!"

The sun had risen over Ashurst and Denny woods, and was shining
brightly, though the eastern wind had a sharp flavor to it, and the
leaves were flickering thickly from the trees. In the High Street of
Lyndhurst the wayfarers had to pick their way, for the little town
was crowded with the guardsmen, grooms, and yeomen prickers who were
attached to the King's hunt. The King himself was staying at Castle
Malwood, but several of his suite had been compelled to seek such
quarters as they might find in the wooden or wattle-and-daub cottages of
the village. Here and there a small escutcheon, peeping from a
glassless window, marked the night's lodging of knight or baron. These
coats-of-arms could be read, where a scroll would be meaningless, and
the bowman, like most men of his age, was well versed in the common
symbols of heraldry.

"There is the Saracen's head of Sir Bernard Brocas," quoth he. "I saw
him last at the ruffle at Poictiers some ten years back, when he bore
himself like a man. He is the master of the King's horse, and can sing
a right jovial stave, though in that he cannot come nigh to Sir John
Chandos, who is first at the board or in the saddle. Three martlets on a
field azure, that must be one of the Luttrells. By the crescent upon it,
it should be the second son of old Sir Hugh, who had a bolt through his
ankle at the intaking of Romorantin, he having rushed into the fray ere
his squire had time to clasp his solleret to his greave. There too is
the hackle which is the old device of the De Brays. I have served under
Sir Thomas de Bray, who was as jolly as a pie, and a lusty swordsman
until he got too fat for his harness."

So the archer gossiped as the three wayfarers threaded their way among
the stamping horses, the busy grooms, and the knots of pages and squires
who disputed over the merits of their masters' horses and deer-hounds.
As they passed the old church, which stood upon a mound at the left-hand
side of the village street the door was flung open, and a stream of
worshippers wound down the sloping path, coming from the morning mass,
all chattering like a cloud of jays. Alleyne bent knee and doffed hat at
the sight of the open door; but ere he had finished an ave his comrades
were out of sight round the curve of the path, and he had to run to
overtake them.

"What!" he said, "not one word of prayer before God's own open house?
How can ye hope for His blessing upon the day?"

"My friend," said H