Evening star., 1905-11-03
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

\ n n x 4 II
sruteh and grumble. but when have Sc
my race to do thing / will not turn my
BACK upon II until It be done. There 4
send me wine-casks for my cloth-bales, st
| to Cahors I will go, though all the robber
knights Of Christendom were to line tht
| roads like yonder popiars."
| "Stoutly spoken. Master AldermanI But
how have you. Jared hitherto7'
AS lamb fares in a land OF wolves
| Five times We have had to beg and pray
| to the wardens Of the road. Three times
we have had to draw, and once at La Reolie
| we stood over our wool-ba1es. Watkin and
l, and we laid about us for as long a
man might chant lftany, Staying one
| rogue and wounding two others. BY God S
coli! we are men Of peace, but we are free
English burghers. not to be mishandled
either in our country or abroad. Neither
have as much as strike Of fax of mine
while I have strength to wag this sword
And passing strange sword it is,''
quoth Sir Nigel. What make you, Alleyne,
the sheathT"
"! cannot tell what they are. my fair
lord"
Nor can T." said Ford.
The merchant chuckled to himself
1t was a thought of mine own" said he:
FOR the sword was made by Thomas VIII
son, the armorer, who Is betrothed to my
second daughter, Margery. Know. then.
that the sheath is one cloth yard In length,
marked of according to feet and inches. to
serve me as measuring wand. It is also
OF the exact weight of two pounds, SO that
may use 1t in the balance.
by St. Paul" quoth Sir Nigel 'it in very
clear to me that the sword is like thyself.
good alderman, apt either for war or for
peace But l doubt not that even in Eng
land you have had much to suffer from the
hands Of robbers and outlaws"
1T was only last Lammastide. Sir knight,
that was left for dead near Reading as I
10urneyed to Winchester fair Yet I had
the rogues up at the court OF pie powder,
and they will harm no more peaceful trad.
ers."
''You travel much, thenr'
To Winchester. Linn mart, Bristol fair,
Stourbr.dge and Bartholomew's in London
IoWn The rest of the year you may ever
find me five doors from the Church of Our
Lady. where would from my heart that I
was at this moment, for there is no air like
Norwich air, and no water like the Yare,
nor can all the wines of France compare
with the beer of old Sam Yelverton, who
keeps the Dun Cow. But, out and alack,
here Is an evil fruit which hangs upon this
chestnut tree"
AS he spoke they had ridden round a
curve of the road and come upon q great
tree which shot one strong brown branch
across their path. From the center of this
pranch there hung man, with his head at
a horrid slant to his body and his toes just
touching the ground. He was naked save
for linen undershirt and a pair of wooden
drawers Beside him on a green bank
there sat small man with a solemn face
and great bundle of papers Of all colors
thrusting forth from the scrip which lay
beside him. He was very richly dressed,
with furred robes, scarlet hood, and wide
hanging sleeves lined with flame-colored
silk A great gold chain hung round his
neck, and rings glittered from every finger
OF his hands. On his lap he had little
pile of gold and Of silver which he was
dropping coin by coin, into a plump pouch
which hung from his girdle.
s-aMay 1.-The saints be with YOU good tray-
etersP' he shouted. the party rode up.
May the four evangelists watch over you!
May the twelve apostles bear you up! May
the oiessed army Of martyrs direct your
feet and lead you to eternal blissv'
Grammercy for these good wishes!' said
Sir Nigel But 1 perceive, Master Alder
man, that this man who hangs here fs by
mark OF foot. the very robber knight Of
whom we have spoken. But there is a car
tel pinned upon his breast, and pray you,
Alleyne, to read 1t to me-
The dead robber swung slowly to and fro
In the wintry wind, fixed smile upon his
swarthy face, and his bulging eyes still
glaring down the highway of which he had
80 long been the terror: on a sheet of
parchment upon his breast was printed in
rude characters:
ROGER PIED-BOT
par Iordre du Senechal de
Caste1nau, ct de lEchevin de
Cahors, servantes fdeles du
Tres valiant ct tres puissant
Edouard, Prince de Gales ct
DAqutaine.
Ne touchez pas
Ne couteZ pas,
Ne depechez pas.''
He took sorry time in dying" said the
man who sat beside him. He could stretch
one toe to the ground and bear himself up,
so that 1 thought he would never have
done. Now, at last, however, he Is safely
CO {orr
earthly way"
He mounted, as he spoke white mule
Wmch had been grazing by the wayside. all
gay with fustian of gold and silver bells,
and rode onward with Sir Nigers party.
How know you, then, that he is in para
dise?" asked Sir Nigel. "AlI things are
possible to God, but. certes. without a
miracle, I should scarce expect to find the
soul of Roger Club-foot among the just"
II know that he is there because l have
just passed him in there" answered the
stranger, rubbing his bejeweled hands to-
gether In placid satisfaction. 1T Is my
holy mission to be sompnour or pardoner.
l am the unworthy servant and delegate OF
him who holds the keys. A contr1te heart
and ten mobiles to holy Mother Church may
stave off perdition; but he hath a pardon OF
the first degree, with twenty-five l,vre
benson. so that 1 doubt If he will so much
as feel twinge Of purgatory l came up
even as the seneschafs archers were tying
him up, and gave him my fore-word that
There were two leaden crowns among the
silver, but would not for that stand in the
way of his salvation"
by st. Paul!' said Sir Nigel, 'if you
have indeed this power to open and to shut
the gates of hope, then indeed you stand
high above mankind. But If you do but
claim to have it. and yet have 1t not. then.
1t seems to me. Master Clerk that you may
yourself find the gate barred when you
shall ask admittance."
Small Of faith! Small of faith!'' cried
the sompnour "Ah, Sir Didymus yet walks
upon earth! And yet no words of doubt
can bring anger to mine heart, or bitter
word to my lip, for am I not a poor un-
worthy worker in the cause of gentleness
and peace2 OF all these pardons which 1
bear every one is stamped and signed by
our holy father, the prop and center OF
Christendom."
(Which Of them?' asked Sir Nigel.
"Ea! hal! cried the pardoner. shaking a
jeweled forefnger. Thou wouldst be deep
in the secrets of Mother Church? Know,
then, that / have both in my scrip. Those
who hold with Urban shall have Urban's
pardon, while I have Clements for the
Clementist-or he who Is in doubt may
bava hnff, so that coma what NAV ha