"Why, how now, Blunt," said Sir James, when Myles had ended, "I myself
gave the lads leave to go to the river to bathe. Wherefore shouldst thou
forbid one of them?"

"I did it but to punish this fellow for his mutiny," said the bachelor.
"Methought we at their head were to have oversight concerning them."

"So ye are," said the knight; "but only to a degree. Ere ye take it upon
ye to gainsay any of my orders or permits, come ye first to me. Dost
thou understand?"

"Aye," answered Blunt, sullenly.

"So be it, and now get thee gone," said the knight; "and let me hear no
more of beating out brains with wooden clogs. An ye fight your battles,
let there not be murder in them. This is twice that the like hath
happed; gin I hear more of such doings--" He did utter his threat, but
stopped short, and fixed his one eye sternly upon the head squire. "Now
shake hands, and be ye friends," said he, abruptly.

Blunt made a motion to obey, but Myles put his hand behind him.

"Nay, I shake not hands with any one who struck me while I was down."

"So be it," said the knight, grimly. "Now thou mayst go, Blunt. Thou,
Falworth, stay; I would bespeak thee further."

"Tell me," said he, when the elder lad had left them, "why wilt thou not
serve these bachelors as the other squires do? Such is the custom here.
Why wilt thou not obey it?"

"Because," said Myles, "I cannot stomach it, and they shall not make me
serve them. An thou bid me do it, sir, I will do it; but not at their
command."

"Nay," said the knight, "I do not bid thee do them service. That lieth
with thee, to render or not, as thou seest fit. But how canst thou hope
to fight single-handed against the commands of a dozen lads all older
and mightier than thou?"

"I know not," said Myles; "but were they an hundred, instead of
thirteen, they should not make me serve them."

"Thou art a fool!" said the old knight, smiling faintly, "for that be'st
not courage, but folly. When one setteth about righting a wrong, one
driveth not full head against it, for in so doing one getteth naught but
hard knocks. Nay, go deftly about it, and then, when the time is ripe,
strike the blow. Now our beloved King Henry, when he was the Earl of
Derby, what could he have gained had he stood so against the old King
Richard, brooking the King face to face? I tell thee he would have been
knocked on the head as thou wert like to have been this day. Now were
I thee, and had to fight a fight against