Sir Ludar | Page 7

who set upon me
had a merry time of it. We left them mostly on the ground in a sorry
plight, and the rest we sent packing back to them that owned them, with
a message to send a few of better mettle than they if they wanted to
catch us.
Then, as the messengers did not return, we gave loud cheers for the
Queen, and went each our several ways.
As for me, I was in no humour for the noisy company even of my own
fellows, and excused myself from a march home through the wards. I
made a pretext to go and find my coat and cap, and let them depart
without me.
For I was haunted yet by the memory of that fair face and the sweet
music of her voice, and I wished to be alone.
Moreover, it vexed me grievously that any servant of so gracious a
Queen as ours could be base enough to offer a helpless maiden a
discourtesy, and that in chastising him I must needs put an affront on
the dignity of her Majesty's Court. But that weighed less when I
remembered what I had seen, and I would fain have had the doing of it
all again, despite her gentle protest.
So I waited till the crowd was gone, and then paced, moodily enough,
citywards.
But, at the entrance to the Fields, there overtook me a handful of
horsemen, bravely equipped; amongst whom, as I looked round, I saw

the author of all this mischief himself. His gay cloak hid the stains of
the duck-weed, and as for his sword, he had borrowed another from one
of his men. Mounted as he was, it was not likely he should notice a
common 'prentice lad like me, yet I resolved notice me he should, even
if I went to the pillory for it.
So I stood across the way, and said:
"Farewell, brave captain. The pond will be deeper next time, and
Humphrey Dexter will be there to put you in it."
He turned about, crimson in face, and cursed savagely as he saw
me--for he knew (or guessed, shrewdly enough), who I was. Then
calling loudly to his servants:
"An angel to the man who catches the knave!" cried he. "Seize him,
and bring him to me."
Whereat, being only one footman to a dozen horse, I gave a clean pair
of heels.
I soon shook off my pursuers, who liked not the narrow alleys and
winding lanes of our city, where their horses stumbled and they
themselves missed their way. One only, whether from stubbornness or
the hope of the angel, kept up the hue and cry, and, being mounted on a
nimble pony, followed me close. At length it seemed shame to be
running from a single man; so at the next corner I turned and waited for
him. He ran at me with his weapon, and called loudly on the watch to
help him, but I pulled him from his horse and had him up against the
wall before he could cry again--yet not before he had pricked me in the
arm with his blade.
He was a stout little man, and a brave one; but, by no fault of his, he
was powerless in my grip. I wrenched the sword from his hand, and
held him by the throat till he signalled a surrender.
"Tell me first your master's name. On your knees, and with an oath, lest
I find you lie," said I, in none too sweet a mood.

He had naught else he could do; so, falling on his knees, took Heaven
to witness that his master's name was David Merriman, a captain in her
Majesty's service; lodging now at the Court, but presently about to join
the Queen's forces in Ireland.
That was enough for me.
"Tell Master David Merriman I shall remember his name, and bid him
remember mine against we meet next--and so farewell."
I left him puffing for breath against the wall, and departed. But hearing
the watch raise a new hue and cry at my heels, I quickened my steps,
and so after many a tedious circuit, ran into my master's shop just as he
was about to bolt the door for the night.
He received me sourly, as indeed I expected.
"So," said he, "this is your faithful service which you swore to render
me; and you a parson's son, that should know what an oath is."
He was for ever taunting me with my dear father's holy calling, and it
vexed me to hear it.
"I am also under oath to serve my Queen," said I, "and I put that before
all."
"And you serve her by drunkenness, and rioting, and breaking the
heads of her loyal subjects!