and arms, and make a famine in
my buttery, and a drought in my cellar, and a void in my strong box, and
a vacuum in my silver scullery."

"Lord Fitzwater," cried one, "take heed how you resist lawful authority:
we will prove ourselves----"

"You will prove yourselves arrant knaves, I doubt not," answered the
baron; "but, villains, you shall be more grievously bruised by me than
ever was the sheriff by my daughter (a pretty tale truly!), if you do
not forthwith avoid my territory."

By this time the baron's men had flocked to the battlements, with
long-bows and cross-bows, slings and stones, and Matilda with her bow
and quiver at their head. The assailants, finding the castle so well
defended, deemed it expedient to withdraw till they could return in
greater force, and rode off to Rubygill Abbey, where they made known
their errand to the father abbot, who, having satisfied himself of their
legitimacy, and conned over the allegations, said that doubtless brother
Michael had heinously offended; but it was not for the civil law to
take cognizance of the misdoings of a holy friar; that he would summon
a chapter of monks, and pass on the offender a sentence proportionate to
his offence. The ministers of civil justice said that would not do.
The abbot said it would do and should; and bade them not provoke the
meekness of his catholic charity to lay them under the curse of Rome.
This threat had its effect, and the party rode off to Gamwell-Hall,
where they found the Gamwells and their men just sitting down to dinner,
which they saved them the trouble of eating by consuming it in the
king's name themselves, having first seized and bound young Gamwell;
all which they accomplished by dint of superior numbers, in despite of
a most vigorous stand made by the Gamwellites in defence of their young
master and their provisions.

The baron, meanwhile, after the ministers of justice had departed,
interrogated Matilda concerning the alleged fact of the grievous
bruising of the sheriff of Nottingham. Matilda told him the whole
history of Gamwell feast, and of their battle on the bridge, which had
its origin in a design of the sheriff of Nottingham to take one of the
foresters into custody.

"Ay! ay!" said the baron, "and I guess who that forester was; but truly
this friar is a desperate fellow. I did not think there could have been
so much valour under a grey frock. And so you wounded the knight in the
arm. You are a wild girl, Mawd,-