his day, than thine can be.
They may make sorry cheer ere they gain the shelter of the wood once
more."

He had sprung from his horse, and with a downward wrench of his arm and
a push with his knee he slipped the string into the upper nock of his
mighty war-bow. Then in a flash he notched his shaft and drew it to
the pile, his keen blue eyes glowing fiercely behind it from under his
knotted brows. With thick legs planted sturdily apart, his body laid
to the bow, his left arm motionless as wood, his right bunched into a
double curve of swelling muscles as he stretched the white well-waxed
string, he looked so keen and fierce a fighter that the advancing line
stopped for an instant at the sight of him. Two or three loosed off
their arrows, but the shafts flew heavily against the head wind, and
snaked along the hard turf some score of paces short of the mark. One
only, a short bandy-legged man, whose squat figure spoke of enormous
muscular strength, ran swiftly in and then drew so strong a bow that the
arrow quivered in the ground at Aylward's very feet.

"It is Black Will of Lynchmere," said the bowman. "Many a match have I
shot with him, and I know well that no other man on the Surrey marches
could have sped such a shaft. I trust that you are houseled and shriven,
Will, for I have known you so long that I would not have your damnation
upon my soul."

He raised his bow as he spoke, and the string twanged with a rich deep
musical note. Aylward leaned upon his bow-stave as he keenly watched the
long swift flight of his shaft, skimming smoothly down the wind.

"On him, on him! No, over him, by my hilt!" he cried. "There is more
wind than I had thought. Nay, nay, friend, now that I have the length of
you, you can scarce hope to loose again."

Black Will had notched an arrow and was raising his bow when Aylward's
second shaft passed through the shoulder of his drawing arm. With a
shout of anger and pain he dropped his weapon, and dancing in his fury
he shook his fist and roared curses at his rival.

"I could slay him; but I will not, for good bowmen are not so common,"
said Aylward. "And now, fair sir, we must on, for they are spreading
round on either side, and if once they get behind us, then indeed our
journey has come to a sudden end. But ere we go I would send a shaft
through yonder horseman who leads them on."

"Nay, Aylward, I pray you to leave him," said Nigel. "Villain as he is,
he is none the less a gentleman