r
Edmund Mortimer's, led by one of his knights."

"I remember now," the earl said. "Yes, I see you wear the Percy badge;
but how have you got here, and why have you come?"

"I come as a simple messenger, my lord. A royal courier arrived at
Ludlow, with a letter from London for the king. His majesty had laid
his commands on Sir Edmund Mortimer, that he was not to weaken his
force by a single lance; and as, for aught Sir Edmund knew, the letter
might be of great importance, I volunteered to endeavour to carry it
through; taking with me only this man-at-arms, on whom I could wholly
rely, whatever might happen, he having accompanied me on more than one
dangerous expedition.

"Sir Edmund consented. We rode first to Shrewsbury, to obtain
information as to the course the king had taken. At Welshpool we left
our horses behind us, thinking it easier to make our way through the
woods on foot, seeing that the roads were said to be beset by the
Welsh. So we reached Llanidloes; and then, hearing where the king was
then posted, from a convoy of wounded that had been brought in that
day, and who had been attacked and very hardly treated as they came
along, we thought to make a detour through the woods, so as to get
behind any Welshmen who might be watching the road.

"Unfortunately, in the storm of rain, having no guide, we lost our way;
and were so detained, near two days, in the forest. This morning, the
weather having changed and the sun come out, we learned the direction
that we must take. On the way we fell in with a party of some twenty
Welshmen, who pursued us hotly. We outran all but five. As their shouts
would have brought large numbers upon us, we stopped and slew them; and
though search was hot for us, we succeeded in making our way through,
without adventure, until we came out from the forest, close by."

"Truly it was an adventure of great peril," the earl said, "for the
Welsh are swarming round us; though we see nought of them, when we are
once in the saddle. Assuredly you would never have got through, even as
far as Llanidloes, if you had followed the road on horseback; for the
last party that came along brought word that the Welsh had felled trees
across it, in many places, and had broken down the bridges.

"It was a gallant exploit, sir. I will, myself, take you in to the
king."

Oswald took off his jerkin.

"I am but in poor plight to show myself before his majesty," he said,
as he handed it to Roger.

"A