Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-01
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.


table BY 81. James! blind man might
wind from It, and follow the savory smell.
Put on your cloak, then, and come, for Sir
Walter Hewett and Sir Robert Priquet.
Nay, Oliver o cam no. be S with you, for
must to Montaubon this day."
To MOntaubOn? But / have heard that
your company Is to come with my forty
winchester raScalS to OAK"
IF You will take charge OF them, Oliver.
For will go to Montaubon with none save
my two sQuires and two archerS. Then.
when have found the rest of my company,
shall lead them to OAK. We set forth
this morning"
"Then I must back to my pastry" said
Sir Oliver. You will find us at OAK. doubt
not, unless the prince throw me into prison,
for he is very wroth against me-"
And why, Oliver"
'Pardieu! because 1 have sent my cartel.
gauntlet and defiance to Sir John Chandos
and to Sir William Felton,"
ITO Chandos? In Gods name, Oliver,
why have you done this?"
Because he and the other have used me
despitefully."
and how?"
Because they have passed me over in
choosing those who should joust for Eng
land. Yourself and Audley could pass,
coz, for you are mature men; but who are
soul! I was prodding for my food into a
camp-kettle when they were bowling for
their pap Is a man of my weight and sub
stance to be thrown aside for the first three
of the tilt yard? But bark we. coz think
of sending my cartel also to the prince
oliver! Oliver! You are madr'
Mot I, + faith! care not a derner
l see that your squire's eyes are starting
from his head like trussed crab. Well,
friend. we are all three men of Hampshire.
and not lightly to be jeered at"
|. Has he jeered at you them"
"Pardieu! yes. old Sir divers heart is
still stout said one of his court. Else had
1t been on. of keeping with the rest of him.
quoth the prince. And his arm is strong.
said another. SO is the backbone Of his
horse quoth the prince This very day I
wild send him my cartel and defiance"
Nay, nay, my dear Oliver said Sir Nj
gel, laying his hand upon his angry friends
arm There Is naught in this. for it was
but saying that you were strong and ro.
bust man, who had need of good destrier
And as to Chandos and FELTON,, bethink you
tiat II When you yourself were young the old
er lances had ever been preferred. how would
you then have had the chance to earn the
good name and fame which you now bear?
fou DO not ride as light as you did Oliver
and ride lighter by the weight of my hair.
put 1t would be an i'll thing if in the even
ing of our lives we showed that our hearts
were less true and loyal than of old If
such knight as Sir Oliver Buttesthorn
may turn against his own prince for the
sone ol Hght word, then where are we
10 look for steadfast faith and constancy? ''
An! my dear little coz, it is easy to sit
IN the sunshine and preach to the man in
the shadow. Yet you could ever win me
over to your side with that soft voice of
yours: Let us think no more of 1t, then
But, holy mother! 1 had forgot the pasty.
ana IT Will be as scorched as Judas Is
cariot' Come, Nigel. lest the foul fend get
the better of me again"
For one hour. then; for we march at
midday. Tell Awkward AlIeyne that he is
10 come with me to Montaubon and to
choose one archer for his comrade. The
rest will to OAK, when the prince starts,
Which VIII be before the feast of the Epiph-
any. Have Pommers ready at midday with
my sycamore lance, and place my harness
on the sumpter mule"
With these brief directions the two old
soiolers strobe OFF together, while Alleyne
hastened to get all in order for their Jour
ney.
TO be continued tonnrrnw