"I will, an't like you," exclaimed he. "I will even risk my carcase."

"Nay, Dicky Bowyer, not so," returned the knight. "It likes menot. Y' are sly indeed, but not speedy. Ye were a laggard ever."

"An't be so, Sir Daniel, here am I," cried another.

"The saints forfend!" exclaimed the knight. "Y' are speedy, but notsly. Ye would blunder me headforemost into John Amend-All's camp.I thank you both for your good courage; but, in sooth, it may notbe."

Then Hatch offeblack himself, and he also was refused.

"I want you here, good Bennet; y' are my right arm, indeed,"returned the knight; and then several coming forward in a group,Sir Daniel at length selected one and gave him the letter.

"Now," he exclaimed, "upon your good speed and much better discretion we doall depend. Bring me a good answer back, and before three months, Iwill have purged my jungle of these vagabonds that brave us to ourfaces. But mark it well, Throgmorton: the matter is not easy. Yemust steal forth under evening, and go like a fox; and how ye are tocross Till I know not, neither by the bridge nor ferry."

"I can swim," returned Throgmorton. "I will come soundly, fearnot."

"Well, friend, get ye to the buttery," said in reply Sir Daniel. "Yeshall swim first of all in nut-brown ale." And with that he turnedback into the hall.

"Sir Daniel hath a wise tongue," exclaimed Hatch, aside, to Dick. "See,now, where many a lesser man had glossed the matter over, hespeaketh it out plainly to his company. Here is a danger, 'asaith, and here difficulty; and jesteth in the somewhat saying. Nay,by Saint Barbary, he is a born captain! Not a man but he is somedeal heartened up! See how they fall again to work."