Three hazel switches a day have I broke across his shoulders, and he takes no more notice than you have seen him to-day." "Doubt not that he will come back to you both safe and prosperous, my fair dame," quoth Sir Nigel.

"Meanwhile it grieves me that as I have already given my purse to a beggar up the road I----" "Nay, my lord," said Alleyne, "I still have some moneys remaining." "Then I pray you to give them to this very worthy woman." He cantered on as he spoke, while Alleyne, having dispensed two more pence, left the old dame standing by the furthest cottage of Hordle, with her shrill voice raised in blessings instead of revilings.
There were two cross-roads before they reached the Lymington Ford, and at each of then Sir Nigel pulled up his horse, and waited with many a curvet and gambade, craning his neck this way and that to see if fortune would send him a venture.

Crossroads had, as he explained, been rare places for knightly spear-runnings, and in his youth it was no uncommon thing for a cavalier to abide for weeks at such a point, holding gentle debate with all comers, to his own advancement and the great honor of his lady.

The times were changed, however, and the forest tracks wound away from them deserted and silent, with no trample of war-horse or clang of armor which might herald the approach of an adversary--so that Sir Nigel rode on his way disconsolate.

At the Lymington River they splashed through the ford, and lay in the meadows on the further side to eat the bread and salt meat which they carried upon the sumpter horses.
Then, ere the sun was on the slope of the heavens, they had deftly trussed up again, and were swinging merrily upon their way, two hundred feet moving like two.
There is a third cross-road where the track from Boldre runs down to the old fishing village of Pitt's Deep.