on the open
ground, Roger; but they are more accustomed to this forest work than we
are.

"Mind where you tread, and don't put your foot on fallen sticks. There
must be scores of them in the forest behind, yet, though I don't think
that they have struck our track. The nearest must be a quarter of a
mile away. I am not afraid of their overtaking us. It is the risk of
falling in with other parties that I am afraid of."

They now bore away to the right again. More than once they heard
parties moving near them, and stood quiet until their voices died away;
which they quickly did, as all were hurrying towards the spot whence
the shouting still continued.

For an hour they kept straight onward, and then the trees thinned; and
as they stepped out from the edge of the forest they saw, to their
delight, a few tents in front of them, and a large number of soldiers
scattered about. As they were seen, some of the soldiers caught up
their arms; but when they saw that but two men were approaching, they
laid them down again, and proceeded with the work on which most of them
were engaged; in polishing up their arms and armour, whose brightness
had been grievously dimmed by the rain. A sub-officer with four men
came up to them, as they reached the line.

"Who are you, sirs?" he asked.

"I am an esquire of Sir Henry Percy, and have brought hither a letter
for the king."

The man looked doubtfully at him, and Oswald continued, "I know not
whether the Earl of Talbot is in the camp, but if so he will, I think,
recognize me."

"The earl arrived, with five hundred of his men, yesterday," the
officer said, with a tone of more respect than he had before used. "I
will take you to his tent;" and he led the way to a tent, pitched a
short distance away from that before which the royal standard waved.

Oswald took off his cloak, which was rolled up over his shoulder, and
handed it to Roger, and then opened his jerkin. As they came up to the
tent the front opened, and the earl himself came out.

"Whom have we here?" he asked the officer.

"They have just come out of the forest, my lord, and this gentleman
asked to be taken to you, saying that you would recognize him."

The earl looked scrutinizingly at Oswald.

"I seem to know your face, sir," he said, "but I cannot recall where I
have seen it."

"My name is Oswald Forster, an esquire of Sir Henry Percy. I joined you
at Chester, my Lord Talbot, with a band of his men; and some of Si