"Yet," said Beltane, shaking his head, "yet would kings and dukes remain, Christian knights and godly lords to burn and hang and rack the defenceless."
"Aye, Sir Gravity," nodded the jester, "but the Church is paramount ever; set the pope a-blowing of tunes upon a reed and kings would lay by their sceptres and pipe too and, finding no time or lust for warring, so strife would end, swords rust and wit grow keen. And wit, look you, biteth sharper than sword, laughter is more enduring than blows, and he who smiteth, smiteth only for lack of wit. So, an you would have a happy world, lay by that great sword and betake thee to a little pipe, teach men to laugh and so forget their woes. Learn wisdom of a fool, as thus: 'Tis better to live and laugh and beget thy kind than to perish by the sword or to dangle from a tree. Here now is advice, and in this advice thy life, thus in giving thee advice so do I give thee thy life. And I am hungry. And in thy purse is money wherewith even a fool might come by food. And youth is generous! And thou art very young! Come, sweet youthful messire, how much for thy life--and a fool's advice?"
Then Beltane smiled, and taking out one of his three remaining gold pieces, put it in the jester's hand.
"Fare thee well, good fool," said he, "I leave thee to thy dreams; God send they be ever fair--"
"Gold!" cried the jester, spinning the coin upon his thumb, "ha, now do I dream indeed; may thy waking be ever as joyous. Farewell to thee, thou kind, sweet, youthful fool, and if thou must hang some day on a tree, may every leaf voice small prayers for thy gentle soul!"
So saying, the jester nodded, waved aloft his bauble, and skipped away among the trees. But as Beltane went, pondering the jester's saying, the drowsy stillness was shivered by a sudden, loud cry, followed thereafter by a clamour of fierce shouting; therefore Beltane paused and turning, beheld the jester himself who ran very fleetly, yet with three lusty fellows in close pursuit.
"Messire," panted the jester, wild of eye and with a trickle of blood upon his pallid face, "O sweet sir--let them not slay me!"
Now while he spake, and being yet some way off, he tripped and fell, and, as he lay thus the foremost of his pursuers, a powerful, red-faced man, leapt towards him, whirling up his quarter-staff to smite; but, in that moment, Beltane leapt also and took the blow upon his staff and swung it aloft, yet stayed the blow, and, bestriding the prostrate jester, spake soft and gentle, on this wise:
"Greeting to thee, forest fellow! Thy red face liketh me well, let us talk together."
But, hereupon, as the red-faced man fell back, staring in amaze, there came his two companions, albeit panting and short of breath.
"What, Roger," cried one, "doth this fellow withstand thee?"
But Roger only growled, whiles Beltane smiled upon the three, gentle-eyed, but with heavy quarter-staff poised lightly in practised hand; quoth he:
"How now, would ye harm the fool? 'Tis a goodly fool forsooth, yet with legs scarce so nimble as his wit, and a tongue--ha, a golden tongue to win all men to humour and good fellowship--"
"Enough!" growled red-faced Roger, "Sir Pertolepe's foresters we be, give us yon scurvy fool then, that we may hang him out of hand."
"Nay," answered Beltane, "first let us reason together, let us hark to the wisdom of Folly and grow wise--"
"Ha, Roger!" cried one of the men, "tap me this tall rogue on his golden mazzard!"
"Or," said Beltane, "the fool shall charm thy souls to kindliness with his pipe--"
"Ho, Roger!" cried the second forester, "split me this tall talker's yellow sconce, now!"
"Come," growled Roger, threatening of mien, "yield us the fool, 'tis an arrant knave hath angered his lord!"
"What matter for that," said Beltane, "so he hath not angered his God? Come now, ye be hearty fellows and have faces that might be honest, tell me, how long will ye serve the devil?"
"Devil? Ha, what talk be this? We serve no devil!"
"Aye," nodded Beltane, "though they call him Pertolepe the Red, hereabouts."
"Devil!" cried Black Roger aghast. And, falling back a step he gaped in amaze from Beltane to his gaping fellows. "Devil, forsooth!" he gasped, "aha, I've seen many a man hang for less than this--"
"True," sighed Beltane, "men hang for small matters here in Pentavalon, and to hang is an evil death, methinks!"
"So, so!" nodded Black Roger, grim-smiling, "I've watched them kick a fair good while, betimes!"
"Ah!" cried Beltane, his eyes widening, "those hands of thine, belike, have hanged a man ere this?"
"Aye, many a score. Oho! folk know Black Roger's name hereabouts. I carry ever a noose at my girdle here--behold it!" and he showed a coil of rope that swung at his belt.
Now looking from the man's grim features to this murderous cord, Beltane blenched and shivered, whereat Black Roger laughed aloud, and pointed a scornful finger.
"Look'ee, 'tis fair, good rope this, and well-tried, and shall bear even thy great carcase sweetly--aye, sweetly--"
"How--would'st hang me also?" said Beltane faintly, and the heavy quarter-staff sagged in his loosened grip.
"Hang thee--aye. Thou didst withstand us with this fool, thou hast dared miscall our lord--we be all witnesses to it. So now will we--"
But swift as lightning-flash, Beltane's long quarter-staff whirled and fell, and, for all his hood of mail, Black Roger threw wide his arms and, staggering, fell upon his face and so lay; then, fierce and grim, he had leapt upon the other two, and the air was full of the rattle and thud of vicious blows. But these foresters were right lusty fellows and they, together, beset my Beltane so furiously, right and left, that he perforce gave back 'neath their swift and grievous blows and, being overmatched, turned and betook him to his heels, whereat they, incontinent, pursued with loud gibes and fierce laughter. But on ran Beltane up the glade very fleetly yet watchful of eye, until, seeing one had outstripped his fellow, he checked his going somewhat, stumbling as one that is spent, whereat the forester shouted the louder and came on amain. Then did my cunning Beltane leap aside and, leaping, turned and smote the fellow clean and true upon the crown, and, laughing to see him fall, ran in upon the other forester with whirling quarter-staff. Now this fellow seeing himself stand alone, stayed not to abide the onset, but turning about, made off into the green. Then Beltane leaned him, panting, upon his staff, what time the fallen man got him unsteadily to his legs and limped after his comrade; as for the jester, he was gone long since; only Black Roger lay upon his face and groaned faintly, ever and anon. Wherefore came Beltane and stood above him as one in thought and, seeing him begin to stir, took from him his sword and coil of rope and loosing off his swordbelt, therewith bound his hands fast together and so, dragged him 'neath a tree that stood hard by. Thus when at last Black Roger opened his eyes, he beheld Beltane standing above him and in his hand the deadly rope. Now, looking from this to the desolation about him, Black Roger shivered, and gazing up into' the stern face above, his florid cheek grew pale.
"Master," said he hoarsely, "what would ye?"
"I would do to thee as thou hast done to others."
"Hang me?"
"Aye!" quoth Beltane, and setting the noose about his neck,