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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12308 ***
+
+                           WINNING HIS SPURS
+
+                        A Tale of the Crusades.
+
+                            BY G. A. HENTY
+
+                                1895
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.     THE OUTLAWS
+CHAPTER II.    A RESCUE
+CHAPTER III.   THE CAPTURE OF WORTHAM HOLD
+CHAPTER IV.    THE CRUSADES
+CHAPTER V.     PREPARATIONS
+CHAPTER VI.    THE LISTS
+CHAPTER VII.   REVENGE
+CHAPTER VIII.  THE ATTACK
+CHAPTER IX.    THE PRINCESS BERENGARIA
+CHAPTER X.     PIRATES
+CHAPTER XI.    IN THE HOLY LAND
+CHAPTER XII.   THE ACCOLADE
+CHAPTER XIII.  IN THE HANDS OF THE SARACENS
+CHAPTER XIV.   AN EFFORT FOR FREEDOM
+CHAPTER XV.    A HERMIT'S TALE
+CHAPTER XVI.   A FIGHT OF HEROES
+CHAPTER XVII.  AN ALFINE STORM
+CHAPTER XVIII. SENTENCED TO DEATH
+CHAPTER XIX.   DRESDEN
+CHAPTER XX.    UNDER THE GREENWOOD
+CHAPTER XXI.   THE ATTEMPT ON THE CONVENT
+CHAPTER XXII.  A DASTARDLY STRATAGEM
+CHAPTER XXIII. THE FALSE AND PERJURED KNIGHT
+CHAPTER XXIV.  THE SIEGE OF EVESHAM CASTLE
+CHAPTER XXV.   IN SEARCH OF THE KING
+CHAPTER XXVI.  KING RICHARD'S RETURN TO ENGLAND
+
+
+
+
+WINNING HIS SPURS.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+THE OUTLAWS.
+
+
+It was a bright morning in the month of August, when a lad of some
+fifteen years of age, sitting on a low wall, watched party after party of
+armed men riding up to the castle of the Earl of Evesham. A casual
+observer glancing at his curling hair and bright open face, as also at
+the fashion of his dress, would at once have assigned to him a purely
+Saxon origin; but a keener eye would have detected signs that Norman
+blood ran also in his veins, for his figure was lither and lighter, his
+features more straightly and shapely cut, than was common among Saxons.
+His dress consisted of a tight-fitting jerkin, descending nearly to his
+knees. The material was a light-blue cloth, while over his shoulder hung
+a short cloak of a darker hue. His cap was of Saxon fashion, and he wore
+on one side a little plume of a heron. In a somewhat costly belt hung a
+light short sword, while across his knees lay a crossbow, in itself
+almost a sure sign of its bearer being of other than Saxon blood. The boy
+looked anxiously as party after party rode past towards the castle.
+
+"I would give something," he said, "to know what wind blows these knaves
+here. From every petty castle in the Earl's feu the retainers seem
+hurrying here. Is he bent, I wonder, on settling once and for all his
+quarrels with the Baron of Wortham? or can he be intending to make a
+clear sweep of the woods? Ah! here comes my gossip Hubert; he may tell me
+the meaning of this gathering."
+
+Leaping to his feet, the speaker started at a brisk walk to meet a
+jovial-looking personage coming down from the direction of the castle.
+The new comer was dressed in the attire of a falconer, and two dogs
+followed at his heels.
+
+"Ah, Master Cuthbert," he said, "what brings you so near to the castle?
+It is not often that you favour us with your presence."
+
+"I am happier in the woods, as you well know, and was on my way thither
+but now, when I paused at the sight of all these troopers flocking in to
+Evesham. What enterprise has Sir Walter on hand now, think you?"
+
+"The earl keeps his own counsel," said the falconer, "but methinks a
+shrewd guess might be made at the purport of the gathering. It was but
+three days since that his foresters were beaten back by the landless
+men, whom they caught in the very act of cutting up a fat buck. As thou
+knowest, my lord though easy and well-disposed to all, and not fond of
+harassing and driving the people as are many of his neighbours, is yet
+to the full as fanatical anent his forest privileges as the worst of
+them. They tell me that when the news came in of the poor figure that
+his foresters cut with broken bows and draggled plumes--for the varlets
+had soused them in a pond of not over savoury water--he swore a great
+oath that he would clear the forest of the bands. It may be, indeed,
+that this gathering is for the purpose of falling in force upon that
+evil-disposed and most treacherous baron, Sir John of Wortham, who has
+already begun to harry some of the outlying lands, and has driven off, I
+hear, many heads of cattle. It is a quarrel which will have to be fought
+out sooner or later, and the sooner the better, say I. Although I am no
+man of war, and love looking after my falcons or giving food to my dogs
+far more than exchanging hard blows, yet would I gladly don the buff and
+steel coat to aid in levelling the keep of that robber and tyrant, Sir
+John of Wortham."
+
+"Thanks, good Hubert," said the lad. "I must not stand gossiping here.
+The news you have told me, as you know, touches me closely, for I would
+not that harm should come to the forest men."
+
+"Let it not out, I beseech thee, Cuthbert, that the news came from me,
+for temperate as Sir Walter is at most times, he would, methinks, give
+me short shift did he know that the wagging of my tongue might have
+given warning through which the outlaws of the Chase should slip through
+his fingers."
+
+"Fear not, Hubert; I can be mum when the occasion needs. Can you tell me
+farther, when the bands now gathering are likely to set forth?"
