THE road along which he travelled was scarce as populous as mostother roads in the kingdom, and far less so than those which liebetween the larger towns. Yet from time to time Alleyne metother wayfarers, and more than once was overtaken by strings ofpack mules and horsemen journeying in the same direction ashimself. Once a begging friar came limping along in a brownhabit, imploring in a most dolorous voice to give him a singlegroat to buy bread wherewith to save himself from impendingdeath. Alleyne passed him swiftly by, for he had learned fromthe monks to have no love for the wandering friars, and, besides,there was a great half-gnawed mutton bone sticking out of hispouch to prove him a liar. Swiftly as he went, however, he couldnot escape the curse of the four blessed evangelists which themendicant howled behind him. So dreadful are his execrationsthat the frightened lad thrust his fingers into his ear-holes,and ran until the fellow was but a brown smirch upon the yellowroad.

Further on, at the edge of the woodland, he came upon a chapmanand his wife, who sat upon a fallen tree. He had put his packdown as a table, and the two of them were devouring a greatpasty, and washing it down with some drink from a stone jar. Thechapman broke a rough jest as he passed, and the woman calledshrilly to Alleyne to come and join them, on which the man,turning suddenly from mirth to wrath, began to belabor her withhis cudgel. Alleyne hastened on, lest he make more mischief, andhis heart was heavy as lead within him. Look where he would, heseemed to see nothing but injustice and violence and thehardness of man to man.

But even as he brooded sadly over it and pined for the sweetpeace of the Abbey, he came on an open space dotted with hollybushes, where was the strangest sight that he had yet chancedupon. Near to the pathway lay a long clump of greenery, and frombehind this there stuck straight up into the air four human legsclad in parti-colored hosen, yellow and black. Strangest of allwas when a brisk tune struck suddenly up and the four legs beganto kick and twitter in time to the music. Walking on tiptoeround the bushes, he stood in amazement to see two men boundingabout on their heads, while they played, the one a viol and theother a pipe, as merrily and as truly as though they were seatedin a choir. Alleyne crossed himself as he gazed at thisunnatural sight, and could scarce hold his ground with a steadyface, when the two dancers, catching sight of him, came bouncingin his direction. A spear's length from him, they each threw asomersault into the air, and came down upon their feet withsmirking faces and their hands over their hearts.

"A guerdon--a guerdon, my knight of the staring eyes!" cried one.

"A gift, my prince!" shouted the other. "Any trifle will serve--a purse of gold, or even a jewelled goblet."

Alleyne thought of what he had read of demoniac possession --thejumpings, the twitchings, the wild talk. It was in his mind torepeat over the exorcism proper to such attacks; but the twoburst out a-laughing at his scared face, and turning on to theirheads once more, clapped their heels in derision.

"Hast never seen tumblers before?" asked the elder, a black-browed, swarthy man, as brown and supple as a hazel twig. "Whyshrink from us, then, as though we were the spawn of the EvilOne?"

"Why shrink, my honey-bird? Why so afeard, my sweet cinnamon?"exclaimed the other, a loose-jointed lanky youth with a dancing,roguish eye.

"Truly, sirs, it is a new sight to me," the clerk answered."When I saw your four legs above the bush I could scarce creditmy own eyes. Why is it that you do this thing?"

"A dry question to answer," cried the younger, coming back on tohis feet. "A most husky question, my fair bird! But how? Aflask, a flask!--by all that is wonderful!" He shot out his handas he spoke, and plucking Alleyne's bottle out of his scrip, hedeftly knocked the neck off, and poured the half of it down histhroat. The rest he handed to his comrade, who drank the wine,and then, to the clerk's increasing amazement, made a show ofswallowing the bottle, with such skill that Alleyne seemed to seeit vanish down his throat. A moment later, however, he flung itover his head, and caught it bottom downwards upon the calf ofhis left leg.

"We thank you for the wine, kind sir," said he, "and for theready courtesy wherewith you offered it. Touching your question,we may tell you that we are strollers and jugglers, who, havingperformed with much applause at Winchester fair, are now on ourway to the great Michaelmas market at Ringwood. As our art is avery fine and delicate one, however, we cannot let a day go bywithout exercising ourselves in it, to which end we choose somequiet and sheltered spot where we may break our journey. Hereyou find us; and we cannot wonder that you, who are new totumbling, should be astounded, since many great barons, earls,marshals and knight, who have wandered as far as the Holy Land,are of one mind in saying that they have never seen a more nobleor gracious performance. if you will be pleased to sit upon thatstump, we will now continue our exercise."

