"I will ne'er say aught against a fish,"
he thought, "when it surmounteth a circlet of gold and doth belong to a
prior. Methinks this canon liketh not the king nor his men, or he would
not be so easily compelled to go against them, and so all shall yet be
well with us."
The two servants now withdrew from the canon's presence, taking
Humphrey with them, and, calling up Herebald and Bernulf, all four made
speed to depart with the impatient serving-man.
"If the mist hold, we have them," said the first servant, as he rode
beside Humphrey. "And it be heavier now than it was two hours agone."
"Ay, if we lose not our way," was the response.
"That we cannot do with Herebald and Bernulf," was the confident
answer. "They were born and bred in these fens. And because they do
hate the king and all his men they will be swift on the track this
morn. If the king's man come not off with a broken pate, it will be a
wonder. And the same is like to be the fate of the three men-at-arms."
The mist held, and, gleaming through it, as they neared the camp, they
saw the red fire. Cautiously they approached.
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197