The Red Tavern

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Red Tavern, by Charles Raymond Macauley
'Hast thou peace and provender for a wayfaring knight?'
THE RED TAVERN
BY C. R. MACAULEY
NEW YORK AND LONDON D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1914
Copyright, 1914, by D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
Printed in the United States of America

S-s-st, there, good gossip, wake up, I pray thee! Hearest thou not voices yonder in our lordship's tent? Methinks I can see between the trees the glimmer of his council-candle. Even now he doth plan the attack, whilst this cursed cross-bow is playing the very devil of a traitor! The stubborn latch balks at speeding the string. Come​—​come, wake thee, Jock! Spare me thy deft hand to its mending, or the first peep o' day will discover me impotent to fly a bolt against our crook-back enemy beyond the brook.
Crook-back cross-bow​—​i' th' s-s-string​—​— muttered the one addressed with drowsy incoherence.
I tell thee, Jock, wake up! the first speaker persisted. Listen, I say! Dost hear the hum of voices in brave Richmond's tent? Fix me this damned cross-bow! Eftsoons it will come daydawn, man!
Daydawn, sayst thou? returned the other, starting into broad wakefulness and arising to a sitting posture. Why, Dickon, thou canst scarce glimpse thy five fingers before thine eyes; and the stars shine as merrily in the vault as ever they did yestereve. What's the noise i' the wood? he added, sinking sleepily back upon his bent elbow.