The shades of Preshute churchyard, which lies in the bosom of the trees, not three bowshots from the Castle Inn and hard by the Kennet, formed the chosen haunt of one couple.

They were now within a bowshot of the harbour, and a jutting cliff of marble, more graceful from a contiguous bed of myrtles, invited them to rest, and watch the approaching sunset.

Now whiles they sat thus in talk, up rose the sun, before whose joyous beams the stealthy mists slunk away little by little, until Beltane beheld Duke Ivo's mighty camplong lines of tents gay with fluttering pennon and gonfalon, of huts and booths set well out of bowshot behind the works of contravallationstout palisades and barriers with earthworks very goodly and strong.

" "Forsooth," quoth Roger, scratching his chin, "Shallowford village lieth but a bowshot through the brush yonderyet, forsooth, a man shall eat little there, methinks, these days.