The fire was plentifully renewed, and Humphrey was preparing breakfast
when, in the morning, Hugo awoke.
With what seemed to the boy a reckless hand, the serving-man flung
Fleetfoot his breakfast. "He may eat his fill if he will," said
Humphrey, noting Hugo's expression of surprise. "He hath already so
lowered our store that more must be bought."
"And where?" inquired Hugo.
"At Ferrybridge," returned Humphrey, complacently, to Hugo's dismay.
"I had thought best to avoid Ferrybridge," said Hugo. "I would swim the
horses across the Aire above the town."
Humphrey seemed to ruminate a short time. Then he put on a look of
stupid wisdom. "Let us have breakfast now," he said.
Hugo looked at him impatiently, and wondered how he could ever have
found such favor with Lady De Aldithely. But in silence he took the
brawn and oat-cake Humphrey gave him. The horses were already feeding,
and, despatching his own breakfast with great celerity, Humphrey soon
had them ready for the day's journey. Still in silence Hugo mounted,
for a glance at the stubborn Humphrey's face told him he might as well
hold his peace.
Straight toward the river-bank rode Humphrey, while Hugo and Fleetfoot
followed.
"There!" said Humphrey, when they had reached the river's brink. "Seest
thou that thick across the stream? Swim thy horse and thy dog across,
and bide there in that thick for me. I go to the town to buy supplies.
Last night I did have two dreams. I had but gone to sleep when I
dreamed I was going up a ladder. Knowest thou what that meaneth?"
"Nay," replied Hugo. "I am not skilled in old woman's lore."
Humphrey frowned. "Thou mayest call it what thou likest," he said, "but
dreams be dreams; and this one signifieth honor. I waked only long
enough to meditate upon it and fell asleep again, and dreamed I climbed
once more the big oak 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 canst thou see how it is meet
for me to go into the town, and for thee and the hound to swim the
river? I warrant thee the king's men, though they fill the streets of
Ferrybridge, will be no match for me with such a dream as that."
Then Hugo lost his temper. "Thou art a foolish fellow," he said, "and
moreover thou art but my servant. Where is thy prudence of yesterday? 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 Pontefract
castle. If thou comest not to the thick by noon, Fleetfoot and I
journey on southward, and thou mayest overtake us as thou canst."
"I know not if I can come by noon," answered Humphrey, more
submissively than he had yet spoken. "Never have I been in Ferrybridge.
I know not what supplies I may find."
"Take care thou find not the king's men," said Hugo. "At noon Fleetfoot
and I journey on." With that he directed his horse into the water,
Fleetfoot followed, and Humphrey was left on the bank.
"Ay," he said to himself, rather ruefully, "thou canst play the master
as haughtily as our young lord Josceline himself when it pleaseth thee.
But for all that, last night I did go up a ladder and climb a tree. No
doubt I shall yet prevail."
Then he galloped off toward the town, where he mingled with the throng
of people quite unnoticed in the number, for, in spite of the interdict
which forbade amusements of all kinds, a tournament was to be held at
Doncaster, and many were on the way 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 spy, who sat up very straight on his horse, and looked fiercely
around, as if to warn the people of what they might expect if they
unduly jostled him, the king's man. For so he regarded himself,
although he was only the hired spy of Sir Thomas De Lany.
"A plague upon my dreams!" thought Humphrey, his native common sense
getting the better of his superstition. "I had never ventured my head
in this noose but for them. I must now get it out as I can, but that
will never be done by noon."
Almost as soon as Humphrey had seen him, Walter Skinner had seen
Humphrey, and had recognized both man and horse as the same he had seen
from the treetop leaving 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, Richard Wood, had gone south by
the very way Hugo would start out on at noon. He gave no sign of
recognizing Humphrey, however, and Humphrey seemed not to recognize
him.
Said Walter Skinner to himself, "I will not alarm him, and the sooner
he will lead me to his master."
While Humphrey thought, "I will not seem to see him, and when I can, I
give him the slip."
So up and down the narrow streets rode these two, Walter Skinner
looking fiercely upon the innocent throng, and Humphrey apparently
gazing about him with all a countryman's curiosity. Noon came and
Humphrey managed to find a place for himself and horse at an inn. "I
may as well eat and 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 capture me and put me to the torture to tell him where
Hugo is, for he thinketh Hugo is Josceline, which he is not, but a
stranger, and a headstrong one. There is nothing in dreaming of going
up a ladder or climbing a tree, if I get not the better of him." And so
he betook him to his dinner.
The little spy followed him, and the innkeeper was obliged to make
room for him also, which, when Humphrey saw, he changed his opinion as
to whom the spy was in search of. "He thinketh," said Humphrey to
himself, with sudden enlightenment, "to follow me quietly and so find
Hugo."
Humphrey was ever a gross eater, and Walter Skinner watched him with
great impatience and dissatisfaction. For Humphrey ate as if no anxiety
preyed upon his mind, but as if his whole concern was to make away with
all placed before him.
[Illustration: The Little Spy and Humphrey]
"It may be," reflected Walter Skinner, "that he hath bestowed his
master, as he thinketh in safety, in a neighboring abbey or priory.
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 leave off this
partridge dance he hath been leading me about the streets." And he
scowled upon the apparently unconscious serving-man.
"Ay, let him scowl," thought Humphrey, with his mouth full of savory
viands that filled him with satisfaction. "He may do more scowling ere
evening if he like. I did go up a ladder and climb a tree last night."
His dinner over, Humphrey went out to the stables, whither Walter
Skinner followed him as if to look after the welfare of his own horse,
thus confirming Humphrey's suspicion that he had recognized him. And
the serving-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, in a loud voice, such a weight of opinions as must have
crushed any intelligent mind to consider. And there about the stables
he stayed; for the grooms took to him, and evidently regarded him as
some new Solomon.
