n the war." He
sucked in his cheeks and drummed on the edge of the shaft, where the
water sounded all hollow.

'"Shall we go?" said I.

'"Go! At this time of year? Stark madness," said he. "Take _me_ from
Pevensey to fisk and flyte through fern and forest, and in three days
Robert's keels would be lying on Pevensey mud with ten thousand men! Who
would stop them--Fulke?"

'The horns blew without, and anon Fulke cried the King's Summons at the
great door, that De Aquila with all men and horse should join the King's
camp at Salisbury.

'"How did I tell you?" said De Aquila. "There are twenty Barons 'twixt
here and Salisbury could give King Henry good land service, but he has
been worked upon by Fulke to send South and call me--_me_!--off the Gate
of England, when his enemies stand about to batter it in. See that
Fulke's men lie in the big south barn," said he. "Give them drink, and
when Fulke has eaten we will drink in my chamber. The Great Hall is too
cold for old bones."

'As soon as he was off-horse Fulke went to the chapel with Gilbert to
give thanks for his safe coming, and when he had eaten--he was a fat
man, and rolled his eyes greedily at our good roast Sussex wheatears--we
led him to the little upper chamber, whither Gilbert had already gone
with the Manor-roll. I remember when Fulke heard the tide blow and
whistle in the shaft he leaped back, and his long down-turned
stirrup-shoes caught in the rushes and he stumbled, so that Jehan behind
him found it easy to knock his head against the wall.'

'Did you know it was going to happen?' said Dan.

'Assuredly,' said Sir Richard, with a sweet smile. 'I put my foot on his
sword and plucked away his dagger, but he knew not whether it was day or
night for awhile. He lay rolling his eyes and bubbling with his mouth,
and Jehan roped him like a calf. He was cased all in that newfangled
armour which we call lizard-mail. Not rings like my hauberk here'--Sir
Richard tapped his chest--but little pieces of dagger-proof steel
overlapping on stout leather. We stripped it off (no need to spoil good
harness by wetting it), and in the neck-piece De Aquila found the same
folden piece of parchment which we had put back under the hearthstone.

'At this Gilbert would have run out. I laid my hand on his shoulder. It
sufficed. He fell to trembling and praying on his beads.

'"Gilbert," said De Aquila, "here be more notable sayings and doings of
our Lord of Pevensey for thee to wri