"And what did the Duke?"
"He kept his word. 'I see the sly fox has outwitted us, but let us be content with gaining the town,' he exclaimed; and right between the lines of astonished Frenchmen we marched, without losing as much as a single stick."
"Ho! ho! ho!" laughed Sir John. "A clever trick, but, methinks, 'twill not pass another time. And Pembroke hath sent an urgent message to the King for aid, didst thou say?"
"Ay, directly our ship tied up alongside the quay at Southampton the messenger rode off at headlong speed to Windsor, although he could scarce keep his seat by reason of sea-sickness."
"Then, Raymond," exclaimed the Constable, turning to his squire, "the summons will be here anon. But, mark my word, this will be no child's-play, for, methinks, the King will be loth to let Guienne slip through his fingers. And now, bring me the tally of the bows, arrows, and spears, for no time must be lost."
Joyfully the squire hastened away to get the required information, and the castle was soon alive with excitement at the thought of active service.
The old knight was not wrong; the call to arms came, and, thanks to his sagacity and forethought, the Constable was soon ready to take the field. Ere June had arrived Sir John's company had marched into Southampton to await the King's good pleasure.
Raymond saw great changes as he gazed around the old familiar place. The walls had been raised and strengthened; larger houses had taken the place of the charred ruins that the French invaders had left behind them, while a fleet of large ships showed that Southampton had quickly recovered from the horrors of pillage.
The fleet was typical of the resources of Hampshire, for Southampton contributed twenty-one ships manned by 476 mariners, Lymington sent nine, Portsmouth five, Leepe, Newtown, and Yarmouth two each, while the county of Dorset supplied twenty-five vessels, of which Weymouth sent twenty-one and Poole four.
Farther down the Water towards Hythe lay a larger fleet, composed of vessels from the Cinque Ports, London, Ipswich, and Great Yarmouth, while towards the Netley side were the West Country ships from Dartmouth, Sutton, Fowey, and Falmouth.