"
At this a great shout of laughter arose from a number of tall yeomen in
Lincoln green that were scattered through the crowd thereabouts; but one
that seemed of more authority than the others nudged the holy man with
his elbow. "Peace, Tuck," said he, "didst thou not promise me, ere thou
camest here, that thou wouldst put a check upon thy tongue?"
"Ay, marry," grumbled the other, "but 'a did not think to have a hard-
footed knave trample all over my poor toes as though they were no more
than so many acorns in the forest."
But of a sudden all this bickering ceased, for a clear sound of many
bugle horns came winding down the street. Then all the people craned
their necks and gazed in the direction whence the sound came, and the
crowding and the pushing and the swaying grew greater than ever. And now
a gallant array of men came gleaming into sight, and the cheering of the
people ran down the crowd as the fire runs in dry grass.
Eight and twenty heralds in velvet and cloth of gold came riding
forward. Over their heads fluttered a cloud of snow-white feathers, and
each herald bore in his hand a long silver trumpet, which he blew
musically.
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