They snarled, and formed their ranks closer. Hugh laughed. "Prick them up, Ralph," he ordered. The longbow twanged, and clothyard shafts flew over the grass like angry hornets; but each buzz ended in a shriek of agony, as the arrows drove through leather jerkin and flesh. A hoarse voice rasped from the unkempt ranks. "Enough, lords! Have mercy on your poor slaves! Do not slay us!" "What is this?" demanded Hugh, surprised. "Do you yield to our mercy?" A frowsy fellow, armed like his mates with a knotted club and a knife, stood forth from the group and flung himself on his knees. "We ask only that you let us go free, lords," he pleaded. "Do not send us back to the seigneur to be branded and whipped. We will die first!" "What mean you?" Hugh rode forward to the man's side, moved to pity. "We are masterless men, lord. We have no homes, no food or cattle. We were hungry. But we meant no harm." "The corpses of those you slew prove that," agreed Hugh grimly. "Think of a better reason for mercy." The man crawled closer. "There are those who love us, lord," he cried. "We are men, even if we are serfs. We love those who love us and look to us for care. We seek to satisfy their wants. Yet we are satisfied with a mud hut, where you have a castle. We wear only coarse clothes, where you wear camlet and cendal. We do not ask for fowls and fair white bread, with rich wines; but we must have some meat to keep us from starving. Our lot is hard, lord. We do but try to find that which will keep our loved ones alive. Spare us for them!" "You speak like a clerk, fellow!" exclaimed Hugh. "'Twas well-argued. What think you, Matteo? Shall----" "Look behind you!" shrieked the woman prisoner from the outlaw ranks. Hugh turned to see a party of the forest rogues creeping from the protection of a thicket in their rear. At the same moment the fellow at his feet leaped up and swung knife and club at his throat. But Beosund, the grey stallion, saved his master's life. The brave horse reared high on his hindlegs so that the blows only numbed Hugh's arm, curvetted in a demi-volte and galloped clear of the trap after Matteo. No outlaw dared to press the pursuit in face of Ralph's bow. "How now," panted Hugh angrily, as they reined in at the forest edge. "Are we to be balked by such rascals?" "Not so, an you follow my counsel," replied Matteo. "Let us do this wise. Ralph, do you shoot fast as you may, aiming all your shafts at one point in their ranks. So you shall make a gap, and into this we will gallop, and if Our Lady aids us, perchance seize the prisoners and lead them to safety. Are you agreed?" "Ay, 'tis a good plan." "In God's name, then, let us charge!"