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Updated: June 23, 2025
"Fulford Sir John Fulford" said Ambrose. "What? I thought not of it, is not that Gaffer's name?" "Fulford, yea! Mayhap " and Perronel sat down and gave an odd sort of laugh of agitation "mayhap 'tis mine own father." "Shouldst thou know him, good aunt?" cried Ambrose, much excited. "Scarce," she said.
Master Headley and Tibble were both in attendance, Tib measuring the stranger, and Stephen, who was standing at a respectful distance, gave Giles the information that this was the famous Captain of Free-lances, Sir John Fulford, who had fought in all the wars in Italy, and was going to fight in them again, but wanted a suit of "our harness."
"Good Ambrose Birkenholt, I pray thee to stand, my friend, and let all know whom it may concern, that when this same billet comes to hand, I shall be far on the march to High Germany, with a company of lusty fellows in the Emperor's service. They be commanded by the good knight, Sir John Fulford.
With an imprecation, Fulford denied all connection with gentlemen of the Cardinal; but there was evidently an invasion, and in another moment, several powerful-looking men in the crimson and black velvet of Wolsey's train had forced their way into the chamber, and the foremost, seeing Stephen's condition at a glance, exclaimed loudly, "Thou villain! traitor! kidnapper! This is thy work."
The city guard were entering at the street door, and the host hurried Fulford and his men, swearing and raging, out at a back door provided for such emergencies. Stephen was beginning to recover by this time. His uncle knelt down, took his head on his shoulder, and Lucas washed off the blood and administered a drop of wine. His first words were: "Was it Giles? Where is she?"
If ever thou art weary of making weapons and wouldst use them instead, seek out John Fulford, of the Badger troop, and thou shalt have a welcome. Our name is the Badger, because there's no troop like us for digging out mines beneath the walls." A few months ago such an invitation would have been bliss to Stephen.
All the rest was deduced from this intelligence by the dame's own imagination. After supper she was invited to interrogate Kit and Stephen, and her grief and anxiety found vent in fierce scolding at the misrule which had permitted such a villain as Fulford to be haunting and tempting poor fatherless lads.
Giles was unfeignedly delighted at this extension of holiday, Stephen felt that it deferred the day would it be of strange joy or pain? of standing face to face with Dennet; and even Kit had come to tolerate foreign parts more with Sir John Fulford to show him the way to the best Flemish ale! The knight took upon himself the conduct of the Dragons.
What pleased him most was the discovery that Bristol, among other notables two centuries back, had a great poet in the person of Thomas Rowlie, a priest, who, among other things, had written a great poem entitled "The Bristowe Tragedie; or, the Dethe of Syr Charles Bawdin," founded upon the execution of Sir Baldwin Fulford, in 1461, by order of Edward IV. This was indeed a great poem.
"I am not faint-hearted," said Stephen; "but I will not break mine oath to my master." "And thine oath to me? Ha!" said Fulford. "I sware you no oath, I gave you no word," said Stephen. "Ha! Thou darest give me the lie, base prentice. Take that!" And therewith he struck Stephen a crushing blow on the head, which felled him to the ground.
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