+
+"In brief breathing space," the falconer replied. "Those who first
+arrived I left swilling beer, and devouring pies and other provisions
+cooked for them last night, and from what I hear, they will set forth as
+soon as the last comer has arrived. Whichever be their quarry, they will
+try to fall upon it before the news of their arrival is bruited abroad."
+
+With a wave of his hand to the falconer the boy started. Leaving the
+road, and striking across the slightly undulated country dotted here
+and there by groups of trees, the lad ran at a brisk trot, without
+stopping to halt or breathe, until after half an hour's run he arrived
+at the entrance of a building, whose aspect proclaimed it to be the
+abode of a Saxon franklin of some importance. It would not be called a
+castle, but was rather a fortified house, with a few windows looking
+without, and surrounded by a moat crossed by a drawbridge, and capable
+of sustaining anything short of a real attack. Erstwood had but lately
+passed into Norman hands, and was indeed at present owned by a Saxon.
+Sir William de Lance, the father of the lad who is now entering its
+portals, was a friend and follower of the Earl of Evesham; and soon
+after his lord had married Gweneth the heiress of all these fair
+lands--given to him by the will of the king, to whom by the death of
+her father she became a ward--Sir William had married Editha, the
+daughter and heiress of the franklin of Erstwood, a cousin and dear
+friend of the new Countess of Evesham.
+
+In neither couple could the marriage at first have been called one of
+inclination on the part of the ladies, but love came after marriage.
+Although the knights and barons of the Norman invasion would, no doubt,
+be considered rude and rough in these days of broadcloth and
+civilization, yet their manners were gentle and polished by the side of
+those of the rough though kindly Saxon franklins; and although the Saxon
+maids were doubtless as patriotic as their fathers and mothers, yet the
+female mind is greatly led by gentle manners and courteous address. Thus
+then, when bidden or forced to give their hands to the Norman knights,
+they speedily accepted their lot, and for the most part grew contented
+and happy enough. In their changed circumstances it was pleasanter to
+ride by the side of their Norman husbands, surrounded by a gay cavalcade,
+to hawk and to hunt, than to discharge the quiet duties of mistress of a
+Saxon farm-house. In many cases, of course, their lot was rendered
+wretched by the violence and brutality of their lords; but in the
+majority they were well satisfied with their lot, and these mixed
+marriages did more to bring the peoples together and weld them in one,
+than all the laws and decrees of the Norman sovereigns.
+
+This had certainly been the case with Editha, whose marriage with Sir
+William had been one of the greatest happiness. She had lost him, three
+years before the story begins, fighting in Normandy, in one of the
+innumerable wars in which our first Norman kings were constantly
+involved. On entering the gates of Erstwood, Cuthbert had rushed hastily
+to the room where his mother was sitting with three or four of her
+maidens, engaged in work.
+
+"I want to speak to you at once, mother," he said.
+
+"What is it now, my son?" said his mother, who was still young and very
+comely. Waving her hand to the girls, they left her.
+
+"Mother," he said, when they were alone, "I fear me that Sir Walter is
+about to make a great raid upon the outlaws. Armed men have been coming
+in all the morning from the castles round, and if it be not against the
+Baron de Wortham that these preparations are intended, and methinks it is
+not, it must needs be against the landless men."
+
+"What would you do, Cuthbert?" his mother asked anxiously. "It will not
+do for you to be found meddling in these matters. At present you stand
+well in the favour of the Earl, who loves you for the sake of his
+wife, to whom you are kin, and of your father, who did him good
+liegeman's service."
+
+"But, mother, I have many friends in the wood. There is Cnut, their
+chief, your own first cousin, and many others of our friends, all
+good men and true, though forced by the cruel Norman laws to refuge
+in the woods."
+
+"What would you do?" again his mother asked.
+
+"I would take Ronald my pony and ride to warn them of the danger that
+threatens."
+
+"You had best go on foot, my son. Doubtless men have been set to see that
+none from the Saxon homesteads carry the warning to the woods. The
+distance is not beyond your reach, for you have often wandered there, and
+on foot you can evade the eye of the watchers; but one thing, my son, you
+must promise, and that is, that in no case, should the Earl and his bands
+meet with the outlaws, will you take part in any fray or struggle."
+
+"That will I willingly, mother," he said. "I have no cause for offence
+against the castle or the forest, and my blood and my kin are with both.
+I would fain save shedding of blood in a quarrel like this. I hope that
+the time may come when Saxon and Norman may fight side by side, and I
+maybe there to see."
+
+A few minutes later, having changed his blue doublet for one of more
+sober and less noticeable colour, Cuthbert started for the great forest,
+which then stretched to within a mile of Erstwood. In those days a large
+part of the country was covered with forest, and the policy of the
+Normans in preserving these woods for the chase, tended to prevent the
+increase of cultivation.
+
+The farms and cultivated lands were all held by Saxons, who although
+nominally handed over to the nobles to whom William and his successors
+had given the fiefs, saw but little of their Norman masters. These stood,
+indeed, much in the position in which landlords stand to their tenants,
+payment being made, for the most part, in produce. At the edge of the
+wood the trees grew comparatively far apart, but as Cuthbert proceeded
+farther into its recesses, the trees in the virgin forest stood thick and
+close together. Here and there open glades ran across each other, and in
+these his sharp eye, accustomed to the forest, could often see the stags
+starting away at the sound of his footsteps.
