d
iron head at one end, a horn nock and three strong goose feathers at
the other. He held it loosely between the finger and thumb of his
right hand, and there he stood with a thoughtful look on his face, and
in his hands one of the most terrible weapons which a strong man has
ever carried, the English long-bow and cloth-yard shaft.

But all this while the sound of the horse's hoofs was growing nearer,
and presently from the corner of the road amidst the orchards broke out
our long friend, his face red in the sun near sinking now. He waved
his right hand as he came in sight of us, and sang out, "Bills and
bows! bills and bows!" and the whole throng turned towards him and
raised a great shout.

He reined up at the edge of the throng, and spoke in a loud voice, so
that all might hear him:

"Fellows, these are the tidings; even while our priest was speaking we
heard a horn blow far off; so I bade the sergeant we have taken, and
who is now our fellow-in-arms, to tell me where away it was that there
would be folk a-gathering, and what they were; and he did me to wit
that mayhappen Sir John Newton was stirring from Rochester Castle; or,
maybe, it was the sheriff and Rafe Hopton with him; so I rode off what
I might towards Hartlip, and I rode warily, and that was well, for as I
came through a little wood between Hartlip and Guildstead, I saw beyond
it a gleam of steel, and lo in the field there a company, and a pennon
of Rafe Hopton's arms, and that is blue and thereon three silver fish:
and a pennon of the sheriff's arms, and that is a green tree; and
withal another pennon of three red kine, and whose they be I know
not."[1]

"There tied I my horse in the middle of the wood, and myself I crept
along the dyke to see more and to hear somewhat; and no talk I heard to
tell of save at whiles a big knight talking to five or six others, and
saying somewhat, wherein came the words London and Nicholas Bramber,
and King Richard; but I saw that of men-at-arms and sergeants there
might be a hundred, and of bows not many, but of those outland
arbalests maybe a fifty; and so, what with one and another of servants
and tipstaves and lads, some three hundred, well armed, and the
men-at-arms of the best. Forsooth, my masters, there had I been but a
minute, ere the big knight broke off his talk, and cried out to the
music to blow up, 'And let us go look on these villeins,' said he; and
withal the men began to gather in a due and ordered c