h England
the discipline of the troop had not been severe; but Suffolk, though a
courtly, chivalrous gentleman to his equals, had not the qualities of
popularity, and chafed his inferiors.

There were signs of confusion in the cavalcade as they passed between
some of the fertile fields of Namur, and while Suffolk was halting
and about to send a squire to the rear to interfere, a couple of his
retainers hurried up, saying, 'My Lord, those Scottish thieves will
bring the whole country down on us if order be not taken with them.'

Sir Patrick did not need the end of the speech to gallop off at full
speed to the rear of all the waggons, where a crowd might be seen, and
there was a perfect Babel of tongues, rising in only too intelligible
shouts of rage. Swords and lances were flashing on one side among the
horsemen, on the other stones were flying from an ever-increasing number
of leather-jerkined men and boys, some of them with long knives, axes,
and scythes.

George Douglas's high head seemed to be the main object of attack,
and he had Ringan Raefoot before him across his horse, apparently
retreating, while David, Malcolm, and a few more made charges on the
crowd to guard him. When he was seen, there was a cry of which he could
distinguish nothing but 'Ringan! Geordie! goose--Flemish hounds.'

Riding between, regardless of the stones, he shouted in the Burgundian
French he had learnt in his campaigns, to demand the cause of the
attack. The stones ceased, and the head man of the village, a stout
peasant, came forward and complained that the varlet, as he called
Ringan, had been stealing the village geese on their pond, and when
they were about to do justice on him, yonder man-at-arms had burst in,
knocked down and hurt several, and carried him off.

Before there had been time for further explanation, to Sir Patrick's
great vexation, the Marshal of the troop and his guard came up, and the
complaint was repeated. George, at the same time, having handed Ringan
over to some others of the Scots, rode up with his head very high.

'Sir Patrick Drummond,' said the Marshal stiffly, 'you know my Lord's
rules for his followers, as to committing outrages on the villeins of
the country.'

'We are none of my Lord of Suffolk's following,' began Douglas; but Sir
Patrick, determined to avoid a breach if possible, said--

'Sir Marshal, we have as yet heard but one side of the matter. If wrong
have been done to these folk, we are re