+
+It was a full hour's journey before Cuthbert reached the point for
+which he was bound. Here, in an open space, probably cleared by a storm
+ages before, and overshadowed by giant trees, was a group of men of all
+ages and appearances. Some were occupied in stripping the skin off a
+buck which hung from the bough of one of the trees. Others were
+roasting portions of the carcass of another deer. A few sat apart, some
+talking, others busy in making arrows, while a few lay asleep on the
+greensward. As Cuthbert entered the clearing, several of the party rose
+to their feet.
+
+"Ah, Cuthbert," shouted a man of almost gigantic stature, who appeared to
+be one of the leaders of the party, "what brings you here, lad, so early?
+You are not wont to visit us till even, when you can lay your crossbow at
+a stag by moonlight."
+
+"No, no, Cousin Cnut," Cuthbert said, "thou canst not say that I have
+ever broken the forest laws, though I have looked on often and often,
+whilst you have done so."
+
+"The abettor is as bad as the thief," laughed Cnut, "and if the foresters
+caught us in the act, I wot they would make but little difference whether
+it was the shaft of my longbow or the quarrel from thy crossbow which
+brought down the quarry. But again, lad, why comest thou here? for I see
+by the sweat on your face and by the heaving of your sides that you have
+run fast and far."
+
+"I have, Cnut; I have not once stopped for breathing since I left
+Erstwood. I have come to warn you of danger. The earl is preparing
+for a raid."
+
+Cnut laughed somewhat disdainfully.
+
+"He has raided here before, and I trow has carried off no game. The
+landless men of the forest can hold their own against a handful of Norman
+knights and retainers in their own home."
+
+"Ay," said Cuthbert, "but this will be no common raid. This morning bands
+from all the holds within miles round are riding in, and at least 500
+men-at-arms are likely to do chase today."
+
+"Is it so?" said Cnut, while exclamations of surprise, but not of
+apprehension, broke from those standing round. "If that be so, lad, you
+have done us good service indeed. With fair warning we can slip through
+the fingers of ten times 500 men, but if they came upon us unawares, and
+hemmed us in it would fare but badly with us, though we should, I doubt
+not give a good account of them before their battle-axes and maces ended
+the strife. Have you any idea by which road they will enter the forest,
+or what are their intentions?"
+
+"I know not," Cuthbert said; "all that I gathered was that the earl
+intended to sweep the forest, and to put an end to the breaches of the
+laws, not to say of the rough treatment that his foresters have met with
+at your hands. You had best, methinks, be off before Sir Walter and his
+heavily-armed men are here. The forest, large as it is, will scarce hold
+you both, and methinks you had best shift your quarters to Langholm Chase
+until the storm has passed."
+
+"To Langholm be it, then," said Cnut, "though I love not the place. Sir
+John of Wortham is a worse neighbour by far than the earl. Against the
+latter we bear no malice, he is a good knight and a fair lord; and could
+he free himself of the Norman notions that the birds of the air, and the
+beasts of the field, and the fishes of the water, all belong to Normans,
+and that we Saxons have no share in them, I should have no quarrel with
+him. He grinds not his neighbours, he is content with a fair tithe of the
+produce, and as between man and man is a fair judge without favour. The
+baron is a fiend incarnate; did he not fear that he would lose by so
+doing, he would gladly cut the throats, or burn, or drown, or hang every
+Saxon within twenty miles of his hold. He is a disgrace to his order, and
+some day when our band gathers a little stronger, we will burn his nest
+about his ears."
+
+"It will be a hard nut to crack," Cuthbert said, laughing. "With such
+arms as you have in the forest the enterprise would be something akin to
+scaling the skies."
+
+"Ladders and axes will go far, lad, and the Norman men-at-arms have
+learned to dread our shafts. But enough of the baron; if we must be his
+neighbours for a time, so be it."
+
+"You have heard, my mates," he said, turning to his comrades gathered
+around him, "what Cuthbert tells us. Are you of my opinion, that it is
+better to move away till the storm is past, than to fight against heavy
+odds, without much chance of either booty or victory?"
+
+A general chorus proclaimed that the outlaws approved of the proposal for
+a move to Langholm Chase. The preparations were simple. Bows were taken
+down from the boughs on which they were hanging, quivers slung across the
+backs, short cloaks thrown over the shoulders. The deer was hurriedly
+dismembered, and the joints fastened to a pole slung on the shoulders of
+two of the men. The drinking-cups, some of which were of silver, looking
+strangely out of place among the rough horn implements and platters, were
+bundled together, carried a short distance and dropped among some thick
+bushes for safety; and then the band started for Wortham.
+
+With a cordial farewell and many thanks to Cuthbert, who declined their
+invitations to accompany them, the retreat to Langholm commenced.
+
+Cuthbert, not knowing in which direction the bands were likely to
+approach, remained for a while motionless, intently listening.
+
+In a quarter of an hour he heard the distant note of a bugle.
+
+It was answered in three different directions, and Cuthbert, who knew
+every path and glade of the forest, was able pretty accurately to surmise
+those by which the various bands were commencing to enter the wood.
+
+Knowing that they were still a long way off, he advanced as rapidly as he
+could in the direction in which they were coming. When by the sound of
+distant voices and the breaking of branches he knew that one at least of
+the parties was near at hand, he rapidly climbed a thick tree and
+ensconced himself in the branches, and there watched, secure and hidden
+from the sharpest eye, the passage of a body of men-at-arms fully a
+hundred strong, led by Sir Walter himself, accompanied by some half
+dozen of his knights.
