CHAPTER XII. HOW ALLEYNE LEARNED MORE THAN HE COULD TEACH.

shisheartwhenhesawrarebowmenandwar-hardenedspearmenturnedawayfromhisgates,forthelackofthemoneywhichmightequipandpaythem.YettheletterwhichAylwardhadbroughthimgavehimpowerswhichhewasnotslowtouse.InitSirClaudeLatour,theGasconlieutenantoftheWhiteCompany,assuredhimthatthereremainedinhiskeepingenoughtofitoutahundredarchersandtwentymen-at-arms,which,joinedtothethreehundredveterancompanionsalreadyinFrance,wouldmakeaforcewhichanyleadermightbeproudtocommand.Carefullyandsagaciouslytheveteranknightchoseouthismenfromtheswarmofvolunteers.ManyananxiousconsultationheheldwithBlackSimon,SamAylward,andotherofhismoreexperiencedfollowers,astowhoshouldcomeandwhoshouldstay.ByAllSaints'day,howevererethelastleaveshadflutteredtoearthintheWilverleyandHolmesleyglades,hehadfilleduphisfullnumbers,andmusteredunderhisbannerasstoutafollowingofHampshireforestersasevertwangedtheirwar-bows.Twentymen-at-arms,too,wellmountedandequipped,formedthecavalryoftheparty,whileyoungPeterTerlakeofFareham,andWalterFordofBotley,themartialsonsofmartialsires,cameattheirowncosttowaituponSirNigelandtosharewithAlleyneEdricsonthedutiesofhissquireship. Yet,evenaftertheenrolment,therewasmuchtobedoneerethepartycouldproceeduponitsway.Forarmor,swords,andlances,therewasnoneedtotakemuchforethought,fortheyweretobehadbothbetterandcheaperinBordeauxthaninEngland.Withthelong-bow,however,itwasdifferent.YewstavesindeedmightbegotinSpain,butitwaswelltotakeenoughandtosparewiththem.Thenthreesparecordsshouldbecarriedforeachbow,withagreatstoreofarrow-heads,besidesthebrigandinesofchainmail,thewaddedsteelcaps,andthebrassartsorarm-guards,whichweretheproperequipmentofthearcher.Aboveall,thewomenformilesroundwerehardatworkcuttingthewhitesurcoatswhichwerethebadgeoftheCompany,andadorningthemwiththeredlionofSt.Georgeuponthecentreofthebreast.WhenallwascompletedandthemustercalledinthecastleyardtheoldestsoldieroftheFrenchwarswasfaintoconfessthathehadneverlookeduponabetterequippedormorewarlikebodyofmen,fromtheoldknightwithhissilkjupon,sittinghisgreatblackwar-horseinthefrontofthem,toHordleJohn,thegiantrecruit,wholeanedcarelesslyuponahugeblackbow-staveintherear.Ofthesixscore,fullyhalfhadseenservicebefore,whileafairsprinklingweremenwhohadfollowedthewarsalltheirlives,andhadahandinthosebattleswhichhadmadethewholeworldringwiththefameandthewonderoftheislandinfantry. Sixlongweeksweretakeninthesepreparations,anditwascloseonMartinmasereallwasreadyforastart.NightwomonthshadAlleyneEdricsonbeeninCastleTwynham—monthswhichwerefatedtoturnthewholecurrentofhislife,todivertitfromthatdarkandlonelybournetowardswhichittended,andtoguideitintofreerandmoresunlitchannels.Alreadyhehadlearnedtoblesshisfatherforthatwiseprovisionwhichhadmadehimseektoknowtheworlderehehadventuredtorenounceit. Foritwasadifferentplacefromthatwhichhehadpictured—verydifferentfromthatwhichhehadhearddescribedwhenthemasterofthenovicesheldforthtohischargesupontheraveningwolveswholurkedforthembeyondthepeacefulfoldsofBeaulieu.Therewascrueltyinit,doubtless,andlustandsinandsorrowbutweretherenotvirtuestoatone,robustpositivevirtueswhichdidnotshrinkfromtemptation,whichheldtheirowninalltheroughblastsofthework-a-dayworld?Howcolorlessbycontrastappearedthesinlessnesswhichcamefrominabilitytosin,theconquestwhichwasattainedbyflyingfromtheenemy!Monk-bredashewas,Alleynehadnativeshrewdnessandamindwhichwasyoungenoughtoformnewconclusionsandtooutgrow