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There was a fierce roar of equ- £11503 WhiCh Pig‘ff'j :ilé very roof. we war spirit ran like fire round the great hall, and as Geoffroi’s tall figure stand high above them, his voice rolled louder than’the mightiâ€" est shouter there. r Théy broached the cask of wine, and brlught torches into the hall Then he suddenly looked up. “Well,” he said, “that is news, Os- wald, but I had thought to hear it a month since! Let the man come up against me if he will, he shall rot for’t. I am lord of this coun- tryâ€"side, with a rare lotI of devils, lusty for blood, to guard this keep. A week, you say Very well, in a week he shall find us ready. But gas you to the table, Oswald, along of my merry men, and see that you drink in God’s name. Get you drunken, Oswald, my man; I thank you for this. Get you drunk. Hu- ber! John! Tell Master Pantler frcm me to put rope to Windlass and draw up a cask of wine for the menâ€"at-arms. Heil Hei I! Hei ! l l” he shouted in a vest and won-der- ful voice, rising in his seat and holding his beaker above his head, “Men of mine! men of mine! my Lord Roger Bigot lusteth for oui‘ blood and castle. The foining scamp a-comes riding with a, great force to take us. Drink ye all to me, men of mine, and we will go against, this traitor to the king-â€" Hei! Heil Hoi l” “My lord,” said be, “you will remember me. I am Oswald, your liege man. I come from Norwich bearing news of war. I have been there a-buying rams, and bring you grave news. Roger Bigot is arm- ing all his men in hot speed, and ccm-es to Hilgay ’to overthrow us. In a week or two he will be here. He_is very strong in arms.” Lewin glanced quickly at Anse- lm and then turned to Oswald, waiting more. The young squire tossed his head, and rang his hand upon the table joyously. Fulke’s lips tightened, and an ugly light came into his eyes. The Baron alane showed no outward Sign of agitation. He drummed his fingers on the side of the wineâ€"goblet for a minute, in silence. In the middle of the game, a stir came about at the hall door. One an" two of the soldiers went to see what was toward. A traveller, wet with rain, was asking speech with Geoffroi, and he was brought up tr the high table by Huber and John. The evening was growing very hot and’oppressive as it wore on. It was quite dark outside and the re was thunder in the air. Every now are] again the sky muttered in wrath, and at such sounds a sudden stillness fell upon the four knaves at the high table, and, putting down their wine vessels, they crossâ€" ed themselves. Little Gertrude was long since a- bed, her prayers said, and her lit- tle dark head tucked under the cov- erlet. These ’Eidings “affected the five men very differently: 7 _ “That is the only thing,” said Fulke, grinning and wrinkling up his forehead till his stubble of hair seemed squirting out of it. “But I will not give up my pleasures for hat.” Geoffroi began to be less taci- turn as the wine warmed him. Some bone dice were produced, and they fell to playing for silver pennies. One of the squires joined them, but the other left the hall early. “Letters from the king,” said Geoffroi, shortly, in a deep, hoarse voice. “About Gertrude ” “Yes, that is it. Now there is but one answer to make to that. Yru must marry her in a. day or so, and then nothing more can be said." When at last Lady Alice With- draw and the cups were filled afresh with cool wine from the cellar, Geoffroi signed to Fulke to come up tu him. The young man was a be- bauched creature of twentyâ€"six, clean-shaver}. His hair was not long like his father’s, but clipped close. The back of his head was also shaven, and gave him a, fan- tastic, elfin appearance. It was a custom to shave the back of the head, which was very generally adopted, especially in hot weather, among the young dandies of the time‘ CHAPTER III.