Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-04


dozen scouts, spread fanwise, probed every
gorge and dingle in front of the column So
for three days he moved slowly down the
Southern Road
Sir Thomas Percy and Sir James Ashley had
ridden to the head of the column, and Knolles
conferred with them as they marched concern
ing the plan of their campaign Percy and
Ashley were young and hot-headed with wild
visions of dashing deeds and knight errantry
but Knolles with cold clear brain and pur-
pose of iron held ever his object in view
By the holy Dunstan and all the saints of
Lndisfarne!" cried the fiery Borderer, it
goes to my heart to ride forward when there
are such honorable chances on either side of
us Have 1 not heard that the French are at
Evran beyond the river1 and is it not sooth
that yonder castle, the towers of which | see
above the woods, is in the hands of a traitor
who is false to his liege lord of Montfort? There
is little profit to be gained upon this road,
for the folk seem to have no heart for war
Had we ventured as far over the marches of
Scotland as we now are in Brittany, we should
not have lacked some honorable venture or
chance of winning worship
You say truth, Thomas" cried Ashley,
red-faced and choleric young man 1t is well
certain that the French will not come to us,
and surely it is the more needful that we go to
them. In sooth, any soldier who would
smile that should creep for three days along
this road as though a thousand dangers lay
before US, when we have but poor broken
peasants to deal with"
But Robert Knolles shook his head I'VE
know not what are in these woods or behind
these hills" said he, and when know nothing
it is my wont to prepare for the worst which
may befall. 1t is but prudence so to do"
Your enemies might find some harsher
name for it, said Ashley with a sheer Nay
you need not think to scare me by glazing at
me, Sir Robert, nor will your ill-pleasure
change my thoughts. | have faced fiercer eyes
than thine, and have not feared
Your speech, Sir James, is neither cour-
teous nor good, said Knolles, and if | were
a free | would cram your words down
your throat with the point of my dagger. But
| am here to lead these men in profit and honor
not to quarrel with every fool who has not the
wit to understand how soldiers should be led
Can you not see that if | make attempts here
and there, you would have me do, l shall
have weakened my strength before | come
to that part where it can best be spent?"
And where is that" asked Percy. " Fore
God! Ashley, 1t is IN my mind that we ride with
one who knows more of war than you or l.
and that would be wise to be guided by
his rede. Tell us then what is in your mind"
Thirty miles from here" said Knolles,
there is, as / am told, fortalice named
Ploermel, and within it is one Bambro' an
En9hshman, with good garrison. No great
distance from him is the Castle of Josselin
where dwells John of Beaumanoir with great
following of Bretons. 1t is my intention that
should join Bambro' and so be in such
strength that we may throw ourselves upon
of all mid-Brittany and able to make head
against the Frenchnen in the south"
Indeed | think that you can do no better"
said Percy heartily, and | swear to you on
jeopardy of my soul that | will stand by you
in the matterl | doubt not that when we come
deep into their land they will draw together and
do what they may to make head against us
but up to now | swear by all the saints of
Lindisfarne 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, yonder horsemen are
riding in. They are our own hobblers, are they
notl And who these who are dashed to
their stirrups?"
small troop of mounted bowmen had
ridden 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 their leaders came
leaping and straining beside the horses in their
effort not to be dragged off their feet One
a tall, gaunt, yellow-haired man, the other
short and swarthy, but both so crusted with
dirt matted and tangled and ragged, that
they were more like beasts of the wood than
human beings
What is this" asked Knolles. Have not
ordered you to leave the country folk at peace?"
The leader of the archers. old Wat of Car
Isle, held up a sword, girdle and dagger
q If it please you, fair sir, said he, " | the
CLINT of these, and thought them no fit tools