The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-02-27
CHAPTER III.

usual excitement. They gossiped at
the doors in groups, and here and there,
from the projecting second stories, they
spoke one to another across the narrow
street through open lattices. Their
shrill talk was interpsersed with
shriller laughter. There was no trace
of anger; the affair was evidently re-
garded by the victors as an excellent
rough jest, the particulars of which
were retailed with relish by such as
had had the good fortune to witness
the ARRAY. The temper of the popula-
ton became fiercer afterwards.
At the White Hart, Reginald found
the landlord leaning against the gate
post of the passage leading into the
courtyard, chatting voluble termasant
who was narrating to him her share in
the chastisement of the tax-farmer.
Mine hosts countenance fell at the
sight of the kings livery-for the
kings servants were apt to be more ex-
acting than remunerative in the matter
of horses; but it recovered its natural
rubicund breadth on his recognizing
Reginald Hardelot, who had been at
school in Sudbury as boy, and often
came there on the chancellor's business.
"Heres rare stranger, gentles,"
;ried the host, bustling respectfully be-
fore him into the common room of the
hostelry. master Reginald Hardelot.
warrant he has backed many good
horse since he rode my colts in the
meadow-without leave sometimes, eh?
Come, Master Reginald, come, sir, you
will find some here that you know of
old. We have changed our sign with
new reign, but we keep our old GUS
toners. Here is Master Roger Chow
ley-you remember Master Chowley, of
the college?-and here is Master Docket,
you were at school with him at the
priory. He is great man in Sudbury
now, is Master Docket; reeve to the
college and clerk to the burgh."
''Such favorite, too, with every
body" struck in Master Chowley, in a
bantering tone; "a very jewel of a
reeve, and the most trusted town clerk
in the kingdom. We could not get on
without our Docket. The poor tenants
would miss him so. If you want to
take our Docket from us, you must not
let the good folks of Sudbury know"
And he laughed and wheezed loudly at
his own humor.
"Will you keep your long tongue
quiet?" snapped Docket, viciously.
"Will you let Master Docket alone?
Give you good-day, Master Hardelot,"
he added, in a respectful tone. II
warrant you are not 200 proud to forget
old friends"
Reginald remembered him we'll as
the bully of the priory school, good
five years his senior. He had stolen
apples for Docket and parted with
cherry stones and other cherished pos
sessions to him in bodily fear.
The sight of this precious pair of boon
companions, boozing together in the
hosiery at midday suggested to him
how the secret of the poll-tax might
have leaked out. Chowley was one of
the lay canons of the archbishop chan
cellor's college-a former servant thus
provided for-and still kept up COM
munication with the chancellor's house.
hold. 1t was letter from him that
had given information about Reginald's
brothers. Wyclifiism; and it was likely
enough that his friend in the house,
hold had been able to give him hint
of the chancellor's financial plans; a
hint which Docket was just the man to
turn to account.
This suspicion, combined with old
and well-founded dislike, made Regin-
aid somewhat cool and distant in his
manner to the boon companions, while
he chatted Familiarity with mine host
about the exploit of the Sudbury house.
wives.
But Chowley was not man easily
disconnected or kept at arm s-length.
He was accustomed to be cock of the
company at White Hart, discoursing to
all and sundry over his frequent pots of
malt liqour in harsh, rasping voice,
which claimed and enforced authority
He was an elaborate talker, and prided
himself on his continuity of flow.
None of his familiars would have dared,
in his presence, to start new topic till
Chowley had exhausted the old one.
If they ever did, by inadvertence, VEN
ture, his steady, strident, overbearing
voice was soon heard maintaining the
continuity of the conversation as if it
had never suffered interruption.
Docket, his taproom ally and costant
butt, overpowered and kept in order by
Chowley's tongue, his butt not out of
good nature, but because he was not
L s,sa o.,saE ~ 90
himself, was considerably different in
appearance. Abundance of adipose
tissue, maintained by continual soak