â€"-(Cont’d) FREEDOM AT LAST History of a Man Who Lived in Misery and Torture Now Geoffroi was skilled in all the elaborate science of woodcraft. He knew every word of the pe~dan~ tic Norman jargon of the hunt in all its extravagence. He could wind upon his horn every mot known to the chase, and no man could use the dissecting dagger upon a dead stag more scientifically than he. More than all this, he rode bet- ter and with more ardor than eiâ€" ther his son or squires. Often it would happen that he would galâ€" lop far into the forest after game, ortstripping all his train. They were used to that, and would often start another quarry for themâ€" selves. G-eoffroi was a moody man, happy alone, privy to himself, and it had become somewhat of a cus- tom to let him ride alone. Now the serfs plotted that they shculd lie hidden in the underwood aml turn the boar towards a dis- tant glade called Monkshood. In that open spaceâ€"for the trees were sparse there and studded the turf 1" SVi'dC infer‘mlsâ€"it was probable ihat Geoffroi would wind the death mot of the quarry. It; was to be his last mellow call in his world, for Hyla planned to ta 0 him as he stood over the dead boar and kill him in the ride. Hyla, Cerdic, Harl, Gurth, and Richard, sat planning the murder of Geoffroi. On the morrow the Bar- on was to ride after a great boar which the foresters knew of in the mod. This was settled, and it was thought there would be a great hunt, for the. boar was cunning, fierce and old. Round the stroke the giant trees made a tremendous sable wall, grim and silent, and even the dark sky above was brighter and more hopeâ€" ful than the silent company of trees. The sky was full of flickering light- ningsâ€"white, green, and amethyst â€"and ever and again the thunder murmured from somewhere OVer against Ely. Sometimes a spear of light ing came right into the stoke, cracking like a whip. The little group of inky figures N 12nd the embers seemed in no way disturbed by the elements, but only drew closer and fell into more ear- nest talk. In the centre of the stoke the common fire burned without flame, for the rain had tamed it. Round the fire set the conspirators, and in the stillness, for the rain was over and there was no wind, the murmurng of their voices seemed like the note of an organ hidden in the wood. " ThEh when he had done the work, h‘c was to return through the brush- wnod towards the viilage. Provid- When men are gathered together, set upon some fearful act of retri- bivtion or revenge, the very air seems instinct with the thoughts that are in their hearts, and fluid with the electricity of the great deed to be done. About the time the jongleur was brought into the hallâ€"a little el- derly man, very pleasant and merâ€" ry, but yet with something greedy, brutal, and dangerous in hisjace â€"â€"the enclosure of the serfs began to be agitated by new and terrible emotions. Tragedy, indeed, had often entered there, but it was at the bidding of some one in the out- side world. To-night she was to be invoked by the downâ€"trodden and oppressed themselves. On this night of thunder and alarms, there was to happen an- other of those supernatural occur- rences which are so difficult to exâ€" plain away. In the early Middle Ages, no less than now. men and women believ- ed in ominous happenings to those about to die. There were no ma- terialists in England in those times, and the unseen world was very near and present to men’s minds. When, in some half-hour’s time, the excitement had in some degree subsided, it began to be told among the men that a jongleur was in the castle, and had been there since the afternoon. Lewis: told Geoffroi of this, and the man was sent for, 5,0 that he might amuse them with songs of battle. until the whole place flamed with light. The enthusiasm was inde- scribable. They had all been long spviling for a, fight, and here was news indeed! Oswald was plied with drink and pestered with ques- tlc F. CHAPTER IV. He would reach the stoke, he thought, just about the time that the huntsmen would discover the Baron lying stark. He was to go through the village, down the hill to the river, and embark in a small punt. He would fly for his life then, ‘poling swiftly through all the wat- ierways of the fen till he reached JIccmbe in the heart of the waters, Iwhere he should find sanctuary and ‘lie hid till happier times. People with a proper amount of flesh are favored in all walks of life, while the thin are unblessed, unwelcome and frequently miser- able for life, The difference lies in the power of the digestive functions and the ability of the blood and nerves to absorb and distribute over the body the nutrition extracted from the food eaten. The thin person is abnnrmal and lacks the power to absorb and re- tain the flesh and fat elements which the gastric juices in the sto- mach and intestines