Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/62

38 a jug of brown ale. Lady Mortimer and Amabel both rose as the old soldier came before them hat in hand.

"I shall never forget your service to-day," said Lady Mortimer. "If it had not been for your keen wit and ready device, my son and my ward would now be lying in Count Ferrers' dungeons, and you might yourself, Hugh, be left dead in the road—for I am sure you would have attempted their rescue even against such odds!"

"Yes, my lady," Hugh answered quietly. "And not such great odds perhaps. They did not know I was there, and I had arrows enough in my quiver to answer for three or four of the villains—with good luck to aid me, I might have managed with the others."

"Sit down, Hugh," said Lady Amabel, placing a chair for him. "While you are eating, we can tell you how well your message served us." He seated himself, and listened as he ate; and the young lady went on: "We had just unhooded and slipped our hawks when you left us, or soon afterward, and they had brought down a wild duck—both working together. Then we had just recalled them to the lures, attached the jesses, and regained the road a moment or two before your arrow came from the skies. Edgar drew it from the ground, and at once saw the scroll. It took