+
+When they had passed, Cuthbert again slipped down the tree and made at
+all speed for home. He reached it, so far as he knew without having been
+observed by a single passer-by.
+
+After a brief talk with his mother, he started for the castle, as his
+appearance there would divert any suspicion that might arise; and it
+would also appear natural that seeing the movements of so large a body of
+men, he should go up to gossip with his acquaintances there.
+
+When distant a mile from Evesham, he came upon a small party.
+
+On a white palfrey rode Margaret, the little daughter of the earl. She
+was accompanied by her nurse and two retainers on foot.
+
+Cuthbert--who was a great favourite with the earl's daughter, for whom
+he frequently brought pets, such as nests of young owlets, falcons, and
+other creatures--was about to join the party when from a clump of trees
+near burst a body of ten mounted men.
+
+Without a word they rode straight at the astonished group. The
+retainers were cut to the ground before they had thought of drawing a
+sword in defence.
+
+The nurse was slain by a blow with a battle-axe, and Margaret, snatched
+from her palfrey, was thrown across the saddle-bow of one of the mounted
+men, who then with his comrades dashed off at full speed.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+A RESCUE.
+
+
+The whole of the startling scene of the abduction of the Earl of
+Evesham's daughter occupied but a few seconds. Cuthbert was so astounded
+at the sudden calamity that he remained rooted to the ground at the spot
+where, fortunately for himself, unnoticed by the assailants, he had stood
+when they first burst from their concealment.
+
+For a short time he hesitated as to the course he should take.
+
+The men-at-arms who remained in the castle were scarce strong enough to
+rescue the child, whose captors would no doubt be reinforced by a far
+stronger party lurking near.
+
+The main body of Sir Walter's followers were deep in the recesses of the
+forest, and this lay altogether out of the line for Wortham, and there
+would be no chance whatever of bringing them up in time to cut off the
+marauders on their way back.
+
+There remained only the outlaws, who by this time would be in Langholm
+Forest, perhaps within a mile or two of the castle itself.
+
+The road by which the horsemen would travel would be far longer than the
+direct line across country, and he resolved at once to strain every nerve
+to reach his friends in time to get them to interpose between the captors
+of the Lady Margaret and their stronghold.
+
+For an instant he hesitated whether to run back to Erstwood to get a
+horse; but he decided that it would be as quick to go on foot, and far
+easier so to find the outlaws.
+
+These thoughts occupied but a few moments, and he at once started at the
+top of his speed for his long run across the country.
+
+Had Cuthbert been running in a race of hare and hound, he would assuredly
+have borne away the prize from most boys of his age. At headlong pace he
+made across the country, every foot of which, as far as the edge of
+Langholm Chase, he knew by heart.
+
+The distance to the woods was some twelve miles, and in an hour and a
+half from the moment of his starting Cuthbert was deep within its shades.
+Where he would be likely to find the outlaws he knew not; and, putting a
+whistle to his lips, he shrilly blew the signal, which would, he knew, be
+recognized by any of the band within hearing.
+
+He thought that he heard an answer, but was not certain, and again dashed
+forward, almost as speedily as if he had but just started.
+
+Five minutes later a man stood in the glade up which he was running. He
+recognized him at once as one of Cnut's party.
+
+"Where are the band?" he gasped.
+
+"Half a mile or so to the right," replied the man.
+
+Guided by the man, Cuthbert ran at full speed, till, panting and scarce
+able to speak, he arrived at the spot where Cnut's band were gathered.
+
+In a few words he told them what had happened, and although they had just
+been chased by the father of the captured child, there was not a moment
+of hesitation in promising their aid to rescue her from a man whom they
+regarded as a far more bitter enemy, both of themselves and their race.
+
+"I fear we shall be too late to cut them off," Cnut said, "they have so
+long a start; but at least we will waste no time in gossiping."
+
+Winding a horn to call together some of the members of the band who had
+scattered, and leaving one at the meeting-place to give instructions to
+the rest, Cnut, followed by those assembled there, went off at a swinging
+trot through the glades towards Wortham Castle.
+
+After a rapid calculation of distances, and allowing for the fact that
+the baron's men--knowing that Sir Walter's retainers and friends were all
+deep in the forest, and even if they heard of the outrage could not be on
+their traces for hours--would take matters quietly, Cnut concluded that
+they had arrived in time.
+
+Turning off, they made their way along the edge of the wood to the point
+where the road from Evesham ran through the forest.
+
+Scarcely had the party reached this point when they heard a faint
+clatter of steel.
+
+"Here they come!" exclaimed Cuthbert.
+
+Cnut gave rapid directions, and the band took up their posts behind the
+trees, on either side of the path.
+
+"Remember," Cnut said, "above all things be careful not to hit the child,
+but pierce the horse on which she is riding. The instant he falls, rush
+forward. We must trust to surprise to give us the victory."
+
+Three minutes later the head of a band of horsemen was seen through the
+trees. They were some thirty in number, and, closely grouped as they were
+together, the watchers behind the trees could not see the form of the
+child carried in their midst.
