line. “Here be the lads to serve you in a pinch,” he said. “They are pretty men, indeed,” replied the messenger. “It but augments my sorrow that ye had not marched the earlier.” “Well,” said the knight, “what would ye? The beginning of a feast and the end of a fray, sir messenger”; and he mounted into his saddle. “Why! how now!” he cried. “John! Joanna! Nay, by the sacred rood! where is she?—Host, where is that girl?” “Girl, Sir Daniel?” cried the landlord. “Nay, sir, I saw no girl.” “Boy, then, dotard!” cried the knight. “Could ye not see it was a wench? She in the murrey-coloured mantle—she that broke her fast with water, rogue—where is she?” 33 “Nay, the saints bless us! Master John, ye called him,” said the host. “Well, I thought none evil. He is gone. I saw him—her—I saw her in the stable a good hour agone; ’a was saddling a grey horse.” 33 “Now, by the rood!” cried Sir Daniel, “the wench was worth five hundred pound to me and more.” “Sir knight,” observed the messenger, with bitterness, “while that ye are here, roaring for five hundred pounds, the realm of England is elsewhere being lost and won.” “It is well said,” replied Sir Daniel.—“Selden, fall me out with six crossbowmen; hunt me her down. I care not what it cost; but, at my returning, let me find her at the Moat House. Be it upon your head.—And now, sir messenger, we march.” And the troops broke into a good trot, and Selden and his six men were left behind upon the street of Kettley, with the staring villagers. 34 34 CHAPTER II IN THE FEN It was near six in the May morning when Dick began to ride down into the fen upon his homeward way. The sky was all blue; the jolly wind blew loud and steady; the windmill-sails were spinning; and the willows over all the fen rippling and whitening like a field of corn. He had been all night in the saddle, but his heart was good and his body sound, and he rode right merrily. It The path went down and down into the marsh, till he lost sight of all the neighbouring landmarks, but
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