ighty in the ship,"
said Sir Nigel.

"Then we must send them up Sir Oliver Buttesthorn," quoth Ford.

The knight looked at him with a face which struck the smile from his
lips. "No squire of mine," he said, "shall ever make jest of a belted
knight. And yet," he added, his eyes softening, "I know that it is but
a boy's mirth, with no sting in it. Yet I should ill do my part towards
your father if I did not teach you to curb your tongue-play."

"They will lay us aboard on either quarter, my lord," cried the master.
"See how they stretch out from each other! The Norman hath a mangonel
or a trabuch upon the forecastle. See, they bend to the levers! They are
about to loose it."

"Aylward," cried the knight, "pick your three trustiest archers, and see
if you cannot do something to hinder their aim. Methinks they are within
long arrow flight."

"Seventeen score paces," said the archer, running his eye backwards and
forwards. "By my ten finger-bones! it would be a strange thing if we
could not notch a mark at that distance. Here, Watkin of Sowley, Arnold,
Long Williams, let us show the rogues that they have English bowmen to
deal with."

The three archers named stood at the further end of the poop, balancing
themselves with feet widely spread and bows drawn, until the heads of
the cloth-yard arrows were level with the centre of the stave. "You
are the surer, Watkin," said Aylward, standing by them with shaft upon
string. "Do you take the rogue with the red coif. You two bring down the
man with the head-piece, and I will hold myself ready if you miss. Ma
foi! they are about to loose her. Shoot, mes garcons, or you will be too
late."

The throng of pirates had cleared away from the great wooden catapult,
leaving two of their number to discharge it. One in a scarlet cap
bent over it, steadying the jagged rock which was balanced on the
spoon-shaped end of the long wooden lever. The other held the loop of
the rope which would release the catch and send the unwieldy missile
hurtling through the air. So for an instant they stood, showing hard and
clear against the white sail behind them. The next, redcap had fallen
across the stone with an arrow between his ribs; and the other, struck
in the leg and in the throat, was writhing and spluttering upon the
ground. As he toppled backwards he had loosed the spring, and the huge
beam of wood, swinging round with tremendous force, cast the corpse of
his comrade so close to the English