+
+When they came abreast of the concealed outlaws, Cnut gave a sharp
+whistle, and fifty arrows flew from tree and bush into the closely
+gathered party of horsemen. More than half their number fell at once;
+some, drawing their swords, endeavoured to rush at their concealed foes,
+while others dashed forward in the hope of riding through the snare into
+which they had fallen. Cuthbert had levelled his crossbow, but had not
+fired; he was watching with intense anxiety for a glimpse of the
+bright-coloured dress of the child. Soon he saw a horseman separate
+himself from the rest and dash forward at full speed. Several arrows flew
+by him, and one or two struck the horse on which he rode.
+
+The animal, however, kept on its way.
+
+Cuthbert levelled his crossbow on the low arm of a tree, and as the rider
+came abreast of him touched the trigger, and the steel-pointed quarrel
+flew true and strong against the temple of the passing horseman. He fell
+from his horse like a stone and the well-trained animal at once stood
+still by the side of his rider.
+
+Cuthbert leapt forward, and to his delight the child at once opened her
+arms and cried in a joyous tone,--
+
+"Cuthbert!"
+
+The fight was still raging fiercely, and Cuthbert, raising her from the
+ground, ran with her into the wood, where they remained hidden until the
+combat ceased, and the last survivors of the Baron's band had ridden past
+towards the castle.
+
+Then Cuthbert went forward with his charge and joined the band of
+outlaws, who, absorbed in the fight, had not witnessed the incident of
+her rescue, and now received them with loud shouts of joy and triumph.
+
+"This is a good day's work indeed for all," Cuthbert said; "it will make
+of the earl a firm friend instead of a bitter enemy; and I doubt not that
+better days are dawning for Evesham Forest."
+
+A litter was speedily made with boughs, on this Margaret was placed, and
+on the shoulders of two stout foresters started for home, Cnut and
+Cuthbert walking beside, and a few of the band keeping at a short
+distance behind, as a sort of rear-guard should the Baron attempt to
+regain his prey.
+
+There was now no cause for speed, and Cuthbert in truth could scarce drag
+one foot before another, for he had already traversed over twenty miles,
+the greater portion of the distance at his highest rate of speed.
+
+Cnut offered to have a litter made for him also, but this Cuthbert
+indignantly refused; however, in the forest they came upon the hut of a
+small cultivator, who had a rough forest pony, which was borrowed for
+Cuthbert's use.
+
+It was late in the afternoon before they came in sight of Evesham Castle.
+From the distance could be seen bodies of armed men galloping towards it,
+and it was clear that only now the party were returning from the wood,
+and had learned the news of the disappearance of the Earl's daughter, and
+of the finding of the bodies of her attendants.
+
+Presently they met one of the mounted retainers riding at headlong speed.
+
+"Have you heard or seen anything," he shouted, as he approached, "of the
+Lady Margaret? She is missing, and foul play has taken place."
+
+"Here I am, Rudolph," cried the child, sitting up on the rude litter.
+
+The horseman gave a cry of astonishment and pleasure, and without a
+word wheeled his horse and galloped past back at headlong speed towards
+the castle.
+
+As Cuthbert and the party approached the gate, the earl himself,
+surrounded by his knights and followers, rode out hastily from the
+gate and halted in front of the little party. The litter was lowered,
+and as he dismounted from his horse his daughter sprang out and leapt
+into his arms.
+
+For a few minutes the confusion and babble of tongues were too great for
+anything to be heard, but Cuthbert, as soon as order was somewhat
+restored, stated what had happened, and the earl was moved to fury at the
+news of the outrage which had been perpetrated by the Baron of Wortham
+upon his daughter and at the very gates of his castle, and also at the
+thought that she should have been saved by the bravery and devotion of
+the very men against whom he had so lately been vowing vengeance in the
+depths of the forest.
+
+"This is not a time," he said to Cnut, "for talking or making promises,
+but be assured that henceforth the deer of Evesham Chase are as free to
+you and your men as to me. Forest laws or no forest laws, I will no more
+lift a hand against men to whom I owe so much. Come when you will to the
+castle, my friends, and let us talk over what can be done to erase your
+outlawry and restore you to an honest career again."
+
+Cuthbert returned home tired, but delighted with his day's work, and Dame
+Editha was surprised indeed with the tale of adventure he had to tell.
+The next morning he went over to the castle, and heard that a grand
+council had been held the evening before, and that it had been determined
+to attack Wortham Castle and to raze it to the ground.
+
+Immediately on hearing of his arrival, the earl, after again expressing
+his gratitude for the rescue of his daughter, asked him if he would go
+into the forest and invite the outlaws to join their forces with those of
+the castle to attack the baron.
+
+Cuthbert willingly undertook the mission, as he felt that this alliance
+would further strengthen the position of the forest men.
+
+When he arrived there was some considerable consultation and discussion
+between the outlaws as to the expediency of mixing themselves in the
+quarrels between the Norman barons. However, Cnut persuaded them that as
+the Baron of Wortham was an enemy and oppressor of all Saxons, it was in
+fact their own quarrel that they were fighting rather than that of the
+earl, and they therefore agreed to give their aid, and promised to be at
+the rendezvous outside the castle to be attacked, soon after dawn next
+morning. Cuthbert returned with the news, which gave great satisfaction
+to the earl.
+
+The castle was now a scene of bustle and business; armourers were at work
+repairing head-pieces and breastplates, sharpening swords and
+battle-axes, while the fletchers prepared sheaves of arrows. In the
+courtyard a number of men were engaged oiling the catapults, ballistas,
+and other machines for hurling stones. All were discussing the chances of
+the assault, for it was no easy matter which they had set themselves to
+do. Wortham Hold was an extremely strong one, and it needed all and more
+than all the machines at their disposal to undertake so formidable an
+operation as a siege.
