ort thus with a declared enemy of our gracious Queen, and,
more than that, to love him more every mile we walked? I could not help
it, as I said before. He was so unlike a common rebel, and so big in
his heart to every one and everything that claimed his aid.

Once that day, as we toiled along the hot road, we overtook a poor woman
carrying a bundle in one arm, while with the other she strove to help
along a little, footsore child, who whimpered and stumbled at every
step. Without a word, Sir Ludar took the child and bundle both from the
scared mother, who gave herself up for lost, until he asked her gently
whither she went, and might he help her so far with her burdens? Then
she wept, and led us a clean four miles off our road to her cottage,
where Sir Ludar put down the bundle and the now sleeping urchin and bade
her adieu before she could thank him.

Another time, as we were mounting a hill, we came up with a hay-cart
which the patient horse could scarcely drag. Whereupon he set-to to
push the cart behind, calling on me and the bewildered carter to do the
same, till we had fairly hoisted it to the crown of the hill.

Another time he fell foul of a parcel of gipsies who were ill-using an
old man of their tribe, and a lively fight we had of it, we two against
six of them, amongst whom was the old man himself. When at last we had
got rid of them I hoped that our adventures for the day were done, for I
was tired and wanted to rest my bones in a bed.

But as we passed through Reading the righteous soul of my comrade was
vexed by the sight of a boy sitting howling in the stocks.

"No doubt he deserves punishment," said I.

"Deserve or not, he has had enough, for me," said Ludar, and began
kicking away at the boards.

Of course there was a commotion at that, and the constable came to see
what the noise was about. Ludar desired nothing better, for he made the
fellow disgorge his key, which saved a vast power of kicking. Then,
when the boy was free and had darted off to the woods. Sir Ludar, with
a grim smile, locked up the beadle in his place, and flung the key into
the pond. Then as the watch and a posse of the townsfolk turned out to
see what the uproar was, we ran for it and got clear.

This last proceeding did not please me. For it was defying the Queen's
law, and as I said to my comrade, it was not for us to set ourselves up
against authority.

But Sir Ludar would listen to no reason.

"The lad was