tle!" cried several, amid a

burst of laughter.

"i come to it, my young war-pups. well, then, the king of france

had followed us with fifty thousand men, and he made great haste

to catch us, but when he had us he scarce knew what to do with

us, for we were so drawn up among hedges and vineyards that they

could not come nigh us, save by one lane. on both sides were

archers, men-at-arms and knights behind, and in the centre the

baggage, with my feather-bed upon a sutler's mule. three hundred

chosen knights came straight for it, and, indeed, they were very

brave men, but such a drift of arrows met them that few came

back. then came the germans, and they also fought very bravely,

so that one or two broke through the archers and came as far as

the feather-bed, but all to no purpose. then out rides our own

little hothead with the patch over his eye, and my lord audley

with his four cheshire squires, and a few others of like kidney,

and after them went the prince and chandos, and then the whole

throng of us, with axe and sword, for we had shot away our

arrows. ma foi! it was a foolish thing, for we came forth from

the hedges, and there was naught to guard the baggage had they

ridden round behind us. but all went well with us, and the king

was taken, and little robby withstaff and i fell in with a wain

with twelve, firkins of wine for the king's own table, and, by my

hilt! if you ask me what happened after that, i cannot answer

you, nor can little robby withstaff either."

"and next day?"

"by my faith! we did not tarry long, but we hied back to

bordeaux, where we came in safety with the king of france and

also the feather-bed. i sold my spoil, mes garcons, for as many

gold-pieces as i could hold in my hufken, and for seven days i

lit twelve wax candles upon the altar of st. andrew; for if you

forget the blessed when things are well with you, they are very

likely to forget you when you have need of them. i have a score

of one hundred and nineteen pounds of wax against the holy

andrew, and, as he was a very just man, i doubt not that i shall

have full weigh and measure when i have most need of it."

"tell me, master aylward," cried a young fresh-faced archer at

the further end of the room, "what was this great battle about?"

"why, you jack-fool, what would it be about save who should wear

the crown of france?"

"i thought that mayhap it might be as to who should have this

feather-bed of thine."

"if i come down to you, silas, i may lay my belt across your

shoulders," aylward answered, amid a general shout of laughter.

"but it is time young chickens went to roost when they dare

cackle against their elders. it is late, simon."

"nay, let us have another song."

"here is arnold of sowley will troll as good a stave as any man

in the company."

"nay, we have one here who is second to none," said hawtayne,

laying his hand upon big john's shoulder. "i have heard him on

the cog with a voice like the wave upon the shore. i pray you,

friend, to give us 'the bells of milton,' or, if you will, 'the

franklin's maid.' "

hordle john drew the back of his hand across his mouth, fixed his

eyes upon the corner of the ceiling, and bellowed forth, in a

voice which made the torches flicker, the southland ballad for

which he had been asked:--

the franklin he hath gone to roam, the franklin's maid she bides

at home, but she is cold and coy and staid, and who may win the

franklin's maid?

there came a knight of high renown in bassinet and ciclatoun; on

bended knee full long he prayed, he might not win the franklin's

maid.

there came a squire so debonair his dress was rich, his words

were fair, he sweetly sang, he deftly played: he could not win

the franklin's maid.

there came a mercer wonder-fine with velvet cap and gaberdine;

for all his ships, for all his trade he could not buy the

franklin's maid.

there came an archer bold and true, with bracer guard and stave

of yew; his purse was light, his jerkin frayed; haro, alas! the

franklin's maid!

oh, some have laughed and some have cried and some have scoured

the country-side! but off they ride through wood and glade, the

bowman and the franklin's maid.

a roar of delight from his audience, with stamping of feet and

beating of blackjacks against the ground, showed how thoroughly

the song was to their taste, while john modestly retired into a

quart pot, which he drained in four giant gulps. "i sang that

ditty in hordle ale-house ere i ever thought to be an archer

myself," quoth he.

"fill up your stoups!" cried black simon, thrusting his own

goblet into the open hogshead in front of him. "here is a last

cup to the white company, and every brave boy who walks behind

the roses of loring!"

"to the wood, the flax, and the gander's wing!" said an old gray-

head