rywhere."

"'Tis well!" sighed Beltane.

"Well, master--nay, how mean you?"

"That being at Barham Broom, they cannot be otherwhere, Roger. Saw you
Pertolepe's banner among all these?"

"Aye, master; they have set up his pavilion beside the Duke's."

"Tell me now," said Beltane, coming to his elbow, "how many men should
be left within Garthlaxton for garrison, think you?"

"An hundred, belike!" said Walkyn.

"Less," quoth Roger; "Garthlaxton is so strong a score of men have held
it ere now. 'Tis accounted the strongest castle in all the Duchy, save
only Thrasfordham."

"Truly 'tis very strong!" said Beltane thoughtfully, and lying down
again he closed his eyes and spake slow and drowsily--"Aye, 'tis so
strong, its garrison, being secure, should sleep sound o' nights. So
'twould be no great matter to surprise and burn it ere the dawn,
methinks!"

"Burn Garthlaxton!" cried the archer, and sprang up, scattering the
arrows right and left.

"Master!" stammered Roger, "master--"

As for Walkyn, he, having his mouth full and striving to speak, choked
instead.

"Lord--lord!" he gasped at last, "to see Garthlaxton go up in flame--O
blessed sight! Its blood-soaked walls crumble to ruin--ah, sweet, rare
sight! But alas! 'tis a mighty place and strong, and we but four--"

"There be outlaws in the wild-wood!" quoth Beltane.

"Ha!--the outlaws!" cried Giles, and clapped hand to thigh.

"Aye," nodded Beltane, "bring me to the outlaws."

"But bethink thee, tall brother--of what avail a thousand such poor,
ragged, ill-armed rogues 'gainst the walls of Garthlaxton? They shall
not tear you the stones with their finger-nails nor rend them with
their teeth, see'st thou!"

"To burn Garthlaxton!" growled Walkyn, biting at his fingers. "Ha, to
give it to the fire! But the walls be mighty and strong and the outlaws
scattered. 'Twould take a week to muster enough to attempt a storm, nor
have they engines for battery--"

"Enough!" said Beltane rising, his brows close drawn, "now hearken, and
mark me well; the hole whereby one man came out may let a thousand in.
Give me but an hundred men at my back and Garthlaxton shall be aflame
ere dawn. So, come now, Walkyn--bring me to the outlaws."

"But lord, these be very wild men, obedient to no law save their own,
and will follow none but their own; lawless men forsooth, governed only
by the sword and made desperate by wrong and fear of the rope--"

"Then 'tis time one learned t