New-York tribune., 1906-03-04

farI- moved small bodies Of cavalry. and
dozen scouts. spread fanwise. pr,led every
gorge and li1gle IN front o1 the col 1-ilil- p
for three DAYS he moved slowly down l-e
Sir Thomas Percy and Sir James Asrley had
ridden % the head Of the column. and hn9--rs
conferred with them as they marched concern
ing the plan Of their campaign. Percy @5;-
Astle,- were Young and hot-leaLet WITH WIG
visions Of dash,cg deeds and knight eTTtn-Tl'
but ku1,ies with cold clear brain and ptlr-
pose Of iron held ever his object m vle"
By the holy Dunstan and all the saints ~
Lind.s ta-rc'' erred the fiery Bor-e-e-- u
goes % NV heart % ride forward w1e1 there
are such honorable chances on e-tler SIDE ~
US Have I not heard that the French are at
Evran beyond the river and Is u Mt s10t-
that wonder castle, the towers % "-i-1 / see
above the woods IS in the hands ot traitor
who Is false to his liege lord Of Monttort, There
IS little profit 20 be gained upon this road
for the folk seem % have no heart Tor war
Had ventured as tar over the uaTc1es Ct
Scotland as we now are IN Brittany, we should
not have lacked some honorable venture or
chance Of winning worship
You say truth, Thomas" cred Ashley,
red-faced and cholerlc young man II IS We'll
certain that the French VIII not come % Us,
and surely II IS the more needfUl that We 60 %
them. In so0th, anv soldier who sees Us would
smile that we should creep for three days along
this road as though a thousand dangers lay
before u. when we have but poor broken
peasants 20 deal with
Bur Robert knoIles shook his head We
know not what are IN these woods or behind
these hills, sand he, and when know nothing
It IS my wont TO prepare for the worst which
may betall- Il IS but prudence so TO do
'' Your enemies mi Ilt find some harsher
name for it. said Ashley with q sneer Nav.
YOU need not think 70 scare me by glari1g at
me, SIR Robert, nor VIII Your Ill-pleasure
change my thoughts. | have faced hercer eyes
than thine, and have not feared
Nrrr
teOus nor good, said kr0lles, and if I were
free man / would cram your words down
your throat with the point OF nv dagger But
l am here % lead these men IN profit and honor
not % quarrel with every fool who has not the
wit 70 understand how soldiers should be led
Can You not see that If | make attempts here
and there, as YOU would have me do | shall
have Weakened my strength before I come
10 that part where It can best be spents"
And where Is that asked Percy. Fore
God Ashley II Is IN my mind that We ride with
one who knows more of war than YOU or l.
and that We would be wise TO be guided bv
his rede- Tell Us then what is in Your mind"
Thirty miles from here said knOIIeS
there Is, as | am told. a fortaIIce named
Ploermel and within It Is one Bambro' an
EnglShman, with good garrison No great
distance from him Is the Castle OF TosseIin
where dweils John Of Beaurnan0ir with a GREAT
following Of Bretons. 1t is nv intention t5at
We should JON BambrJ' and so be in such
strength that We may throw ourselves upOu
JoSSelIn and by taking It become the masters
OF all mid-Brlttany and able TO make head
against the Frenchmen in the south"
Indeed | think that YOU can do no better"
SAID Percy heartily, and 1 swear TO YOU on
jeopardy OF my soul that | VIII stand bv YOU
IN the 1natterl doubt not that when We come
deep INTO their land they viii draw together and
DO what they may TO make head against US.
but up 10 now | swear by all the saints of
LIndlstarne that | should have seen more war
IN a summers day IN Liddesdale or at the
Forest OF Jedburgh than any that Brittany
has shown US But see, wonder horsemen are
rlding IN. They are our own hObblers. are they
not; And who are these who are Iashed to
their stirrups:"
A small troop Of mounted bowrnen had
hidden out Of an oak grove upon the left of
the road. They trotted up TO where the three
knights had halted. Two wretched peasants
whose wrists had been tied TO thei- leaders came
leap1ng and straIning beside the horses in their
effort not TO be dragged off their feet. One
was TAN gaunt, yellOw-haired man the other
snort and swarthy, but both so crrsted with
dlrt' so matted and tangled and RAGGED. that
they We're more like beasts of the wood than
human beings '''''-'
nat IS thls:" asked knOlles. " Have I not
ordered YOU 70 leave the country folk at peace2''
he leader of the archers old Wat of car
nSle, held up sword, girClle and a dagger
II II please you, fair sir" said he Il savS fbe I