d to a fierce shout.

"The fire!" they cried. "Ha, to burn them i' the fire!"

"But so to do," quoth Beltane, "rats must become wolves. Valiant men ye
are I know, yet are ye but a poor unordered rabblement, mete for
slaughter. So now will I teach ye, how here within the wild-wood we may
withstand Black Ivo and all his powers. Giles, bring now the book of
clean parchment I took from Garthlaxton, together with pens and ink-horn,
and it shall be henceforth a record of us every one, our names, our
number, and the good or ill we each one do achieve."

So there and then, while the sun rose high and higher and the mists of
dawn thinned and vanished, phantom-like, the record was begun. Two
hundred and twenty and four they mustered, and the name of each and
every Giles duly wrote down within the book in right fair and clerkly
hand. Thereafter Beltane numbered them into four companies; over the
first company he set Walkyn, over the second Giles, over the third
Roger, and over the fourth Eric of the wry neck. Moreover he caused to
be brought all the armour they had won, and ordered that all men should
henceforth go armed from head to foot, yet many there were that needs
must go short awhile.

Now he ordained these four companies should keep watch and watch day
and night with sentinels and outposts in the green; and when they
murmured at this he stared them into silence.

"Fools!" said he, "an ye would lie secure, so must ye watch constantly
against surprise. And furthermore shall ye exercise daily now, at the
spoke command, to address your pikes 'gainst charge of horse or foot,
and to that company adjudged the best and stoutest will I, each week,
give store of money from my share of booty. So now, Walkyn, summon ye
your company and get to your ward."

Thus it was that slowly out of chaos came order, yet it came not
unopposed, for many and divers were they that growled against this new
order of things; but Beltane's hand was swift and heavy, moreover,
remembering how he had dealt with Tostig, they growled amain but hasted
to obey. So, in place of idleness was work, and instead of quarrel and
riot was peace among the wild men and a growing content. Insomuch that
upon a certain balmy eve, Giles the Archer, lolling beside the fire
looking upon Black Roger, who sat beside him furbishing his mail-shirt,
spake his mind on this wise:

"Mark ye these lamb-like wolves of ours, sweet Roger? There hath been
no blood-letting betwixt th