should extract or separate from all kinds of food and drink. For example, a combihation, such as the one we are discussing, was unheard of. Of course, only a few of the serfs had been told of the plot, for it would not have been safe in the hands of many of them. Xiet that eight or nine men, with all the stumblingâ€"blocks of inheritâ€" ed slavery, a miserable life, and an “The boat ehall speed as boat never did before, and they shall be sqfe at dawning.” The arrangements were all made for the flight of Gruach and Fri- ja; the plot was planned in every detail, and a silence fell upon them. Few of them had the art of converâ€" sation or knew how to talk. Hyla sa-t silent, with nothing in his brain to say. Although he was in a state of fierce excitement, of exultation at a revelation of self, which appear- ed miraculous in its freshnessâ€"as if he had been suddenly given a new personalityâ€"he had‘never a, word to say. Cerdic Ways his firm and faithful friend, but he could ex- press none of the thoughts surging over him even to Cerdic. The poor A scrawny, gangling‘ youth or maiden is almost invariably slight- ed, overlooked or ridiculed in any social gathering. There is some- thing about a plump or well proâ€" portioned figure which attracts not only friendship, but love and adu- lation as well. toiling, tired souls had never learnt the gift of speech; they were cut OE from each other, except in the rarest instances. A recent accidental discovery has proven that tincture cadomene when blended with certain other drug, will add from one to three pounds of flesh per week during treatment, While the general health and strength also improves won. derfully. Get in a, half pint bottle, three ounces of essence of pepsin and three ounces of syrup of rhubarb; then add glue ounce compound e231 sauce cardiol; shake and lei: si‘and two hours; then add one ounce tincture cadomene compound (not cardamom). Shake well and take a teaspoonful before and after meals, drinking plenty of water between Errals and when retiring. lS THINNESS Hyla sat among them curiously ccnfident. He never for a moment doubted the result of the entrprise. Ncne of them did. The resolution which they had taken was too over- whelming to allow a suspicion of failure. “Sore things always happen in time of wracke,” said Cerdic. “See that you protect Gruach and Fri- jal ’I , Undoubtedly It is to Many a Maid- en and Youthâ€"~While Even Those Well Along in Years Prefer Well Rounded Figures. “It is neabtime to sét out,” said Harl. “My heart is gride at this night’s work.” ed only that the other hunters were far away while he was killing the Baron, his presence in the wood would excite little comment, even if he was seen returning. , More- over, he purposed to carry an armâ€" ful of dry sticks, so that he might appear as if he were gathering kind- hng wood. In an hour or two, Gruach and Frija, with the two little prattling boys, were to be taken down to the river and to set out for the Priory bef rehand, so that Hyla, should fino them waiting him. Harl was to punt throughout the night, hop- ing to reach safety by dawn. It was a hard journey, for the Priory was fifteen miles away. There was something terrible thi“ grim certainty. Prescription Increases Weight. EMBARASSING P The fens opened before them as a wall of white vapor. No stranger would have imagined the vast flat expanses beyond. The mist might have concealed any other kink}. of scenery. Standing on the bill they could see the mysterious blue lights They went without mishap through the village. All the hous- (‘s were silent and showed so Sign of life. The way was very dark, though the white chalk of the road helped them a. little» to find it. A1- sux now and then, the lightning lit up the scene Strangely, showing the members of the group to each other, hurrying, very furtive and White of face. In a. few minutes, treading very quietly, they passing along the green by the castle. There were still points of light in the towering black walls, and distant sounds of revelry coming to them sent them along with faster steps. _ Now that the enterprise was ac- tually embarked upon, most of them felt very uneasy. The mere sight of that enormous pile brought before their minds the tremendous power they were going up against. lt was so visible and tangible a thing, such a symbol of their own poor estate. The great