Alleyne sat down willingly as directed with two great bundles oneither side of him which contained the strollers' dresses--doublets of flame-colored silk and girdles of leather, spangledwith brass and tin. The jugglers were on their heads once more,bounding about with rigid necks, playing the while in perfecttime and tune. It chanced that out of one of the bundles therestuck the end of what the clerk saw to be a cittern, so drawingit forth, he tuned it up and twanged a harmony to the merry liltwhich the dancers played. On that they dropped their owninstruments, and putting their hands to the ground they hoppedabout faster and faster, ever shouting to him to play morebriskly, until at last for very weariness all three had to stop.

"Well played, sweet poppet!" cried the younger. "Hast a raretouch on the strings."

"How knew you the tune?" asked the other.

"I knew it not. I did but follow the notes I heard."

Both opened their eyes at this, and stared at Alleyne with asmuch amazement as he had shown at them.

"You have a fine trick of ear then," said one. "We have longwished to meet such a man. Wilt join us and jog on to Ringwood?Thy duties shall be light, and thou shalt have two-pence a dayand meat for supper every night."

"With as much beer as you can put away," said the other "and aflask of Gascon wine on Sabbaths."

"Nay, it may not be. I have other work to do. I have tarriedwith you over long," quoth Alleyne, and resolutely set forth uponhis journey once more. They ran behind him some little way,offering him first fourpence and then sixpence a day, but he onlysmiled and shook his head, until at last they fell away from him.Looking back, he saw that the smaller had mounted on theyounger's shoulders, and that they stood so, some ten feet high,waving their adieus to him. He waved back to them, and thenhastened on, the lighter of heart for having fallen in with thesestrange men of pleasure.

Alleyne had gone no great distance for all the many smallpassages that had befallen him. Yet to him, used as he was to alife of such quiet that the failure of a brewing or the alteringof an anthem had seemed to be of the deepest import, the quickchanging play of the lights and shadows of life was strangelystartling and interesting. A gulf seemed to divide this briskuncertain existence from the old steady round of work and ofprayer which he had left behind him. The few hours that hadpassed since he saw the Abbey tower stretched out in his memoryuntil they outgrew whole months of the stagnant life of thecloister. As he walked and munched the soft bread from hisscrip, it seemed strange to him to feel that it was still warmfrom the ovens of Beaulieu.

When he passed Penerley, where were three cottages and a barn, hereached the edge of the tree country, and found the great barrenheath of Blackdown stretching in front of him, all pink withheather and bronzed with the fading ferns. On the left the woodswere still thick, but the road edged away from them and woundover the open. The sun lay low in the west upon a purple cloud,whence it threw a mild, chastening light over the wild moorlandand glittered on the fringe of forest turning the withered leavesinto flakes of dead gold, the brighter for the black depthsbehind them. To the seeing eye decay is as fair as growth, anddeath as life. The thought stole into Alleyne's heart as helooked upon the autumnal country side and marvelled at itsbeauty. He had little time to dwell upon it however, for therewere still six good miles between him and the nearest inn. Hesat down by the roadside to partake of his bread and cheese, andthen with a lighter scrip he hastened upon his way.

There appeared to be more wayfarers on the down than in theforest. First he passed two Dominicans in their long blackdresses, who swept by him with downcast looks and pattering lips,without so much as a glance at him. Then there came a grayfriar, or minorite, with a good paunch upon him, walking slowlyand looking about him with the air of a man who was at peace withhimself and with all men. He stopped Alleyne to ask him whetherit was not true that there was a hostel somewhere in those partswhich was especially famous for the stewing of eels. The clerkhaving made answer that he had heard the eels of Sowley wellspoken of, the friar sucked in his lips and hurried forward.Close at his heels came three laborers walking abreast, withspade and mattock over their shoulders. They sang some rudechorus right tunefully as they walked, but their English was socoarse and rough that to the ears of a cloister-bred man itsounded like a foreign and barbarous tongue. One of them carrieda young bittern which they had caught upon the moor, and theyoffered it to Alleyne for a silver groat. Very glad he was toget safely past them, for, with their bristling red beards andtheir fierce blue eyes, they were uneasy men to bargain with upona lonely moor.

