He got up, and returning slowly towards the camp, passed on his way the drinking-place, where a groom was watering some horses.  The man called to him to help hold a spirited charger, and Felix mechanically did as he was asked.  The fellow’s mates had left him to do their work, and there were too many horses for him to manage.  Felix led the charger for him back to the camp, and in return was asked to drink.  He preferred food, and a plentiful supply was put before him.  The groom, gossiping as he attended to his duties, said that he always welcomed the beginning of a war, for they were often half starved, and had to gnaw the bones, like the dogs, in peace.  But when war was declared, vast quantities of provisions were got together, and everybody gorged at their will.  The very dogs battened; he pointed to half a dozen who were tearing a raw shoulder of mutton to pieces.  Before the campaign was over, those very dogs might starve.  To what “war” did Felix belong?  He replied to the king’s levy.

The groom said that this was the king’s levy where they were; but under whose command was he?  This puzzled Felix, who did not know what to say, and ended by telling the truth, and begging the fellow to advise him, as he feared to lose his liberty.  The man said he had better stay where he was, and serve with him under Master Lacy, who was mean enough in the city, but liked to appear liberal when thus consorting with knights and gentlemen.

Master Lacy was a merchant of Aisi, an owner of vessels.  Like most of his fellows, when war came so close home, he was almost obliged to join the king’s levy.  Had he not done so it would have been recorded against him as a lack of loyalty.  His privileges would have been taken from him, possibly the wealth he had accumulated seized, and himself reduced to slavery.  Lacy, therefore, put on armour, and accompanied the king to the camp.  Thus Felix, after all his aspirations, found himself serving as the knave of a mere citizen.

He had to take the horses down to water, to scour arms, to fetch wood from the forest for the fire.  He was at the beck and call of all the other men, who never scrupled to use his services, and, observing that he never refused, put upon him all the more.  On the other hand, when there was nothing doing, they were very kind and even thoughtful.  They shared the best with him, brought wine occasionally (wine was scarce, though ale plentiful) as a delicacy, and one, who had dexterously taken a purse, presented him with half a dozen copper coins as his share of the plunder.  Felix, grown wiser by experience, did not dare refuse the stolen money, it would have been considered as the greatest insult; he watched his opportunity and threw it away.