o the open, when sir

nigel himself darted in front of him, with his hand upon his

breast.

"back!" said he. "our time is not yet come, and we must lie here

until evening. throw off your jacks and headpieces, least their

eyes catch the shine, and tether the horses among the rocks."

the order was swiftly obeyed, and in ten minutes the archers were

stretched along by the side of the brook, munching the bread and

the bacon which they had brought in their bags, and craning their

necks to watch the ever-changing scene beneath them. very quiet

and still they lay, save for a muttered jest or whispered order,

for twice during the long morning they heard bugle-calls from

amid the hills on either side of them, which showed that they had

thrust themselves in between the outposts of the enemy. the

leaders sat amongst the box-wood, and took counsel together as to

what they should do; while from below there surged up the buzz of

voices, the shouting, the neighing of horses, and all the uproar

of a great camp.

"what boots it to wait?" said sir william felton. "let us ride

down upon their camp ere they discover us."

"and so say i," cried the scottish earl; "for they do not know

that there is any enemy within thirty long leagues of them."

"for my part," said sir simon burley, "i think that it is

madness, for you cannot hope to rout this great army; and where

are you to go and what are you to do when they have turned upon

you? how say you, sir oliver buttesthorn?"

"by the apple of eve!" cried the fat knight, "it appears to me

that this wind brings a very savory smell of garlic and of onions

from their cooking-kettles. i am in favor of riding down upon

them at once, if my old friend and comrade here is of the same

mind."

"nay," said sir nigel, "i have a plan by which we may attempt

some small deed upon them, and yet, by the help of god, may be

able to draw off again; which, as sir simon burley hath said,

would be scarce possible in any other way."

"how then, sir nigel?" asked several voices.

"we shall lie here all day; for amid this brushwood it is ill for

them to see us. then when evening comes we shall sally out upon

them and see if we may not gain some honorable advancement from

them."

"but why then rather than now?"

"because we shall have nightfall to cover us when we draw off, so

that we may make our way back through the mountains. i would

station a score of archers here in the pass, with all our pennons

jutting forth from the rocks, and as many nakirs and drums and

bugles as we have with us, so that those who follow us in the

fading light may think that the whole army of the prince is upon

them, and fear to go further. what think you of my plan, sir

simon?"

"by my troth! i think very well of it," cried the prudent old

commander. "if four hundred men must needs run a tilt against

sixty thousand, i cannot see how they can do it better or more

safely."

"and so say i," cried felton, heartily. "but i wish the day were

over, for it will be an ill thing for us if they chance to light

upon us."

the words were scarce out of his mouth when there came a clatter

of loose stones, the sharp clink of trotting hoofs, and a dark-

faced cavalier, mounted upon a white horse, burst through the

bushes and rode swiftly down the valley from the end which was

farthest from the spanish camp. lightly armed, with his vizor

open and a hawk perched upon his left wrist, he looked about him

with the careless air of a man who is bent wholly upon pleasure,

and unconscious of the possibility of danger. suddenly, however,

his eyes lit upon the fierce faces which glared out at him from

the brushwood. with a cry of terror, he thrust his spurs into

his horse's sides and dashed for the narrow opening of the gorge.

for a moment it seemed as though he would have reached it, for he

had trampled over or dashed aside the archers who threw

themselves in his way; but hordle john seized him by the foot in

his grasp of iron and dragged him from the saddle, while two

others caught the frightened horse.

"ho, ho!" roared the great archer. "how many cows wilt buy my

mother, if i set thee free?"

"hush that bull's bellowing!" cried sir nigel impatiently. "bring

the man here. by st. paul! it is not the first time that we have

met; for, if i mistake not, it is don diego alvarez, who was once

at the prince's court."

"it is indeed i," said the spanish knight, speaking in the french

tongue, "and i pray you to pass your sword through my heart, for

how can i live--i, a caballero of castile--after being dragged

from my horse by the base hands of a common archer?"

"fret not for that," answered sir nigel. "for, in sooth, had he

not pulled you down, a dozen cloth-yard shafts had crossed each

other in your body."

"by st. james! it were better so t