them fall upon me at once.

"There is Walter Blunt; he is parlous strong," said one of the others,
after a time of silence. "Methinks he could conquer any two of us."

"Nay," said Myles; "ye do fear him too greatly. I tell ye I fear not to
stand up to try battle with him and will do so, too, if the need arise.
Only say ye that ye will stand by my back."

"Marry," said Gascoyne, quaintly, "an thou wilt dare take the heavy end
upon thee, I for one am willing to stand by and see that thou have thy
fill of fighting."

"I too will stand thee by, Myles," said Edmund Wilkes.

"And I, and I, and I," said others, chiming in.

Those who would still have held back were carried along by the stream,
and so it was settled that if the need should arise for Myles to do
a bit of fighting, the others should stand by to see that he had fair
play.

"When thinkest thou that thou wilt take thy stand against them, Myles?"
asked Wilkes.

Myles hesitated a moment. "To-morrow," said he, grimly.

Several of the lads whistled softly.

Gascoyne was prepared for an early opening of the war, but perhaps not
for such an early opening as this. "By 'r Lady, Myles, thou art hungry
for brawling," said he.

CHAPTER 13

After the first excitement of meeting, discussing, and deciding had
passed, Myles began to feel the weight of the load he had so boldly
taken upon himself. He began to reckon what a serious thing it was for
him to stand as a single champion against the tyranny that had grown
so strong through years of custom. Had he let himself do so, he might
almost have repented, but it was too late now for repentance. He had
laid his hand to the plough, and he must drive the furrow.

Somehow the news of impending battle had leaked out among the rest of
the body of squires, and a buzz of suppressed excitement hummed through
the dormitory that evening. The bachelors, to whom, no doubt, vague
rumors had been blown, looked lowering, and talked together in low
voices, standing apart in a group. Some of them made a rather marked
show of secreting knives in the straw of their beds, and no doubt it had
its effect upon more than one young heart that secretly thrilled at the
sight of the shining blades. However, all was undisturbed that evening.
The lights were put out, and the lads retired with more than usual
quietness, only for the murmur of whispering.

All night Myles's sleep was more or less disturbed by dreams in which he
was now conqu