Beltane, the Smith

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Beltane, The Smith

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Beltane The Smith, by Jeffery Farnol This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Beltane The Smith
Author: Jeffery Farnol
Release Date: November 12, 2003 [EBook #10064] [Date last updated: March 18, 2004]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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BELTANE THE SMITH
BY
JEFFERY FARNOL
AUTHOR OF "THE BROAD HIGHWAY," "THE AMATEUR GENTLEMAN," ETC.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARTHUR E. BECHER

TO
FREDERICK HUGHSON HAWLEY
TO WHOM BELTANE IS NO STRANGER I DEDICATE THIS ROMANCE
Jeffery Farnol
London, August, 1915.

CONTENTS
I HOW BELTANE LIVED WITHIN THE GREENWOOD
II HOW BELTANE HAD WORD WITH THE DUKE, BLACK IVO
III HOW LOVE CAME TO BELTANE IN THE GREENWOOD
IV OF THE LOVE AND THE GRIEF OF HELEN THE PROUD
V WHICH TELLS OF THE STORY OF AMBROSE THE HERMIT
VI HOW BELTANE FARED FORTH OF THE GREEN
VII HOW BELTANE TALKED WITH ONE HIGHT GILES BRABBLECOMBE, WHO WAS A NOTABLE AND LEARNED ARCHER
VIII HOW BELTANE HELD DISCOURSE WITH A BLACK FRIAR
IX WHEREIN IS SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF FOLLY AND THE WISDOM OF A FOOL
X HOW BELTANE MADE COMRADE ONE BLACK ROGER THAT WAS A HANGMAN
XI WHICH TELLS HOW THREE MIGHTY MEN SWARE FEALTY TO BELTANE: AND HOW GOOD FRIAR MARTIN DIGGED A GRAVE IN THE WILD
XII WHICH TELLS HOW DUKE IVO'S GREAT GALLOWS CEASED TO BE
XIII HOW THEY BRAKE OPE THE DUNGEON OF BELSAYE
XIV HOW BELTANE CAME NIGH TO DEATH
XV HOW BELTANE HAD WORD WITH PERTOLEPE THE RED, AND HOW THEY LEFT HIM IN THE FOREST
XVI OF THE RUEFUL KNIGHT OF THE BURNING HEART
XVII OF THE AMBUSHMENT NEAR THORNABY MILL
XVIII HOW BELTANE MET SIR GILLES OF BRANDONMERE
XIX CONCERNING THE EYES OF A NUN
XX HOW BELTANE PLIGHTED HIS TROTH IN THE GREEN
XXI OF THE TALE OF GODRIC THE HUNTSMAN
XXII CONCERNING THE WILES OF WINFRIDA THE FAIR
XXIII OF THE HUMILITY OF HELEN THE PROUD
XXIV OF WHAT BEFELL AT BLAEN
XXV HOW BELTANE BECAME CAPTIVE TO SIR PERTOLEPE
XXVI OF THE HORRORS OF GARTHLAXTON KEEP, AND HOW A DEVIL ENTERED INTO BELTANE
XXVII HOW BELTANE TOOK TO THE WILD-WOOD
XXVIII OF THE PLACE OF REFUGE WITHIN THE GREEN
XXIX HOW BELTANE SLEW TOSTIG AND SPAKE WITH THE WILD MEN
XXX HOW THEY SMOTE GARTHLAXTON
XXXI HOW GILES MADE A MERRY SONG
XXXII HOW BELTANE MET WITH A YOUTHFUL KNIGHT
XXXIII HOW BELTANE HAD NEWS OF ONE THAT WAS A NOTABLE PARDONER
XXXIV HOW THEY CAME TO BELSAYE
XXXV HOW GUI OF ALLERDALE CEASED FROM EVIL
XXXVI HOW THE FOLK OF BELSAYE TOWN MADE THEM AN END OF TYRANNY
XXXVII HOW THEY LEFT BELSAYE
XXXVIII OF BELTANE'S BLACK AND EVIL MOOD, AND HOW HE FELL IN WITH THE WITCH OF HANGSTONE WASTE
XXXIX HOW BELTANE FOUGHT FOR ONE MELLENT THAT WAS A WITCH
XL FURTHER CONCERNING THE MAID MELLENT; AND OF THE HUE AND CRY
XLI HOW THEY RODE INTO THE WILDERNESS
XLII HOW BELTANE DREAMED IN THE WILD-WOOD
XLIII HOW BELTANE KNEW GREAT HUMILITY
XLIV HOW A MADNESS CAME UPON BELTANE IN THE WILD-WOOD
XLV HOW BLACK ROGER TAUGHT BELTANE GREAT WISDOM
XLVI HOW BLACK ROGER PRAYED IN THE DAWN: AND HOW HIS PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED
XLVII HOW BELTANE SWARE AN OATH
XLVIII HOW BELTANE SET OUT FOR HANGSTONE WASTE
XLIX HOW BELTANE FOUND PEACE AND A GREAT SORROW
L TELLETH HOW BELTANE WENT FORTH TO HIS DUTY
LI HOW BLACK ROGER WON TO FULLER MANHOOD
LII HOW THEY HAD NEWS OF WALKYN
LIII OF JOLETTE, THAT WAS A WITCH
LIV HOW BELTANE FOUGHT WITH A DOUGHTY STRANGER
LV HOW THEY MARCHED FOR WINISFARNE
LVI WHAT THEY FOUND AT WINISFARNE
LVII TELLETH OF THE ONFALL AT BRAND
LVIII HOW BELTANE HAD SPEECH WITH THE ABBESS
LIX TELLETH HOW SIR BENEDICT WENT A-FISHING
LX TELLETH HOW THEY MARCHED FROM THE VALLEY OF BRAND
LXI HOW THE FOREST FOUGHT FOR THEM
LXII HOW THEY CAME TO BELSAYE FOR THE THIRD TIME
LXIII TELLETH SOMEWHAT OF THE WOES OF GILES O' THE BOW
LXIV HOW GILES CURSED BELSAYE OUR OF HER FEAR
LXV TELLETH OF ROSES
LXVI CONCERNING A BLUE CAMLET CLOAK
LXVII TELLETH WHAT BEFELL IN THE REEVE'S GARDEN
LXVIII FRIAR MARTIN'S DYING PROPHECY
LXIX HOW AT LAST THEY CAME TO PENTAVALON CITY
LXX WHICH SPEAKETH FOR ITSELF

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Thus Helen the Proud, the Beautiful, yielded her lips to his
Now did she look on him 'neath drooping lash, sweet-eyed and languorous
Beltane stood up armed in shining mail from head to foot
So came Winfrida, and falling on her knee gave the goblet into her lady's hand
She stared and stared beyond Sir Gui, to behold one clad as a dusty miller
Her eyes swept him with look calm and most dispassionate

BELTANE THE SMITH
CHAPTER I
HOW BELTANE LIVED WITHIN THE GREENWOOD
In a glade of the forest, yet not so far but that one might hear the chime of bells stealing across the valley from the great minster of Mortain on a still evening, dwelt Beltane the