Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-16

locked and the mule safe enough with.
In. Nor, though they looked. could they
find any trace of the palmer, not even
a footstep, since the ground was frost
bound.
ut seems that he was determined Ia
be gone,' said Wulf. "Wcll, perbars
we can catch him YETI and he called
to the men 10 saddle up and ride with
him to search tho country.
For three hours they hunted far and
wide, but nothing did they see Of Mich.
olas.
1.-The knave has slipped AWAY like a
night hawk and left as little trace" re.
ported Wulf. Now, my uncle, what
does this meanf'
Il do not know, save that it is Of a
piece with the rest. and that I like 4,
little answered the old knight anX-
1ously. "The net is about us, my neph.
ews, and think that Saladin draws its
string"
still less pleased would Sir Andrew
nave Deen could he have seen the palm
er Nicholas creeping round the hail
while all men slept ere he glrded up his
long gown aud ran like a hare for Lon.
don. Yet he had done this by the light
or the bright stars, taking note of every
WINDOW slit in it, more especially Of
thoSe or the solar; Of the plan Of the
outDuildlngs also, and Of the path that
ran to Steepie creek, some 800 Yards
away.
From that day forward fear settled
on the ~place-fcar of some blow TINT
none was able TO ~fOresec and against
WHICH they could not guard. But the
tinc went on, ana nothing happened TO
disturb them. The friends of whom
the old knight took counsel laughed
Mt his forebodings. None Of them be.
lieved that Saladin or his enIssarjes
would stir in this business before tic
spring or, more probably. until anothe,
year had passed. Still they always set
guards at night and. besides them
selves. kept twenty men sleeping al
the hall; also they arranged that on
the lighting Of a signal fire upon the
tower of Steeple church their neighbors
Should come to. succor them.
SO the time went on toward Christ.
mas, before which the weather changed
and became calm. with sharp frost.
1t was on the shortest day that PRO,
John rode up to the hail and told them
that he was going to Southminster ia
Duy some wine for the Christmas
feast. Sir Andrew asked what wine
there was at Southminster. The prior
answered that he had heard that a
ship laden, among other things, with
wine of Cyprus of wonderful quality
had come into the river Crouch with
her rudder broken. He added that rs
no shipwrights could be found in Lon.
don to repair it till after Christmas
the chapman, a Cyprioto, who was in
charge of the wine, was selling as
much as he could in Southminster and
to the houses about at a cheap rate
and delivering it by means of a vain
that he had bred.
Sir Andrew replied that this seemed
Il fair chance to get fine liquor. which
was hard to come by in Essex in those
times. The end of it was that he
babe Wulf, whose taste in strong drink
was nice. to ride with the prior into
Southminster and if lie liked the stuff
to buy a few casks of 1t for them to
make merry with at Christmas, al
though he himself, because Of his all
ments. now drank only water.
SO Wulf went, nothing loath. In this
dark season of the year when there
was no fishing it grew very dull loiter-
ing about the hall, and since he did
not read much, like Goodwin. sitting for
lnpu Inifrr Lr tIn +ra OF riDbr ". -,I-
ing liosamunl going to and fro upon
her tasks, but not speaking with her
oyermuch, for Notwithstanding all their
p%rctense of fo~rgctfulness some sort OF
veil had fallen between the brethren
and Rosamund, and their intercourse
was not SO open and familiar as OF Old.
Moreover, as has been said, dread
sat upon that rooftree like a croakiug
raven, nor could they escape from the
shadow Of its wing. Far away in the
east a mighty monarch had turned his
thoughts toward this English home and
the maid Of his royal blood who dwelt
there and who was mingled with his
visions Of conquest and of the triumph
of his faith.
SO away Wulf rode up Steeple Hill
with the prior, laughing as he used to
do before Rosamund led him to gather
flowers at st. Petcr's-on-thc-Wall.
Asking where the foreign merchant
dwelt who had wine to sell, they were
directed to an inn near the minister.
Here in n back room they found a
short, stout man. wearing a red cloth
cap, who was seated on a pillow be-
tween two kegs.
"Clean cups" he said, speaking in
bad French. to the drawer who stood
beside him. "Clean cups, for here
come Il holy man and n gallant knight
who wish to taste my liquor. Nay. fell
low, fill them up, for the top of Mount
Trooidos in winter is not so cold as
this cursed place, 10 say nothing of its
damp, which is that of n dungeon"
And he shivered, drawing his costly
shawl closer round him.
"Sir Abbot. which will you taste
tirSt-the red wine or the yellow? The
red is the stronger, but the yellow IA
the more costly and a drink for saints
in paradise and nbbots Upon earth.
Tho yellow from KyreniGf Well. you
are wise, They say it was my patron
81. Hclena's favorite vintage when she
visited Cyprus, bringing with her Dis
mas cross"