Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-09
CHAPTER VII.
How the Three Comrades Journeyed
Through the Woodlands.

CdAEVEH VII.
How the Three Comrades Journeyed
Through this Woodlands.
At early dawn the country inn was all
alive. for It was rare indeed that an hour
of daylight would be wasted at a time
when lighting was so scarce and dear. In
deed, early as it was when Dame Eliza be-
gan to STIR 1t seemed that others could be
earlier still, for the door was ajar, and
the learned student of Cambridge had
taken himself off, with mind which was
too intent upon the high things OF an
tiquity to stoop to consider the fourpence
which he owed for bed and board It was
the shriil outcry of the landlady when she
found her loss, and the clucking of the
hens, which had streamed in through the
open door, that first broke in upon the
sIumbers of the tired wayfarers.
Once afoot, 1t was not long before the
company began to dispense. A sleek mule
with red trappings was brought round from
some neighboring shed for the physician,
and he ambled away with much dignity
upon his road to Southampton The tooth
drawer and the gleeman called for a cup
Of small ale apiece, and started off to-
gether for Ringwood fair, the old jongleur
looking very yellow in the eye and swollen
in the face after his overnight potations.
The archer, however, who had drunk more
than any man in the room, was as merry
as grig. and having kissed the matron
and chased the maid up the ladder once
more. he went out to the brook, and came
back with the water dripping from his face
and hair.
"Hola, my man of peace!' he cried to
Alleyne, whittier are you bent this morn
ing?'
ITO Minstead," quoth he. MY brother.
Simon Edricson. is socman there, and go
to bide with him for awhile. prithee. let
me have my score, good dame.
Score. indeed!' cried she. standing with
appraised hands in front Of the panel on
which Alleyne had worked the night be-
fore. Say. rather, what it Is that I owe
to thee. good youth: Ay,. this is indeed a
pied merlin, and with leveret under its
claws. as 1 am living woman. By the
rood of Waltham! but thy touch is deft
and dainty"
"And see the red eye of itr'. cried the
maid.
LAY, and the open beak''
"And the ruffled wing, added Horde
John.
by my hiltr' cried the archer, "it is the
The young clerk flushed with pleasure at
this chorus of praise, rude and indiscrim-
mate, indeed. and yet so much heartier and
less grudging than any which he had ever
heard from the critical Brother Jerome or
the short-spoken abbot. There was, 1t
would seem, great kindness well as great
wickedness In this world, of which he had
heard so little that was good. His hostess
would hear nothing of his paying either for
bed or for board, while the archer and
Horde John placed a hand upon either
shoulder and led him off to the board,
where some smoking fish. dish of spinach
and q jug of milk were laid out for their
breakfast.
Il should not be surprised to learn, mon
camarade,'' said the soldier as he heaped
slice of fish upon Alleyne's tranchoir of
bread, that you could read written things
since YOU are SO ready with your brushes
and pigments
at would be shame to the good brothers
of Beaulieu If 1 could not" he answered
seeing that I have been their clerk this
ten years back"
The bowman looked at him with great
respect.
Think of that!" said he. And you
with not hair to your face and skin
like a girl. / can shoot $50 PAGES with my
little pepper there, and 400 with the great
war-bow; yet / can make nothing of this,
nor read my own name If you were to set
Sam Awkward UP against me. In the
whole company there was only one man
who could read and he fell down well
at the taking of Ventadour, which proves
that the thing is not suited to soldier,
though most needful to clerk
II can make some show at 1t, said big
John; though l was scarce long enough
among the monks to catch the whole trick
Of it,"
Here, then, Is something to try upon.
uuoth the archer, pulling square of
parchment from the inside of his tun!c. 1t
was tied securely with broad band OF
purple silk and firmly sealed at either end
with a large red seal John pored long and
earnestly over the inscription upon the
back, with his brows bent as one VINO
bears up against great mental strain
Not having read much of late,' he said,
81 am loath to say too much about what
this may be. Some might say one thing
and some another, Just as one bowman
loves the yew, and a second will not shoot
hyyf hA
and the look of 1t, l should Judge this to
be a verse from one of the Psalms.
The bowman shook his head.
st Is scarce likely" he said, that Sir
Claude Latour should send me all tho way
across seas with naught more weighty than
a psalm-verse. You have clean overshot
the butts this time. mon camarade Give
1t to the little one. l will wager my feath-
er bed that he makes more sense OF IT.
why, 1t is written in the French tongue"
said Alleyne, land in right clerkly hand.
This is how 1t runs: A lie moult puissant
eft moult honorable chevalier, Sir Nigel Lor-
ing de Christchurch, de son tres idele amis,
Sir Claude Latour. capitaine de la Com
pagnie Blanche, chatelain de Biscar, grand
seigneur de Montchateau, vavaseur, de lie
renomme CASTOR, Comte de Folk, tenant les
drots de la haute justice, de la miiieu, ct
de la basse.' Which signifies in our speech:
To the very powerful and very honorable
knight, Sir Nigel Loring, of Christchurch,
from his very faithful friend, Sir Claude
"a
chatelain of Biscar. grand lord of Mont
chateau, and vassal to the renowned Gas
ton, Count of Folk, who holds the rights of
the high justice. the middle and the low.
Look at that now!' cried the. bowman. in
triumph. THAT is just what he would
have said.
81 can see now that 1t is even so,' said
John, examining the parchment again
Though I scarce understand this high,
middle and low"
"By my hilt! you would understand 1t II
you were jacques Bonhomme. The low
Justice means that you may fleece him,
and the middle that you may torture him,
and the high that you may slay him. That
Is about the truth of 1t. But this Is the
letter which 1 am to take: and since the
platter is clean, 1t is time that We trussed
up and were afoot. You come with me.
mon gros Jean; and as to you, little one,
where did you say that you journeyed?"
ITO Minstead."
"Ah, yes! 1 know this forest country
well, though was born myself in the Hun
dred of Easebourne, In the Rape of Chi
chester, hard by the village of Midhurst.
Yet have not a word to say against the
Hampton men, for there are no better COM
rades or truer archers In the whole COM
pany than some who learned to loose the
string in these very parts. We shall travel