Publisher's Synopsis
RANDAL remembered his father's going to fight the English, and how he came backagain. It was a windy August evening when he went away: the rain had fallen sincemorning. Randal had watched the white mists driven by the gale down through the blackpine-wood that covers the hill opposite Fairnilee. The mist looked like armies of ghosts, hethought, marching, marching through the pines, with their white flags flying and streaming.Then the sun came out red at evening, and Randal's father rode away with all his men. Hehad a helmet on his head, and a great axe hanging from his neck by a chain, and a spear inhis hand. He was riding his big horse, Sir Hugh, and he caught Randal up to the saddle andkissed him many times before he clattered out of the courtyard. All the tenants and menabout the farm rode with him, all with spears and a flag embroidered with a crest in gold.His mother watched them from the tower till they were out of sight. And Randal saw themride away, not on hard, smooth roads like ours, but along a green grassy track, the watersplashing up to their stirrups where they crossed the marshes.
