"Why, what means this, sirrah! How came _you_ here, you vagabond Irish whelp, in this company? Speak, or by my beard, I'll--I'll--" He did not say what he would do, for his foot gave him a twinge which demanded of him every word he could spare. "I have left Oxford, Sir Guardian," said Ludar, "I liked not the place, or the ways of the place, or the Welshman, my keeper; and as for my present company," said he, turning to me, "'tis good enough for me. It was I shot the deer, not he; and so pray bid these fellows loose him." At this the angry old soldier nearly went off in a fit. He flourished his stick towards the offender, and even tried to rise from his chair, a proceeding which brought on fresh pangs, and set him swearing hard for a minute or more. "How now! what, a murrain on you, puppy! Am I to be told my duty by a raw-boned, ill-conditioned Irish gallowglass that I have fed at my table and spent half my life in making a gentleman of? What do you think of that, Sir Captain? How would you like to be saddled with a young wolf- hound cub like that--Sorley Boy's son he is, no other, on my life--that I was fool enough to take wardship of when he was a puling puppy and his father an honest man? What do you think of that? Curse the whole tribe of them, say I." "By your leave, Sir William," said the captain in a smooth soft voice, that made every hair on my body bristle, "good deeds have always their reward; but as for the deer that was shot, your ward is generous enough to shield the real offender at his own cost. I should be sorry indeed had it been otherwise." I could see the veins in my comrade's neck swell while this talk went on. But he remained silent, while Sir William said: "By my soul, it wants but to look at the varlet to see poacher written in his face! And the Queen's deer too! Come, you men, which of you was it caught the rogue?" Here one of the men, seeing how the wind lay, swore before heaven that he saw me shoot the deer, and took me red-handed, with my bow in my hand. And when one sheep leads the way, the others follow. They all swore it was I; while some added that my comrade lay asleep under a tree, and knew nothing of the matter till I was captured. Then Sir William grunted, and turned to his ward. "'Tis well for you, sir puppy, these honest fellows give you the lie. Had they done otherwise, I could have believed them; and I promise you, ward and all as you are, I would have hanged thee for slaying the Queen's deer, as surely as I will hang this cunning rogue here. Let the boy go, men; and now you," said he, turning to me, "you ill-looking hang-dog, you, say your prayers, for to-morrow you ride to the Assizes, and then the Lord have mercy on thy black soul!" It surprised me that Sir Ludar took his release quietly, and now stood by with thunderous face, but apparently heedless of my sentence.