ne,
looking back, saw that the murderer had drawn bread and cheese
from his scrip, and was silently munching it, with the protecting
cross still hugged to his breast, while the other, black and
grim, stood in the sunlit road and threw his dark shadow athwart
him.
chapter xv.
how the yellow cog sailed forth from lepe.
that night the company slept at st. leonard's, in the great
monastic barns and spicarium--ground well known both to alleyne
and to john, for they were almost within sight of the abbey of
beaulieu. a strange thrill it gave to the young squire to see
the well-remembered white dress once more, and to hear the
measured tolling of the deep vespers bell, at early dawn they
passed across the broad, sluggish, reed-girt stream--men, horses,
and baggage in the flat ferry barges--and so journeyed on through
the fresh morning air past exbury to lepe. topping the heathy
down, they came of a sudden full in sight of the old sea-port--a
cluster of houses, a trail of blue smoke, and a bristle of
masts. to right and left the long blue curve of the solent
lapped in a fringe of foam upon the yellow beach. some way out
from the town a line of pessoners, creyers, and other small craft
were rolling lazily on the gentle swell. further out still lay a
great merchant-ship, high ended, deep waisted, painted of a
canary yellow, and towering above the fishing-boats like a swan
among ducklings.
"by st. paul!" said the knight, "our good merchant of southampton
hath not played us false, for methinks i can see our ship down
yonder. he said that she would be of great size and of a yellow
shade."
"by my hilt, yes!" muttered aylward; "she is yellow as a kite's
claw, and would carry as many men as there are pips in a
pomegranate."
"it is as well," remarked terlake; "for methinks, my fair lord,
that we are not the only ones who are waiting a passage to
gascony. mine eye catches at times a flash and sparkle among
yonder houses which assuredly never came from shipman's jacket or
the gaberdine of a burgher."
"i can also see it," said alleyne, shading his eyes with his
hand. "and i can see men-at-arms in yonder boats which ply
betwixt the vessel and the shore. but methinks that we are very
welcome here, for already they come forth to meet us."
a tumultuous crowd of fishermen, citizens, and women had indeed
swarmed out from the northern gate, and approached them up the
side of the moor, waving their hands and dancing with joy, as
though a great fear had been rolled back from their minds. at
their head rode a very large and solemn man with a long chin and
a drooping lip. he wore a fur tippet round his neck and a heavy
gold chain over it, with a medallion which dangled in front of
him.
"welcome, most puissant and noble lord," he cried, doffing his
bonnet to black simon. "i have heard of your lordship's valiant
deeds, and in sooth they might be expected from your lordship's
face and bearing. is there any small matter in which i may
oblige you?"
"since you ask me," said the man-at-arms, "i would take it kindly
if you could spare a link or two of the chain which hangs round
your neck."
"what, the corporation chain!" cried the other in horror. "the
ancient chain of the township of lepe! this is but a sorry jest,
sir nigel."
"what the plague did you ask me for then?" said simon. "but if
it is sir nigel loring with whom you would speak, that is he upon
the black horse."
the mayor of lepe gazed with amazement on the mild face and
slender frame of the famous warrior.
"your pardon, my gracious lord," he cried. "you see in me the
mayor and chief magistrate of the ancient and powerful town of
lepe. i bid you very heartily welcome, and the more so as you
are come at a moment when we are sore put to it for means of
defence.'
"ha!" cried sir nigel, pricking up his ears.
"yes, my lord, for the town being very ancient and the walls as
old as the town, it follows that they are very ancient too. but
there is a certain villainous and bloodthirsty norman pirate
hight tete-noire, who, with a genoan called tito caracci,
commonly known as spade-beard, hath been a mighty scourge upon
these coasts. indeed, my lord, they are very cruel and black-
hearted men, graceless and ruthless, and if they should come to
the ancient and powerful town of lepe then--"
"then good-bye to the ancient and powerful town of lepe," quoth
ford, whose lightness of tongue could at times rise above his awe
of sir nigel.
the knight, however, was too much intent upon the matter in hand
to give heed to the flippancy of his squire. "have you then
cause," he asked, "to think that these men are about to venture
an attempt upon you?"
"they have come in two great galleys," answered the mayor, "with
two bank of oars on either side, and great
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