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

thest distance the white spire of Salisbury
$1,000 out hard and clear against the cloud
| Tess SKY. To Alleyne, whose days had been
spent In the low-lying coast-land. the eager
| upland air and the wide free countryside
| gave q sense Of life and of the Joy OF lv-
ing which made his young blood tingle In
| his veins. Even the heavy John was not
| unmoved by the beauty OF their road.
while the bowman whistled Justify or sung
7 snatches of French loye-songs In a voice
| which might have scared the most stout
| hearted maiden that ever hearkened to
| serenade.
| ~ have liking for that north country
man.. he remarked. presently. He hath
good power of hatred Couldst see by his
cheek and eye that he is as bitter as YER
| gall In his liver.
| "Ah, mel sighed Alleyne Would It not
be better II he had some love in his hearth
II LIVE would not say nay to that: BY my hit!
| little king. Let a man love the sex. Pas
queS Dieu! they are made to be loved les
| petites. from whimpie down to shoe-string,
| ! am right glad. mon garcon. to see that
| the good monks have trained thee so wisely
| and 50 we'll"
| May. meant not worldly love- but rather
that his heart should soften toward those
| who have wronged him."
| The archer shook his head.
| man should love those of his own
breed. said he. but it Is not nature that
! an English-born man should love a Scot OF
| Frenchnan. Ma fol! you have not seen
! drove OF Nithsdale raiders on their Gal
ioway nags or you would not speak OF low
| ing them I would soon take Beelzebub
| nfmsen to my arms. I fear, mon gar that
they have taught thee but badly at Beaulieu,
Tor surely bishop knows more OF what
| Is right and what Is Ill than an abbot can
do. and myself with these very eyes saw
| the bishop OF Lincoln hew into a Scottish
hooeier with battle-ax. which was a
passing strange way of showing him that
Aleyne scarce saw his way to argue In
| the face Of 30 decided an opinion on the
part OF high dignitary of the church
| then?'' he asked
why, man, first ioosed string In battle
| when was but a lad. younger by two
years than you. at Neviiles Cross. under
the Lord Mowbray. Later, 1 served under
the warden of Berwick, that very John
Copeland Of whom our friend spoke. the
same who held the King of Scots to ran
som; Ma FOL! 1t is rough soldering, and a
| good school for one who would learn to be
| hardy and war-wise."
i have heard that the Scots are good
men of war;" said Horde John
| For axmen and for spearmen have not
seen their MATCH the archer answered
They can travel too, with bag of meal
and gridiron slung to their sword-belt. so
| scant crops and few beeves In the border
lana where a man must reap his grain
| with sickle IN one fist and brown bill In the
other. On the other hand. they are the
sorrfest archers that I have ever seen. and
/ cannot so much as aim with the arbalest,
| to say naught of the long-bow Again.
they are mostly poor folk. even the mobiles
among them. so that there are few who can
buy as good a brigandine of chain mail as
| that which l am wearing, and 1t Is Ill for
| them to stand up against our own knights
| who carry the price of five Scotch farms
| upon their chest and shoulders Man for
| man. with equal weapons. they are as
| worthy and valiant men could be found
| In the whole of Christendom.'
| And the French?" asked Alleyne to
whom the archer's light gossip had all the
| relish that the words of the man Of action
have for the recluse.
The French are also very worthy men,
| We have had great good fortune in France
and II hath led to much bobance and
campfire talk, but have ever noticed that
those who know the most have the least to
! say ABOUT 1t. l have seen Frenchmen fight
both In open field in the intaking and the
defending of towns or castlewicks. in es-
caiaoos, camisades, night forays, bush
ments saliies. outfalls and knightly spear
| runnlngs Their knights and sauires lad
are every whit as good as ours and
could pick out score Of those who ride
nehind Du Guesclin who would hold the
lists with sharpened lances against the best
men In the army of England. On the other
hand, their common folk are so crushed
down with gabelle. and poll-tax, and every
| manner or cursed tallage, that the spirit
has passed right out of them. 1t is fools
| plan to teach a man to be a cur In peace.
ana think that he will be lion in war.
fleece them Ike sheep, and sheep they will
4 remain II the mobiles had not conquered
the poor folk. 1t is like enough that we
should not have conquered the nobIes.'
| But they must be sorry folk to bow
| down to the rich in such a fashion," said
Dig John. Il am but a poor commoner of
| England myself. and yet L know some
thing of charters, liberties. franchises.
| Qsages, privileges customs. and the like.
If these be broken. then all men know that
| 1t is time to buy arrow-heads."
| Ay, but the men of the law are strong
In France as well as the men of war BY
hot
| fear there from the ink-pot Of the one
| than from the iron Of the other. There Is
| ever some cursed sheep-skin in their strong
| boxes to prove that the rich man should
be richer and the poor man poorer 1t
would scarce pass IN England; but they are
| quiet folk over the water"
| And what other nations have you seen
| in your travels, good sir?'' asked Alleyne
| Edricson.
His young mind hungered for plain facts
o! life. after the long course of speculation
and OF mysticism on which he had been
| trained.
81 have seen the low countryman in arms,
| and have naught to say against him.
| Heavy and slow Is he by nature, and is not
| to be brought into battle for the sake of
slady's eyelash or the twang of a mnstrers
| string, like the hotter blood of the south.
| But, ma fol! lay hand on his wool-bales, or
| trifie with his velvet OF Bruges, and out
| brzzes every stout burgher. like bees from
| the tee-hole. ready to lay on as though 1t
were his one business in life. BY our lady!
| they nave SHOWN tne french at COurtrdl
| and elsewhere that they are as deft in
| welding steel in welding it,
/ And the men of Spain?"
/ '"They, too. very hardy soldiers. the
| more so as for many hundred years they
/ have had to fight hard against the cursed
| followers Of the black Mahound, who have
4 pressed upon them from the south. and still,
| as understand. hold the fairer half OF the
! country. had turn with them upon the
sea, when they came over to Winchelsea.
and the good queen. with her ladies. sat
upon the cliffs looking down at us. as IL it
had been joust or tourney. By my hiltl IL
was a sight that was worth the seeing. for
| all that was best In England was out
| the water that day We went forth in 1T
| tie ships and came back in great galleys-
| for of fifty tall ships of Spain. over two
| score few the Cross of ST. George ere the
sun had set. But new, youngster, have
| answered you freely. and I trow 1t is time
that you answered me. Let things be plat
| and plain between / am a man who
shoots straight at his mark. You saw the
things / had with me at yonder hostel;
name which you will. save only the box Of
rose-colored sugar. which take to the
| Lady Loring. and you shall have 1t If you
will but come with me to France.