A Boy's Ride

and Humphrey was preparing breakfa

e boy a reckless hand,

st. "He may eat his f

s expression of surpri

ore that more

e?" inqui

rned Humphrey, complac

dge," said Hugo. "I would swim the ho

e. Then he put on a look of stupid wisd

d oat-cake Humphrey gave him. The horses were already feeding, and, despatching his own breakfast with great celerity, Humphrey soon had them re

bank rode Humphrey, while

y horse and thy dog across, and bide there in that thick for me. I go to the town to buy supplies. Last night I di

"I am not skilled i

ak of yesterday. And that meaneth great preferment. Canst thou see now how I have no cause to fear king's men? For what honor could it be to be caught by them? or what preferment to be laid by the heels in the king's dungeon? And

y? I am of a mind to forbid thee to go into the town. But this I tell thee; I know this region by report. We be not so many miles from Po

ore submissively than he had yet spoken. "Never have I b

eetfoot and I journey on." With that he directed his horse into

ily as our young lord Josceline himself when it pleaseth thee. But for all that,

to attend it. Since the king scouted the interdict, many of the people braved it also, and the inns were already full. Humphrey was riding slowly along with curious eyes when, in the throng, he caught sight of Walter Skinner, the pompous little sp

he better of his superstition. "I had never ventured my head in this noose but

the castle with Hugo the previous day. Not finding any trace of the two in the neighborhood of Selby, he had come on to Ferrybridge, while his companion, Richar

I will not alarm him, and the soo

l not seem to see him, and whe

d drink," he said, "for what profit is it to be going up and down these narrow streets? At every turn is this little cock of a king's man who, though he croweth not with his mouth, doeth so with his looks. I know not for whom he is seeking. Not for me, or he would assail me and captur

when Humphrey saw, he changed his opinion as to whom the spy was in search of. "He thinketh,"

atience and dissatisfaction. For Humphrey ate as if no anxiety preyed upon his

The Little Sp

ory. From whence my master will not be long in haling him out. For what careth the king for abbots or priors? And so let him leav

iands that filled him with satisfaction. "He may do more scowling ere

rving-man at once put on an air of self-confidence and pride in his own wisdom which effectually concealed his anxiety from the watching Walter Skinner. He entered into conversation with the grooms, and let fall,

inn, after beckoning one of the grooms to him and giving him a piece of money, in return for which, as he pompously instructed him, he was to keep an eye

hat he had but two eyes, but he would use them to see all that went on before him, and returned to the stables

ve lived forty years, and in all that time the N

is oppressed by him,

d his lady and his s

phr

fore me. Do thou but ask Eric there to show thee the way out of the town before the curfew ring. He hateth king's men worse even than I. My master will summon me

d within an hour, while Walter Skinner sat impatiently waiting for him to reenter the inn from the stables. Eric did more for him also; for he provided him wit

th when Saxon as well as Norman hath preferment, my device shall be a ladder and a tree.

he is? And I shall be held to answer for it. This cometh of a man being servant to a boy and a stranger at that. I will away after him." So saying, he rode to the south, giving all habitations of men and walks of forest rangers a wide berth,

e, after it, floundering through the bushes with a great noise, came Fleetfoot. In vain Humphrey tried to call the dog from his prey. In a twinkling

ll push through this underbrush to the right. Perchance Hugo rideth in the bridle-path beyond, since it was from that part the dog came. And he sha

owly along and looking warily about him. He dared not signal him by a whistle, so, putting spurs to his loaded horse, he advanced as fast as he was able,

Hugo's horse. "The sun is now set, and we go no farther to-night. In this stret

d at him i

ing Hugo's horse, which he had now headed toward the thicket, a slight cut on the flank with his whip, he drove Hugo before

hour after Eric had led him out of the city, but the grooms had successfully delayed him half an hour longer. Then he had started in pursuit, and had gone thundering along at such a pace that he could hear nothing nor see anything that was not

With his knife he set to work clearing a place large enough for the tied horses to lie down in. Cutting every stick into the very ground, he laid the cut brush in an orderly heap, and thus made a bed for himself and Hugo. Then without a word he went out on foot and down to t

t did take a partridge?" asked

. "And noting whence he came, I d

yest, if thou hadst not seen Fleetfoot, thou hadst not found me in time; and so the

. "Thou art ready with

hee he shall be put in leash on the morrow if he cometh." And he liste

ound to-night. He hath begun on a partridge. May he not end on a deer; and, if he doth, may

r was over, all having been accomplished i