The Delta independent., 1906-07-13
Synopsis of preceding chapters a. end of this ns.allnen
<irN.Cotaat, Dotsl EN-
~ CoPyri GIFTED 1894 By Harper { srofhers

piers at end of this ins,allment
"Prettily said. mon garcon. Touch
ing that same Staying of the Redeemer,
1t was bad business. A good padre
: in France read to us from a scroll the
whole truth of the matter. The
soldiers came upon Him in the Garden
III truth, these Apostles of Hi>may have
| been holy men. but they were of no
great account as men-at-arms. There
was one, indeed, Sir Peter. who smOte
out like a true man; but. unless he is
belied, he did but clip a varlet's car,
which was no very knightly Iced.
By these ten finger bones! had been
there. with Black Simon of Norwich.
and but one score of picked men OF the
Company, we had held them n play.
Could We do no more. we had at least
filed the false knight Sir Judas, so
full of English arrows that he would
curse the day that ever he came on
such an errand."
The young clerk smiled at his
companions earnestness- Had He
wished help" he said, He could have
summoned legions of archangles from
heaven, so what need had He of yoIr
POOR bow and arrow? Besides. bethink
you of His own words-that those whe
live by the sword shall perish by the
sword"
Now, youngster. let things be plat
and plain between us. l am a man
who shoots straight at his mark.
You saw the things ! had with me at
II.
save the box of rose-colored sugar
which I take to the Lady Loring. and
you shall have them if you will but
come with me to France"
Nay" said Alleyne, Il would gladly
come with ye to France or where else
yc will. just to list to your talk. and
because We are the only two friends
that l have in the whole wide world
outside of the cloisters: but indeed IL
may not be. for my duty is toward my
brother. seeing that father and mother
are dead. and he my elder. Besides,
when ye talk of taking me to France.
should be to you, seeing that neither
by training nor by nature am l fitted
for the wars. and there seems to be
rought but strife in those parts.''
"Bsthink you again, mon ami"
much good yonder. since there are
three hundred men in the Company.
and none who has ever a word of
grace for them. and yet the Virgin
knows that there was never set Of
men who were in more need OF II.
Sickerly the one duty may balance the
other. Your brother hath done with
out you this many year. and. as
gather. he hath never walked as far
as Beaulieu to see you during all that
time. SO he cannot be in any great need
Of you
Besides" said John. the socman OF
Minstead is a byword through the
forest. from Bramshaw Hill to Holmes
ley Walk He is a drunken. brawling.
perilous churl, as you may find to your
lcust."
The more reason that 1 should
strive to mend him. quoth Alleyne.
There is no need to urge me, friends.
for my own wishes would draw me to
France. and 1t would be joy to me
could l go with you. But indeed and
indeed it cannot be, so here I take my
leave of you. for yonder square tower
amongst the trees upon the right must
surely be the church of Minstead. and
l may reach it by this path through
the woods
! Well. God be with thee. lad!" cried
t the archer. pressing Alleyne to his
heart. Il am quick to love. and quick
, to hate. and fore God 1 am loath to
/ part. Yet ii may be as we'll that you
, should know whittier We go. We shall
/ now journey south through the woods
until we come out upon the Christ
church road, and so onward. hoping
tonight to reach the castle OF Sir
. William Montacute. Earl of Salisbury.
Of which Sir Nigel Loring is constable.
4 There we shall bide, and it is like
: enough that for month or more you
may find us there, ere we are ready
for our voyage back to France
1t was hard indeed for Alleyne to
, break away from these two new but
, hearty friends. and so strong was the
combat between his conscience and his
i inclinations that he dared not look
round, lest his resolution should slip
away from him.
: The path which the young clerk hao
, now to follow lay through a magnif-
) cent forest of the very heaviest timber.
where the giant boles OF oak and OF
beech formed long aisles in every di-
: rection- shooting up their huge
branches to build the majestic arches
OF Natures own cathedral. 1t was
very still there in the heart OF the
woodlands. The gentle rustic OF the
I branches and the distant cooling OF
, pigeons were the only sounds which
. broke in upon the silence. save that
. once Alieyne heard afar OF merry
, call upon a hunting bugle and the
shrill yappinS of the hounds. He
pushed the quicker. twirlirG his
stan merrily. and looking out at every
turn II the path for some sign OF the
old Saxon residence. He was suddenly
arrested. however by the appearance
/ OF a wild-lcokinG fellow armed with a
cluN who sprang out from behind a
tree and barred his passage. He was
rough. powerful peasant. with cap
leather breeches. and galiigassins
round his legs and feet
"Stand!" he shouted. raising his
heavy cudgel to enforce the order.
'who are you who walk so freely
throu-h the woodT" WHITTIER would
"whv should 7 answer rour aues-
t'nns nv fr,sra"" said Alleyne. stand
inr on his guard.
'Recanse your tongue may save
yonr pate. What hast in the scrip!"
''Nought Of any price"
see"
"Not T."
"roo,' con,d pun YOU limb from
ilmh ,,ke rullet. wouldst lose scrip
and life too~
II win part with neither without a
dght"