Part 17 (1/2)
”Thy hand, brother If thou wert less yellow in the gills I'd kiss thee Art for Gloucester?”
”I ao farther on Dost know these parts well?”
”There are parts that I knoorse; but I am not native to the place”
”Maybe thou hast never been in Dean Forest?”
The stranger looked at the sailor sharply and queerly ”Dean Forest,”
he repeated ”Yes, I have travelled soion
Thou art surely not thinking of going thither at this time o' the year!”
”By bad fortune, I aerous place, full of fierce beasts and uncouth people But go thither I must, for I seek a man I shall not find elsewhere If thou wouldst find a hawk, needs must that thou find a hawk's nest; no other bird's will serve thy purpose--that is ht upon so Yule-tide business in Gloucester?”
”That I cannot say; but I may be able to help thee Whonton”
”Thou art hunting a bundle of hay to find a needle The forest is a wild place, as full of holes as of hills, and its people are not ossip with any but their nearest neighbours
Hast no e?”
”None, except that Rob dwells with a tall fellow naer eyed his companion keenly He shook his head ”Tall fellows are not scarce aans are as plentiful as oak trees”
”Then a However, tired eyes ne'er found a treasure; I must find Rob and the fellohom he dwells
How far is it to Gloucester now?”
”A matter of less than three ood inn, one where beef and ale is not stinted, and where the hay in the beds is sweet?”
”There's the 'New Inn' in the Northgate Street, as snug a place as a man can wish to put head into on a cold day I shall rest there until to-morrow”
”Then I'll cast anchor there also I can afford to pay for good lodgings” The sailor jingled soain,
”Then ho! for the Spanish Main, And ha! for the Spanish gold”
His companion interrupted him ”When I startled thee just now, did I not hear thy lips utter a Spanish oath?”
”Likely enough; I have a goodly stock of them, and one jumps out at tinize it for Spanish?”
”Because I have soue”
The sailor turned sharp on the speaker, halted, and scrutinized hi Philip,” he said slowly; ”but the general cut of thee is English”