"Sometimes," said Myles, "and sometimes with the short sword.""Sir James would have thee come to the tilt- yard this morn; hehimself will take thee in hand to try what thou canst do. Thoumayst take the arms upon yonder rack, and use them untilotherwise bidden. Thou seest that the number painted above it onthe wall is seventeen; that will be thy number for the nonce."So Myles armed himself from his rack as the others were doingfrom theirs. The armor was rude and heavy, used to accustom thebody to the weight of the iron plates rather than for anydefence. It consisted of a cuirass, or breastplate of iron,opening at the side with hinges, and catching with hooks andeyes; epauliers, or shoulder-plates; arm-plates and leg-pieces;and a bascinet, or open- faced helmet. A great triangular shieldcovered with leather and studded with bosses of iron, and a heavybroadsword, pointed and dulled at the edges, completed theequipment.
The practice at the pels which Myles was bidden to attendcomprised the chief exercise of the day with the esquires ofyoung cadet soldiers of that time, and in it they learned notonly all the strokes, cuts, and thrusts of sword-play then invogue, but also toughness, endurance, and elastic quickness. Thepels themselves consisted of upright posts of ash or oak, aboutfive feet six inches in height, and in girth somewhat thickerthan a man's thigh. They were firmly planted in the ground, andupon them the strokes of the broadsword were directed.
At Devlen the pels stood just back of the open and coveredtilting courts and the archery ranges, and thither those lads notupon household duty were marched every morning excepting Fridaysand Sundays, and were there exercised under the direction of SirJames Lee and two assistants. The whole company was divided intotwo, sometimes into three parties, each of which took its turn atthe exercise, delivering at the word of command the variousstrokes, feints, attacks, and retreats as the instructorsordered.
After five minutes of this mock battle the perspiration began topour down the faces, and the breath to come thick and short; butit was not until the lads could absolutely endure no more thatthe order was given to rest, and they were allowed to flingthemselves panting upon the ground, while another company tookits place at the triple row of posts.
As Myles struck and hacked at the pel assigned to him, Sir JamesLee stood beside him watching him in grim silence. The lad didhis best to show the knight all that he knew of upper cut, undercut, thrust, and back-hand stroke, but it did not seem to himthat Sir James was very well satisfied with his skill.
"Thou fightest like a clodpole," said the old man. "Ha, thatstroke was but ill-recovered. Strike me it again, and get thou inguard more quickly."Myles repeated the stroke.
"Pest!" cried Sir James. "Thou art too slow by a week. Here,strike thou the blow at me."Myles hesitated. Sir James held a stout staff in his hand, butotherwise he was unarmed.
"Strike, I say!" said Sir James. "What stayest thou for? Artafeard?"It was Myles's answer that set the seal of individuality uponhim. "Nay," said he, boldly, "I am not afeard. I fear not theenor any man!" So saying, he delivered the stroke at Sir Jameswith might and main. It was met with a jarring blow that made hiswrist and arm tingle, and the next instant he received a strokeupon the bascinet that caused his ears to ring and the sparks todance. and fly before his eyes.
"Pardee!" said Sir James, grimly. "An I had had a mace in myhand, I would have knocked thy cockerel brains out that time.
Thou mayst take that blow for answering me so pertly. And now weare quits. Now strike me the stroke again an thou art notafeard."Myles's eyes watered in spite of himself, and he shut the lidstight to wink the dimness away. Nevertheless he spoke upundauntedly as before. "Aye, marry, will I strike it again," saidhe; and this time he was able to recover guard quickly enough toturn Sir James's blow with his shield, instead of receiving itupon his head.
"So!" said Sir James. "Now mind thee of this, that when thoustrikest that lower cut at the legs, recover thyself morequickly. Now, then, strike me it at the pel."Gascoyne and other of the lads who were just then lying stretchedout upon the grass beneath, a tree at the edge of the open courtwhere stood the pels, were interested spectators of the wholescene. Not one of them in their memory had heard Sir James soanswered face to face as Myles had answered him, and, after all,perhaps the lad himself would not have done so had he been longera resident in the squires' quarters at Devlen.
"By 'r Lady! thou art a cool blade, Myles," said Gascoyne, asthey marched back to the armory again. "Never heard I one bespeakSir James as thou hast done this day.""And, after all," said another of the young squires, "old Bruinwas not so ill-pleased, methinks. That was a shrewd blow hefetched thee on the crown, Falworth. Marry, I would not have hadit on my own skull for a silver penny."
