From each
man's girdle hung sword or axe, according to his humor, and over
the right hip there jutted out the leathern quiver with its
bristle of goose, pigeon, and peacock feathers. Behind the
bowmen strode two trumpeters blowing upon nakirs, and two
drummers in parti-colored clothes. After them came twenty-seven
sumpter horses carrying tent-poles, cloth, spare arms, spurs,
wedges, cooking kettles, horse-shoes, bags of nails and the
hundred other things which experience had shown to be needful in
a harried and hostile country. A white mule with red trappings,
led by a varlet, carried Sir Nigel's own napery and table
comforts. Then came two-score more archers, ten more
men-at-arms, and finally a rear guard of twenty bowmen, with big
John towering in the front rank and the veteran Aylward marching
by the side, his battered harness and faded surcoat in strange
contrast with the snow-white jupons and shining brigandines of
his companions. A quick cross-fire of greetings and questions
and rough West Saxon jests flew from rank to rank, or were
bandied about betwixt the marching archers and the gazing crowd.
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