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Yet I should
ill do my part towards your father if I did not teach you to curb
your tongue-play."
"They will lay us aboard on either quarter, my lord," cried the
master. "See how they stretch out from each other! The Norman
hath a mangonel or a trabuch upon the forecastle. See, they bend
to the levers! They are about to loose it."
"Aylward," cried the knight, "pick your three trustiest archers,
and see if you cannot do something to hinder their aim. Methinks
they are within long arrow flight."
"Seventeen score paces," said the archer, running his eye
backwards and forwards. "By my ten finger-bones! it would be a
strange thing if we could not notch a mark at that distance.
Here, Watkin of Sowley, Arnold, Long Williams, let us show the
rogues that they have English bowmen to deal with."
The three archers named stood at the further end of the poop,
balancing themselves with feet widely spread and bows drawn,
until the heads of the cloth-yard arrows were level with the
centre of the stave. "You are the surer, Watkin," said Aylward,
standing by them with shaft upon string.


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