Evening star., 1905-10-17
CHAPTER XII.
How Alleyne Learned More Than He
Gould Teach.

How Alleyne Learned More Than He
Could Teach.
And now there came time of stir and
bustle, of furnishing of arms and of clang
of hammer from all the southland counties
Fast spread the tidings from thorpe to
thorpe, and from castle to castle, that the
old game was afoot once more, and the
lions and lilies to be in the field with the
early spring Great news this for that
fierce old country, whose trade for gen.
Grafton had been war, her exports archers
and her imports prisoners. For six years
her sons had chafed under an unwonted
peace Now they flew to their arms as to
their birthright. The old soldiers of Crecy,
of Nogent and of Poicters We're glad to
think that they might hear the war tfum-
pet once more, and gladder still were the
hot youth who had chafed for years under
the martial tales of their sires. To pierce
the great mountains of the south, 10 ngnt
the tanners of fiery Moors, 10 IoiloW the
greatest captain of the age, to find sunny
cornfields and vineyards, when the marches
of Picardy and Normandy were as rare
and bleak as the Jedburgh forests-here
was a golden prospect for race OF war
riors From sea to sea there were string
ing of bows in the cottages ana clans ol
steel In the castle.
Nor did it take long for every stronghold
to pour forth its cavalry, and every hamles
its footmen Through the late autumn ana
the early winter every road and country
lane resounded with nakir and trumpet
with the neigh of the Warhorse ana tne
clatter of marching men. From the Wrek,n
in the Welsh marches to the CotSWoioS IN
the west or Butser in the south, there was
no hilltop from which the peasant mlgnt
not have seen the bright simmer or arms
the toss and fiutter of plume ana pensii.
From by-path, from woodland clearing or
from winding moorside track, these httle
riyulets of steel united in the larger roadS
to form broader stream, growing even
fuller and larger as 1t approached the neai
est or most commodiouS seaport. And there
all day and day after day, there was BUS
tie, and crowding, and labor While the
great ships loaded up, and one after the
other spread their white pinions and darteo
off to the open sea, amid the clash of Gym
balls, and rolling of drums, and lusty
shouts of those who went, ana OF lnose
who waited. From Orwell TO the , DaTl
there was no port which dld NOT send lorti,
it's little fleet, gay with streamer ana
bunting, as for joyous festival. Thus In
the season of the waning days the mlshI
of England put forth on to the waters.
In the ancient and populous county or
Hampshire there was no lack of leaders or
of soldiers for service which promised
either honor or profit. In the north the
Saracen's head of the Brocas and the scar
let fish of the De Roches were waving over
a strong body of archers from Holt Wool
was UP in the east, and Sir John de Mon
tague in the west. Sir Luke de Ponynges,
Sir Thomas West, Sir Maurice de Bruin, Sir
Arthur LipScombe, Sir Walter Ramsey ana
stout Sir Oliver ButteSthorn were all march
ing south with levies from Andover Aries
ford Oldham and Winchester, while from
Sussex came Sir John Clinton, Sir Thomas
Cheyne and Sir John Fallislee, with troop
of picked men-at-arms, making for their
port at Southampton. Greatest of all the
musters, however, was that of Twynham
Castle, for the name and the fame OF Sir
Nigel Loring drew toward him the keenest
and boldest spirits, all eager to serve un-
der so valiant leader. Archers from the
New Forest and the Forest of Bere, billmen
from the pleasant country which is watered
by the Stour, the Avon and the 1tchen,
young cavaliers from the ancient Hampshire
houses, all were pushing for Christ Church
to take service under the banner of the five
scarlet roses.
And now, could Sir Nigel have shown the
bachelles of land which the laws of rank
required, he might well have cut his forked
pennon into a square banner, and taken
such a following into the field as would
have supported the dignity of a baRneret.
But poverty was heavy upon him, his land
was scant, his Golfers empty, and the very
castle which covered him the holding of
another. Sore was his heart when he
rare bowmen and warhardened spearmer
turned away from his gates, for the lack
of the money which might equip and pay
brought him gave him powers which he was
not slow to use. In it Sir Claude Latour,
the Gascon lieutenant of the White Com
pany, assured him that there remained In
his keeping enough to fit out a hundred
archers and twenty men-at-arms, which,
Joined to the three hundred veteran COM
panions already in France, would make a
force which any leader might be proud to
command. Carefully and sagaciousy the
veteran knight chose out his men from the
swarm of volunteers. Many an anxious
consultation he held with Black Simon, Sam
Aylward and other of his more experienced
followers, as to who should come and who
should stay. By All Saints day, however,
ere the last leaves had fluttered to earth in
the Wilverley and Holmesley giades he had
filled up his full numbers and mustered
under his banner as stout a following of
Hampshire foresters as ever twanged their
war-bows. Twenty men-at-arms, too, well
mounted and equipped, formed the cavalry
of the party, while young Peter Terlake of
Fareham and Walter Ford of Botley, the
martial sons of martial sires, came at their
own cost to wait upon Sir Nigel and to
share with Alleyne Edricson the duties of
his squireship
Yet, even after the enrolment there was
much to be done ere the party could pro-
lances there was no need to take much
forethought, for they were to be had both
better and cheaper in Bordeaux than in
England. With the long-bow. however, it
be got In Spain but it was well to take
enough and to spare with them Then three
spare cords should be carried for each bow
with great store of arrow-heads, besides
the brigandines of chain-mail. the wadded
steel caps and the brassarts, or arm-guards
which were the proper equipment of the
archer Above all, the women for miles
round were hard at work cutting the white
surcoats which were the badge of the COM
pany, and adorning them with the red lion
of ST. George upon the center of the breast.
When all was completed and the mus
ter called in the castle yard, the oldest
soldier of the French wars was fain to
confess that he had never looked upon a
better equipped or more warlike body of
men, from the old knight with his silk
jupon, sitting his great black war horse in
the front of them, to Horde John. the giant
recruit, who leaned carelessly upon a huge
black bow-stave In the rear. OF the six
score, fully half had seen service before,
while fair sprinl1ling were men who had
followed the wars all their lives, and had
hand in those battles which had made the
whole world ring with the tame and the
wonder of the Island infantry
Six long weeks were taken in these prep
arations and it was close on Martinmas ere
all was ready for start. Nigh two months
had Alleyne Edrcson been in Castle Twyn-
ham-months which were fated to turn the