ted track. the company was already well-nigh through the

village; but, as the knight and his squires closed up upon them,

they heard the clamor of a strident voice, followed by a roar of

deep-chested laughter from the ranks of the archers. another

minute brought them up with the rear-guard, where every man

marched with his beard on his shoulder and a face which was a-

grin with merriment. by the side of the column walked a huge

red-headed bowman, with his hands thrown out in argument and

expostulation, while close at his heels followed a little

wrinkled woman who poured forth a shrill volley of abuse, varied

by an occasional thwack from her stick, given with all the force

of her body, though she might have been beating one of the

forest trees for all the effect that she seemed likely to

produce.

"i trust, aylward," said sir nigel gravely, as he rode up, "that

this doth not mean that any violence hath been offered to women.

if such a thing happened, i tell you that the man shall hang,

though he were the best archer that ever wore brassart."

"nay, my fair lord," aylward answered with a grin, "it is

violence which is offered to a man. he comes from hordle, and

this is his mother who hath come forth to welcome him."

"you rammucky lurden," she was howling, with a blow between each

catch of her breath, "you shammocking, yaping, over-long good-

for-nought. i will teach thee! i will baste thee! aye, by my

faith!"

"whist, mother," said john, looking back at her from the tail of

his eye, "i go to france as an archer to give blows and to take

them."

"to france, quotha?" cried the old dame. "bide here with me, and

i shall warrant you more blows than you are like to get in

france. if blows be what you seek, you need not go further than

hordle."

"by my hilt! the good dame speaks truth," said aylward. "it

seems to be the very home of them."

"what have you to say, you clean-shaved galley-beggar?" cried the

fiery dame, turning upon the archer. "can i not speak with my

own son but you must let your tongue clack? a soldier, quotha,

and never a hair on his face. i have seen a better soldier with

pap for food and swaddling clothes for harness."

"stand to it, aylward," cried the archers, amid a fresh burst of

laughter.

"do not thwart her, comrade," said big john. "she hath a proper

spirit for her years and cannot abide to be thwarted. it is

kindly and homely to me to hear her voice and to feel that she is

behind me. but i must leave you now, mother, for the way is

over-rough for your feet; but i will bring you back a silken

gown, if there be one in france or spain, and i will bring jinny

a silver penny; so good-bye to you, and god have you in his

keeping!" whipping up the little woman, he lifted her lightly to

his lips, and then, taking his place in the ranks again, marched

on with the laughing company.

"that was ever his way," she cried, appealing to sir nigel, who

reined up his horse and listened with the greatest courtesy. "he

would jog on his own road for all that i could do to change him.

first he must be a monk forsooth, and all because a wench was

wise enough to turn her back on him. then he joins a rascally

crew and must needs trapse off to the wars, and me with no one to

bait the fire if i be out, or tend the cow if i be home. yet i

have been a good mother to him. three hazel switches a day have

i broke across his shoulders, and he takes no more notice than

you have seen him to-day."

"doubt not that he will come back to you both safe and

prosperous, my fair dame," quoth sir nigel. "meanwhile it

grieves me that as i have already given my purse to a beggar up

the road i----"

"nay, my lord," said alleyne, "i still have some moneys

remaining."

"then i pray you to give them to this very worthy woman." he

cantered on as he spoke, while alleyne, having dispensed two more

pence, left the old dame standing by the furthest cottage of

hordle, with her shrill voice raised in blessings instead of

revilings.

there were two cross-roads before they reached the lymington

ford, and at each of then sir nigel pulled up his horse, and

waited with many a curvet and gambade, craning his neck this way

and that to see if fortune would send him a venture. crossroads

had, as he explained, been rare places for knightly spear-

runnings, and in his youth it was no uncommon thing for a

cavalier to abide for weeks at such a point, holding gentle

debate with all comers, to his own advancement and the great

honor of his lady. the times were changed, however, and the

forest tracks wound away from them deserted and silent, with no

trample of war-horse or clang of armor which might herald the

approach of an adversary--so that sir nigel rode on his way

disconsolate. at the lymington river they splashed through the

ford, and l