Sword of Camelot by Gilbert L. Morris

how much I'd missed a good horse. Of course, it goes with the territory, trying to knock somebody off with a stick, but I love that horse!”
    He'd been given his own horse now and spent hours grooming him.
    â€œYou're our hope, Reb, ” Josh said. “All the rest of us can barely stay on one of those things.”
    Reb leaned back in his chair, laced his fingers behind his head, and said quietly, “I'll—I'll do the best I can—and that's all a bluenosed mule can do!”

6
A Home in the Forest
    L ife at Camelot went on pleasantly for the young visitors. The lessons in chivalry continued, though, much to the disgust of Josh—and to the delight of the two girls.
    There was, they soon discovered, an entire code of chivalry. If a woman liked a knight, she would wear a certain flower in a certain position in her hair. The knight recognized this at once as a message that he was to continue his pursuit.
    â€œOh, I think it is so exciting,” Abigail said. “Don't you, Reb?”
    The tall blond boy glanced at her and grinned slightly. “Well,” he drawled, “I suppose for girls it's all right.”
    The Sleepers were riding along a forest path. Elendar had encouraged them to travel as much as possible to learn the lay of the land. “You never know,” he said, “when you'll need to find your way quickly. When trouble comes, it will come like lightning.”
    They had left the castle early that morning, had ridden long, and now, as the sun was high in the sky, had grown hungry.
    Jake said, “Look, there's a little house over there. Maybe we can buy something to eat.”
    Josh shook his head. “They don't use money here, Jake—not very much. At least the poor people don't. Though we could trade them something. I'm hungry myself. Let's go have a look.”
    The shack they approached, Josh saw, was not impressive. Like the houses of most of the poor people, itwas small, made out of several kinds of material such as clay and wattle, and crowned with the inevitable thatched roof.
    As they entered the cleared area that lay behind the house, a group of children scattered. Two of them hid behind their mother, who had come out to stare at the visitors.
    The man who was plowing in the field stopped the oxen and came running to them. He was a little man with a thatch of coal-colored hair. He was undersized, as were all the people in this world, and he yanked off his cap and tugged at his forelock in a gesture of submission. “Good day, kind sirs. Be ye lost in the forest?”
    â€œOh, no,” Josh said, “we're just out for a ride.” He looked doubtfully at the man and then glanced over at the woman. Fear was in her eyes. I wonder what she's afraid of? he asked himself. Aloud he said, “I wonder if we might rest awhile here? We are thirsty, and perhaps you might sell us some food.”
    The man cast a curious glance at the seven, then said, “Certain, sir. If you'll get off, I'll feed and water your horses.”
    Slipping to the ground, Sarah said, “Oh, this feels good!” She stamped her feet and arched her back and groaned. “I don't see how you ride all day, Reb, without getting stiff and sore.”
    Wash whispered to Jake, “This sure is a poor-looking farm! Back home even the poorest farmer in the county would have a better place than this!”
    â€œIt's pretty bad all right,” Jake agreed. He looked about at the primitive house and at the few tools by the shed that seemed to serve as a barn. “We have to be careful not to hurt their feelings.”
    The woman came forward timidly. “We don't have much, but I'll fix what we have.”
    â€œOh, anything will be fine, ma'am,” Dave said quickly. “We're not fussy about what we eat.”
    The man had been watching. He introduced himself, saying, “My name is Will, and this is my wife, Donna.”
    The Sleepers smiled, and Sarah asked,