Above all, the owner of the soil could still hold his head high as the veritable Socman of Minstead--that is, as holding the land in free socage, with no feudal superior, and answerable to no man lower than the king.

Knowing this, Alleyne felt some little glow of worldly pride as he looked for the first time upon the land with which so many generations of his ancestors had been associated.

He pushed on the quicker, twirling his staff merrily, and looking out at every turn of the path for some sign of the old Saxon residence.

He was suddenly arrested, however, by the appearance of a wild-looking fellow armed with a club, who sprang out from behind a tree and barred his passage.

He was a rough, powerful peasant, with cap and tunic of untanned sheepskin, leather breeches, and galligaskins round legs and feet.
"Stand!" he shouted, raising his heavy cudgel to enforce the order.