one-sided looking person, with a terrible red withered scar on one
cheek, drawing the corner of his mouth awry. He, like Master
Headley himself, and the rest of his party were clad in red, guarded
with white, and wore the cross of St. George on the white border of
their flat crimson caps, being no doubt in the livery of their
Company. The citizen himself, having in the meantime drawn his
conclusions from the air and gestures of the brothers, and their
mode of dealing with their food, asked the usual question in an
affirmative tone, "Ye be of gentle blood, young sirs?"

To which they replied by giving their names, and explaining that
they were journeying from the New Forest to find their uncle in the
train of the Archbishop of York.

"Birkenholt," said Tibble, meditatively. "He beareth vert, a buck's
head proper, on a chief argent, two arrows in saltire. Crest, a
buck courant, pierced in the gorge by an arrow, all proper."

To which the brothers returned by displaying the handles of their
knives, both of which bore the pierced and courant buck.

"Ay, ay," said the man. "'Twill be found in our books, sir. We
painted the shield and new-crested the morion the first year of my
prenticeship, when the Earl of Richmond, the late King Harry of
blessed memory, had newly landed at Milford Haven."

"Verily," said Ambrose, "our uncle Richard Birkenholt fought at
Bosworth under Sir Richard Pole's banner."

"A tall and stalwart esquire, methinks," said Master Headley. "Is