dark figures outlined against the starry sky.

"Why should you scold, Jacques," said one of them, speaking a strange
half-French, half-English lingo. "Le diable t'emporte for a grumbling
rascal. You won a woman and I got nothing. What more would you have?"

"You will have your chance off the next ship, mon garcon, but mine is
passed. A woman, it is true--an old peasant out of the fields, with a
face as yellow as a kite's claw. But Gaston, who threw a nine against my
eight, got as fair a little Normandy lass as ever your eyes have seen.
Curse the dice, I say! And as to my woman, I will sell her to you for a
firkin of Gascony."

"I have no wine to spare, but I will give you a keg of apples," said
the other. "I had it out of the Peter and Paul, the Falmouth boat that
struck in Creux Bay."

"Well, well your apples may be the worse for keeping, but so is old
Marie, and we can cry quits on that. Come round and drink a cup over the
bargain."

They shuffled onward in the darkness.

"Heard you ever such villainy?" cried Aylward, breathing fierce and
hard. "Did you hear them, Simon? A woman for a keg of apples! And my
heart's root is sad for the other one, the girl of Normandy. Surely we
can land to-morrow and burn all these water-rats out of their nest."

"Nay, Sir Robert will not waste time or strength ere he reach Brittany."

"Sure I am that if my little master Squire Loring had the handling
of it, every woman on this island would be free ere another day had
passed."

"I doubt it not," said Simon. "He is one who makes an idol of woman,
after the manner of those crazy knight errants. But Sir Robert is a true
soldier and hath only his purpose in view."

"Simon," said Aylward, "the light is not overgood and the place is
cramped for sword-play, but if you will step out into the open I will
teach you whether my master is a true soldier or not."

"Tut, man! you are as foolish yourself," said Simon. "Here we are with
our work in hand, and yet you must needs fall out with me on our way to
it. I say nothing against your master save that he hath the way of his
fellows who follow dreams and fancies. But Knolles looks neither to
right nor left and walks forward to his mark. Now, let us on, for the
time passes."

"Simon, your words are neither good nor fair. When we are back on
shipboard we will speak further of this matter. Now lead on, I pray you,
and let us see some more of this ten-devil island."

For half a mile Simon