The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-02
CfHAPTDR XII.
HOW ALLEYNE LEARNED MORE
THAN IIE COULD TEACH, s:

"
And now there came a time Of stir and
hustle, Of furnishing Of arms and clnng
OF hammer from, all the southland coun-
ties. Fast spread tho tidings from thorpe
to thorpe and from castle TO castle, that
tho old game was afoot once more, and
the lions and lilies to be In the field with
the early spring. Great news this for
that fierce old country, whose trade for
a generation had been war, her exports
archers and her Imports prisoners. FOR
six years her sons had chnfed under an
unwontc0 peace. Now they flew to their.
arms as to their birthright. The old SOL
diers Of Crccy OF Nogcnt, and Of
Poiotiers we're glad to think that they
might hear the war-trumpet once more.
had chafed for years under the martial
tales OF their srcs. TO pierce the great
mountains OF the sou til. to fight the
tanners OF the fiery Moors. to follow the
greatest captain Of the age, to find sunny
cornHelds and vineyards, when the
marches Of Plcardy and Normandy were
as rare and bleak as the Jedburgh forests
here was n golden prospect for race
OF warriors. From sen to sea there was
stringing Of bows In the cottage and
clnng OF steel In the castle. M
s. Nor did It take long for every strong
hold to pour forth its cavalry andzevery
hamlet its footmen. Through the late
and country lane rcsoundcd with naktr
and trumpet, with the neigh OF the war
horse and the clatter OF marching men,,
From the Wrekin In the Welsh marches
to the Cotswolds In tho west or Butser
In the south. there was no hilltop from
which the pea SAINT might not have seen
tho bright simmer OF arms. the toss and
bye path, from woodland clearing. or
from winding moor-sdc track these little
Srvulets OF steel united In the larger
roads to form a broader stream, growing
ever fuller and larger MS 1t approa ched
the nearest or most con1modlous seaport.
And there all day. and day after day.,
there was hustle and crowding and labor
while the great ships loaded up and one
after the other spread their white pins
ions and dnrted on TO the open sea- amid
the clash OF cymbals and rolling Of drums
and lusty shouts OF those who went and
OF those who waited. From Orwell to the
Dart there was no port which did not
send forth it's little fleet gay WIZ h
streamer and bunting az for joyous
festival Thus in the season of the waning
days the might of England put forth on
to the waters.
In the ancient and populous county Of
Hampshire there was no lack Of leaders
( or OF soldiers for n service which prom
ised either honor or profit In the north
the &6arACen y IletAQ III Oh N nc S I1t OGdo Oh -
the scarlet fish OF tho De Rochcs were
waving over strong body Of archcrs
from Holt. Woolmer and Hardwood for
Eests. De Borhunte was up In the cast,
and Sir John de Montague In the west.
Sir Luke do Ponynges. Sir Thomas West,
Sir Maurice de Bruln. Sir Arthur Lip-
scombe, Sir Walter Ramsey and stout
Sir Oliver Butteshorn were ali marching
south with levies from Andpver. Aries
ford, Oldham and Winchester. while from
Sussex came Sir John Clinton. Sir Thomas
Cheyne and Sir John Falisce, with q
troop OF picked men-at-arms, making for
their port at Southampton. Greatest OF
all the musters. however was that Of
T>Wynh ham Castle for the name and the
fame OF Sir Nigel Loring drew towards
him the keenest and boldest spirits. all
eager to serve under so valiant n leader
fArchers from the New Forest and the
Forest Of Bere, billmen from the pleasant
country which Is watered by the Stour.
the Avon and the 1tcien, young cavaliers
from the ancient Hampshire houses. az
were pushing for Christchurch to take
service under the banner Of the five
scarlet roses.
And now, could Sir Nigel have shown
the bacheles OF land which the laws OF
rank required. he might we'll have cut
his forked pennon into a square banner
and taken such a following into the field
sbanneret, But poverty was heavy upon
him, his land was scant. his Golfers empty
and the very castle which covered him
the holding OF another. Sore was his
heart whe nhe saw rare bowmen and war
hardened spearmen turned away from
his gates, for the lack OF the money which
might equip and pay them. Yet the
letter which Aylward had brought him
gave him powers which he was not slow
to use. In 1t Sir Claude Latour. the
sGascon lieutenant OF the White Com
pany, assured him that there remained
in his keeping enough to fit out nun
bred archers and twenty mcn-at-arms.
which, Joined to the three hundred yet-
eran 81 companions already In France,
would make a force, which any leader
might be proud to command. Carefully
and sagaclo>lsly the veteran knight chose
out his men from the swarm or voluh-
teers Many an anxious consultation ne
held with Black Simon, Sam Awkward
and other OF his more experienced fol-
flowers, asl to who should come and who
should stay, ByfAll Saints day, however,
ere tho last leaves had Auttered to earth
in the Wilverley and Holmeslty gludes.g
no had filed up his full numbers. ana
mustered under his banner as stout a.
following Of Hampshire forcsters as ever
twangcd their war-bows Twenty men ,,
alarms, too, we'll mounted and equipped,.
formed the cavalry OF tho party while
young Peter Terlake Of Fareham. 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 Aloyne ICdricson the duties OF MS
squireship. "a
Yet, even after the enrolment. there
was s. much to be done ere the party coul ID
proceed upon It's way. For armor. swords
and lances, there was no need to take;
much forethought. for they wore to pe
had both better and cheaper jin Bordeaux
than in England. With the long bow
however, 1t was different. Ycw slaves
indeed might be- got in Spain. but y was
well to tnke enough and to spare WIN
them Then three spare cords should be
carried for each bow, with a great store
or arrow-heads, besides the hrigandiness
Of chain mail, tho wadded steel caps, and
| the brassarts or.arm-g guards, which were
the proper equipment Of the archer. Above
all, tho women for miles round were hard
at work cutting the white surcoats which