TO-DAY'S COMPETITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1930, Page 20

TO-DAY'S COMPETITION.

.'■ SUPPLY THE TITLE. Here is the story referred to in "Our Competition Corner". Supply a title fortius tale and try for one of the cash prizes offered. In the year 138S the Scots were again at war with England and made a stand at Yetholm, where their tactics proved sorely perplexing to the English. Above all else the English generals wanted information about the plans of the enemy and accordingly the cream of the English knighthood forsook their armour to don the robes of heralds and minstrels and drifted into the enemy territory in order to find out all they could. Knight after knight left the ranks of the English force and went into the enemies' country; some never came back and those who did were in possession of but few facts that really mattered.

It is true that the English did not lack valour, indeed their courage was of the highest, but probably none was more bold than Sir Percy of Oaks —yet as a | spy he too failed. I Arrayed in the dress of a Scottish ; squire, he rode boldly into the midst ot' ' the Scots. Fearlessly he .vent along the | roads and through the streets with Scots i all about him and drove his gallant | charger right to* the very door of the ; abandoned church which the invaders I .were using for headquarters. Fearlessly j dismounting he tethered his horse to a ]. tree and marched up the steps. At the door he was challenged, but he pompously announced himself as the servant of a Scottish lord and was admitted without further ado. Once within Sir Percy very quickly obtained the information that was so badly needed by his superiors, and he smiled inwardly at the simplicity of his task. With the plans of the Scots committed to memory he stalked to the door and walked to the tree at which ,he had left his horse. He was very much astonished to tind it had disappeared, but to raise a hue and a cry for the thief, he thought, might too readily bring suspicion 011 himself, so with a glance to right and left he strode away towards the English camp. From cover nearby two Scottish knights had watched the behaviour of this seemly vassal, and he turned and walked away from the place at which he had tethered hie mount one said to the other:— „ "I have seen many wonderful things, but here is one that I cannot understand —a man has lost his horse and makes no inquiries." When Sir Percy was well on hi.-: way the two left their cover and followed him. Very soon his destination was too apparent to warrant further investigation and the two knights rode up and made him prisoner. ". '" " Could it be that a stolen horse was the cause of the failure of all the English spies ?