of the bridge they were asked their business,
but they replied that they could only answer that to the officer
commanding, and were taken before him.

"Whence come you, friends?" the latter said. "Surely you must be
English, by your height; but what you are doing here, in times like the
present, I know not. Come you from the king's army, or from the north?"

"We left Welshpool before daybreak," Oswald said, "and have travelled
through the forest."

"Then you must be as bold as you are tall, sirs, for the woods are full
of these wild Welsh."

"Of that we are aware, sir, and we had some difficulty in making our
way through them, unobserved. I would not answer the guard, when we
entered; for we are going farther, and had it been mentioned, in the
hearing of a Welshman, news might have been sent on ahead."

"I think not that you can reach the king. When we last heard, his
foremost divisions were marching forward, and devastating the country
on both sides of their line of march. We have heard reports that some
of the parties have been attacked, and well-nigh destroyed; and certain
it is that Glendower's men are scattered all over the country.

"We were three days without news, but this morning a strong party came,
in escorting sick and wounded. They had to fight hard, but beat off
their opponents, and got in with the loss of a third of their number.
They had started at night, and fortunately arrived within five miles of
here, before they were attacked."

"And where is the king now, sir?"

"The king himself is at Capel Bangor, and the army lies between that
place and Yspetty Cynfyn."

"Then 'tis but a day's march from here!"

"It would be but a short day's march, could you follow the road; but it
would be impossible to do so, for 'tis beset everywhere, and 'tis so
rough and hilly that, in places, the men-at-arms had to dismount. You
will have to wait here till a large force sets out, with provisions;
for those who came in declare that they will not attempt to return, so
great is the number of Welshmen along there, and so fierce and reckless
are they.

"But you have not yet told me who you are, and why you would push on to
the army thus rashly."

Oswald opened his jerkin, and showed the handsome attire beneath it,
embroidered with the Percy cognizance.

"I am an esquire of Sir Henry Percy," he said, "and have been staying
for a while with Sir Edmund Mortimer, whose sister is my lord's wife. A
royal messenger