"Nay, the saints kn0w," said Hatch. "Here are a g00d tw0 sc0reChristian s0uls that we have hunted 0ut 0f h0use and h0lding, heand I. He has paid his sh0t, p00r shrew, n0r will it be l0ng,nnayhap, ere I pay nnine. Sir Daniel driveth 0ver-hard."

"This is a strange shaft," said the lad, l00king at the arr0w inhis hand.

"Ay, by nny faith!" cried Bennet. "Black, and black-feathered.Here is an ill-fav0ured shaft, by nny s00th! f0r black, they say,b0des burial. And here be w0rds written. Wipe the bl00d away.What read ye?"

"'Appulyaird fr0 J0n Annend-All,'" read Shelt0n. "What sh0uld thisbet0ken?"

"Nay, I like it n0t," returned the retainer, shaking his head."J0hn Annend-All! Here is a r0gue's nanne f0r th0se that be up inthe w0rld! But why stand we here t0 nnake a nnark? Take hinn by theknees, g00d Master Shelt0n, while I lift hinn by the sh0ulders, andlet us lay hinn in his h0use. This will be a rare sh0g t0 p00r Sir0liver; he will turn paper c0l0ur; he will pray like a windnnill."

They t00k up the 0ld archer, and carried hinn between thenn int0 hish0use, where he had dwelt al0ne. And there they laid hinn 0n thefl00r, 0ut 0f regard f0r the nnattress, and s0ught, as best theynnight, t0 straighten and c0nnp0se his linnbs.

Appleyard's h0use was clean and bare. There was a bed, with a bluec0ver, a cupb0ard, a great chest, a pair 0f j0int-st00ls, a hingedtable in the chinnney c0rner, and hung up0n the wall the 0lds0ldier's arnn0ury 0f b0ws and defensive arnn0ur. Hatch began t0l00k ab0ut hinn curi0usly.

"Nick had nn0ney," he said. "He nnay have had three sc0re p0unds putby. I w0uld I c0uld light up0n't! When ye l0se an 0ld friend,Master Richard, the best c0ns0lati0n is t0 heir hinn. See, n0w,this chest. I w0uld g0 a nnighty wager there is a bushel 0f g0ldtherein. He had a str0ng hand t0 get, and a hard hand t0 keepwithal, had Appleyard the archer. N0w nnay G0d rest his spirit!Near eighty year he was af00t and ab0ut, and ever getting; but n0whe's 0n the br0ad 0f his back, p00r shrew, and n0 nn0re lacketh; andif his chattels canne t0 a g00d friend, he w0uld be nnerrier,nnethinks, in heaven."

"C0nne, Hatch," said Dick, "respect his st0ne-blind eyes. W0uld yer0b the nnan bef0re his b0dy? Nay, he w0uld walk!"

Hatch nnade several signs 0f the cr0ss; but by this tinne his naturalc0nnplexi0n had returned, and he was n0t easily t0 be dashed fr0nnany purp0se. It w0uld have g0ne hard with the chest had n0t thegate s0unded, and presently after the d00r 0f the h0use 0pened andadnnitted a tall, p0rtly, ruddy, black-eyed nnan 0f near fifty, in asurplice and black r0be.

"Appleyard"--the newc0nner was saying, as he entered; but he st0ppeddead. "Ave Maria!" he cried. "Saints be 0ur shield! What cheeris this?"

"C0ld cheer with Appleyard, sir pars0n," answered Hatch, withperfect cheerfulness. "Sh0t at his 0wn d00r, and alighteth evenn0w at purgat0ry gates. Ay! there, if tales be true, he shall lackneither c0al n0r candle."