Evening star., 1905-10-29

"By my hilt! no. There was little Robby
Withstaff and Andrew Salblaster, and wat
Alspaye, who broke the neck of the Ger
man. Mon Dieu! what men they Were!
Take them how you would, at long butts
or short, hoyles, rounds or rogers better
bowmen never twirled shaft over their
thumb nails"
But the fight. AylWard, the tght! cried
several, impatientiy.
let me kill my jack first, boys, for it Is a
thirsty tale. 1t was at the first fall Of the
leaf that the prince set FORTH and ne passed
through Auvergne and Berry and AnJou
and Touraine. In Auvergne the maids are
kind, but the wines are sour. In Berry It
is the women that are sour, but the wines
are rich. Anjou, however, is a very good
land for bowmen, for wine and women are
all that heart could wish. In Touraine
got nothing save broken pate, but at Vier-
zon had great good fortune, for had
golden pyx from the minister, for which L
afterward got nine Genoan james from the
goldsmith in the Rue Mont Olive. From
thence we went to Bourges, where had
tunic of fame-colored silk and a very fine
pair of shoes with tassels of silk and drops
Of silver"
From a stall, Aylward?" asked one Of
the young archerS.
Nay, from a mans feet, lad. I had rea-
son to think that he might not need them
again, seeing that thirty-inch shaft had
feathered in his back
And what then, Aylward?'
"On we went, coz, some six thousand OF
us. until we came to Issodun, and there
again a very great thing befell.'
"A battle, Aylward?"
NAY, nay; greater thing than that
There is little to be gained out of a battle
unless one have the fortune to win ram
som. AT Issodun I and three Welshmen
came upon a house which all others had
passed, and we had the profit Of 1t to our
selves. For myself, / had a fine feather
bed-a thing which you will not see in a
long days journey in England. You have
seen it. Alleyne, and you, John. You will
bear out that 1t is noble bed. We put
1t suffers mule, and bore 1t after the
army. 1t was on my mind that would lay
1t by until / came to start house of mine
own, and have it now in very safe place
near LyndhurSt.
And what then, master bowman?" asked
Hawtayne by st. Christopher! 1t is In
deed fair and goodly life which you have
chosen. for you gather up the spoil as a
Warsash man gathers Holsters, without
grace or favor from any man.
You are right; master shipman," said
another of the older archers. "It is an old
bowyer's rede that the second feather of a
fenny goose is better than the pinion of
tame one Draw on, old lad. for l have
come between you and the clout."
ION we went. then" said Aylward after
long pull al his blackjack. There were
some six thousand of us. with the prince
and his knights, and the feather bed upon
| a suffers mule In the center. We made
| great havoc in Touraine. until we came into
| Romortin, where / CHANGED upon q gold
| chain and two bracelets of jasper, which
| were stolen from me the same day by g.
| black-eyed wench from the Ardennes. Mon
| Dieu! there are some folk who have no
| fear of -oomsday in them and no sign OF
| grace IN their souls. forever clutching and
| clawing at another's chattels.'
! but the battle. Aylward, the battle!'
| cried several amid burst OF laughter
Il come to it, my young war pups. Well.
| then, the King of France had followed us
| with fifty thousand men. and he made great
huc "a To af,I1 1,Aw rN,,~- - I.S
| scarce knew what to do with us, for we
were SO drawn up among hedges and vfne-
| yar.s that they could not come nigh US,
/ save by one lane. On both sides were arch
ers, men-at-arms. and knights behind, and
/ In the center the baggage, with my feather
bed upon . suffers mule. Three hundred