ill no more choke on it than Ben's black bitch on the
pound of butter."

"And for grudging it," said Tomalin Blacklees, "why shouldst thou grudge
the poor paynim devil a drop of drink on earth, since thou knowest he
is not to have a drop to cool the tip of his tongue through a long
eternity?"

"That were hard laws, look ye," said Long Allen, "only for being a Turk,
as his father was before him. Had he been Christian turned heathen, I
grant you the hottest corner had been good winter quarters for him."

"Hold thy peace, Long Allen," said Henry Woodstall. "I tell thee that
tongue of thine is not the shortest limb about thee, and I prophesy that
it will bring thee into disgrace with Father Francis, as once about the
black-eyed Syrian wench. But here comes the horn. Be active a bit,
man, wilt thou, and just force open his teeth with the haft of thy
dudgeon-dagger."

"Hold, hold--he is conformable," said Tomalin; "see, see, he signs for
the goblet--give him room, boys! OOP SEY ES, quoth the Dutchman--down
it goes like lamb's-wool! Nay, they are true topers when once they
begin--your Turk never coughs in his cup, or stints in his liquoring."

In fact, the dervise, or whatever he was, drank--or at least seemed to
drink--the large flagon to the very bottom at a single pull; and when
he took it from his lips after the whole contents were exhausted, only
uttered, with a deep sigh, the words, ALLAH KERIM, or God is merciful.
There was a laugh among the yeomen who witnessed this pottle-deep
potation, so obstreperous as to rouse and disturb the King, who, raising
his finger, said angrily, "How, knaves, no respect, no observance?"

All were at once hushed into silence, well acquainted with the temper of
Richard, which at some times admitted of much military familiarity, and
at others exacted the most precise respect, although the latter humour
was of much more rare occurrence. Hastening to a more reverent distance
from the royal person, they attempted to drag along with them the
marabout, who, exhausted apparently by previous fatigue, or overpowered
by the potent draught he had just swallowed, resisted being moved from
the spot, both with struggles and groans.

"Leave him still, ye fools," whispered Long Allen to his mates; "by
Saint Christopher, you will make our Dickon go beside himself, and we
shall have his dagger presently fly at our costards. Leave him alone; in
less than a minute he will sleep like a dormouse."

At th