Saint George for England | Page 9

of the ward of Aldgate.
Geoffrey Ward had kept his word, and had already begun to give the
lad lessons in the use of arms. When not engaged otherwise Walter
would, almost every afternoon, cross London Bridge and would spend
hours in the armourer's forge. Geoffrey's business had grown, for the
war had caused a great demand for arms, and he had now six men
working in the forge. As soon as the boy could handle a light tool
Geoffrey allowed him to work, and although not able to wield the
heavy sledge Walter was able to do much of the finer work. Geoffrey
encouraged him in this, as, in the first place, the use of the tools greatly
strengthened the boy's muscles, and gave him an acquaintance with
arms. Moreover, Geoffrey was still a bachelor, and he thought that the
boy, whom he as well as Giles had come to love as a son, might, should
he not take up the trade of war, prefer the occupation of an armourer to
that of a bowmaker, in which case he would take him some day as his
partner in the forge. After work was over and the men had gone away,
Geoffrey would give the lad instructions in the use of the arms at which
he had been at work, and so quick and strong was he that he rapidly
acquired their use, and Geoffrey foresaw that he would one day, should
his thoughts turn that way, prove a mighty man-at-arms.
It was the knowledge which he acquired from Geoffrey which had
much to do with Walter's position among his comrades. The skill and
strength which he had acquired in wielding the hammer, and by
practice with the sword rendered him a formidable opponent with the
sticks, which formed the weapons in the mimic battles, and indeed not
a few were the complaints which were brought before Giles Fletcher of
bruises and hurts caused by him.
"You are too turbulent, Walter," the bowyer said one day when a
haberdasher from the ward of Aldersgate came to complain that his
son's head had been badly cut by a blow with a club from Walter
Fletcher. "You are always getting into trouble, and are becoming the
terror of other boys. Why do you not play more quietly? The feuds

between the boys of different wards are becoming a serious nuisance,
and many injuries have been inflicted. I hear that the matter has been
mentioned in the Common Council, and that there is a talk of issuing an
order that no boy not yet apprenticed to a trade shall be allowed to
carry a club, and that any found doing so shall be publicly whipped."
"I don't want to be turbulent," Walter said; "but if the Aldersgate boys
will defy us, what are we to do? I don't hit harder than I can help, and if
Jonah Harris would leave his head unguarded I could not help hitting
it."
"I tell you it won't do, Walter," Giles said. "You will be getting yourself
into sore trouble. You are growing too masterful altogether, and have
none of the quiet demeanour and peaceful air which becomes an honest
citizen. In another six months you will be apprenticed, and then I hope
we shall hear no more of these doings."
"My father is talking of apprenticing me, Master Geoffrey," Walter said
that evening. "I hope that you will, as you were good enough to
promise, talk with him about apprenticing me to your craft rather than
to his. I should never take to the making of bows, though, indeed, I like
well to use them; and Will Parker, who is teaching me says that I show
rare promise; but it would never be to my taste to stand all day sawing,
and smoothing, and polishing. One bow is to me much like another,
though my father holds that there are rare differences between them;
but it is a nobler craft to work on iron, and next to using arms the most
pleasant thing surely is to make them. One can fancy what good blows
the sword will give and what hard knocks the armour will turn aside;
but some day, Master Geoffrey, when I have served my time, I mean to
follow the army. There is always work there for armourers to do, and
sometimes at a pinch they may even get their share of fighting."
Walter did not venture to say that he would prefer to be a man-at-arms,
for such a sentiment would be deemed as outrageous in the ears of a
quiet city craftsman as would the proposal of the son of such a man
nowadays to enlist as a soldier. The armourer smiled; he knew well
enough what was in Walter's mind. It