he came up to them. "the

messenger of the king. clear the causeway for the king's own

man."

"not so loudly, friend," quoth the little knight, reining his

horse half round to bar the path. "i have myself been the king's

man for thirty years or more, but i have not been wont to halloo

about it on a peaceful highway."

"i ride in his service," cried the other, "and i carry that which

belongs to him. you bar my path at your peril."

"yet i have known the king's enemies claim to ride in his same,"

said sir nigel. "the foul fiend may lurk beneath a garment of

light. we must have some sign or warrant of your mission."

"then must i hew a passage," cried the stranger, with his

shoulder braced round and his hand upon his hilt. "i am not to

be stopped on the king's service by every gadabout."

"should you be a gentleman of quarterings and coat-armor," lisped

sir nigel, "i shall be very blithe to go further into the matter

with you. if not, i have three very worthy squires, any one of

whom would take the thing upon himself, and debate it with you in

a very honorable way."

the man scowled from one to the other, and his hand stole away

from his sword.

"you ask me for a sign," he said. "here is a sign for you, since

you must have one." as he spoke he whirled the covering from the

object in front of him and showed to their horror that it was a

newly-severed human leg. "by god's tooth!" he continued, with a

brutal laugh, "you ask me if i am a man of quarterings, and it is

even so, for i am officer to the verderer's court at lyndhurst.

this thievish leg is to hang at milton, and the other is already

at brockenhurst, as a sign to all men of what comes of being

over-fond of venison pasty."

"faugh!" cried sir nigel. "pass on the other side of the road,

fellow, and let us have the wind of you. we shall trot our

horses, my friends, across this pleasant valley, for, by our

lady! a breath of god's fresh air is right welcome after such a

sight."

"we hoped to snare a falcon," said he presently, "but we netted a

carrion-crow. ma foi! but there are men whose hearts are tougher

than a boar's hide. for me, i have played the old game of war

since ever i had hair on my chin, and i have seen ten thousand

brave men in one day with their faces to the sky, but i swear by

him who made me that i cannot abide the work of the butcher."

"and yet, my fair lord," said edricson, "there has, from what i

hear, been much of such devil's work in france."

"too much, too much," he answered. "but i have ever observed

that the foremost in the field are they who would scorn to

mishandle a prisoner. by st. paul! it is not they who carry the

breach who are wont to sack the town, but the laggard knaves who

come crowding in when a way has been cleared for them. but what

is this among the trees?"

"it is a shrine of our lady," said terlake, "and a blind beggar

who lives by the alms of those who worship there."

"a shrine!" cried the knight. "then let us put up an orison."

pulling off his cap, and clasping his hands, he chanted in a

shrill voice: "benedictus dominus deus meus, qui docet manus

meas ad proelium, et digitos meos ad bellum." a strange figure

he seemed to his three squires, perched on his huge horse, with

his eyes upturned and the wintry sun shimmering upon his bald

head. "it is a noble prayer," he remarked, putting on his hat

again, "and it was taught to me by the noble chandos himself.

but how fares it with you, father? methinks that i should have

ruth upon you, seeing that i am myself like one who looks through

a horn window while his neighbors have the clear crystal. yet,

by st. paul! there is a long stride between the man who hath a

horn casement and him who is walled in on every hand."

"alas! fair sir," cried the blind old man, "i have not seen the

blessed blue of heaven this two-score years, since a levin flash

burned the sight out of my head."

"you have been blind to much that is goodly and fair," quoth sir

nigel, "but you have also been spared much that is sorry and

foul. this very hour our eyes have been shocked with that which

would have left you unmoved. but, by st. paul! we must on, or

our company will think that they have lost their captain somewhat

early in the venture. throw the man my purse, edricson, and let

us go."

alleyne, lingering behind, bethought him of the lady loring's

counsel, and reduced the noble gift which the knight had so

freely bestowed to a single penny, which the beggar with many

mumbled blessings thrust away into his wallet. then, spurring

his steed, the young squire rode at the top of his speed after

his companions, and overtook them just at the spot where the

trees fringe off into the moor and the straggling hamlet of

hordle lies scattered on either side of the winding and deeply-

rut