Part 2 (1/2)
”Nay,” cried the priest, ”this is a foul hearing! John Aht Lollardy word And black of hue, as for an omen! Sirs, this knave arrow likes me not But it importeth rather to take counsel Who should this be? Bethink you, Bennet Of so many black ill-willers, which should he be that doth so hardily outface us? Sihams? Nay, they are not yet so broken; they still think to have the law over us, when tie There was Simon Malmesbury, too How think ye, Bennet?”
”What think ye, sir,” returned Hatch, ”of Ellis Duckworth?”
”Nay, Bennet, never Nay, not he,” said the priest ”There co, Bennet, from below--so all judicious chroniclers concord in their opinion; but rebellion travelleth ever doard from above; and when dick, Tom, and Harry take them to their bills, look ever narrowly to see what lord is profited thereby Now, Sir Daniel, having once more joined him to the Queen's party, is in ill odour with the Yorkist lords
Thence, Bennet, co, I yet seek; but therein lies the nerve of this discomfiture”
”An't please you, Sir Oliver,” said Bennet, ”the axles are so hot in this country that I have long been s fire So did this poor sinner, Appleyard And, by your leave, men's spirits are so foully inclined to all of us, that it needs neither York nor Lancaster to spur thehts: You, that are a clerk, and Sir Daniel, that sails on any wind, ye have taken ed not a few Y' are called to count for this; in the end, I wot not how, ye have ever the upperive me leave, Sir Oliver: the rier, and some day, when the black devil is by, he will up with his bow and clout h your inwards”
”Nay, Bennet, y' are in the wrong Bennet, ye should be glad to be corrected,” said Sir Oliver ”Y' are a prater, Bennet, a talker, a babbler; your mouth is wider than your two ears Mend it, Bennet, mend it”
”Nay, I say no more Have it as ye list,” said the retainer
The priest now rose fro about his neck took forth wax and a taper, and a flint and steel With these he sealed up the chest and the cupboard with Sir Daniel's ar on disconsolate; and then the whole party proceeded, soet to horse
”'Tis time ere on the road, Sir Oliver,” said Hatch, as he held the priest's stirrup while he ed,” returned the parson ”There is now no Appleyard--rest his soul!--to keep the garrison I shall keep you, Bennet I ood man to rest me on in this day of black arrows 'The arrow that flieth by day,' saith the evangel; I have no ard priest, I am too deep in men's affairs Well, let us ride forth, Master Hatch The jackmen should be at the church by now”
So they rode forward down the road, with the wind after the the tails of the parson's cloak; and behind thean to arise and blot out the sinking sun They had passed three of the scattered houses thatto a turn, they saw the church before them Ten or a dozen houses clustered immediately round it; but to the back the churchyard was next the athered, so by their horses' heads They were variously armed and mounted; some with spears, soh-horses, still splashed with the s of the country, and all the better men and the fair equipments were already with Sir Daniel in the field
”We have not done aht well content,” observed the priest, inwardly nuoes? Stand! if ye be true!” shouted Bennet Athe yews; and at the sound of this summons he discarded all concealment, and fairly took to his heels for the forest The er's presence, woke and scattered Those who had dis into the saddle; the rest rode in pursuit; but they had to round, and it was plain their quarry would escape thee, to head hi in the dust And though he was up again in a one by, and the fugitive had gained too great a lead for any hope of capture
The wisest of all had been dick Shelton Instead of starting in a vain pursuit, he had whipped his crossbow fro; and nohen the others had desisted, he turned to Bennet and asked if he should shoot
”Shoot! shoot!” cried the priest, with sanguinary violence
”Cover hi itive was noithin but a few leaps of safety; but this last part of the meadow ran very steeply uphill; and the reyness of the falling night, and the uneven movements of the runner, it was no easy aim; and as dick levelled his bow, he felt a kind of pity, and a half desire that he ht miss The quarrel sped
The reat cheer arose fro their corn before the harvest The ain, turned and waved his cap in a bravado, and was out of sight next o with him!” cried Bennet ”He has thieves' heels; he can run, by St Banbury! But you touched him, Master Shelton; he has stolen your quarrel, e him less!”
”Nay, but what made he by the church?” asked Sir Oliver ”I aood fellow, get ye down fro the yews”
Clipsby was gone but a little while ere he returned carrying a paper
”This writing was pinned to the church door,” he said, handing it to the parson ”I found naught else, sir parson”
”Now, by the power of Mother Church,” cried Sir Oliver, ”but this runs hard on sacrilege! For the king's good pleasure, or the lord of the reen jerkin should fasten papers to the chancel door--nay, it runs hard on sacrilege, hard; and ht But what have we here?
The light falls apace Good Master Richard, y' have young eyes Read me, I pray, this libel”
dick Shelton took the paper in his hand and read it aloud It contained so, written in a gross character, andsomewhat bettered, this is how they ran:
”I had four blak arrows under reefs that I have felt, Four for the nomber of ill one; one is wele sped; Old Apulyaird is ded