enterprise seemed to knit the men at the fire together in a wonderful way. They felt they must keep with each other, and all rcse to accompany the fugitives to the. river. The little boys, sleepin protesting, were carried in the arms of two of the men, and the melancholy procession stole out into the warm darkness. The other serfs were all asleep, and deep breathings resounded as they pass- ed the huts. At the entrance to the stoke a. mongrel dog barked at them, but a blow with a, stick sent him away whining. After a half hour of silence, bro- ken only by an occasional wordâ€"of- course, the women, who had been sleeping to‘ gain strength, were summoned for departure. “Combination,” indeed, was born that night, and stood ready to be clcthed with a. vigorous life, and to supply the means for a, slow but; glorious resolution. The direct ef- fects of the proceedings at Hilgay have affected our whole history to this day. incredible lack uf opportunity, should have learnt and put in pracâ€" tice the lesson of combination, is a, most startling fact. What a contrast! The kitchen no longer is stifling hot, the work is now done with comfort, and the housewife is not worn out with the heat. When the sultry days come and the coal range makes the kitchen almost unbearable and cooking a dreaded task, put out the range fire and try the newest method of cooking in hot weatherâ€"use a Why Have an Gvemeaiefl Kitchen in Summer? The Queen Cily_0il Company, Limited, New Qil QQEQ-vag Toronto. She saves her strength, keeps her health and is better able to enjoy the summer. .\_ The New Perfection stove has a Cabinet Top with shelf for keeying plates and food hot, drop shelves for the coffee pot or saucepans, and nickelcd towel tacks. It has long turquoise-blue enamel chimneys. The nickel finish, with the bright blue of the chimneys, makes the stove very attractiv: and invites cican- lincss. Made with 1, 2 and 3 burners; the 2 and 3-butnnr Stoves can be had with or without Cabinet. Every dealer everywhere; it not at- mnts. writp for Descriptive Circular to the nearest agency or m The New Perfection does everything that any other stove can 60â€"3“ the fam- ily cooking, baking, washing and iron- ing. No smoke, no dust, no odor. Heat is applicd directly and not wasted. A turn, and flu flame is out. Harl stepped from punt to punt» until he came to a long light boat of oak, low in the water, and built, for speed. He cast off the ropa which tied it to one of the other“ punts, and brought it alongside the, steps. He put a bundle of cloth-f ing and food in the centre, and waited for Gruach and her daugh~§ ter. , Hyla lifted the little boys, wrap- ped in cat-skins into the boat, and turned to Gruach. She lay sobbing. in his arms, pressing her wet face to his. “Pray Lord Christ that I am with you on the morrow, wife,” he said,‘ “and fare you well!” He embrac- ed Frija, and helped both women into the boat. Harl took up the pole. “Farewell 1” came in a deep, 10W Chorus from the group of serfs, and, with no further words, the boat shot away into the dark. They could hear the» splash of the pole and the wailing of the women, and then the darkness closed up and hid them utterly. “Gét thé women away,” said Gel-dig, “get tbeA women away.” As he spoke, and his voice gavea clue to his identity, Hyla, gathered himself together and Ieapt upon‘ him. The two men fell with a great clatter on to the very edge of the: landingvstage, slipping and strug-" gling among the great heap of wet fish. Had not the others come their assistance both would have; been in the water. Hyla rose bleeding from scratches. on the face. Gurth had a great'. bony hand ,over the soldier’s! mouth, and the others held him pinned to the ground, so that he?| was quite powerless. Another voice was heard roughly challenging. They passed through the vapor and came suddenly upon Pierce, the man-at-arms. At his! feet lay a heap of fish, phosphores- cent in the dark. He looked at them with deep amazement. “What am you?” he said. dancing over the fen. They crossec?" themselves at that. It was thought» that restless souls danced over the-- waters at night, and that many evil} things were abroad after dark. They were quite close to the land- ing-stage and, encircled by the nust, walking very wearily, when Harl, who was a pioneer, was heard" to give a quick shout of alarm. (To, be continued‘)