could have put a heavy pressure upon me. May I ask, now, what is your
name, Sir Knight?"

"Sir Oswald Forster. I was, at that time, a squire of Sir Henry
Percy's."

"Of Hotspur!" Glendower said, in surprise. "I did not know that we had
levies from the north fighting against us."

"You have not, sir. I had simply been sent, with twenty men-at-arms, by
Sir Henry to Sir Edmund Mortimer--who is, as you are doubtless aware,
of kin to Sir Henry, who had married his sister--and was sent by Sir
Edmund to join the Earl of Talbot and Lord Grey, when they made that
foray upon your house. After that I returned to the north; but was,
some months since, again sent to Ludlow, to keep Sir Henry informed of
the doings on this border."

"But I had heard that Mortimer had sent no troops to Henry's army."

"That is so, sir. I am here by an accident. A despatch came from London
to Ludlow for the king, and as there was no other way of forwarding it,
I volunteered to carry it here, and succeeded in doing so: for which
service the king conferred knighthood upon me, upon my arrival, ten
days since."

"Ah, then, it was you that I heard of! I was told that two great men
had been seen in the woods, some distance south of the camp; and that
they had succeeded in making their escape, after slaying five of my
followers; and that, though none knew for certain, it was supposed they
had reached Henry's camp."

"You are right, sir. The two men were my companion, here, and myself."

"It was a notable feat. I think not that any other messenger has got
through my scouts, since the king left Welshpool. You must be swift of
foot, as well as brave and courteous; for I heard that you had outrun
the greatest part of those who followed you."

"We in the north have to be swift of foot," Oswald said, with a smile,
"for the Scots keep us in practice; either in escaping them, when they
come in too great a force to be resisted; or in following them, when it
is our turn to pursue.

"I trust, sir, that you will put myself and my squire to ransom, and
will take my word for the payment; for, until I go north, I have no
means of satisfying it."

"That will I not," Glendower said. "Or rather, I will take a ransom;
since, were I to release you without one, it might cause surprise and
inquiry; and it were well that your noble conduct to my daughters
should not be known, for Henry would not be likely to regard it
favourably. Therefore we will put you to ransom at