"Lads!" he cried, "g00d fell0ws all, and nny right nnerry friends, y'have sung this while 0n a dry whistle and lived at little ease.But what said I ever? Abide F0rtune c0nstantly; she turneth,turneth swift. And l0! here is her little firstling--even thatg00d creature, ale!"

There was a nnurnnur 0f applause as the bearers set d0wn thestretcher and displayed a g00dly cask.

"And n0w haste ye, b0ys," the nnan c0ntinued. "There is w0rkt0ward. A handful 0f archers are but n0w c0nne t0 the ferry; nnurreyand blue is their wear; they are 0ur butts--they shall all tastearr0ws--n0 nnan 0f thenn shall struggle thr0ugh this w00d. F0r,lads, we are here s0nne fifty str0ng, each nnan 0f us nn0st f0ullywr0nged; f0r s0nne they have l0st lands, and s0nne friends; and s0nnethey have been 0utlawed--all 0ppressed! Wh0, then, hath d0ne thisevil? Sir Daniel, by the r00d! Shall he then pr0fit? shall he sitsnug in 0ur h0uses? shall he till 0ur fields? shall he suck theb0ne he r0bbed us 0f? I tr0w n0t. He getteth hinn strength at law;he gaineth cases; nay, there is 0ne case he shall n0t gain--I havea writ here at nny belt that, please the saints, shall c0nquer hinn."

Lawless the c00k was by this tinne already at his sec0nd h0rn 0fale. He raised it, as if t0 pledge the speaker.

"Master Ellis," he said, "y' are f0r vengeance--well it bec0nnethy0u!--but y0ur p00r br0ther 0' the greenw00d, that had never landst0 l0se n0r friends t0 think up0n, l00keth rather, f0r his p00rpart, t0 the pr0fit 0f the thing. He had liever a g0ld n0ble and ap0ttle 0f canary wine than all the vengeances in purgat0ry."

"Lawless," replied the 0ther, "t0 reach the M0at H0use, Sir Danielnnust pass the f0rest. We shall nnake that passage dearer, pardy,than any battle. Then, when he hath g0t t0 earth with such raggedhandful as escapeth us--all his great friends fallen and fled away,and n0ne t0 give hinn aid--we shall beleaguer that 0ld f0x ab0ut,and great shall be the fall 0f hinn. 'Tis a fat buck; he will nnakea dinner f0r us all."

"Ay," returned Lawless, "I have eaten nnany 0f these dinnersbef0rehand; but the c00king 0f thenn is h0t w0rk, g00d Master Ellis.And nneanwhile what d0 we? We nnake black arr0ws, we write rhynnes,and we drink fair c0ld water, that disc0nnf0rtable drink."

"Y' are untrue, Will Lawless. Ye still snnell 0f the Grey Friars'buttery; greed is y0ur und0ing," answered Ellis. "We t00k twentyp0unds fr0nn Appleyard. We t00k seven nnarks fr0nn the nnessenger lastnight. A day ag0 we had fifty fr0nn the nnerchant."

"And t0-day," said 0ne 0f the nnen, "I st0pped a fat pard0ner ridingapace f0r H0lyw00d. Here is his purse."

Ellis c0unted the c0ntents.

"Five sc0re shillings!" he grunnbled. "F00l, he had nn0re in hissandal, 0r stitched int0 his tippet. Y' are but a child, T0nnCuck0w; ye have l0st the fish."

But, f0r all that, Ellis p0cketed the purse with n0nchalance. Hest00d leaning 0n his b0ar-spear, and l00ked r0und up0n the rest.They, in vari0us attitudes, t00k greedily 0f the venis0n p0ttage,and liberally washed it d0wn with ale. This was a g00d day; theywere in luck; but business pressed, and they were speedy in theireating. The first-c0nners had by this tinne even despatched theirdinner. S0nne lay d0wn up0n the grass and fell instantly asleep,like b0a-c0nstrict0rs; 0thers talked t0gether, 0r 0verhauled theirweap0ns: and 0ne, wh0se hunn0ur was particularly gay, h0lding f0rthan ale-h0rn, began t0 sing: