Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-10
CHAPTER vIIIr-
The Three Friends.

l
The Three Friends
His companions had passed on while he
| was at his prisons; but his young blood
| and the fresh morning air both invited him
! to a scamper. His star In one hand and
| his scrip in the other. with springy step
and floating locks. he raced along the
forest path. as active and as graceful as
a young deer. He had not far TO go. how
| ever; for. on turning a corner. he came on
| a roadside cottage with a wooden fence
| work around II, where stood big John and
Aylward, the bowman, staring at some
thing within. As he came up with them
he saw that two little lads. the one about
| nine years OF age and the other somewhat
older. were standing on the plot in front
Of the cottage. each holding out round
| stick In their left hands, with their arms
| stin and straight from the shoulder, as
silent and still as two small statues. They
were pretty. blue-eyed, yellow-haired lads.
| we'll made and sturdy. with bronzed skins,
which spoke Of a woodland life.
Here are young chips from an old DOW
| stave!" cried the soldier In great delight
This Is the proper way to raise children.
| By my hilt! could not have trained them
better had the ordering of 1t myself"
What Is It, then7 asked Horde John.
They stand very sufr. and I trust that
| they have not been struck so.
4 nay. tney are training their leit drilo.
| that they may have steady grasp OF the
bow. So my own father trained me. and
six days week I held out his walking
stan till my arm was heavy as lead. Hola.
| mes enfants! how long will you hold outf
| Until the sun is over the great lime tree.
| good master" the elder answered
\ What would ye be. then? Woodmen7
VerderersT'
s.t sas' '0'0's''' they '''eo' 00'n %
by the beard of my father! but ye are
whelps of the true breed. Why so keen.
| then, to be soldiers?' 49,
| THAT we may tight the Scots" they an
swered. Daddy will send us to fight the
Scots" $3.50 -.
! And why the Scots. my pretty lads7 We
| have seen French and Spanish galleys no
further away than Southampton, but I
doubt that it will be some time before the
Scots find their way to these parts.
| Our business is with the Scots, quoth
the elder; ''for 1t was the Scots who cut
| off daddys string fingers and his thumbs.
| "Ay, lads, 1t was that, said deep voice
| from behind Alleyne's shoulder. Looking
| round, the wayfarers saw gaunt, big
boned man, with sunken cheeks and sal
| low face. who had come up behind them.
| He held up his two hands as he spoke, and
| showed that the thumbs and, two first fin
| them.
MA fol, camarader' cried Aylward.
| Who hath served thee in so shameful a
| fashion,
l
| born far from the marshes of Scotland"
quoth the stranger. with bitter smile.
North of Humber there is no man who
would not know the handiwork of Devil
| Douglas. the black Lord James,
And how fell you into his hands?" asked
| John. ,.a
| II am a man of the north country, from
| the town of Beverley and the wapentake
| OF HoldernesS,' he answered. There was
| a day when, from Trent to Tweed, there
was no better marksman than Robin Heath
| cot. Yet, as you see. 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 here in the
| southlands and. please God. these two lads
| of mine will pay off debt that hath been
owing OVERRIDING. What Is the price of dad
| dy's thumbs, boys?" ---,.-r
| Twenty Scottish lives" they answered
| together
"And for the fingers?"
| Half a score"
when they can bend my war bow and
bring down squirrel at hundred PAGES
| send them to take service under Johnny
| Copeland the lord of the marshes and gov
| ernor of Carlisle. BY my soul! 1 would
| give the rest of my fingers to see the Doug
| las within arrow flight of them"
| May you live to see it," quoth the bow
| man. AND bark ye, mes enfants, take an
old soldiers rede and lay your bodies to
the bow. drawing from hip and thigh as
| you, to shoot with a dropping shaft: for
| though bowman may at times be called
| upon to shoot straight and fast, yet 1t Is
more often that he has to do with town
guard behlnd wall, or an arbalestier with
| his mantlet raised when you cannot hope
| 10 DO him seattle unless your shaft fall
| straight upon him from the clouds. have
not drawn string for two weeks but NAV
| be able to show we how such shots should
be made" He loosened his long bow, Sung
his culver round to the front and then
glanced keeniy round for fitting mark.
There was yellow and withered stump
| some way on, seen under the dropping
branches Of lofty oak The archer meas.
nred the distance with his eye, and then,
drawing three shafts, he shot them off with
! such speed that the first had not. reached
| the mark ere the last was on the string.
| Each arrow passed high over the oak:
s stmn OF .he three. two stuck fair into the
| wandering puff of wind, was driven a foot
| or two to ore side.
80, Eo0dr cried the north countryman.
| "Hearken TO him. lads! He is a rnastar
bowman. Your dad says amen TO every
| word he says!''
| BY my hiltr' said Awkward. -.if am tn
| preach on bowmanship. the whole long dav
| would scarce give me time for nv sermnr
| we nave marksmen in the company who
| VIII knotch with shaft every creyice and
5 olilt OF a man-at-arm's harness. from the
| Clasp OF his bassinet to the hinge of his
| greave But, with your favor. friend
| must gather my arrows again, for while a
| smart costs penny poor man can scarce
| leave them sticking In wayside stunnns
| We must. then. on our road again. and I
| hope from my heart that you NAV train
these two young goshawks here until they
| are ready for cast even at such a quarry
| as you speak Of" -
| Leaving the thumbless archer and his
| brood. the wayfarers struck through the
scattered huts of Emery Down. and out on
| to the broad rolling heath covered deem in
| terms and in heather. where droves of the
| half-wfld black forest pigs were iirootii,e
about among the hilIocks. The woods about
| this point fall away to the left and the
| right. while the road curves upward and
| the wind sweeps keenly over the swelling
uplands. The broad strips of bracken
| giowed red and yellow against the black
| peaty soil, and q queenly doe who gra zed
among them turned her white front and
ner great questioning eyes toward the way
! farers. AHeyne gazed in admiration at tba
supple beauty OF the creature; but the
his eyes glistened with the fell. instinct.
! which urges a man to slaughter
| "Tete Dieu9' he growled, .twere this
France. or even Guienne. we should have a
| fresh haunch for our none-meat Law or
| no law, 1 have mind to loose a bolt at
| her. a.
] II would break your stave across INV
Ia I'm Iax,