The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 86: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

14 THE TAKING OF HELEN the mouth of astream. On the cliff-tops, two hundred yards inland, in a field, a fire was burning; soldiers were passing to and fro in its light. “The soldiers are there, lord,” the ship-master said. “They say that we are not to sail.”’ “Have they put guards on board ?”’ “Yes, lord, on the rocks there.”’ ‘Are they looking for me?”’ ‘No, lord, they are looking for a man and a woman. They searched in the balks for them. There’s some- thing about a soldier that reminds me of the man that fought the dust-storm; they’ve got more spunk than sense.”’ Nireus climbed to the rocks to speak to the guard, who was walking up and down on the rocks beside the ship. He was the lad from the Curlews, whom he had met during the night. “You have not found them yet?”’ he asked. “No, lord, not yet. But I am glad that you have come here, lord, because the general has been asking for you. The officers reported that they had met you in the night, and he said that he wished to see you, if you came to either of your ships. He is up by the fire there, having his supper. I will report that you are here, lord.”’ “Do,” Nireus said. ‘‘ Meanwhile I will make ready to go to him.”’ He had hardly washed and changed to clean raiment CORnNICLOOKS»EO