"which weapon hath the vantage now?" cried the brabanter,
strutting proudly about with shouldered arbalest, amid the
applause of his companions.
"you can overshoot me," said johnston gently.
"or any other man who ever bent a long-bow," cried his victorious
adversary.
"nay, not so fast," said a huge archer, whose mighty shoulders
and red head towered high above the throng of his comrades. "i
must have a word with you ere you crow so loudly. where is my
little popper? by sainted dick of hampole! it will be a strange
thing if i cannot outshoot that thing of thine, which to my eyes
is more like a rat-trap than a bow. will you try another flight,
or do you stand by your last?"
"five hundred and eight paces will serve my turn," answered the
brabanter, looking askance at this new opponent.
"tut, john," whispered aylward, "you never were a marksman. why
must you thrust your spoon into this dish?"
"easy and slow, aylward. there are very many things which i
cannot do, but there are also one or two which i have the trick
of. it is in my mind that i can beat this shoot, if my bow will
but hold together."
"go on, old babe of the woods!" "have at it, hampshire!" cried
the archers laughing.
"by my soul! you may grin," cried john. "but i learned how to
make the long shoot from old hob miller of milford." he took up a
great black bow, as he spoke, and sitting down upon the ground he
placed his two feet on either end of the stave. with an arrow
fitted, he then pulled the string towards him with both hands
until the head of the shaft was level with the wood. the great
bow creaked and groaned and the cord vibrated with the tension.
"who is this fool's-head who stands in the way of my shoot?" said
he, craning up his neck from the ground.
"he stands on the further side of my mark," answered the
brabanter, "so he has little to fear from you."
"well, the saints assoil him!" cried john. "though i think he is
over-near to be scathed." as he spoke he raised his two feet,
with the bow-stave upon their soles, and his cord twanged with a
deep rich hum which might be heard across the valley. the
measurer in the distance fell flat upon his face, and then
jumping up again, he began to run in the opposite direction.
"well shot, old lad! it is indeed over his head," cried the
bowmen.
"mon dieu!" exclaimed the brabanter, "who ever saw such a shoot?"
"it is but a trick," quoth john. "many a time have i won a
gallon of ale by covering a mile in three flights down wilverley
chase."
"it fell a hundred and thirty paces beyond the fifth mark,"
shouted an archer in the distance.
"six hundred and thirty paces! mon dieu! but that is a shoot!
and yet it says nothing for your weapon, mon gros camarade, for
it was by turning yourself into a crossbow that you did it."
"by my hilt! there is truth in that," cried aylward. "and now,
friend, i will myself show you a vantage of the long-bow. i pray
you to speed a bolt against yonder shield with all your force.
it is an inch of elm with bull's hide over it."
"i scarce shot as many shafts at brignais," growled the man of
brabant; "though i found a better mark there than a cantle of
bull's hide. but what is this, englishman? the shield hangs not
one hundred paces from me, and a blind man could strike it." he
screwed up his string to the furthest pitch, and shot his quarrel
at the dangling shield. aylward, who had drawn an arrow from his
quiver, carefully greased the head of it, and sped it at the same
mark.
"run, wilkins," quoth he, "and fetch me the shield."
long were the faces of the englishmen and broad the laugh of the
crossbowmen as the heavy mantlet was carried towards them, for
there in the centre was the thick brabant bolt driven deeply into
the wood, while there was neither sign nor trace of the cloth-
yard shaft.
"by the three kings!" cried the brabanter, "this time at least
there is no gainsaying which is the better weapon, or which the
truer hand that held it. you have missed the shield,
englishman."
"tarry a bit! tarry a bit, mon gar.!" quoth aylward, and turning
round the shield he showed a round clear hole in the wood at the
back of it. "my shaft has passed through it, camarade, and i
trow the one which goes through is more to be feared than that
which bides on the way,"
the brabanter stamped his foot with mortification, and was about
to make some angry reply, when alleyne edricson came riding up to
the crowds of archers.
"sir nigel will be here anon," said he, "and it is his wish to
speak with the company."
in an instant order and method took the place of general
confusion. bows, steel caps, and jacks were caught up from the
grass. a long cordon cleared the camp of all strangers, while
the main body fell into four lines with u
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