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
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