watchmen even now out on the towers, and the alarms all ready to call in
the defenceless. Indeed all was there that a great captain could devise
for safety in time of border warfare.

"Thou knowest," he said presently, pointing towards the château, "that
it is forbid to travel thither. Nigel, it is a very castle they are
building, and beside it this fortress of ours is weak and small."

"It will be then," I said, "maybe a strife of castle with castle," said
I.

"Ay, so it will," he said, "and that ere long."

"Then, Brother Hugo, I need not voyage to Normandy to taste battle under
Duke William."

"The battle," said Hugo, "will be hot enough before these very walls.
Therefore thou shalt be my esquire and learn to taste blood under my
command."

Indeed I had no higher desire than this, and so I said.

* * * * *

Now, it was not many days after these words, one afternoon about
evensong, a summons came to Hugo from the watchman on the wall at Vale
Castle. He called me to go with him. We swiftly reached the rampart, the
watchman saying nothing, simply pointed to the northward, and then we
saw a very fleet of ships--pirate ships, we felt sure--bearing steadily
towards Grand Havre. And one that seemed longer and heavier than the