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It was a night of ith a flying cloud-wrack overhead whence peeped the pallid loom and mystery The woods about thes as they strode along the forest road, and so caed Of what they saw and heard within that place of slaughter it bodeth not to tell, nor of those figures, wild and fierce, that crouched to strip the jumbled slain, or snarled and quarrelled over the work

"Here is good plunder of weapons and arer, "'tis seldom the outlaws coht under his plunderer's knife!"

"God rest his soul, Ahed Beltane "Coan to run So in a little while they passed through that place of horror unseen, and so caain upon the forest road Ever and anon the liroans and wailings with every wind-gust, whereat Roger quailed, and fu at his sword-hilt, pressed closer upon Beltane

"Master," he whispered, "'tis an evil night--methinks the souls of the dead be abroad--hark to those sounds! Master, I like it not!--"

"'Tis but the wind, Roger"

"'Tis like the cries of wo o'er their dead, I have heard such sounds ere noould my belt bore fewer notches, er, I pray God!"

"Master--an I aht, think ye Ithese same notches?"

"Nay, for surely God is a very er Hark!" quoth Beltane, and stopped of a sudden, and thus above the wailing of the wind they presently heard a feeble groaning hard by, and following the sound, beheld a blotch upon the gli road Now as they drew near the moon peeped out, and showed a lea, "thou'rt of Brandonive ive me-- water!"

Then Beltane knelt, and saw this was but a youth, and bidding Roger bring water from a brook near by, took the heavy head upon his knee

"Messire," said he, "I have heard that Sir Gilles beareth women captive"

"There is--but one, and she--a nun But nuns are--holy women--so I withstood my lord in his--desire And ive me--water!"