"Not one, by St. Luke," said De Bury. "Some rascally robbers, I fancy;
there are enough of them in these parts."

De Lacy motioned to Raynor.

"Do you know this carrion?" he asked.

The veteran dismounted and examined the bodies; turning with his foot
those that had fallen face downward.

"They are strangers to me, my lord," he said. "I never saw hair of
them before. But, perchance, this fellow can give you some
information," and suddenly stooping, he seized one of the seeming dead
men by the neck and jerked him to his feet. "Answer the Knight,
rogue," he said. "Raynor Royk has seen too many dead bodies to be
fooled by one that has not a scratch upon it."

"By St, Denis!" said Do Lacy, "he is the one my good horse knocked
over. I clean forgot him. How now, fellow," he continued sternly,
"what mean you by assaulting a Knight upon the King's highway; and who
set you up to such work?"

The man, who had been simulating death, hoping so to escape, regarded
De Lacy with a frown and in sullen silence.

"Speak," said Raynor, giving him a shake that made his teeth rattle.

For answer he suddenly plucked a small dagger from a concealed sheath
and, twisting around, struck full and hard at the old soldier's face,
which was unprotected by the steel cap. Raynor sprang back and avoided