lowered, and his stubborn legs planted
firmly, growling threateningly; while the geese about the brook waddled
away gobbling and squeaking; all which seemed so strange to us along
with the threat of sudden death that rang out from the bright array
over against us, that we laughed outright, the most of us, and Will
Green put down his head in mockery of the bull and grunted like him,
whereat we laughed yet more. He turned round to me as he nocked his
arrow, and said:

"I would they were just fifty paces nigher, and they move not. Ho!
Jack Straw, shall we shoot?"

For the latter-named was nigh us now; he shook his head and said
nothing as he stood looking at the enemy's line.

"Fear not but they are the right folk, Jack," quoth Will Green.

"Yea, yea," said he, "but abide awhile; they could make nought of the
highway, and two of their sergeants had a message from the grey-goose
feather. Abide, for they have not crossed the road to our right hand,
and belike have not seen our fellows on the other side, who are now for
a bushment to them."

I looked hard at the man. He was a tall, wiry, and broad-shouldered
fellow, clad in a handsome armour of bright steel that certainly had
not been made for a yeoman, but over it he had a common linen
smock-frock or gabardine, like our field workmen wear now or used to
wear, and in his helmet he carried instead of a feather a wisp of
wheaten straw. He bore a heavy axe in his hand besides the sword he
was girt with, and round his neck hung a great horn for blowing. I
should say that I knew that there were at least three "Jack Straws"
among the fellowship of the discontented, one of whom was over in Essex.

As we waited there, every bowman with his shaft nocked on the string,
there was a movement in the line opposite, and presently came from it a
little knot of three men, the middle one on horseback, the other two
armed with long-handled glaives; all three well muffled up in armour.
As they came nearer I could see that the horseman had a tabard over his
armour, gaily embroidered with a green tree on a gold ground, and in
his hand a trumpet.

"They are come to summon us. Wilt thou that he speak, Jack?" said Will
Green.

"Nay," said the other; "yet shall he have warning first. Shoot when my
horn blows!"

And therewith he came up to the hedge, climbed over, slowly because of
his armour, and stood some dozen yards out in the field. The man on
horseback put his trumpet to his m