The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-08

for them, and there's something in my head
now that chimes later hour than vespers.
III take a night-cap and lay me down on the
settle. Gilbert, happy dog, has been asleep
there on the hearth these two hours /" and,
suiting the action to the word, he drew mighty
hagon OF mead, quafed it to the dregs, and,
Throwing heavy wooden bar across the door,
wrapped his cloak about him, and, throwing
himself On settle in the chimney corner, was
soon buried in deep slumber.
r When he woke again, which he did with q
sudden start, the moon was shining brightly
through the atticed easements, and there were
sounds on the air which he easily recognised as
the clash of mail coats and the tramp of horses,
coming up at trot over the stony road.
1 Looking out from loop beside the door, he
perceived at once that the moment he expected
had arrived. Ten men, heavily armed, but
wearing dark-colored surcoats over their mail,
and having their helmets cased with felt, to pre-
vent their being discovered by the glimnering
of the steel in the moonlight, had ridden up to
the foot of the little knoll on which the cottage
stood, and were now concerning their future
movements.
While he gazed, nine of the men dismounted,
linking their horses, and leaving them in charge
of the fifth. Four then filed off to keep watch,
and prevent escape from the rear, or either end
of the building and then, at given signal, the
others marched up to the door, and the leader
struck heavily on the PANEL with the haft of a
heavy battleaxe, crying, "Open! on pain of
DEATH open!"
"To whom? What seek your" asked Ken
ric, whose hand was on the bar.
"To me, Foulke dolly. l seek my fugitive
villeyn, Eadwulf the Red We have traced him
hither Open, on your peril, or take the conse-
quence."
"The man is not here; natheless, Open, y
replied Kenric and, with the word, he threw
open the door ; and the men at arms rushed in,
brandishing their axes, as if they expected re-
| sistance. But the Saxon stood firm, tranquil,
and impassive, on his hearthstone, and gave no
pretext for violence.
"And who may you be, sirrah," cried the
leader, checking the rudeness of his vassals for
the moment, "who brave US thus?"
Far be it from me-" said he, " to brave no.
bleman. l am free Saxon man, Kenric, the
son of Werewulf, tenant in fee to my Lord of
Taillebois, and his verdurer and forester for this
his manor of Kentmere"
"Thou lest" said one of the men, arms
" Thou art Eadwulf the Red, born thrall of Sir
Philip de Morville, on his manor of Waltheof.
stow, and now of Sir Fouike dolly, who has
succeeded to the same"
"Thou liest!" replied Kenric, stoutly. "And
Sir Foulke dolly, with quarter staff or gis-
arme, battleaxe or broadsword."
A" Art sure this is he, Damian? Can'st swear
to the man? Is there any other here, who
knows the features of the fellow Eadwuh, to
witness them on oath? Light Wonder cresset
from the embers on the hearth advance it to
his face Now, can you swear to him.?
The torch was thrust so rudely and so close
ly into his face, that it actually singed his
beard; yet he started not, nor finched hairs
breadth.
:" can," said the man who had FIRST spoken,
stubbornly. "That is Eadwulf the Red. have
seen him fifty times in the late Sir Philips
lifetime; and last, the day before he fed and
slew your bailif of Waltheofstow in the forest
between Thurgoland and Bolterstone, in Sep
TENDER. | will swear to him, as live by bread,
and hope to see Paradise
"And L. exclaimed another of the men, of
ter examining his features, whether deceived
by the real similitude between him and his
brother, which did amount to a strong family
likeness, though the color of the hair and the
expression of the two men were wholly dissim-
liar, or only DESTROYS of gratifying his leader.
- know HIM as well as do my own brother.
| will swear to him anywhere"
"You would both swear falsely" said Ken
ric, coolly. "Eadwulf is my brother. son of
Werewolf, son of Beowulf, once henchman to
WaltheOf of Waltheofstow, and free Saxon
man, before the Conquest"
I" | will swear to him, Also" cried a third man,
who had snatched down the fatal crossbow and
bolts from above the chimney. "Kenric and
Eadwulf arc but two names for one man; and
here is the proof. This crossbow, with the
name Kenric burned into the stock, is that
which Eadwulf carried on the day when he fed
and these quarrels tally, point for point, with
ii L Al
deer he slew and in the body of the bailif he
murdered"
"Ha! What say you to that, sirrah?'
"That it is my crossbow; that my name is
| Kenric, byenamed the Dark that / am, as
said before, a free Saxon, and have dwet here
on Kentmere since the last days of July; so
that / could have slain neither deer nor bailiff,
between Thurgoland and Bolterstone, in Sep
TENDER. That is all l have to say, Sir Foulke
Sand that is nothing" he replied. $50 thou
must go along US. Wilt go peaceably, too, il
thou art wise, and cravest no broken bones"
Have you writ of Neitfy* for me, Sir
Foulke," asked Kenric, respectfully, having been
instructed by Sir Yvo.
"Tush! Dog, what knowest thou of Neify9
No, sirrah, / seize mine villeyn, of mine own
right, with mine own hand. What sayst to
that?"
That you must seize me, to seize Justly, BY
the sheriff; and | deny the villeynage, and
: claim trial"
I "And l send you, and your denial, and your
Neifty, to the fend who Matched them. You
are my slave, my born slave; and in my dun
geons of Waltheofstow will prove it to you.
Hugo, Raoul, Damian, seize him, handcuff his
wrists behind him, drag him along if he resist "
Il resist not" said Kenric. ~ yield to
force, as / hold you all to witness you above
all, Gilbert" addressing the boy who stood star
ing, half awake, while they were manacling his
hands. "But pray you, Sir Foulke, to take
notice that in this you do great wrong to nv
good lord, Sir Yvo de Taillebois, both that he
is the Lord of Hawkshead, Coniston, and Yew-
dale, and of this manor of Kentmere on which
you now trespass, and that he is the sheriff of
these counties of Lancaster and Westmoreland,
where you wrongfully seize jurisdiction. And
this notify you, that he will seek the right at
your hands, and that speedily"
Dogl Saxon! Slave Dirt of the Earth Do
YOU dare threaten me? 2" cried the fierce baron,
purposely flashing himself into fury; and he
strobe up to the helpless man, whose arms were
secured behind his back, and smote him in the
mouth with his gauntleted hand, that the blood
gushed from his lips, and streamed over all the
front Of his leathern hunting shirt.
"That, to teach thee manners Now, then,
bring him along, men; set him on the black
gelding, chain his legs fast under the brute's
belly, ride one of you at each side, and dash
his brains out with your axes if he look like es-
Gaping. Away! awayl l would be at Kendall
before they ring the Prime,f and at Lonsdale
before Matins.f So shall we be well among
the Yorkshire fells before daybreak."
} His words were obeyed without demur or
delay, and within five minutes the Saxon was
: chained on the back of vicious il-conditioned