sir Nigel came to his senses, he with hisfellow-captive had been hurried to the coast, and conveyed by sea totheir captor's castle; how upon the way they had been taken by a Barbaryrover, and how they exchanged their light captivity for a seat on agalley bench and hard labor at the pirate's oars; how, in the port atBarbary, Sir Nigel had slain the Moorish captain, and had swum withAylward to a small coaster which they had taken, and so made their wayto England with a rich cargo to reward them for their toils. All thisAlleyne listened to, until the dark keep of Twynham towered above themin the gloaming, and they saw the red sun lying athwart the ripplingAvon. No need to speak of the glad hearts at Twynham Castle that night, nor of the rich offerings from out that Moorish cargo which found theirway to the chapel of Father Christopher. Sir Nigel Loring lived for many years, full of honor and laden withevery blessing. He rode no more to the wars, but he found his way toevery jousting within thirty miles; and the Hampshire youth treasuredit as the highest honor when a word of praise fell from him as to theirmanagement of their horses, or their breaking of their lances. So helived and so he died, the most revered and the happiest man in all hisnative shire. For Sir Alleyne Edricson and for his beautiful bride the future had alsonaught but what was good. Twice he fought in France, and came back eachtime laden with honors. A high place at court was given to him, andhe spent many years at Windsor under the second Richard and the fourthHenry--where he received the honor of the Garter, and won the name ofbeing a brave soldier, a true-hearted gentleman, and a great lover andpatron of every art and science which refines or ennobles life. As to John, he took unto himself a village maid, and settled inLyndhurst, where his five thousand crowns made him the richest franklinfor many miles around. For many years he drank his ale every night atthe "Pied Merlin, " which was now kept by his friend Aylward, who hadwedded the good widow to whom he had committed his plunder. The strongmen and the bowmen of the country round used to drop in there of anevening to wrestle a fall with John or to shoot a round with Aylward;but, though a silver shilling was to be the prize of the victory, it hasnever been reported that any man earned much money in that fashion. So they lived, these men, in their own lusty, cheery fashion--rude andrough, but honest, kindly and true. Let us thank God if we have outgrowntheir vices. Let us pray to God that we may ever hold their virtues. Thesky may darken, and the clouds may gather, and again the day may comewhen Britain may have sore need of her children, on whatever shore ofthe sea they be found. Shall they not muster at her call?