"Stephen Holgrave," said the baron, in a stern voice, "are these your shafts?" as he beckoned to old Luke to hand the yeoman two arrows which he had hitherto concealed.
Holgrave looked at them an instant—
"Yes, my lord," said he, without hesitation, but yet with a consciousness that the answer was to injure him.
"What, they are yours then?" said De Boteler in a still harsher tone.
Holgrave bowed his head.
"Come forward, keeper," continued the baron, "and state how these arrows came into your hands!"
The keeper made the deposition which the reader will have anticipated; and his men were then examined, who corroborated the statement of their master.
"Now, Stephen Holgrave," asked the baron, "what have you to say to this?"
"My lord," replied Holgrave, still undaunted, "the shafts are mine; but I am as innocent of the deed as the babe at its mother's breast. Whoever shot the buck must have stolen my arrows, in order to bring me into this scrape."
"By my faith, Holgrave, you seem to think lightly of this matter. Do you call it a scrape to commit a felony in your lord's chase? Have you any thing further to urge in your defence?"