Amador ledger., 1906-07-06

walls" cried another "What sort of
talk is this for a public inn?'
"Shall it be a litany, my good
clerk?' shouted a third; cor would a
hymn be good enough to server"
The jongleur had put down his harp
In high dudgeon. Am / to be
preached to by a child?" he cried,
staring across at Alleyne with an in
famed and angry countenance. 'Ts
hairless infant to raise tongue
against me, when have sung in every
fair from Tweed to Trent, and have
twice been named aloud by the High
Court of the Minstrels at Beverly? l
Shall sing no more tonight
NAY, but you will so," said one of
the laborers. "Hi! Dame Eliza, bring
a stoup Of your best to Will, to clear
his throat. Go forward with thy song.
and if our girl-faced clerk does not
love 1t he can take to the road and 90
whence he came"
NAY, but not too fast" broke in
Horde John. "There are words
In this matter. It may be that my
little comrade has been over-quick in
reproof, he having gone early into the
cloisters and seen little Of the rough
ways and words Of the world. Yet
there is truth in what he saws. for as
you know well, the song was not Of
the cleanest 1 shall stand by him,
therefore, and he shall neither be put
out on the road, nor shall his ears be
offended indoors"
Indeed, your high and mighty
grace" sneered one of the yeomen.
nave you in sooth so ordained?"
by the Virgin!' said second, "I
think that you may both chance to
find yourselves upon the road before
long"
"And so belabored as to be scarce
able to crawl along it," cried third.
NAY, shall go! 1 shall go!" said
Alleyne hurriedly, as Horde John be-
gan to roll up his sleeves, and bare
an arm like leg of mutton. 'T would
not have you brawl about me-"
Hush, lad!' he whispered, 81
count them not fly. They may find
they have more tow on their distaff
than they know how to spin. Stand
thou clear and give me space"
Both the foresters and the laborers
had risen from their bench, and Dame
Eliza and the travelling doctor had
flung themselves between the two
parties with soft words and soothing |
gestures, when the door Of the Pied
Merlin was flung violently open, and
the attention of the company was
drawn from their own quarrel to the
newcomer who had burst so uncere-
moniously upon them.
CHAPTER "
He was middle-sized man, of most |
massive and robust build, with an
arching C hest and extraordinary |
breadth Of shoulder. His shaven face
was as brown as hazel-nut, tanned |
and dried by the weather, with harsh |
well-marked features, which were not |
improved by long white scar which |
stretched from the corner of his left |
nostril to the angle of the jaw. His |
eyes were bright and searching, with |
something of menace and of authority |
in their quick glitter, and his mouth |
was firm-set and hard, as befitted one
who was wont to set his face against |
danger. A straight sword by his side
and a painted long-bow jutting over
his shoulder proclaimed his profession,
while his SCARED brigandine of chain
mail and his dinted steel cap showed
that he was no holiday soldier, but one
who was even now fresh from the
wars. A white surcoat, with the Lion
Of st. George in red upon the centre,
covered his broad breast, while a
sprig of new-plucked broom at the