Evening star., 1905-11-06
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.


pass from yonder shaw across the glade.
and nigh every man of them had a great
burden on his back. What think you of
it?''
II think nothing of it, mon camarade!
Ihere are as many maSterless folk In this
country there are rabbits on Cowdray
Down, and there are many who show their
faces by night but would dance In "a
hempen collar If they stirred forth in the
day. On all the French marches are droves
of outcasts. reivers spoilers and draw
latches, of whom l judge that these are
some, though l marvel that they should
dare to come SO nigh to the castle OF the
seneschal. All seems very quiet now,'' he
added. peering out of the window.
They are in the further wood said AL
leyne
And there they may bde. Back to rest,
mon petit; for, by my hilt! each day now
will bring It's own work. Yet it would be
well to shoot the bolt in yonder door, when
one Is In strange quarters. So!' He threw
himself down upon his pallet and in an
instant was fast asleep.
1t might have been about o'clock in the
morning when Alleyne aroused from a
troubled sleep by low cry or exclamation.
He listened, but, as he heard more he
set 1t down as the challenge of the guard
upon the walls, and dropped off to sleep
once more. few minutes later he was
disturbed by a gentle creaking of his own
door, as though some one were pushing
cautiously against it, and Immediately af-
terward he heard the soft thud Of cautious
Footsteps upon the stair which led to the
room above, followed by a confused noise
and muffied groan. Alleyne sat up on his
couch with all his nerves in a tngle, uncer-
tain whether these sounds might come from
u simple cause-some sick archer and visit
ing leech, perhaps-or whether they might
nave more sinister meaning. But what
danger could threaten them here in this
strong castle, under the care of famous
warriors, with high walls and broad moat
around them? Who was there that could
n a a }ub
himself that his fears were a foolish fancy
when his eyes fell upon that which sent the
blood cold to his heart and left him gasp
ing, with hands clutching at the counter
pane.
Right In front of him was the broad win
COW OF the chamber, with the moon shining
brightly through it. For an instant some
thlnS had obscured the light and now a
head was bobbing up and down outside the
lace looking in al him, and swinging slow
~ from one side Of the window to the
other Even in that dim light there could
be no miStaking those features Drawn die
torted and blood-stained they were still
those OF the young fellow squire who had
sat SO recently upon his own couch With
d cry or horror Alleyne sprung from his
ped and rushed to the easement while the
Two arohers aroused by the sound. seized
tlelr weapons and stared about them In be-
Wlloerment One glance was enough TO show
EoriGson that his fears were but too true
foully murdered, with score of wonnds
upon him and rope round his nacl, hi
poor friend had been cast from the upner
@ Mii9o" ana swung slowly In the night
WIZ WIG ms body raspng against the wall
and his disfigured face upon level u,ith
the easement W. win
NY God cried Alleyne, shaking in every
oevlI deed Is this?" |
Here Is flint and steeI " Soia 1, -,
ddlS. h The lamp, Aylward. This moon
'. 1 so4tehs mans heart Now we NAV
20, ,iis Eyes which God hath given u.s.
,ov ns any my nut! nut cried Aylward as the vel
master Ford and think that this senssehai soJiS
- oiack villain, who dare NOT faca ,1s
AZ the day, but would murder nc ~ -
SOAK hs & the twang of string il l do not
soak goose's feather with his bsartos ~.
plood 1t Will be no fault of SamLin lat
OF the White COMPANY A' t"afu
But, Aylward, think of the ne, ,,bo-
be" be the SSeseernight said ANeyne. 1T may W not
nave come into the castle n,nat oeiieas s,
-@N1sei @ ere 1t be too late Let me or Al
"alu, .Hl Ior my place is by his side,
headnIeoa moment, ail mon gar. Put that steel
ItennI'lece 't,I on the end of my yew stava Sei
VIII put it first through the d.: s se. 90.
- 10 come out when you can naithar 80 @
sworSa Sa"ia a., Yourself Now. camarades orr
# is qS TIM ana t stand ready Hola, by my HIT
II - t!ihe that we We're stirrnp," ' 4ii'''
as ne spoke. sudden shon+i,
u.ar,a ~. lhe castle, with the scream Of -
ra o,na,i ,1,n ana tie rush of many feet. 1ben
a roar Ike sti4ip Up cInk of clashing steel. and
~ ~! me that Of an angry lion-@No+ra
lame du Guesclin! St IvesI 81 r. =, t.oIre C
pom iuah pulled back the .o,t of 80 ne
Of The eIlust hn|s out the head-piece at the end
cap upon Don tba "a elash. the clatter of the steel
t, mlio struck could heave up for anotta.. nan
.n, paoW, me archer had passed his suntl Ueael
he criaa. us a,d poay' on. camarades. onl1
n,a, ~ ,l' !Iu' ana breaking ferceIy Dast t,,o
men who threw themselves in bis Panu Two
tio ip.o uoWn the broad corridor In the Si-aa ne
tlon OF the shouting Ia the dlrec-
h, shdfp turning, and then a second ooo
brought them to the head of q eotd shi one,
from rom winch they looked straight dou,r ,':a, taii,
the scene of the uproar sn,In upon
npo,,o! nan IA. Iay beneath them, from whtcb
opeheu the doors of the princjnai 80!
chambers. This hall was as Ughp saes'
LOT torches burned in numerous scouaSs, s,
upon upon me walls. throwing strange shadous
ornamented them. At the very Co. "hch !
star close to the open door of their cto,r, tme
III tas s the seneschal anu his wife: She
tbr"s. Ir, iet neaa shorn from her shoulders he
ht anilust through with a sharpened sfate
Which still protrudeu from eitber si5a oe
n iiis popy. Ihree servants of the castle Law
ueau peslde them. all torn and drapeIadi
as though a pack of wolves had bea1, So H.u,
them In front of the central euest oha'e. upoh
pel stood Du Gueselin and Sir Nigel baIe
clad and unarmored, with the mad io,. af
pa,,ae pa,.d gieaming In their eyes. Their heads
were thrown back, their lips cornnraSsaS
thelr blood stained swords poised o1er 3foG.
Ilght shoulders, and their left feet tbron,, 49,
OUT; 1hree dead men lay huddIed foeetb'
er IN front of them; while a fourth witt
the blood squirting from severed "aol
sci, lay back with updrawn knees hreatb-
ing IN wheeZy gasps. Further hackNau
painting together. like the wind in a tree-
mere stood group of fierce wild creaturas
bare-armed and bare-legged. Raunt mn
shaven, with deep-set. murderous eyes and
Wlla-beast faces. With their flashing teetb
thelr prlstilng hair, their mad leapnos ana
screenings. they seemed to AlIeyne more
IKE hends from the pit than men of iesb
and blood Even he looked, thew hroi,a
INTO hoarse yell and dashed once more
upon the two knights, hurting themselves
madly upon their sword points; clutchinp
scramblfng, biting, tearing careless az
wounds II they could but drag the two
soldiers to earth. Sir Nigel was thrown
down by the sheer weight of them. and Sir
Bertrand with his thunderous war-crv was
swinging round his heavy sword to clear q
space Tor him to rise, when the whistle of
two long English arrows, and the rush Of
the squire and the two English archers
down the stairs, turned the tide of the
combat. The assailants gave back. the
knights rusned forward, and in a very few
moments the hall was cleared and Horde
John had hurled the last of the wild men
down the steep steps whic-. led from the
end of it.
IN How