nder-officers and file-

leaders in front and on either flank. so they stood, silent and

motionless, when their leader came riding towards them, his face

shining and his whole small figure swelling with the news which

he bore.

"great honor has been done to us, men," cried he: "for, of all

the army, the prince has chosen us out that we should ride

onwards into the lands of spain to spy upon our enemies. yet, as

there are many of us, and as the service may not be to the liking

of all, i pray that those will step forward from the ranks who

have the will to follow me."

there was a rustle among the bowmen, but when sir nigel looked up

at them no man stood forward from his fellows, but the four lines

of men stretched unbroken as before. sir nigel blinked at them

in amazement, and a look of the deepest sorrow shadowed his face.

"that i should live to see the day!" he cried, "what! not one----

"

"my fair lord," whispered alleyne, "they have all stepped

forward."

"ah, by saint paul! i see how it is with them. i could not think

that they would desert me. we start at dawn to-morrow, and ye

are to have the horses of sir robert cheney's company. be ready,

i pray ye, at early cock-crow."

a buzz of delight burst from the archers, as they broke their

ranks and ran hither and thither, whooping and cheering like boys

who have news of a holiday. sir nigel gazed after them with a

smiling face, when a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder.

"what ho! my knight-errant of twynham!" said a voice, "you are

off to ebro, i hear; and, by the holy fish of tobias! you must

take me under your banner."

"what! sir oliver buttesthorn!" cried sir nigel. "i had heard

that you were come into camp, and had hoped to see you. glad and

proud shall i be to have you with me."

"i have a most particular and weighty reason for wishing to go,"

said the sturdy knight.

"i can well believe it," returned sir nigel; "i have met no man

who is quicker to follow where honor leads."

"nay, it is not for honor that i go, nigel."

"for what then?"

"for pullets."

"pullets?"

"yes, for the rascal vanguard have cleared every hen from the

country-side. it was this very morning that norbury, my squire,

lamed his horse in riding round in quest of one, for we have a

bag of truffles, and nought to eat with them. never have i seen

such locusts as this vanguard of ours. not a pullet shall we see

until we are in front of therm; so i shall leave my winchester

runagates to the care of the provost-marshal, and i shall hie

south with you, nigel, with my truffles at my saddle-bow."

"oliver, oliver, i know you over-well," said sir nigel, shaking

his head, and the two old soldiers rode off together to their

pavilion.

chapter xxxv.

how sir nigel hawked at an eagle.

to the south of pampeluna in the kingdom of navarre there

stretched a high table-land, rising into bare, sterile hills,

brown or gray in color, and strewn with huge boulders of granite.

on the gascon side of the great mountains there had been running

streams, meadows, forests, and little nestling villages. here, on

the contrary, were nothing but naked rocks, poor pasture, and

savage, stone-strewn wastes. gloomy defiles or barrancas

intersected this wild country with mountain torrents dashing and

foaming between their rugged sides. the clatter of waters, the

scream of the eagle, and the howling of wolves the only sounds

which broke upon the silence in that dreary and inhospitable

region.

through this wild country it was that sir nigel and his company

pushed their way, riding at times through vast defiles where the

brown, gnarled cliffs shot up on either side of them, and the sky

was but a long winding blue slit between the clustering lines of

box which fringed the lips of the precipices; or, again leading

their horses along the narrow and rocky paths worn by the

muleteers upon the edges of the chasm, where under their very

elbows they could see the white streak which marked the gave

which foamed a thousand feet below them. so for two days they

pushed their way through the wild places of navarre, past fuente,

over the rapid ega, through estella, until upon a winter's

evening the mountains fell away from in front of them, and they

saw the broad blue ebro curving betwixt its double line or

homesteads and of villages. the fishers of viana were aroused

that night by rough voices speaking in a strange tongue, and ere

morning sir nigel and his men had ferried the river and were safe

upon the land of spain.

all the next day they lay in a pine wood near to the town of

logrono, resting their horses and taking counsel as to what they

should do. sir nigel had with him sir william felton, sir oliver

buttesthorn, stout old sir simon burley, the scotch knight-

errant, the earl of angus, and sir