A Boy's Ride

bert Sadler thought not of June nor dryness and cooln

nd he hath been at the castle not yet a year. Who knoweth that he is to be trusted? I should have gone. I did dream of serpents last night, and that foretelleth a pri

rture of Robert Sadler. Ungraciously he obeyed; and just as ungraciously he continued his grumbling in

vered. "I pray thee,

aid firmly, "but

thful?" deman

good Humphrey,

Robert Sadler to

and for thee," was th

, and we have much

"And wouldst thou trust a tr

nd in a small matter, but

his mistress, Lady De Aldithely spoke more plainly. "I must tell thee, Humphrey,

rey s

been almost crazed in conseque

said Humphrey

th a faint smile. "My lord will be fain to do much fo

. "Thou hadst better trust me. I am forty years of

do honor thee by sending thee to

ared Humphrey. "Why s

tranger? Here I bide w

go at my comm

Hugo, this best of lads, Hugo, will, for my sake and Josceline's, assume to be my son. He will ride forth toward London as if he made to escape to his father in

it, I see it," he said at l

ave; and so I send thee with him to keep him from what peril thou mayest, and to defend him in what

. It were better for thee to abide here, for, perchance, it is not to foretel

must away. Hugo and thou to-morrow morn, Josceline and I to-morrow nigh

im with a smile. "I send thee forth to-morrow morn," she said, "

to go, Lady De Aldit

peril. Cross thou to France, I charge thee, and take this favor to my husband. Tell him, because thou wouldst do kni

d laid the knot against her sleeve. "See how the colors war," she said. "But not more than truth and constancy with the wickedness of this most wicked reign." Then she held out the knot of blue to him a

the room. "And what solemn manner is this, my mother? There must be g

e sent to summon thee. Thou and I must away to-morrow night to wander through the for

onishment. "We be safe here in

he treachery of Robert Sadler but for thy hasty, impetuous nature which, by knowing,

osceline, "if he be a traitor. An

aid. "Control thyself. It is not always safe to deal with traitors according to their dese

fend it. Moreover, Robert Sadler is now outside the walls. Thou canst, if thou wilt, keep him out, and we have naught to fear. Why s

ther gave thee into my keeping. And thou didst promise him upon

sceline, sulkily, "had I known of w

than the king's dungeo

"We go hence t

d unwilling listener. Josceline now turned to him.

r hand to check Hugo's reply. "Hugo goeth south toward Lon

ent. "I understand not thy riddl

d Lady De Aldithely. "He setteth out to-morrow morn. The king's

ne, angrily. "But for my pledged word I would not stir. Nay, not eve

was left alone in the ladies' bower, where he stamped about in great irritation for a while. But he could n

mmons to William Lorimer to attend her there. To him, when he arrived, she

old thee blameless. Do as seemeth thee best, and when thou art through here, repair with the others I leave behind, to my

" he answered. "Only do thou leave me the postern key. As for Hugo,

a relieved smile gave him th

ng death; each man was anxious for the safety of Lady Aldithely and her son; and each man cast a sober eye

ung lord should rule over a man of my years. Let the lad Hugo think I follow him. He shall find he will follow me. And why should these men-at-arms look at us both as if we went out to become food for crows? Did I not dream of acorns last night, and in my dream did I not

ndries did Humphrey stow away in the bags which were to supply their need at such times as, on account of pursuit, they would not dare to venture inside a town. "And what care I that the interdict forbiddeth us meat as if we were in Lent," grumbled Hump

finished, he wen

to set out and follow along down the river toward Selby. They were to make no effort at concealment on this first stage of their journey which might, therefore, possibly be the most dangerous part of it. They had little t

r owls whooping in the night before I slept, which foretelleth a fair day for the beginning of our enterprise," he said

asy sleep which became heavy as morning dawned. Humphrey knew nothing of this, however, nor would he have cared if he had. By his own arguing of the case in his mind, he was now firm in the conviction that Hugo had been put into his charge

Lorimer apparently deeply engaged in reconnoitring and planning. Now, whatever Humphrey lacked, it was not

umphrey curiously as he ga

t, no doubt," retorted W

een these many times,-a bare open place beyond the ditch, and then the woo

pleasantly as he reflected that he would soon be rid of the pry

y, complacently. "I shall know

think thee, thou art but servant to Hugo. Hast thou

of late and of eating one of them, which doth foretell that I shall gradually rise to riches and honor; and surely the first step in such a rise is

e dream?" inquired William L

ll but oppose the weight of my years and experience against him at every turn, and thou shalt see I shall prevai

ould I might follow the two," he said. "T