nty-six to thirty years old. All were soberly
dressed, and wore steel caps and breast pieces, and carried long
swords by their sides. In spite of the serious expression of their
faces, Philip saw that all were in high, if restrained, spirits at
again taking service.

"This is your employer, the Sieur Philip Fletcher. I have warranted
that he shall find you good and true men, and I hope you will do
justice to my recommendation."

"We will do our best," Roger, the eldest of the party, said. "We
are all right glad to be moving again. It is not as if we had been
bred on the soil here, and a man never takes to a strange place as
to one he was born in."

"You are Gascons, Maitre Bertram tells me," Philip said.

"Yes, sir. We were driven out from there ten years ago, when the
troubles were at their worst. Our fathers were both killed, and we
travelled with our mothers and sisters by night, through the
country, till we got to La Rochelle."

"You say both your fathers. How are you related to each other?"

"Jacques and I are brothers," Roger said, touching the youngest of
the party on his shoulder. "Eustace and Henri are brothers, and are
our cousins. Their father and ours were brothers. When the troubles
broke out, we four took service with the Count de Luc, and followed
him throughout the war. When it was over we came back here. Our
mothers had married again. Some of our sisters had taken husbands,
too. Others were in service. Therefore we remained here rather than
return to Gascony, where our friends and relations had all been
either killed or dispersed.

"We were lucky in getting employment together, but were right glad
when we heard that there was an opening again for service. For the
last two years we have been looking forward to it; for as everyone
sees, it cannot be long before the matter must be fought out again.
And in truth, we have been wearying for the time to come; for after
having had a year of fighting, one does not settle down readily to
tilling the soil.

"You will find that you can rely on us, sir, for faithful service.
We all bore a good reputation as stout fighters and, during the
time we were in harness before, we none of us got into trouble for
being overfond of the wine pots."

"I think you will suit me very well," Philip said, "and I hope that
my service will suit you. Although an Englishman by birth and name,
my family have suffered persecution here as yours have done, and I
am as warmly aff