Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-18

inner chamber, where they might discuss the plans
for the future. At the same time the assembly
broke up, the knights in silence and dignity, the
squires in mirth and noise, but all joyful at heart
for the thought of the great days which lay before
them.
CHAPTER XVII
The Spaniards the Sea
HAY had not yet dawned when Nigel in
u the chamber of >Chandos preparing him for
his departure and listening to the last CHEEKY
words of advice and direction from his noble
master. That morning, before the
was halfway up the heaven, the Kings great nef
Philippa, bearing within it the most of those pres
ent at his banquet the night before set its huge sail
adorned with the lions and the lilies, and turned
its brazen beak for England. Behind it went five
smaller cogs crammed with squires, archers and
men at arms. "fd-r.
Nigel and his companions lined the ramparts of
the castle and waved their caps the bluff burly
vessels, with drums beating and trumpets changing
hundred knightly pennons streaming from their
decks and the red cross of England over ALL rolled
slowly out to the open Then when they had
watched them until they were hull down they turned
with hearts heavy at being left behind, to make
ready for their own more distant venture.
1t took them four days of hard work their
preparations were complete, for many the
needs of small force sailing to strange country.
Three ships had been left to them, the cog Thomas
of Ronney, the Grace Dieu of Hythe and the
Basilsk of Southampton into each of which one
hundred men slowed, besides the thirty sea-
men who formed The crew. In the hold forty
horses, amongst them Pommers, much wearied
by his long idleness, and homesick for the slopes
of Surrey where his great limbs might find the work
he craved. Then the food and the water, the bow
slaves and the sheaves of arrows, the horseshoes,
the nails, the hammers, the knives, the axes, the
ropes, the watts of hay, the green fodder and
of other things packed aboard. Always by
the side of the ships stood the stern young knight
Sir Robert, checking, testing, watching and
trolling, saying little for he of few words,
but with his eyes, his hands, and if need be his
heavy g-whip, wherever they wanted.
The seamen of the Basilisk, being from free
port had the old feud against the of the Cirque
of England being unduly favored by the King
A ship of the West Country could scarce meet with
one from the Narrow Seas without blood flowing.
Hence sprang sudden bros on the quay side, when
with yell and blow>the Thomases and Grace Deus,
Saint Leonard on their lips and murder in their hearts,
would fall upon the Basisks. Then amid the
whirl of cudgels and the clash of knives would
spring the tiger figure of the young leader, flashing
mercessly to right and left like a tanner among his
wolves, until he had beaten them bowling back to
their work. Upon the morning of the fourth day
affwas ready and the ropes being cast off the three
little ships were warped down the harbor by their
own pinnaces until they were swallowed up in
the swirling folds of Channel mist
Though small in numbers, it was no mean force
which Edward had despatched to the hard
pressed English garrisons in Brittany. There was