ey rode into the castle.

"Welcome back, Oswald; and you, my trusty Alwyn!

"I thank you all, my men, for the manner in which you have borne
yourselves, and that you have shown the men of the west how stoutly we
Northumbrians can hold our own, in the day of battle. I am glad,
indeed, to find that all that went have returned home; some bearing
scars, indeed, but none disabled. I will instruct your captain to grant
all of you a month's leave, to pay a visit to your families.

"You must sup with us tonight, Alwyn, and give us a full account of
your doings, and also your frank opinion as to the state of things in
the west, and the probability of long trouble with this strange
Welshman, who has so boldly taken up arms, and defied the strength of
England."

It was nearly a year since the party had left Alnwick, and Oswald had,
in that time, greatly increased in height and strength. He was now
eighteen, and as he was nearly six feet in height, and his figure had
filled out greatly since he had left his home, he might well have
passed as three or four years older than his real age. That evening,
Alwyn gave a full account of their fray with the Welsh.

"These men fight stoutly, Alwyn," Percy said, when he had concluded his
story.

"Right stoutly, Sir Henry, and were their discipline equal to their
bravery, they would be formidable opponents, indeed; but as it is, they
are quite unable to stand against men-at-arms in a set battle. In this
respect they are by no means equal to the Scotch, but for surprises, or
irregular fighting, I could wish to see no better men."

"It is an unfortunate affair," Percy said. "It seemed that we had
finished with Wales, at Llewellyn's death, and that the two nations had
become one. In London, and many other places, they were settled among
us. Numbers of them studied at our universities, and in Shropshire,
Radnor, Flint, and other border counties I have heard that most of the
labouring men were Welsh, and have come to speak our language; and
indeed, they form no small portion of the garrisons of the castles; so
much so that I fear that, should the Welsh really ravage the border
counties, 'tis like that not a few of the castles will fall into their
hands by the treachery of their fellow countrymen in the garrisons.

"Sir Edmund speaks very highly of you, Oswald, not only for your
behaviour in the fight, which was reported to him by Sir James Burgon,
a knight well fitted to judge in such matte