E BY THE SHORE

Months had passed away since Richard Shelton made his escape from the
hands of his guardian. These months had been eventful for England. The
party of Lancaster, which was then in the very article of death, had
once more raised its head. The Yorkists defeated and dispersed, their
leader butchered on the field, it seemed, for a very brief season in the
winter following upon the events already recorded, as if the House of
Lancaster had finally triumphed over its foes.

The small town of Shoreby-on-the-Till was full of the Lancastrian nobles
of the neighbourhood. Earl Risingham was there, with three hundred
men-at-arms; Lord Shoreby, with two hundred; Sir Daniel himself, high in
favour, and once more growing rich on confiscations, lay in a house of
his own, on the main street, with three score men. The world had changed
indeed.

It was a black, bitter cold evening in the first week of January, with a
hard frost, a high wind, and every likelihood of snow before the
morning.

In an obscure alehouse in a by-street near the harbour, three or four
men sat drinking ale and eating a hasty mess of eggs. They were all
likely, lusty, weather-beaten fellows, hard of hand, bold of eye; and
though they wore plain tabards, like country ploughmen, even a drunken
soldier might have looked twice before he sought a quarrel in such
company.

A little apart before the huge fire sat a younger man, almost a boy,
dressed in much the same fashion, though it was easy to see by his
looks that he was better born, and might have worn a sword had the time
suited.

"Nay," said one of the men at the table, "I like it not. Ill will come
of it. This is no place for jolly fellows. A jolly fellow loveth open
country, good cover, and scarce foes; but here we are shut in a town,
girt about with enemies; and, for the bull's-eye of misfortune, see if
it snow not ere the morning."

"'Tis for Master Shelton there," said another, nodding his head towards
the lad before the fire.

"I will do much for Master Shelton," returned the first; "but to come to
the gallows for any man--nay, brothers, not that!"

The door of the inn opened, and another man entered hastily and
approached the youth before the fire.

"Master Shelton," he said, "Sir Daniel goeth forth with a pair of links
and four archers."

Dick (for this was our young friend) rose instantly to his feet.

"Lawless," he said, "ye will take John Capper's watch.--Greensheve,
follo