ilous a passage."

"alas! good youth," she answered, "i have a humor in the eyes,

and though i can see that there is a stone there i can by no

means be sure as to where it lies."

"that is easily amended," said he cheerily, and picking her

lightly up, for she was much worn with time, he passed across

with her. he could not but observe, however, that as he placed

her down her knees seemed to fail her, and she could scarcely

prop herself up with her staff.

"you are weak, mother," said he. "hast journeyed far, i wot."

"from wiltshire, friend," said she, in a quavering voice; "three

days have i been on the road. i go to my son, who is one of the

king's regarders at brockenhurst. he has ever said that he would

care for me in mine old age."

"and rightly too, mother, since you cared for him in his youth.

but when have you broken fast?"

"at lyndenhurst; but alas! my money is at an end, and i could but

get a dish of bran-porridge from the nunnery. yet i trust that i

may be able to reach brockenhurst to-night, where i may have all

that heart can desire; for oh! sir, but my son is a fine man,

with a kindly heart of his own, and it is as good as food to me

to think that he should have a doublet of lincoln green to his

back and be the king's own paid man."

"it is a long road yet to brockenhurst," said alleyne; "but here

is such bread and cheese as i have left, and here, too, is a

penny which may help you to supper. may god be with you!"

"may god be with you, young man!" she cried. "may he make your

heart as glad as you have made mine!" she turned away, still

mumbling blessings, and alleyne saw her short figure and her long

shadow stumbling slowly up the slope.

he was moving away himself, when his eyes lit upon a strange

sight, and one which sent a tingling through his skin. out of

the tangled scrub on the old overgrown barrow two human faces

were looking out at him; the sinking sun glimmered full upon

them, showing up every line and feature. the one was an oldish

man with a thin beard, a crooked nose, and a broad red smudge

from a birth-mark over his temple; the other was a negro, a thing

rarely met in england at that day, and rarer still in the quiet

southland parts. alleyne had read of such folk, but had never

seen one before, and could scarce take his eyes from the fellow's

broad pouting lip and shining teeth. even as he gazed, however,

the two came writhing out from among the heather, and came down

towards him with such a guilty, slinking carriage, that the clerk

felt that there was no good in them, and hastened onwards upon

his way.

he had not gained the crown of the slope, when he heard a sudden

scuffle behind him and a feeble voice bleating for help. looking

round, there was the old dame down upon the roadway, with her red

whimple flying on the breeze, while the two rogues, black and

white, stooped over her, wresting away from her the penny and

such other poor trifles as were worth the taking. at the sight

of her thin limbs struggling in weak resistance, such a glow of

fierce anger passed over alleyne as set his head in a whirl.

dropping his scrip, he bounded over the stream once more, and

made for the two villains, with his staff whirled over his

shoulder and his gray eyes blazing with fury.

the robbers, however, were not disposed to leave their victim

until they had worked their wicked will upon her. the black man,

with the woman's crimson scarf tied round his swarthy head, stood

forward in the centre of the path, with a long dull-colored knife

in his hand, while the other, waving a ragged cudgel, cursed at

alleyne and dared him to come on. his blood was fairly aflame,

however, and he needed no such challenge. dashing at the black

man, he smote at him with such good will that the other let his

knife tinkle into the roadway, and hopped howling to a safer

distance. the second rogue, however, made of sterner stuff,

rushed in upon the clerk, and clipped him round the waist with a

grip like a bear, shouting the while to his comrade to come round

and stab him in the back. at this the negro took heart of

grace, and picking up his dagger again he came stealing with

prowling step and murderous eye, while the two swayed backwards

and forwards, staggering this way and that. in the very midst of

the scuffle, however, whilst alleyne braced himself to feel the

cold blade between his shoulders, there came a sudden scurry of

hoofs, and the black man yelled with terror and ran for his life

through the heather. the man with the birth-mark, too, struggled

to break away, and alleyne heard his teeth chatter and felt his

limbs grow limp to his hand. at this sign of coming aid the

clerk held on the tighter, and at last was able to pin his man

down and glanced behind him to see where all the noise was coming

from.

down t