Evening star., 1905-11-02
CHAPTER. XxvI.
How tie Three Comrades Gained a
Mighty Treasure.

| CHAPTER XVI.
How tie Three Comrades Gained a
Mighty Treasure.
| It was a bright. crisp winters day when
| the little party set off from Bordeaux on
| their journey to Montaubon. where the
/ missing half of their company had last peen
| heard of. Sir Nige, and Ford had ridden
on in advance. the knight upon his mack
| ney while his great war horse trotted De-
| side his squire. Two hours later Aileyne
Edricson followed; for he had the tavern
reckoning to settle and many other duties
which fell to him as squire of the BODY
| With him came Aylward and Horde John.
| armed as of old. but mounted for thelr
Journey upon pair of clumsy Landes
horses, heavy headed and shambllng, put
of great endurance, and capable OF jog
ging along all day, even when between tne
knees of the huge archer who turned the
scale at two hundred and seventy pounds
They took with them the sumpter mules.
| which carried in paniers the wardrobe ana
ia bic furniture of Sir Nigel; for the kn1gnt,
though neither fop nor epicure, was very
dainty in small matters, and loved however
bare the board hard the life, that ms
napery should still be white and his spoon
of silver.
and the white hard road rang loud undc
their horses irons as they spurred through
the east gate of the town, along the same
broad highway which the unknown F'rench
champion had traversed on the day or the
jousts. The three rode abreast Aleyne
Edricson with his eyes cast down and his
mind distrait, for his thoughts were ousy
with the conversation which he had mad
with Sir Nigel in the morning. Had he done
well to say so much, or had he not done
better to have said more? What would
the knight have said had he. confessed TO
his love for the Lady Maude? Would he
hiy,,0 off {y, n
him as having abused the shelter OF MS
roof? 1t had been ready upon his tongue
to tell him all when Sir Oliver had broken
in upon them Perchance Sir Nigel. with
his love of all the dying ,usages Of chivalry,
might have contrived some strange ordeal
or feat of arms by which his love snouio
be put to the test. Alleyne smiled as he
wondered what fantastic and wondrous
deed would be exacted from him.
Whatever 1t was. he was ready FOR IT,
whether it were to hold the lists In the
court of the King of Tartary to carry a
cartel to the Sultan Of Bagdad. or to serve
term against the wild heather of Prussia.
Sir Nigel had said that his birth was high
enough for any lady, II his fortune couio
but he amended. Often had Alleyne curled
his lip at the beggarly craving for land
or for gold which blinded man to the higher
and more lasting issues of life. Now 1t
seemed as though it were only by this same
land and gold that he might hope to reach
his hearts desire. But then again, the
Socman of Minstead was no friend to the
Constable OF Twynham Castle. 1t might
happen that should he amass riches by
some happy fortune OF war, THIS feud mlght
hold the two families aloof. Even If Maude
loved him, he knew her too well to think
that she would wed him without the bless
ing of her father. Dark and murky was
1t ALL but hope mounts hlgh IN youtn, ana
it ever fiuttered over all the turmoil of his
thoughts like a white plume amid the shock
OF horsemen.
If Alleyne Edricson had enough to pom
der over as he rode through the bare plains
of Guienne. his two companions We're more
busy with the present and less thoughtful
of the future. Aylward rode for half
mile with his chin upon his shoulder look
ing back at white kerchief which hut-
tered out of the gable window of high
house which peeped over the corner OF the
battlements. When at last a dip OF the
road hid it from his view, he cooked his
steel cap, shrugged his broad shoulders,
and rode on with laughter in his eyes and
his weather-beaten face all ashine with
pleasant memories. John also rode In 81
lence, but his eyes wandered slowly from
one side of the road to the other, and
he stared and pondered and nodded his
head like a traveller who makes his notes
and saves them up for the retelling.
BY the rood he broke out suddenly
slapping his thigh with his great red hand,
Il knew that there was something a-miss-
ing, but 1 could not bring to my mind what
it was"
What was it. then?" asked Alleyne COM
ing with a start out of his reverie.
"Why it Is the hedge rows roared John,
with a shout of laughter. The country is
all scraped as clear as friars poll. But
indeed | cannot think much of the folk in
these parts Why do they not get to work
and dig up these long rows of black and
crooked stumps which see on every hand?
franklin of Hampshire would think
shame to have such litter upon his SOIL
Thou foolish old John" quoth Aylward.
You should know better. since l have
heard that the monks of Beaulieu could
squeeze a good cup of wine from their own
grapes Know, then, that If these rows
were dug up, the wealth of the country
would be gone, and mayhap there would
be dry throats and gaping mouths in Eng
land, for in three months time these black
roots will blossom, and shoot, and burgeon,
and from them will come many a good
ship load of Medoc and Gascony, which will
cross the narrow seas. But see the church
in the hollow, and the folk who cluster in
the churchyardi BY my hlit! 1t is burial,
and there is passing bell.
He pulled off his steel cap as he spoke,
and crossed himself, with a muttered
PRAYER for the repose OF the dead,
There, too,' remarked Alleyne, as they
rode on again, that which seems to the
eye to be dead is still full of the sap of
life, even as the vines We're. IhuS COO
hath written Himself and His laws very
broadly on all that is around us, II our
poor dull eyes, and duler souls could but
read what He hath set before US.
''Ha! mon petit" cried the bowman, you
new hedged. as sweet little chick as ever
pecked his way out of monkish egg. 1 had
feared that in gaining our debonair young
man-at-arms we had lost soft-spoken
clerk In truth, have noted much change
in you since we came from Twynham Cas-
tie. ''-
Surely it would be strange else. seeing
that l have lived in world so new to me.
Yet / trust that there many things IN
which l have not changed. If / have turn
ed to serve earthly master, and to carry
arms for earthly king, 1t would be an
Ill thing If / were to lose all thought or
the great high King and Master of all.
whose humble and unworthy servant l was
ere ever I left Beaulieu. Yod, John, are
also from the cloisters, but THROW that you
do not feel that you have deserted the old
service in taking on the new"
II am a slow-witted man." said John,
land, in sooth, when l try to think about
such matters 1t casts gloom upon me. Yet
l do not look upon myself as a worse man
In an archer's jerkin than l was in a white
cowl, If that be what you mean"
You have but changed from white
company to the other,'' quoth Aylward.
| But, by these ten finger bones 1t is pass
| ing strange thing to me to think that it
was but in the last fall of the leaf that we
walked from Lyndhurst together, he so
| gentle and maidenly, and you, John, like
great red-limbed. oyergrown moon calf;
and now here you are sprack a squire