Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-28
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

"A raw squire, new landed said another.
BY st. Thomas of Kent! we are at the
beck of our master, but we are not to be
ordered by every babe whose mother hath
sent him as far as Aquitaine!"
'Oh, gentlemen" cried the girl, in broken
French, for dear Christ's sake, stand by
us, and do not let these terrible men do us
an injury"
Have no fears, lady," Alleyne answered.
I'VE shall see that all is well with you.
Take your hand from the girl wrist, you
north country roguev
Hold to her, Watr' said a great black
bearded man-at-arms, whose steel breast
plate glimmered in the dusk. Keep your
hands from your bodkns you two for that
was my trade before you were born, and,
by Gods soul, l will drive a handful of
steel through you If you move finger"
Thank God!' said Alleyne suddenly, as
he spjed in the lamp light a shock of blaZ-
ing red hair which fringed a steel cap high
above the heads of the crowd. Here is
John, and Aylward, too; Help u.s.. com
rades, for there is wrong being done to this
maid and to the old man."
"Hola. mon petit" said the old bow
man, pushing his way through the crowd,
with the huge forester at his heels. What
is all this, then? BY the twang of string.
l think that you will have some work upon
your hands if you are to right all the
wrongs that you may see upon this side
of the water. 1t is not to be thought that
troop of bowmen, with the wine buzzng
In their ears, will be as soft-spoken as so
many young clerks in an orchard When
you have been year with the company
you will think less of such matters. But
with his archers Is coming this way, and
some of you may find yourselves in the
stretch neck, if you take not heed
why. it Is old Sam Awkward of the White
Company" shouted the manSat-arms.
why, Samkin, what hath come upon thee?
can call to mind the day when you were
roaring blade ever called himself
free companion By my soul! from Ii
moges to Navarro, who was there who
would kiss a wench or cut throat as read
lily as bowman Awkward of Hardwood S
company"
Like enough, Peter said Aylward, land,
by my hilt! l may not have changed SO
much. But it was ever a fair loose and
clear mark with me. The wench must
be willing, or the man must be standing
up against me, else, by these ten finger
bones! either were safe enough for me-"
A glance at Aylwards resolute face and
at the huge shoulders of hcrdle john had
convinced the archers that there was little
to be got by violence. The girl and the old
man began to shuttle on in the crowd with
out their tormentors venturing to stop them.
Ford and Alleyne followed slowly behind
them, but Awkward caught the latter by the
shoulder.
BY my hilt camarade," said he, st hear
that you have done great things at the alb
hey today, but L pray you to have a care,
for 1t was | who brought you into the COM
pany, and 1t would be a black day for me
If aught were to befall you"
Nay, Aylward, 1 will have a care
Thrust not forward into danger too
much, mon petit. In a little time your
wrist will be stronger and your cut more
shrewd. There will be some Of us at the
Rose de Guienne tonight, which is two
doors from the Hotel of the Half Moon
so If you would drain a cup with q few
simple archers, you will be right welcome -
Alleyne promised to be there If his duties
would allow, and then, slipping through the
crowd, he rejoined Ford, who was standing
in talk with the two strangers, who had
now reached their own doorstep.
Brave young signor,'' cried the tall man.
throwing his arms around Alleyne, how
can We thank you enough for taking our
parts against those horrible drunken bar
barans? What should we have done with
out you? My Tita would have been dragged
away, and my head would have been shiy-
cred into thousand fragments"
NAY, scarce think that they would have
mishandled you so, said Alleyne, In sur
prise.
"Ho, ho!" cried he, with high, Growing
laugh, at Is not the head upon my Shout
ders that l think of. Cospetto! no. 1t is
the head under my arm which you have
preserved
Perhaps the signori would deign to come
under our roof, father" said the maiden.
IF We bide here, who knows that some
fresh tumult may not break out"
well SAID Tita! Well said, my girl! 1
pray you, sirs, to honor my unworthy roof
so far. light, Giacomo! There are five
steps up. Now two more. So! Here we
are at last In safety. Corpo di Baccho! I
would not have given ten maravedi for my
head when those children of the devil We're
pushing us against the wall. Tita mia, you
have been a brave girl, and it was better
that you should have pulled and pushed
than that my head should be broken
Yes, indeed, father said she, earnestly
But those English! Ach! Take a Goth,
Hun and Vandal mix them together
and add Barbary rover; then take this
creature and him drunk, and you
have an Englshman. My God! were ever
such people upon earth? What place is free
Italy even as they swarm here. Every
where you will find them, except in
heaven"
Dear father" cried Tita, still supporting
the angry old man, he limped up the
curved oaken stair. You must not forget
that these good signori who have preserved
US are also English"
'Ah, yes. My pardon, sirs. Come into
my rooms here. There are some who might
find some pleasure in these paintings, but
learn the art of war is the only art which
is held in honor in your island"
The low-rdofed, oak-paneled room into
which he conducted them was brilliantly
lighted by four scented oil lamps. Against
the walls, upon the table, on the floor and
IN every part of the chamber Were great
sheets of glass painted in the most brilliant
colors. Ford and Edricson gazed around
them In amaZement, for never had they
seen such magnificent works of art
You like them them the lame artist
cried, in answer TO the look of pleasure
and of surprise in their faces. There are,
then, some of you who have a taste for
such trifiing
II could not have believed it," exclaimed
Alleyne. What color What outlines! See
to this martyrdom of the holy Stephen
Ford. Could you not yourself pick up one
OF these stones which lie to the hand Of the
wicked murderers?
And see this stag, Alleyne, with the cross
betwixt its horns. BY my faithI 1 have
never seen better one at the Forest of
Bere.''
And the green of this grass-how bright
and eleart Why, all the painting that I
have seen is but child's play beside this
This worthy gentleman must be one of
those great painters of whom l have oft
heard Brother Bartholomew speak In the
old days at Beaulieu.
The dark, mobile face of the artist shone
with pleasure at the unaffected delight
of the two young Englishmen. His daugh-
ter had thrown off her mantle and disclosed
a face 6f the finest and most delicate Ital-
low.