upon some small knightly debate with me, had he not chanced to have his arm-bone broken by the kick of a horse. I have conceived a great love for him, and I have promised him that when his bone is mended I will exchange thrusts with him. But we must keep to this road upon the left.'
'Nay, my fair lord,' quoth Aylward. 'The road to Montaubon is over the river, and so through Quercy and the Agenois.'
'True, my good Aylward; but I have learned from this worthy knight, who hath come over the French marches, that there is a company of Englishmen who are burning and plundering in the country round Villefranche. I have little doubt, from what he says, that they are those whom we seek.'
'By my hilt! it is like enough,' said Aylward. 'By all accounts they had been so long at Montaubon, that there would be little there worth the taking. Then, as they have already been in the south, they would come north to the country of the Aveyron.'
'We shall follow the Lot until we come to Cahors, and then cross the marches into Villefranche,' said Sir Nigel. 'By Saint Paul! as we are but a small band, it is very likely that we may have some very honourable and pleasing adventure, for I hear that there is little peace upon the French border.'
All morning they rode down a broad and winding road, barred with the shadows of poplars. Sir Nigel rode in front with his squires, while the two archers followed behind with the sumpter mule between them. They had left Aiguillon and the Garonne far to the south, and rode now by the tranquil Lot, which curves blue and placid through a gently rolling country. Alleyne could not but mark that, whereas in Guienne there had been many townlets and few castles, there were now many castles and few houses. On either hand grey walls and square grim keeps peeped out at every few miles from amid the forests, while the few villages which they passed were all ringed round with rude walls, which spoke
