e feared being slain like the knight. It was his
duty to show himself debonair to his English people as it was De
Aquila's duty to see that he took no harm while he did it. But it was a
great burden! De Aquila, Hugh, and I ceased work on the ships, and
scoured all the Honour of the Eagle--all De Aquila's lands--to make a
fit, and, above all, a safe sport for our King. Look!'

The ride twisted, and came out on the top of Pound's Hill Wood. Sir
Richard pointed to the swells of beautiful, dappled Dallington, that
showed like a woodcock's breast up the valley. 'Ye know the forest?'
said he.

'You ought to see the bluebells there in Spring!' said Una.

'I have seen,' said Sir Richard, gazing, and stretched out his hand.
'Hugh's work and mine was first to move the deer gently from all parts
into Dallington yonder, and there to hold them till the King came. Next,
we must choose some three hundred beaters to drive the deer to the
stands within bowshot of the King. Here was our trouble! In the mellay
of a deer-drive a Saxon peasant and a Norman King may come over close to
each other. The conquered do not love their conquerors all at once. So
we needed sure men, for whom their village or kindred would answer in
life, cattle, and land if any harm come to the King. Ye see?'

'If one of the beaters shot the King,' said Puck, 'Sir Richard wanted to
be able to punish that man's village. Then the village would take care
to send a good man.'

'So! So it was. But, lest our work should be too easy, the King had done
such a dread justice over at Salehurst, for the killing of the Kentish
knight (twenty-six men he hanged, as I heard), that our folk were
half-mad with fear before we began. It is easier to dig out a badger
gone to earth than a Saxon gone dumb-sullen. And atop of their misery
the old rumour waked that Harold the Saxon was alive and would bring
them deliverance from us Normans. This has happened every autumn since
Senlac fight.'

'But King Harold was killed at Hastings,' said Una.

'So it was said, and so it was believed by us Normans, but our Saxons
always believed he would come again. _That_ rumour did not make our work
any more easy.'

Sir Richard strode on down the far slope of the wood, where the trees
thin out. It was fascinating to watch how he managed his long spurs
among the lumps of blackened ling.

'But we did it!' he said. 'After all, a woman is as good as a man to
beat the woods, and the mere word that de