Yet it is not always the burliest and the wildest who are themost to be dreaded. The workers looked hungrily at him, and thenjogged onwards upon their way in slow, lumbering Saxon style. Aworse man to deal with was a wooden-legged cripple who camehobbling down the path, so weak and so old to all appearance thata child need not stand in fear of him. Yet when Alleyne hadpassed him, of a sudden, out of pure devilment, he screamed out acurse at him, and sent a jagged flint stone hurtling past hisear. So horrid was the causeless rage of the crooked creature,that the clerk came over a cold thrill, and took to his heelsuntil he was out of shot from stone or word. It seemed to himthat in this country of England there was no protection for a mansave that which lay in the strength of his own arm and the speedof his own foot. In the cloisters he had heard vague talk of thelaw--the mighty law which was higher than prelate or baron, yetno sign could he see of it. What was the benefit of a lawwritten fair upon parchment, he wondered, if there were noofficers to enforce it. As it tell out, however, he had thatvery evening, ere the sun had set, a chance of seeing how sternwas the grip of the English law when it did happen to seize theoffender.

A mile or so out upon the moor the road takes a very sudden dipinto a hollow, with a peat-colored stream running swiftly downthe centre of it. To the right of this stood, and stands to thisday, an ancient barrow, or burying mound, covered deeply in abristle of heather and bracken. Alleyne was plodding down theslope upon one side, when he saw an old dame coming towards himupon the other, limping with weariness and leaning heavily upon astick. When she reached the edge of the stream she stoodhelpless, looking to right and to left for some ford. Where thepath ran down a great stone had been fixed in the centre of thebrook, but it was too far from the bank for her aged anduncertain feet. Twice she thrust forward at it, and twice shedrew back, until at last, giving up in despair, she sat herselfdown by the brink and wrung her hands wearily. There she stillsat when Alleyne reached the crossing.

"Come, mother," quoth he, "it is not so very perilous a passage."

"Alas! good youth," she answered, "I have a humor in the eyes,and though I can see that there is a stone there I can by nomeans be sure as to where it lies."

"That is easily amended," said he cheerily, and picking herlightly up, for she was much worn with time, he passed acrosswith her. He could not but observe, however, that as he placedher down her knees seemed to fail her, and she could scarcelyprop herself up with her staff.

"You are weak, mother," said he. "Hast journeyed far, I wot."

"From Wiltshire, friend," said she, in a quavering voice; "threedays have I been on the road. I go to my son, who is one of theKing's regarders at Brockenhurst. He has ever said that he wouldcare for me in mine old age."

"And rightly too, mother, since you cared for him in his youth.But when have you broken fast?"

"At Lyndenhurst; but alas! my money is at an end, and I could butget a dish of bran-porridge from the nunnery. Yet I trust that Imay be able to reach Brockenhurst to-night, where I may have allthat heart can desire; for oh! sir, but my son is a fine man,with a kindly heart of his own, and it is as good as food to meto think that he should have a doublet of Lincoln green to hisback and be the King's own paid man."

"It is a long road yet to Brockenhurst," said Alleyne; "but hereis such bread and cheese as I have left, and here, too, is apenny which may help you to supper. May God be with you!"

"May God be with you, young man!" she cried. "May He make yourheart as glad as you have made mine!" She turned away, stillmumbling blessings, and Alleyne saw her short figure and her longshadow stumbling slowly up the slope.

He was moving away himself, when his eyes lit upon a strangesight, and one which sent a tingling through his skin. Out ofthe tangled scrub on the old overgrown barrow two human faceswere looking out at him; the sinking sun glimmered full uponthem, showing up every line and feature. The one was an oldishman with a thin beard, a crooked nose, and a broad red smudgefrom a birth-mark over his temple; the other was a negro, a thingrarely met in England at that day, and rarer still in the quietsouthland parts. Alleyne had read of such folk, but had neverseen one before, and could scarce take his eyes from the fellow'sbroad pouting lip and shining teeth. Even as he gazed, however,the two came writhing out from among the heather, and came downtowards him with such a guilty, slinking carriage, that the clerkfelt that there was no good in them, and hastened onwards uponhis way.

