The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-06-05
CHAPTER NNI-Continued.

dizzy and speechless. 1t was but for a
moment however. The pause was so
short az to be hardly perceptible to the
audience, though it seemed long IN
terval to him Amid the sci OF faces
he saw Docket and the canon leering at
his abashed visage, and the sight at
once restored his self possession.
~ need not tell you, my friends, . he
said, chow | was brought info the
kings presence. Enough that had
occasion to allege before him that his
commons suffered wrong where they
had a right TO expect protection, and
thst | heard him with his own lips de-
clare that these wrongs should be in
ouired into, and that justice should he
done. also htd suffered. and he
stretched the shield of justice over me.
Whit this good priest has told you is
the truth There can lie no doubt OF
the kings goodness and clemency and
desire to do Justice. have been sent
here expressly to testify to your leaders
of his benevolent intentions. The
princess. his mother, also has heart
of pity for the weak and oppressed and
il a benign and gracious lady. whom
all the people should love.
These words we're received with APP
proving murmurs, the pale face and
embarrassed demeanor OF the young
man helping to carry convection home
When the murmurs began To die away
Ball again raised his voice
frIn L. ha
"You see how the matter stands. My
counsel to YOU is that you strengthen
the hands Of this kind-hearted young
prince. Ii only you are united your
strength will prevail against the wlies
of the evil counsellors who, Tor their
own ends, try to possess the ear OF
greatness. Unite, combine, gather to
one head, and you will he irresistible.
It NAV be that YOU will have, IN the
end. to choose your own lords and pro-
tectors. and that your present lords are
too besotted by their power and their
ever-growing greed OF greater and
greater luxury to rule their vassals
with mercy and justice, If they Will
not bend, they must break. But you
must try honestly, in the first instance,
to bend them, or to strengthen the
hands OF the king to bend them"
The priest wound up his harrangue
with familiar figure, "Might and
Right, Will and Skill" he said, care
the four arms of your mill. If Right
goes before Might and Skill before
Will, then does the mill turn right,
and everything goes smoothly. nut
if Might goes before Right, and Will
before skill, the wheel goes the wrong
way, and your mill is broken in
pieces
When Ball had ended his speech
cries of approval went up from many
voices, and loud, confused noise OF
promiscuous talk ensued. Here and
there small rings were formed, III
which the more forward spirits eagerly
discussed what he had said. No one
succeeded in gaining the ear of the
whole crowd, and the various speakers
were content to keep possession each OF
his own little circle. Ralph overheard
one fierce looking and excited orator
declaiming against the folly of being
afraid of mail clad men. 1t was quite
an easy thing, according to him. to dis
pose of them, if only you kept your
coat was generally killed because he
got into a panic, and hit out wildly in
stead of striking at the Vulnerable
points. Give him good Ratchet, and
he would strike off the kneecaps or the
elbowcaps or the vizor; and once q
breach was made in the moving fortress
the man within was at your mercy
OR he would strike a spike between the
plates of the thigh pieces, or between
the cui ass and the neck canal. The
notion that it was unfair to strike be
low the waist was clever invention in
the interest of mail-clad knight
against the unarmed peasant. Ii &
man had to be killed, it was absurd Il
give him choice where he was to bs
struck. "Strike wherever you can bes
reach the skim" he said, cor wher,
YOU can open up road. OF course, i
YOU strike ull Oh a whole piece of stee
YOU will only blunt your weapon
Aim at the joints, hack off the guards
that is the way TO go to work.
"And what" asked sly rustic
"would your enemy be doing while yo'
were hacking at him."
"Well," retorted the ready theorist
''if you cannot keep out of the way o
the blows Of heavily armed man. he
ing yourself light and unencumbered
YOU must be fool indeed. Why, yo,
might even rush in before he coult
strike you, catch him by the legs, an,
tilt him on his back. And once yo,
had him on his back, YOU might hazel