Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-07-28
TX,

with q SllNeTY-ldlIeu Olu lduS upon Ills
arm, stared aghast at this sudden burst
"Maude, Maude!' said he. shaking
his head, sit is more hard for me to
gain obedience from you than from the
fenscore drunken archers who followed
me to Guinne. Yet. hush! little one,
fer your fair lady-mother Will be here
anon, and there is no need that she
should know it. We will keep you
rom the provost-marshal this journey;
Away to your chamber. sweeting, and
keep a blithe face, for she who con-
Iasses is shriven. And now, fair moth
or" re continued. when his daughter
rad gone, sit you here by the fire, for
your blood runs colder than it did:
Alleyne Edricson, l would have a word
with YOU, for l would fain that you
should take service under me. And
here IN good time comes my lady, with
out whose counsel it is not my wont
to decide aught to import; but, indeed;
it was her own thought hat you should
For I have formed a good opinion
Of you and can see that you are one
who may be trusted sale, the Lady
Loring. And in good. sooth my dear
lord hath need of such a one by his
side, for he reeks so little OF himselt
to his needs and meet his wants. You
have seen the cloister; 1t were well
mat you should should see see the fe w Stween too t6em ere
You can rider asked Sir Nigel,
looking at the youth with puckered
yes. I have ridden much at the alb
yet there is a difference betwixt a
friar's hack and a warriors destrfer.
You can sing and play2'
"On citole. flute and rebeck.
Good! You can read blazonry?
Il trust that you ere lowly and SER
4 have served all ny life. my lord"
'CanSt carve toog
II haVe carved tNtJ days n week TOT
the brethren
of squires. But TIL me, pray, canst
NO, my lord, 1T I could learn
ut is of import" said he. Tor l
ing that the weight of my helmet for
thirty years hath in some degree frayed
it upon the top 8.
said the lady; Tor my sweet lord Is OF
so free and e 'aciouS a temper that ne
asked aims o. him. All these things,
with some knowledge of %Venerie. and
of the management of horse. hawk, ana
and courtesy " hich are proper to your
age, will male you a hit squire Tor olr
Nigel Loring
know well the great honor that YOU
have done me in deeming me worthy
to wait upon so a knlgnt,
ness that | scarce dare incur duties
which | might be SO i'll fitted to fulfill
'MOdeSty and a humDle nina, ala
she. are the very first and rarest gifts
in page or squire. Your words prove
that you have these, and all the rest
is but the work of use and Of time
I'VE can scarce hope" said Sir Nigel,
TO have all ready for our start before
the feast of st. Luke for there is much
leisure. therefore, If 1t please you to
take service under me, in which to
learn your devoir."
you." added the lady of the castle, as
Alleyue turned to leave their presence,
You have, as understand, muef
Beaulieu. would have you give an
hour or two a day whilst you are with
the Lady Maude; for she is somewhat
backward. l fear, and hath no love for
letters, save for, these poor tond fo-
mances, which do but fill her empty
head with dreams of enchanted maid
ems and of errant cavalier. Father
Christopher comes over alter hones
years and slow of speech, SO that she
gets small profit from his teaching. L
would have you do what you can with
her. and with Agatha, my young tire
woman. and with Dorothy Pierpont.'
And so Alleyne found himself not
only chosen as squire to a knight, but
also as squire to three damozels, which
vas even further from the part which
se had thought to play in the world.
Md now there came a time OF SUI
nd hustle. of furnishing of arms and
lang OF hammer from all the south
land counties. Fast spread the tidings,
from thorpe to thorpe and from castle
once more, and the lions and lilies to
ne in the field with the early spring;
Great news this for that fierce old
country whose trade for a generation
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
10 their birthright. The old soldiers
of Crecy, of Nogent, and of Poictiers
were glad to think that they mlght
hear the war-trumpet once more and
gladder still were the hot youth who
had chatPed for years under the mar
tjal tales of their sires. To pierce the
great mountains of the south, to nght
the tanners of the fiery Moors, TO 1ol-
low the greatest captain of the age, TO
find sunny cornfields and vineyards
when the marches of Picardy and Nor
mandy were as bare and bleak as the
Jedbureh forests-here was Solden
prospects for a race of warriors. From
sea to sea there was stringing of bows
in the cottage n clang of steel In the
castle.
hold to pour forth its cavalry, and
every hamlet it's footmen. Through the
late autumn and the early winter every
road and country lane ~resounded WIN
Bakir and trumpet. with the neigh or
the war-horse and the ~clatter of march
ing men.
Of Hampshire there was no lac or
leaders or of soldiers for a SERVICE
which promised elther hOnOr OF pToLl-
S~reatest of all the musters, however,
vas that at Twynham Castle, for the
1ame and the fame of Sir Nigel Loring
rev toward him the keenest and bold
st spirits, all eager to serve under so
raliant a leader. Archers from the
New Forest n the Forest OF Bere.
bjllmen from the pleasant country
which is watered by the Stour, the
AVON, and the Itchen, young cavailerS
rom the ancient Hampshire houses, all
We're pushing for C~hristchurch to take
-arVfna under the hammer of the nV0
searlet roses.
And-Tuw. could Sir Nigel have shown
The bachelles of land which the laws
II rank required. he might well have
mi his forked pennon into a square
h1uner. and taken such a following into
Tie field as would have Supported the
dignity of a banneret. But poverty
vas heavy upon him; his land was
ant, his Golfers empty, and the very
site which covered him the holding
another. Sore was his heart when
Ht saw rare bowmen and war-hardened
nearmen turned away from his gates
for the lack of the money which might