He had not gained the crown of the slope, when he heard a suddenscuffle behind him and a feeble voice bleating for help. Lookinground, there was the old dame down upon the roadway, with her redwhimple flying on the breeze, while the two rogues, black andwhite, stooped over her, wresting away from her the penny andsuch other poor trifles as were worth the taking. At the sightof her thin limbs struggling in weak resistance, such a glow offierce anger passed over Alleyne as set his head in a whirl.Dropping his scrip, he bounded over the stream once more, andmade for the two villains, with his staff whirled over hisshoulder and his gray eyes blazing with fury.

The robbers, however, were not disposed to leave their victimuntil they had worked their wicked will upon her. The black man,with the woman's crimson scarf tied round his swarthy head, stoodforward in the centre of the path, with a long dull-colored knifein his hand, while the other, waving a ragged cudgel, cursed atAlleyne and dared him to come on. His blood was fairly aflame,however, and he needed no such challenge. Dashing at the blackman, he smote at him with such good will that the other let hisknife tinkle into the roadway, and hopped howling to a saferdistance. The second rogue, however, made of sterner stuff,rushed in upon the clerk, and clipped him round the waist with agrip like a bear, shouting the while to his comrade to come roundand stab him in the back. At this the negro took heart ofgrace, and picking up his dagger again he came stealing withprowling step and murderous eye, while the two swayed backwardsand forwards, staggering this way and that. In the very midst ofthe scuffle, however, whilst Alleyne braced himself to feel thecold blade between his shoulders, there came a sudden scurry ofhoofs, and the black man yelled with terror and ran for his lifethrough the heather. The man with the birth-mark, too, struggledto break away, and Alleyne heard his teeth chatter and felt hislimbs grow limp to his hand. At this sign of coming aid theclerk held on the tighter, and at last was able to pin his mandown and glanced behind him to see where all the noise was comingfrom.

Down the slanting road there was riding a big, burly man, clad ina tunic of purple velvet and driving a great black horse as hardas it could gallop. He leaned well over its neck as he rode, andmade a heaving with his shoulders at every bound as though hewere lifting the steed instead of it carrying him. In the rapidglance Alleyne saw that he had white doeskin gloves, a curlingwhite feather in his flat velvet cap, and a broad gold,embroidered baldric across his bosom. Behind him rode sixothers, two and two, clad in sober brown jerkins, with the longyellow staves of their bows thrusting out from behind their rightshoulders. Down the hill they thundered, over the brook and upto the scene of the contest.

"Here is one!" said the leader, springing down from his reekinghorse, and seizing the white rogue by the edge of his jerkin."This is one of them. I know him by that devil's touch upon hisbrow. Where are your cords, Peterkin? So! --bind him hand andfoot. His last hour has come. And you, young man, who may yoube?"

"I am a clerk, sir, travelling from Beaulieu."

"A clerk!" cried the other. "Art from Oxenford or fromCambridge? Hast thou a letter from the chancellor of thy collegegiving thee a permit to beg? Let me see thy letter." He had astern, square face, with bushy side whiskers and a veryquestioning eye.

"I am from Beaulieu Abbey, and I have no need to beg," saidAlleyne, who was all of a tremble now that the ruffle was over.

"The better for thee," the other answered. "Dost know who I am?"

"No, sir, I do not."

"I am the law!"--nodding his head solemnly. "I am the law ofEngland and the mouthpiece of his most gracious and royalmajesty, Edward the Third."

Alleyne louted low to the King's representative. "Truly you camein good time, honored sir," said he. "A moment later and theywould have slain me."

"But there should be another one," cried the man in the purplecoat. "There should be a black man. A shipman with St.Anthony's fire, and a black man who had served him as cook--thoseare the pair that we are in chase of."

"The black man fled over to that side," said Alleyne, pointingtowards the barrow.

"He could not have gone far, sir bailiff," cried one of thearchers, unslinging his bow. "He is in hiding somewhere, for heknew well, black paynim as he is, that our horses' four legscould outstrip his two."

"Then we shall have him," said the other. "It shall never besaid, whilst I am bailiff of Southampton, that any waster,riever, draw-latch or murtherer came scathless away from me andmy posse. Leave that rogue lying. Now stretch out in line, mymerry ones, with arrow on string, and I shall show you such sportas only the King can give. You on the left, Howett, and Thomasof Redbridge upon the right. So! Beat high and low among theheather, and a pot of wine to the lucky marksman."

