After the first excitement of meeting, discussing, and decidinghad passed, Myles began to feel the weight of the load he had soboldly taken upon himself. He began to reckon what a seriousthing it was for him to stand as a single champion against thetyranny that had grown so strong through years of custom. Had helet himself do so, he might almost have repented, but it was toolate now for repentance. He had laid his hand to the plough, andhe must drive the furrow.
Somehow the news of impending battle had leaked out among therest of the body of squires, and a buzz of suppressed excitementhummed through the dormitory that evening. The bachelors, towhom, no doubt, vague rumors had been blown, looked lowering, andtalked together in low voices, standing apart in a group. Some ofthem made a rather marked show of secreting knives in the strawof their beds, and no doubt it had its effect upon more than oneyoung heart that secretly thrilled at the sight of the shiningblades. However, all was undisturbed that evening. The lightswere put out, and the lads retired with more than usualquietness, only for the murmur of whispering.
All night Myles's sleep was more or less disturbed by dreams inwhich he was now conquering, now being conquered, and before theday had fairly broken he was awake. He lay upon his cot, keyinghimself up for the encounter which he had set upon himself toface, and it would not be the truth to say that the sight ofthose knives hidden in the straw the night before had made noimpression upon him. By-and-by he knew the others were beginningto awake, for he heard them softly stirring, and as the lightgrew broad and strong, saw them arise, one by one, and begindressing in the gray morning. Then he himself arose and put onhis doublet and hose, strapping his belt tightly about his waist;then he sat down on the side of his cot.
Presently that happened for which he was waiting; two of theyounger squires started to bring the bachelors' morning supply ofwater. As they crossed the room Myles called to them in a loudvoice--a little uneven, perhaps: "Stop! We draw no more water forany one in this house, saving only for ourselves. Set ye downthose buckets, and go back to your places!"The two lads stopped, half turned, and then stood still, holdingthe three buckets undecidedly.
In a moment all was uproar and confusion, for by this time everyone of the lads had arisen, some sitting on the edge of theirbeds, some nearly, others quite dressed. A half-dozen of theKnights of the Rose came over to where Myles stood, gathering ina body behind him and the others followed, one after another.
The bachelors were hardly prepared for such prompt and vigorousaction.
"What is to do?" cried one of them, who stood near the two ladswith the buckets. "Why fetch ye not the water?""Falworth says we shall not fetch it," answered one of the lads,a boy by the name of Gosse.
"What mean ye by that, Falworth?" the young man called to Myles.
Myles's heart was beating thickly and heavily within him, butnevertheless he spoke up boldly enough. "I mean," said he, "thatfrom henceforth ye shall fetch and carry for yourselves,""Look'ee, Blunt," called the bachelor; "here is Falworth saysthey squires will fetch no more water for us."The head bachelor had heard all that had passed, and was eventhen hastily slipping on his doublet and hose. "Now, then,Falworth," said he at last, striding forward, "what is to do? Yewill fetch no more water, eh? By 'r Lady, I will know the reasonwhy."He was still advancing towards Myles, with two or three of theolder bachelors at his heels, when Gascoyne spoke.
"Thou hadst best stand back, Blunt," said he, "else thou mayst behurt. We will not have ye bang Falworth again as ye once did, sostand thou back!"Blunt stopped short and looked upon the lads standing behindMyles, some of them with faces a trifle pale perhaps, but allgrim and determined looking enough. Then he turned upon his heelsuddenly, and walked back to the far end of the dormitory, wherethe bachelors were presently clustered together. A few wordspassed between them, and then the thirteen began at once armingthemselves, some with wooden clogs, and some with the kniveswhich they had so openly concealed the night before. At the signof imminent battle, all those not actively interested scuttledaway to right and left, climbing up on the benches and cots, andleaving a free field to the combatants. The next moment wouldhave brought bloodshed.
Now Myles, thanks to the training of the Crosbey-Dale smith, felttolerably sure that in a wrestling bout he was a match--perhapsmore than a match--for any one of the body of squires, and he haddetermined, if possible, to bring the battle to a single-handedencounter upon that footing. Accordingly he suddenly steppedforward before the others.
"Look'ee, fellow," he called to Blunt, "thou art he who struck mewhilst I was down some while since. Wilt thou let this quarrelstand between thee and me, and meet me man to man without weapon?
See, I throw me down mine own, and will meet thee with barehands." And as he spoke, he tossed the clog he held in his handback upon the cot.
"So be it," said Blunt, with great readiness, tossing down asimilar weapon which he himself held.
