United States or Fiji ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Which of you loosed it?" "It was Aylward of Tilford Samkin Aylward," cried a score of voices, and the bowman, flushed at his own fame, was pushed to the front. "Indeed I would that it had been at a nobler mark," said he. "He might have gone free for me, but I could not keep my fingers from the string when he turned to jeer at us."
But I tell you this, that if I can get £5000 together, as I hope to do out of Saharas before I am a month older, for they had to give me a look-in, as I knew too much, I am off to the country, where I was born, to take a farm there. No more of Messrs. Aylward and Haswell for Thomas Jeffreys. That's my bell.
"All ready, Samkin?" "Ready, camarade." "Close to your hand then." With an easy pull he sent the shaft flickering gently up, falling upon the stonework within a foot of where Aylward was standing. The other end was secured to the rope, so that in a minute a good strong cord was dangling from the only sound side of the blazing and shattered tower.
From his pouch he produced the mask of linen painted with gold that Alan used to be forced to wear, and tied it securely over Aylward's face, murmuring: "You always love gold, my Lord Aylward, and Jeekie promise you see plenty of it now."
Take now your choice of these, my worthy gentlemen, and pay such a price as your consciences will suffer you to offer; for I am not a chapman nor a huckster, and I would never part with them, did I not know that I am very near to my reward." "Aylward," said Alleyne excitedly, "This is such a chance as few folk have twice in one life.
Looking round, the wayfarers saw a gaunt, big-boned man, with sunken cheeks and a sallow face, who had come up behind them. He held up his two hands as he spoke, and showed that the thumbs and two first fingers had been torn away from each of them. "Ma foi, camarade!" cried Aylward. "Who hath served thee in so shameful a fashion?"
What men ere there in this country who would sing in a strange tongue?" "Hola!" yelled Aylward, leaping suddenly into the air with waving hands and joyous face. "I thought I heard it ere we went down, and now I hear it again. We are saved, comrades! By these ten finger-bones, we are saved! It is the marching song of the White Company. Hush!"
Simon there hath it at the end of his tongue." "Not I, in troth," replied the other; "I have had other things to think of. There was some sort of bickering over dice, or wine, or was it a woman, coz?" "Pasques Dieu! but you have nicked it," cried Aylward. "It was indeed about a woman; and the quarrel must go forward, for I am still of the same mind as before."
By the black rood! it is a good piece of yew, well nocked, well strung, well waxed, and very joyful to the feel. I think even now that I might hit any large and goodly mark with a bow like this. Turn thy quiver to me, Aylward. I love an ash arrow pierced with cornel-wood for a roving shaft." "By my hilt! and so do I," cried Aylward. "These three gander-winged shafts are such." "So I see, comrade.
A priory of Benedictines was founded at Cranborne in Saxon times by Aylward, but nothing of this still earlier building can now be traced. The fine embattled tower dates from that era of fine towers the Perpendicular. The west window is a memorial to the celebrated Dean of St. Paul's Stillingfleet, a member of a family who once lived in one of the old cottages here.
Word Of The Day