urnt face with his sleeve, "well struck, and in good time! But now,
boys, doff your bonnets, and sound the mort."

The sportsmen then sounded a treble mort and set up a general whoop,
which, mingled with the yelping of the dogs, made the welkin ring again.
The huntsman then offered his knife to Lord Boteler, that he might take
the say of the deer; but the baron courteously insisted upon Fitzallen
going through that ceremony. The Lady Matilda was now come up, with most
of the attendants; and the interest of the chase being ended, it excited
some surprise that neither St. Clere nor his sister made their
appearance. The Lord Boteler commanded the horns again to sound the
recheat, in hopes to call in the stragglers, and said to Fitzallen:
"Methinks St. Clere, so distinguished for service in war, should have
been more forward in the chase."

"I trow," said Peter Lanaret, "I know the reason of the noble lord's
absence; for when that moon-calf, Gregory, hallooed the dogs upon the
knobbler, and galloped like a green hilding, as he is, after them, I saw
the Lady Emma's palfrey follow apace after that varlet, who should be
trashed for overrunning, and I think her noble brother has followed her,
lest she should come to harm. But here, by the rood, is Gregory to answer
for himself."

At this moment Gregory entered the circle which had been formed round the
deer, out of breath, and his face covered with blood. He kept for some
time uttering inarticulate cries of "Harrow!" and "Wellaway!" and other
exclamations of distress and terror, pointing all the while to a thicket
at some distance from the spot where the deer had been killed.

"By my honour," said the baron, "I would gladly know who has dared to
array the poor knave thus; and I trust he should dearly aby his
outrecuidance, were he the best, save one, in England."

Gregory, who had now found more breath, cried, "Help, an ye be men! Save
Lady Emma and her brother, whom they are murdering in Brockenhurst
thicket."

This put all in motion. Lord Boteler hastily commanded a small party of
his men to abide for the defence of the ladies, while he himself,
Fitzallen, and the rest made what speed they could towards the thicket,
guided by Gregory, who for that purpose was mounted behind Fabian.
Pushing through a narrow path, the first object they encountered was a
man of small stature lying on the ground, mastered and almost strangled
by two dogs, which were instantly recognized to