d against the wall.'

'Did you know it was going to happen?' said Dan.

'Assuredly,' said Sir Richard, with a sweet smile. 'I put my foot on
his sword and plucked away his dagger, but he knew not whether it was
day or night for awhile. He lay rolling his eyes and bubbling with his
mouth, and jehan roped him like a calf. He was cased all in that
newfangled armour which we call lizard-mail. Not rings like my hauberk
here'--Sir Richard tapped his chest--but little pieces of dagger-proof
steel overlapping on stout leather. We stripped it off (no need to
spoil good harness by wetting it), and in the neck-piece De Aquila
found the same folden piece of parchment which we had put back under
the hearth-stone.

'At this Gilbert would have run out. I laid my hand on his shoulder.
It sufficed. He fell to trembling and praying on his beads.

"'Gilbert," said De Aquila, "here be more notable sayings and doings of
our Lord of Pevensey for thee to write down. Take pen and ink-horn,
Gilbert. We cannot all be Sacristans of Battle."

'Said Fulke from the floor, "Ye have bound a King's messenger.
Pevensey shall burn for this."

"'Maybe. I have seen it besieged once," said De Aquila, "but heart up,
Fulke. I promise thee that thou shalt be hanged in the middle of the
flames at the end of that siege, if I have to share my last loaf with
thee; and that is more than Odo would have done when we starved out him
and Mortain."

'Then Fulke sat up and looked long and cunningly at De Aquila.

"'By the Saints," said he, "why didst thou not say thou wast on the
Duke Robert's side at the first?"

"'Am I?" said De Aquila.

'Fulke laughed and said, "No man who serves King Henry dare do this
much to his messenger. When didst thou come over to the Duke? Let me
up and we can smooth it out together." And he smiled and becked and
winked.

"'Yes, we will smooth it out," said De Aquila. He nodded to me, and
jehan and I heaved up Fulke--he was a heavy man--and lowered him into
the shaft by a rope, not so as to stand on our gold, but dangling by
his shoulders a little above. It was turn of ebb, and the water came
to his knees. He said nothing, but shivered somewhat.

'Then jehan of a sudden beat down Gilbert's wrist with his sheathed
dagger. "Stop!" he said. "He swallows his beads."

"'Poison, belike," said De Aquila. "It is good for men who know too
much. I have carried it these thirty years. Give me!"

'Then Gilbert wept and