+
+The garrison, too, were strong and desperate; and the baron, knowing what
+must follow his outrage of the day before, would have been sure to send
+off messengers round the country begging his friends to come to his
+assistance. Cuthbert had begged permission of his mother to ask the earl
+to allow him to join as a volunteer, but she would not hear of it.
+Neither would she suffer him to mingle with the foresters. The utmost
+that he could obtain was that he might go as a spectator, with strict
+injunctions to keep himself out of the fray, and as far as possible
+beyond bow-shot of the castle wall.
+
+It was a force of some 400 strong that issued from the wood early next
+morning to attack the stronghold at Wortham. The force consisted of some
+ten or twelve knights and barons, some 150 or 160 Norman men-at-arms, a
+miscellaneous gathering of other retainers, 200 strong, and some eighty
+of the forest men. These last were not to fight under the earl's banner,
+but were to act on their own account. There were among them outlaws,
+escaped serfs, and some men guilty of bloodshed. The earl then could not
+have suffered these men to fight under his flag until purged in some way
+of their offences.
+
+This arrangement suited the foresters well.
+
+Their strong point was shooting; and by taking up their own position, and
+following their own tactics, under the leadership of Cnut, they would be
+able to do far more execution, and that with less risk to themselves,
+than if compelled to fight according to the fashion of the Normans.
+
+As they approached the castle a trumpet was blown, and the herald,
+advancing, demanded its surrender, stigmatized the Baron of Wortham as a
+false knight and a disgrace to his class, and warned all those within
+the castle to abstain from giving him aid or countenance, but to submit
+themselves to the earl, Sir Walter of Evesham, the representative of
+King Richard.
+
+The reply to the summons was a burst of taunting laughter from the walls;
+and scarcely had the herald withdrawn, than a flight of arrows showed
+that the besieged were perfectly ready for the fray.
+
+Indeed, the baron had not been idle. Already the dispute between himself
+and the earl had come to such a point that it was certain that sooner or
+later open hostilities would break out.
+
+He had therefore been for some time quietly accumulating a large store
+of provisions and munitions of war, and strengthening the castle in
+every way.
+
+The moat had been cleaned out, and filled to the brim with water. Great
+quantities of heavy stones had been accumulated on the most exposed
+points of the walls, in readiness to hurl upon any who might try to
+climb. Huge sheaves of arrows and piles of crossbow bolts, were in
+readiness, and in all, save the number of men, Wortham had for weeks been
+prepared for the siege.
+
+On the day when the attempt to carry off the earl's daughter had failed,
+the baron, seeing that his bold stroke to obtain a hostage which would
+have enabled him to make his own terms with the earl, had been thwarted,
+knew that the struggle was inevitable.
+
+Fleet messengers had been sent in all directions. To Gloucester and
+Hereford, Stafford, and even Oxford, men had ridden, with letters to the
+baron's friends, beseeching them to march to his assistance.
+
+"I can," he said, "defend my hold for weeks. But it is only by aid
+from without that I can finally hope to break the power of this
+braggart earl."
+
+Many of those to whom he addressed his call had speedily complied with
+his demand, while those at a distance might be expected to reply later to
+the appeal.
+
+There were many among the barons who considered the mildness of the Earl
+of Evesham towards the Saxons in his district to be a mistake, and who,
+although not actually approving of the tyranny and brutality of the Baron
+of Wortham, yet looked upon his cause to some extent as their own.
+
+The Castle of Wortham stood upon ground but very slightly elevated above
+the surrounding country. A deep and wide moat ran round it, and this
+could, by diverting a rivulet, be filled at will.
+
+From the edge of the moat the walls rose high, and with strong flanking
+towers and battlements.
+
+There were strong works also beyond the moat opposite to the drawbridge;
+while in the centre of the castle rose the keep, from whose summit the
+archers, and the machines for casting stones and darts, could command
+the whole circuit of defence.
+
+As Cuthbert, accompanied by one of the hinds of the farm, took his post
+high up in a lofty tree, where at his ease he could command a view of the
+proceedings, he marvelled much in what manner an attack upon so fair a
+fortress would be commenced.
+
+"It will be straightforward work to attack the outwork," he said, "but
+that once won, I see not how we are to proceed against the castle itself.
+The machines that the earl has will scarcely hurl stones strong enough
+even to knock the mortar from the walls. Ladders are useless where they
+cannot be planted; and if the garrison are as brave as the castle is
+strong, methinks that the earl has embarked upon a business that will
+keep him here till next spring."
+
+There was little time lost in commencing the conflict.
+
+The foresters, skirmishing up near to the castle, and taking advantage
+of every inequality in the ground, of every bush and tuft of high grass,
+worked up close to the moat, and then opened a heavy fire with their
+bows against the men-at-arms on the battlements, and prevented their
+using the machines against the main force now advancing to the attack
+upon the outwork.
+
+This was stoutly defended. But the impetuosity of the earl, backed as it
+was by the gallantry of the knights serving under him, carried all
+obstacles.
+
+The narrow moat which encircled this work was speedily filled with great
+bundles of brushwood, which had been prepared the previous night. Across
+these the assailants rushed.
+
+Some thundered at the gate with their battle-axes, while others placed
+ladders by which, although several times hurled backwards by the
+defenders, they finally succeeded in getting a footing on the wall.