As it chanced, however, the searchers had not far to seek. Thenegro had burrowed down into his hiding-place upon the barrow,where he might have lain snug enough, had it not been for the redgear upon his head. As he raised himself to look over thebracken at his enemies, the staring color caught the eye of thebailiff, who broke into a long screeching whoop and spurredforward sword in hand. Seeing himself discovered, the man rushedout from his hiding-place, and bounded at the top of his speeddown the line of archers, keeping a good hundred paces to thefront of them. The two who were on either side of Alleyne benttheir bows as calmly as though they were shooting at the popinjayat the village fair.

"Seven yards windage, Hal," said one, whose hair was streakedwith gray.

"Five," replied the other, letting loose his string. Alleynegave a gulp in his throat, for the yellow streak seemed to passthrough the man; but he still ran forward.

"Seven, you jack-fool," growled the first speaker, and his bowtwanged like a harp-string. The black man sprang high up intothe air, and shot out both his arms and his legs, coming down alla-sprawl among the heather. "Right under the blade bone!" quoththe archer, sauntering forward for his arrow.

"The old hound is the best when all is said," quoth the bailiffof Southampton, as they made back for the roadway. "That means aquart of the best Malmsey in Southampton this very night, MatthewAtwood. Art sure that he is dead?"

"Dead as Pontius Pilate, worshipful sir."

"It is well. Now, as to the other knave. There are trees and tospare over yonder, but we have scarce leisure to make for them.Draw thy sword, Thomas of Redbridge, and hew me his head from hisshoulders."

"A boon, gracious sir, a boon!" cried the condemned man. Whatthen?" asked the bailiff.

"I will confess to my crime. It was indeed I and the black cook,both from the ship 'La Rose de Gloire,' of Southampton, who didset upon the Flanders merchant and rob him of his spicery and hismercery, for which, as we well know, you hold a warrant againstus."

"There is little merit in this confession," quoth the bailiffsternly. "Thou hast done evil within my bailiwick, and mustdie."

"But, sir," urged Alleyne, who was white to the lips at thesebloody doings, "he hath not yet come to trial."

"Young clerk," said the bailiff, "you speak of that of which youknow nothing. It is true that he hath not come to trial, but thetrial hath come to him. He hath fled the law and is beyond itspale. Touch not that which is no concern of thine. But what isthis boon, rogue, which you would crave?"

"I have in my shoe, most worshipful sir, a strip of wood whichbelonged once to the bark wherein the blessed Paul was dashed upagainst the island of Melita. I bought it for two rose noblesfrom a shipman who came from the Levant. The boon I crave isthat you will place it in my hands and let me die still graspingit. In this manner, not only shall my own eternal salvation besecured, but thine also, for I shall never cease to intercede forthee."

At the command of the bailiff they plucked off the fellow's shoe,and there sure enough at the side of the instep, wrapped in apiece of fine sendall, lay a long, dark splinter of wood. Thearchers doffed caps at the sight of it, and the bailiff crossedhimself devoutly as he handed it to the robber.

"If it should chance," he said, "that through the surpassingmerits of the blessed Paul your sin-stained soul should gain away into paradise, I trust that you will not forget thatintercession which you have promised. Bear in mind too, that itis Herward the bailiff for whom you pray, and not Herward thesheriff, who is my uncle's son. Now, Thomas, I pray youdispatch, for we have a long ride before us and sun has alreadyset."

Alleyne gazed upon the scene--the portly velvet-clad official theknot of hard-faced archers with their hands to the bridles oftheir horses, the thief with his arms trussed back and hisdoublet turned down upon his shoulders. By the side of the trackthe old dame was standing, fastening her red whimple once moreround her head. Even as he looked one of the archers drew hissword with a sharp whirr of steel and stept up to the lost man.The clerk hurried away in horror; but, ere he had gone manypaces, he heard a sudden, sullen thump, with a choking,whistling sound at the end of it. A minute later the bailiff andfour of his men rode past him on their journey back toSouthampton, the other two having been chosen as grave-diggers.As they passed Alleyne saw that one of the men was wiping hissword-blade upon the mane of his horse. A deadly sickness cameover him at the sight, and sitting down by the wayside he burstout weeping, with his nerves all in a jangle. It was a terribleworld thought he, and it was hard to know which were the most tobe dreaded, the knaves or the men of the law.