“Hark!” cried Francis springing to her feet. “I hear the hounds. Look ware, Echo! Look ware! Ware, ware!”
The greyhound, answering with short sharp yelps, rushed forward frantically, and then stood at gaze as a tall red deer bounded from the covert into the open glade. The noble animal’s strength was almost spent. His mouth was embossed with foam and large round tears were dropping from his eyes. With a motion that was at once despairing and majestic he turned to face his pursuers as a pack of hounds dashed from the trees and surrounded him, making the air hideous with their clamor.
Instantly the maiden fitted a shaft to her bow and let fly a bolt as the tutor uttered a shrill cry of remonstrance:
“Stay thy hand, girl! Knowest thou not the danger?”
Before the wounded animal could turn to charge this new assailant an answering twang sounded from among the trees and a second arrow, sent with unerring precision, imbedded 14 itself in the deer’s body. As the stag fell, a lad of some sixteen years, clad in the dress of a forester, ran hastily forward and reached the animal at the same moment that Francis did.
“Behold, cousin,” cried the girl triumphantly, “I have slain the deer. Could thy Lady Jane Grey have done so well, thinkest thou?”
“Nay, fair maid,” and the boy turned quickly, “’twas mine own bolt that did the deed. Behold for thyself that thy shaft struck too far to the left.”
“’Tis false,” cried Francis angrily. “’Twas mine arrow that slew him. This one is mine, and thou seest that it alone hath entered the vital part. ’Tis thine that is too far to the left.”
“Nay; not mine, but thine,” retorted the lad. “What? Would I, who lack but little of man’s estate be excelled by a girl? See for thyself, mistress. The two are not an inch apart. The point is only which did the deed. On mine honor, I tell thee, that it was mine own arrow. Thou seest that it hath penetrated deeper than thine.”
“I see naught of the kind,” answered 15 Francis with passion. “It was mine that did it.”