+
+Once there, the combat was virtually over.
+
+The defenders were either cut down or taken prisoners, and in two hours
+after the assault began, the outwork of Wortham Castle was taken.
+
+This, however, was but the commencement of the undertaking, and it had
+cost more than twenty lives to the assailants.
+
+They were now, indeed, little nearer to capturing the castle than they
+had been before.
+
+The moat was wide and deep. The drawbridge had been lifted at the instant
+that the first of the assailants gained a footing upon the wall. And now
+that the outwork was captured, a storm of arrows, stones, and other
+missiles was poured into it from the castle walls, and rendered it
+impossible for any of its new masters, to show themselves above it.
+
+Seeing that any sudden attack was impossible, the earl now directed a
+strong body to cut down trees, and prepare a movable bridge to throw
+across the moat.
+
+This would be a work of fully two days; and in the meantime Cuthbert
+returned to the farm.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+THE CAPTURE OF WORTHAM HOLD.
+
+
+Upon his return home, after relating to his mother the events of the
+morning's conflict, Cuthbert took his way to the cottage inhabited by an
+old man who had in his youth been a mason.
+
+"Have I not heard, Gurth," he said, "that you helped to build the Castle
+of Wortham?"
+
+"No, no, young sir," he said; "old as I am, I was a child when the
+castle was built. My father worked at it, and it cost him, and many
+others, his life."
+
+"And how was that, prithee?" asked Cuthbert.
+
+"He was, with several others, killed by the baron, the grandfather of the
+present man, when the work was finished."
+
+"But why was that, Gurth?"
+
+"We were but Saxon swine," said Gurth bitterly, "and a few of us more or
+less mattered not. We were then serfs of the baron. But my mother fled
+with me on the news of my father's death. For years we remained far away,
+with some friends in a forest near Oxford. Then she pined for her native
+air, and came back and entered the service of the franklin."
+
+"But why should your mother have taken you away?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"She always believed, Master Cuthbert, that my father was killed by the
+baron, to prevent him giving any news of the secrets of the castle. He
+and some others had been kept in the walls for many months, and were
+engaged in the making of secret passages."
+
+"That is just what I came to ask you, Gurth. I have heard something of
+this story before, and now that we are attacking Wortham Castle, and the
+earl has sworn to level it to the ground, it is of importance if possible
+to find out whether any of the secret passages lead beyond the castle,
+and if so, where. Almost all the castles have, I have been told, an exit
+by which the garrison can at will make sorties or escape; and I thought
+that maybe you might have heard enough to give us some clue as to the
+existence of such a passage at Wortham."
+
+The old man thought for some time in silence, and then said,--
+
+"I may be mistaken, but methinks a diligent search in the copse near the
+stream might find the mouth of the outlet."
+
+"What makes you think that this is so, Gurth?"
+
+"I had been with my mother to carry some clothes to my father on the last
+occasion on which I saw him. As we neared the castle I saw my father and
+three other of the workmen, together with the baron, coming down from the
+castle towards the spot. As my mother did not wish to approach while the
+baron was at hand, we stood within the trees at the edge of the wood, and
+watched what was being done. The baron came with them down to the bushes,
+and then they again came out, crossed the river, and one of them cut some
+willows, peeled them, and erected the white staves in a line towards the
+castle. They walked for a bit on each side, and seemed to be making
+calculations. Then they went back into the castle, and I never saw my
+father again."
+
+"Why did you not go in at once according to your intention?"
+
+"Because my mother said that she thought some important work was on
+hand, and that maybe the baron would not like that women should know
+aught of it, for he was of suspicious and evil mind. More than this I
+know not. The castle had already been finished, and most of the masons
+discharged. There were, however, a party of serfs kept at work, and also
+some masons, and rumour had it that they were engaged in making the
+secret passages. Whether it was so or not I cannot say, but I know that
+none of that party ever left the castle alive. It was given out that a
+bad fever had raged there, but none believed it; and the report went
+about, and was I doubt not true, that all had been killed, to preserve
+the secret of the passage."
+
+Cuthbert lost no time in making use of the information that he had
+gained.
+
+Early next morning, at daybreak, he started on his pony to Wortham.
+
+As he did not wish the earl or his followers to know the facts that
+he had learned until they were proved, he made his way round the camp
+of the besiegers, and by means of his whistle called one of the
+foresters to him.
+
+"Where is Cnut?" he asked.
+
+"He is with a party occupied in making ladders."
+
+"Go to him," Cuthbert said, "and tell him to withdraw quietly and
+make his way here. I have an important matter on which I wish to
+speak to him,'"
+
+Cnut arrived in a few minutes, somewhat wondering at the message. He
+brightened greatly when Cuthbert told him what he had learned.
+
+"This is indeed important," he said. "We will lose no time in searching
+the copse you speak of. You and I, together with two of my most trusty
+men, with axes to clear away the brush, will do. At present a thing of
+this sort had best be kept between as few as may be."
+
+They started at once and soon came down upon the stream.
+
+It ran at this point in a little valley, some twenty or thirty feet deep.
+On the bank not far from the castle grew a small wood, and it was in this
+that Cuthbert hoped to find the passage spoken of by Gurth.
+
+The trees and brushwood were so thick that it was apparent at once that
+if the passage had ever existed it had been unused for some years.
+
+The woodmen were obliged to chop down dozens of young saplings to make
+their way up from the water towards the steeper part of the bank.
