The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-07-06

Nay, am a man of peace" said
Alleyne Edricson. Besides i have
other work to do
"Peste." growled the soldier, strik-
Ing his flagon on the board until the
dishes danced again. What, in the
name of the devil, hath come over the
folk2 Why sit ye all moping by the
fireside, like crows round a dead horse,
" hen there is mans work to be done
within few short leagues of We? Out
upon you all. as a set of laggards and
hang backs! By my hilt! l believe
that the men Of England are all in
France already, and that what is left
behind are in sooth the women dressed
UP in their .paltocks and hosen.'
Archer" quoth Horde John. you
have lied more than once and more
than twice: for which, and also be-
cause / see much in you to mislike. I
am sorely tempted to lay you upon
your back"
BY my hilt, then. I have found
man at last" shouted the bowman.
and. fore God you are a better man
than ! take you for IL you can lay me
on my back. For seven long years /
have found no man in the Company
who could make my jerkin dusty"
We have had enough bobance and
h0asting," said Horde John, rising and
throwing off his doublet. 'I will show
YOU that there are better men left In
England than ever went thieving to
France"
"Pasques Dieul" cried the archer,
loosening his jerkin. and cycling his
foeman over with the keen glance of
one who is a Judge of manhood IT
have only once before seen such a
body of man. By your leave, my red
headed friend. should be right sorry
to exchange buffets with you; and I
will allow that there is no man in the
Company who would pull against you
on rope; so let that be a salve to your
pride. On the other hand, I should
judge that you have led a life of ease
for some months back. and that my
muscle is harder than your own. I
am ready to wager upon myself
against you, II you are not afeard."
"Afeard. thou lurdenl" growled big
John. II never saw the face yet of a
man that l was afeard Of Come out,
and We shall see who is the better
man"
but the wager"
II have nought to wager. Come out
for the love and the lust Of the
thing"
"Nought to wager!" cri d the soldier.
why, idiot. you have that which I
covet above all things. 1t is that big
body of thine that I am after. See now.
I have a French feather bed there,
L
these years back. ] had it at the sack
ing of Issodun, and the king himself
hath not such a bed. If you throw me,
it is thine; but, If I throw you, then
'ou are under a vow to serve the White
Company as long as we be enrolled"
Then you may bid farewell to your
bed, soldier" roared Horde John.
Nay: l shall keep the bed, and I
shall have you to France in spite of
your teeth. and you shall live to thank
me for it. How shall 1t be. then. my
infant? Collar and elbow. or close
lock. or catch how you CAM"
ITO the devil with your tricks!" said
red hands. Stand forth. and let me
clip thee"
"Shalt clip me as best you can, then"
quoth the archer. moving out into the
open space. and keeping a most wary
eye upon his opponent, He had
chest was covered only l. a pink silk
upon. or undershirt, cut low in the
neck and sleeveless. Horde John was
near stripped from his waist upward
and his huge body. with his great
muscles swelling out like the gnarled
the soldier. The other. however,
though near a foot shorter. was man
of great strength: I'D there was a
gloss upon his white skin which was
wanting in the heavier limbs of the
renegade monk. He was quick on his
feet too. and skilled at the game: so
that it was clear, from the poise of
head and shine of eye. that he counted
the chances to be in his favor. 1t
would have been hard that night.
through the whole length of England,
to set up a finer pair in the face of
each other.
Big John stood waiting in the centre
with a sullen. menac' g -.e, and his
red hair in a bristle, while the archer
paced lightly and swiftly to the right
and the left with crooked knee and
hands advanced. Their with sudden
dash. so swift and fierce Tat the eye
could scarce follow it, he flew in upon
his man and locked II leg around
him. 1t was a grip that between men
of equal strength would mean fail;
hut Horde John tore him OF from him
as he might a rat, and hurled him
across the room, so that his head
cracked up against the wall.
MA foil" cried the bowman, pass
ing his fingers through his curls. you
were not far from the feather-bed
then. mon gar"
Nothing daunted. he approached his
man once more: but this time with
more caution than before. With a