Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-09
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

| where!'
/ The sun had risen over Ashurst and
/ Denny woods, and was shining brightly,
1 though the eastern wind had sharp ma
! vor to 1t, and the leaves were hickering
| thickly from the trees In the High street
| Of Lyndhurst the wayfarers had to pick
| their way, for the little town was crowded
with the guardsmen. grooms and yeo-
1 men prickers. who were attached to the
1 kings hunt. The king himself was staying
| at Castle Malwood, but several of his suit
had been compelled to seek such quarters
as they might find in the wooden or waffle
| and-daub cottages OF the village Here and
| there small escutcheon. peeping from a
classics window, marked the nights lodg-
| Ing of knight or baron. These coats of
arms could be read. where scroll would
! be meaningless, and the bowman, like most
men of his age, was well versed in the COM
mon symbols of heraldry.
| There is the Saracen's head Of Sir Ber-
nard Broeas." quoth he. II saw him last
| at the ruffie at Poictiers, some ten years
| back. when he bore himself like man. He
| 1s the master of the kings horse, and can
sing a right jovial stave though in that he
| cannot come nigh to Sir John Chandos who
Is first at the board or in the saddle Three
| martlets on a field azure, that must be enc
! OF the Luttrells. BY the crescent upon 1t
| II should be the second son OF old Sir Hugh,
VINO had a bolt through his ankle at the in
| taking of Romorantin, he having rushed
into the fray ere his squire had time to
| clasp his solieret to his greave There too
I - the udCEie WHICH Is the old device of the
| DE Brays- L have served under Sir Thomas
| de Bray. who was as jolly as pie and a
rusty swordsman until he got too fat for
/ his harness
| So the archer gossiped as the three way
| farers threaded their way among the
stamping horses, the busy grooms and the
/ knots OF pages. and squires who disputed
over the merits Of their masters horses and
oeer MOUNDS As they passed the old church.
| which stood upon a mound at the left -ha nd
| side of the village street. the door was
| hung open, and a stream Of worshipers
| WOUND down the slipping path, coming from
| the morning mass, all chattering like
| cloud of jays. Alleyne bent knee and
dohed hat at the sight of the open door;
but ere he had finished ave his comrades
were out Of sight round the curve of the
path. and he had to run to overtake them.
| w nat! he said, mot one word of prayer
| before Gods own open house? How can We
nope . tor HIS blessing upon the day?''
| MY friend" said Horde John "I have
| prayed SO much during the last two
months, not only during the day, but at
| mathis, latds and the like, when 1 could
scarce keep my head upon my shoulders for
nodding, that 1 feel that have somewhat
overprayed myself"
How can man have too much relig-
ION cried Aileyne earnestly. ut is the
beast as he lives from day to day, eating
| and drinking, breathing and sleeping. 1t is
| only when he raises himself. and concerns
hlmsef with the immortal spirit within him.
a
think We how sad a thing it would be that
the blood Of the Redeemer should be spilled
| to no purpose"
Bless the lad, If he doth not blush like
| any girl, and yet preach like the whole col
| lege OF cardinals!" cried the archer
! IN truth, l blush that any one SO weak
| ana unworthy as l should try to teach an
| other that which he finds II so nassjnp bard
to follow himself
| Prettfly said, mon garcon. Touching that
same Staying of the Redeemer, it was a lad
business. A good padre in France read to
US from scroii the whole truth of the mat
yer. Inc soldiers came upon him in the
garden. In truth, these apostles of His
| may have been holy men, but they were of
10 great account as men-at-arms. There
was one, indeed, Sir Peter, who smote our
IKE true man; but. unless he Is belied lie
did but clip varlet's ear which was no
very knlghtly deed. By these ten finger
bones DC mad been there with Black Simon
OF Norwich, and but one score picked men
OF the company, We had held them In play.
Couio we DO no more, we had at least filled
the raise Knight, Sir Judas, so full of Eng
t that h he e" tnat ne would curse the day
lnat ne ever came on such Grand"
The young clerk smiled at his comnan
ION earnestness. Had He wished help"
ne said, He could have summoned legions
OF archangels from heaven. SO what need
had he OF your poor bow and arrow RE-
Sides bethink you of His own words-that
those who live by the sword shall perish by
the sword" ~
|
the archer. If had my WISH it would be
10 ran so-not. mark you, in any mere Skin
mish OF the company, but in a stricken
n liela' with the great lion banner waving
over us and the red oriflamme in front,
amid the shouting of my fellows and the
lWanglng OF the strings But LET If he
sword, lance or bolt that strikes me down:
for l should think it shame to die fron, en-
IRON ball from fire-crake or lombard or
any such unsoldierly weapon, which is only
Itteo TO scare babes with its foolish noise
and smoke ~
Il have heard much, even in the ouiet
cioisters, of these new and dreadful en-
glnes. quoth Alleyne. 'It is said. though
can scarce bring myself to believe It. that
they Will SEND ball twice as far as a bow
man can shoot his shaft. and with sl1ch
force as to break through armor of proof"
True enough, my lad. But while the
armorer is thrusting in his devil's-dust,
ana cropping his ball, and lighting his
nambeau, can very easily loose six shafts
or eight, maybe; SO he hath no great van
tage after all. Yet will not deny that
at the intaking of town 1t is well to
nave good store Of bombards. 1 am told
that at Calais they made dints in the wall
That man might put his head into But
surely, comrades, some one who is griey-
ously hurt hath passed along this road be-
fore u.s."
All along the woodland track thara ala
indeed run a scattered, struggling trail of
piood-marks sometimes in single drons
ana IN other places in broad rudy gouts
ing the white flint stones
II must be stricken deer" said John
Nay, l am a woodman enough to see
that no deer hath passed this way this
morning; and yet the blood is fresh But
bark to the sound!'
They stood listening all three with side
long heads. Through the silence of the
great forest there came a swishing whis-
Ting sound, mingled with the most dolorous
groans. and the voice Of a man raised in a
high quavering kind Of song The com
rades hurried onward eagerly, and topping
the brow of a small rising they saw unon
the other side the source from which these
strange noises arose.
A tall man, much stopped in the Shout
ders, was walking slowly with Bonded head
and clasped hands in the center of the
path. He was dressed from head to foot
In long white linen cloth. and a high
white cap with a red cross printed upon
1t. His gown was turned back from his
shoulders. and the flesh there was a sight
to make man vince, for 1t was all beaten
to pulp, and the blood was soaking into
his gown and trickling down upon the
ground. Behind him walked a smaller
man. with his hair touched with gray. who
was clad in the same white garb. He in
toned 81 w n rbx