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Show the alehouse. "To the rescue!" they cried the whilst, pointing wildly at the knight's huge beast who was showing them its iron shoes through a great cloud of bluish dust. The squire, forgotten by everyone, came to himself and shook his head, then staggered to his feet and made off groggily to a copse nearby- By the time the young merchants reached the alehouse, Simon was sitting up in the middle of the road and shaking his own head which had gotten the brunt of one of the barmaid's knees. "The good woman will fell him," said the barmaid grimly, helping Simon up. She began rubbing a lacerated elbow, indicating with a toss of her head the aircar in hot pursuit of the galloping knight. Janni, poor wight, was being bounc't around most cruely on the rock-hard saddle, her hair flying out in a fan under the big knight's arms. "Aye," she went on, "I'll warrant ye that she'll fell the brute." "She near felled u s , " chorused the boys, full out of breath. "Where be thy hats, urchins?" asked their mother severely. They both clutched their heads. "The devil!" cried the youngest and both boys turned and raced yet again back across the square. "The two have a plentitude of energy," said the old man, watching the boys in some wonder. "Aye," returned the woman with feeling. "Whence came these villains.?" asked the barmaid of Simon aside. "From the Eastern Kingdom," said Simon grimly. "'Tis the end of peace on BauerWorld, I trow, unless they in the Tartars can do aught " "Who in the Tartars?" she returned, her eyebrows up. Simon looked vague of a sudden and shrugged his shoulders up. 155 |