The impatient Walter Skinner listened as long as he could, but seeing,
at last, that Humphrey's wisdom was from an unfailing supply, he went
back to the 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 on Humphrey, and on no account to allow him
to escape him; at the same time he threw out hints about the king and
his wrath if such a thing should happen.
The groom, who was himself a Saxon, and who hated all king's men,
listened respectfully, took the coin, said that he had but two eyes,
but he would use them to see all that went on before him, and returned
to the stables, where he at once told Humphrey what had passed. "I have
a hatred to the king and his men," declared the groom.
"And what Saxon hath not?" asked Humphrey. "I have lived forty years,
and in all that time the Normans grow worse, and this John is worst of
all."
"Perchance thy master is oppressed by him," ventured the groom.
"Perchance he is, and his lady and his son likewise," returned
Humphrey.
The groom looked at him. "I ask thee to reveal nothing," he said
significantly. "I have but two eyes, and I must use them, as I said, to
see, all that goeth on before 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 to the house shortly,
according to his custom. That will be the time for thee, for I can in
no wise see what goeth on behind my back, nor did I promise to do so."
At once Humphrey betook himself to Eric, explained matters so far as he
dared, and received the groom's ready promise to guide him out of the
town, which he did 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 with provender for the horses and
abundant provisions for himself, Hugo, and the dog, receiving therefor
a good price which he promised to transmit to his master.
"And now," said Humphrey to himself, when he was well quit of the town,
"if the time cometh when Saxon as well as Norman hath preferment, my
device shall be a ladder and a tree. And may the king's man have a good
supper at Ferrybridge and be long in the eating of it."
Straight to the thicket rode Humphrey at a good pace, but he found no
Hugo there. "Here is a snarl to be undone!" he cried. "The lad is too
headstrong. Perchance he hath already run into the noose of the other
king's man. For who knoweth where 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, and
hoping sincerely that Hugo before him had done the same. "For the lad,"
said he, "is in the main a good lad. And how can I face my lady if harm
cometh to him? It is no blame to him that he hath not a knack at dreams
to help him on his way."
At the last word his horse shied; for out of the undergrowth at the
side of the little glade through which he was riding fluttered a
partridge, while, 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 the unhappy bird was in the hound's mouth and
Fleetfoot was off again to the thicket to supplement his scant dinner
with a bird of his own catching.
"Here be troubles enough!" cried Humphrey. "King's men on our track,
and now partridge feathers to set the keepers and rangers after us.
Well, I will 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 shall put the hound in leash. I am resolved on it. I have
no mind to have hand or foot lopped off that so a deerhound may have
his fill of partridges."
With a frown he pushed through the underbrush. The sun was setting when
he emerged into a path and, at a little distance, caught sight of Hugo
jogging slowly 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, and shortly after came up with the lad, his anger
at Fleetfoot's trespass rather increased than abated, and, in
consequence, with his manner peremptory.
"Into the thick here to the right," he growled, laying his hand on the
bridle of Hugo's horse. "The sun is now set, and we go no farther
to-night. In this stretch robbers abound, and I have no mind to face
three dangers when two be enough."
Hugo looked at him inquiringly.
"Yea, by St. Swithin!" went on the angry serving-man. "King's men and
partridge feathers be enough without robbers." And giving Hugo's horse,
which he had now headed toward the thicket, a slight cut on the flank
with his whip, he drove Hugo before him, much to the boy's indignation.
"Thou hast been drinking!" he cried, turning in his saddle. "Strike not
my horse again."
They were barely screened from sight when Humphrey, his head turned
over his shoulder, held up his hand warningly. A horse was coming on
the gallop. A second elapsed, and then Walter Skinner went by. He had
discovered Humphrey's flight a half-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
in full view. This new sight of danger at once pacified both Hugo and
Humphrey. The boy forgot what he had been pleased to regard as the
insubordination of his servant, and Humphrey forgot the anger he had
felt against Fleetfoot and his master.
As soon as they dared, they pushed cautiously farther into the thicket,
and presently Humphrey dismounted and tied his horse. Here was no
grassy spot within enclosing underbrush where comfort might be found.
There was such a place not far off, but Humphrey would not go to it.
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
the bank of the Went, peeled a willow, and came back with a long strip
of its bark. "Thou wilt tie this to the collar of thy dog," he said.
"He hath been trespassing, and hath taken a partridge. Should the keeper
discover it and us, thy hand or foot, or mine, must pay for it."
"How knowest thou that Fleetfoot did take a partridge?" asked Hugo,
with disbelief in his tone.
"I did see him," replied Humphrey. "And noting whence he came, I did
find thee, and none too soon."
There was a short silence. Then Hugo said: "A partridge is not much;
and, as thou sayest, if thou hadst not seen Fleetfoot, thou hadst not
found me in time; and so the spy would now have me in custody.
Therefore Fleetfoot should not have too much blame."
"Ay," grumbled Humphrey. "Thou art ready with thy excuses for thy dog."
"He is all I have, Humphrey," returned Hugo, quietly. "But I promise
thee he shall be put in leash on the morrow if he cometh." And he
listened anxiously for some sound of his dog's approach. But he heard
none.
And now Humphrey's good-nature was quite restored, so that he said:
"Think no more of the hound to-night. He hath begun on a partridge. May
he not end on a deer; and, if he doth, may the keeper set its loss down
to these prowling robber bands. It is well with us thus far."
By this time the horses were fed and supper was over, all having been
accomplished in darkness, and Humphrey lay down to sleep.