The La Jara chronicle., 1906-08-17

God be with thee. my honored lord.
and have thee in his holy keeping. The
| Lady Loring hath asked me. the priest,
50 set down In writing what hath befalleu
lat Twynham, and all that concerns the
death OF thy ill neighbor the Socman of
AIinstead. For when ye had left US. this
leyll man gathered around him all outlaws,
villeins, and masterless men. until they
| we're come TO such i force that they slew
4ud scattered the kings men who went
| 4sainst them. Then, coming forth from
ne woods, they laid siege to thy castle.
| md for two days they girt US in and shot
| 1ard against US, with such numbers as
we're n marvel to see. Yet the Lady Lor-
.ug held the place stoutly. and on the
| second day the Soc;nan was slain-by
his own men, as some think-so that We
were delivered from their hands, for
which praise he to all the saints, and
more especially to the holy Anselm, upon
| whose feast 1t came to pass. The Lady
Loring and the Lady Maude. thy fair
| daughter, In good health. May all
the saints preserve thee.''
My fair lord said Alleyne. with
/ flush ON his weather-stained cheeks, 81
love your daughter. the Lady Maude: and.
unworthy as | am. 1 would give my
| hearts blood to serve her"
by st. Paul! Edricson." said the
knight coldly, arching his eyebrows "you
aim high in this matter. Our blood is
very Old
Ana mine also is very DID,, answered
/ the squire.
And the Lady Maude is our single
child. All our name and lands center upon
her"
ALAS, that should say it. but 1 also
am now the only Edricson.'
And why have l not heard this from
you before, Alleyne7 In sooth. think
you have used me M
Nay. my fair lord. say not so; for
know not whether your daughter loves
/ me- and there Is no pledge between us. ="
| Sir Nigel pondered for few moments
| and then burst out a-laughing. by St
! PAUL." said he. 81 know not why should
mix In the matter; for I have ever found
! that the Lady Maude vns very well able
/ TO look to her own affairs. Since first
she could stamp her little foot. she hath
ever been able TO get that for which she
crnved; and II she set her heart on thee
| Alleyne. and thou o. =, l do not think
| that this Spanish king. with his three
score thousand men, could hold you apart
Yet this / will say, that ! would see you
| a full knight you go to my daughter
with words Of love. I have ever said that
a brave lance should wed her; and. by my
soul! Edricson. II God spare you. I think
/ that you will acquit yourself we'll But
enough Of such triies. for we have our
work before us. and II will be time to
speak OF this matter when we see the
white cliffs Of England once more. Go to
sir William FELTON,. l pray you. and ask
4 II
we were marching. There is no pass at
/ the further end of the valley. and 1t is
perilous place should an enemy come upon
US.
Alleyne delivered his message. and then
wandered forth from the camp for his
mind all in whirl with this un-
expected news, and with his talk with
Sir Nigel Sitting upon rock. with his
burning brow resting upon his hands. he
thought Of his brother, of their quarrel,
..F fh.. I Tt.1,- f,, Ill
nE-dress, of the gray old castle. OF the
Nroud pale face in the nrmory. and of the
last fiery words with which she had sped
him on his way. Then he was but
'Hunlless. monk-bred lad, unknown and
Uufricnded Now he was himself Socman
~ NIinstcad, the head of an old stock. and
.he Lord OF estate which. II reduced
Ir1m Its former size. was still ample to
preserve the dlgnit- of his family. Further.
he had become a man OF experience was
counted brave among men, had won the
esteem and confidence OF her father. and
above all, has been listened to by him
when he told him the secret of his love.
As TO the gaining of knighthood. In such
stirring times 1t great matter for
brave squire Of gentle birth to aspire to
that honor. He would leave his bones
among these Spanish ravines, or he would
do some deed which would call the eyes
of men upon him.
Alleyne was still seated on the rock. his
griefs and his Joys drifting swiftly over
his mind like the shadow of clouds upon
n sunllt meadow, when of a sudden he
became conscious OF low, deep sound
which came booming up to him through
the fog. He shouted alarm TO the
camp.
1T is great body of HORSE said Sir
William FELTON,. 'and they are riding very
swiftly hitherwards.
The Company stood peering into the
dense fog wreath. amidst silence
profound that the dripping of the water
from the rocks and the breathing of the
horses grew loud upon the ear. Suddenly
from out the sea of mist came the sound
of a neigh. followed by long blast of
bugle.
1T is a Spanish call. my fair lord" said
Black Simon.
by my faith, said Sir Nigel, smiling,
I'VE may promise them some sport ere
they sound the mort over us. But there
is n hill In the center of the gorge upon
which we might make our stand
II marked it yester night" said Felton,.
land no better spot could be found for
our purpose, for 1t is very steep at the
back
The whole Company, leading their
horses, passed across to the small hill
which loomed up from the mist. 1t was
indeed admirably designed for defence. for
1t sloped down In front. all Jagged ana
boulder strewn. while 1t fell away behind
in n sheer cliff of hundred feet or more.
on the summit was small, uneven
plateau, with stretch across OF nun
dred PAGES, and n depth of half as much
again.
"Unloose the horses said Sir Nigel.
Now order the ranks, and hing wide the
banners. for souls Gods and our
bodies the kings, and our swords for
Saint George and for Englandn'
Sir Nigel had scarcely spoken when the
mist seemed TO thin In the valley, and to
shred away into long ragged clouds which
trailed from the edges OF the cliffs. and
the sun broke through. 1t CLEANED and
shlmmercd with dazzling brightness upon
the armor and hendpieces of n vast body
of horsemen who stretched across the
barranca from cliff to the other, and