ngines for battery, Giles--we yet may win through the walls of
Belsaye ere sun-down. Know you this country, Walkyn?"

WALKYN. "As my hand, lord."

BELTANE. "Is there a village hereabouts?"

WALKYN. "Aye, five miles west by south is Brand-le-Dene. But there is
a mill scarce a mile down stream, I wot."

BELTANE. "A mill? 'Twill serve--go ye thither. Here is money--buy
therewith four hats and smocks the like that millers wear, and likewise
four meal-sacks well stuffed with straw."

WALKYN. (rising) "Smocks, master? Straw and meal-sacks?"

BELTANE. "And haste, Walkyn. We must be far hence within the hour."

Forthwith up rose Walkyn and summoning divers of his company strode
away down stream, what time Giles, staring after him in wonderment,
thereafter shook his head at Roger. Quoth he:

"Tall brother and lord, now do I see that our Roger burneth for
knowledge, panteth for understanding, and fain would question thee but
that his mouth is full-crammed of meat. Yet do his bulging eyes
supplicate the wherefore of smocks, and his goodly large ears do twitch
for the why of sacks. O impatient Rogerkin, bolt thy food, man, gulp--
swallow, and ask and importune my lord thyself!"

"Not I--not I!" quoth Roger, "an my master lacketh for a smock or a
sack, for me is no question of wherefore or why, so long as he doth
get them!"

"But the straw, Roger," said Giles, glancing askew at Beltane, "an thou
should'st plague my lord with questions, how think ye then he shall
answer of this straw?"

"Thus, thou crafty Giles," answered Beltane. "Belsaye is strong, but
strength may be, perchance, beguiled. So may a miller's smock hide a
shirt of mail, and straw, I have heard, will burn." "Oho, a wile!"
cried Giles, "Aha! some notable wile! What more?"

"More shalt thou know, mayhap, in Belsaye market-place."

And when Beltane had handled the well-worn smocks, had viewed the
bulging meal-sacks that Walkyn and his fellows brought him, he arose.
At his word the company fell to their ranks and forthwith swung off
again south and by east, what time Giles carolled blithely, and divers
chorused lustily: while Roger whistled and even grim Walkyn (bethinking
him of Gui of Allerdale) rumbled hoarsely in his hairy throat.

So the miles passed unheeded until, as the sun declined, they left the
wild country behind; wherefore Beltane commanded all men to a strict
silence and thus came they betimes to the edge of the woods, and
halting within the