+
+The wood was some fifty yards in length, and as it was uncertain at which
+point the passage had come out, a very minute search had to be made.
+
+"What do you think it would be like, Cnut?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"Like enough to a rabbit-hole, or more likely still there would be no
+hole whatever. We must look for moss and greenery, for it is likely that
+such would have been planted, so as to conceal the door from any
+passer-by, while yet allowing a party from inside to cut their way
+through it without difficulty."
+
+After a search of two hours, Cnut decided that the only place in the
+copse in which it was likely that the entrance to a passage could be
+hidden, was a spot where the ground was covered thickly with ivy and
+trailing plants.
+
+"It looks level enough with the rest," Cuthbert said.
+
+"Ay, lad, but we know not what lies behind this thick screen of ivy.
+Thrust in that staff."
+
+One of the woodmen began to probe with the end of a staff among the ivy.
+For some time he was met by the solid ground, but presently the butt of
+the staff went through suddenly, pitching him on his head, amidst a
+suppressed laugh from his comrades.
+
+"Here it is, if anywhere," said Cnut, and with their billhooks they at
+once began to clear away the thickly grown creepers.
+
+Five minutes' work was sufficient to show a narrow cut, some two feet
+wide, in the hill side, at the end of which stood a low door.
+
+"Here it is," said Cnut, with triumph, "and the castle is ours. Thanks,
+Cuthbert, for your thought and intelligence. It has not been used lately,
+that is clear," he went on. "These creepers have not been moved for
+years. Shall we go and tell the earl of our discovery? What think you,
+Cuthbert?"
+
+"I think we had better not," Cuthbert said. "We might not succeed in
+getting in, as the passage may have fallen farther along; but I will
+speak to him and tell him that we have something on hand which may alter
+his dispositions for fighting to-morrow."
+
+Cuthbert made his way to the earl, who had taken possession of a small
+cottage a short distance from the castle.
+
+"What can I do for you?" Sir Walter said.
+
+"I want to ask you, sir, not to attack the castle to-morrow until you see
+a white flag waved from the keep."
+
+"But how on earth is a white flag to be raised from the keep?"
+
+"It may be," Cuthbert said, "that I have some friends inside who will be
+able to make a diversion in our favour. However sir, it can do no harm
+if you will wait till then, and may save many lives. At what hour do you
+mean to attack?"
+
+"The bridges and all other preparations to assist us across the moat will
+be ready to-night. We will advance then under cover of darkness, and as
+soon after dawn as may be attack in earnest."
+
+"Very well, sir," Cuthbert said. "I trust that within five minutes after
+your bugle has sounded, the white flag will make its appearance on the
+keep, but it cannot do so until after you have commenced an attack, or at
+least a pretence of an attack."
+
+Two or three hours before daylight Cuthbert accompanied Cnut and
+twenty-five picked men of the foresters to the copse. They were provided
+with crowbars, and all carried heavy axes. The door was soon prised open.
+It opened silently and without a creak.
+
+"It may be," Cnut said, "that the door has not been opened as you say for
+years, but it is certain," and he placed his torch to the hinges, "that
+it has been well oiled within the last two or three days. No doubt the
+baron intended to make his escape this way, should the worst arrive. Now
+that we have the door open we had better wait quiet until the dawn
+commences. The earl will blow his bugle as a signal for the advance; it
+will be another ten minutes before they are fairly engaged, and that will
+be enough for us to break open any doors that there may be between this
+and the castle, and to force our way inside."
+
+It seemed a long time waiting before the dawn fairly broke--still longer
+before the earl's bugle was heard to sound the attack. Then the band,
+headed by Cnut and two or three of the strongest of the party, entered
+the passage.
+
+Cuthbert had had some misgivings as to his mother's injunctions to take
+no part in the fray, and it cannot be said that in accompanying the
+foresters he obeyed the letter of her instructions. At the same time as
+he felt sure that the effect of a surprise would be complete and
+crushing, and that the party would gain the top of the keep without any
+serious resistance, he considered the risk was so small as to justify
+him in accompanying the foresters.
+
+The passage was some five feet high, and little more than two feet wide.
+It was dry and dusty, and save the marks on the ground of a human foot
+going and returning, doubtless that of the man who had oiled the lock the
+day before, the passage appeared to have been unused from the time that
+it left the hands of its builders.
+
+Passing along for some distance they came to another strong oaken
+door. This, like the last, yielded to the efforts of the crowbars of
+the foresters, and they again advanced. Presently they came to a
+flight of steps.
+
+"We must now be near the castle," Cnut said. "In fact, methinks I can
+hear confused noises ahead."
+
+Mounting the steps, they came to a third door; this was thickly studded
+with iron, and appeared of very great strength. Fortunately the lock was
+upon their side, and they were enabled to shoot the bolt; but upon the
+other side the door was firmly secured by large bolts, and it was fully
+five minutes before the foresters could succeed in opening it. It was
+not without a good deal of noise that they at last did so; and several
+times they paused, fearing that the alarm must have been given in the
+castle. As, however, the door remained closed, they supposed that the
+occupants were fully engaged in defending themselves from the attacks of
+the earl's party.
+
+When the door gave way, they found hanging across in front of them a very
+thick arras, and pressing this aside they entered a small room in the
+thickness of the wall of the keep. It contained the merest slit for
+light, and was clearly unused. Another door, this time unfastened, led
+into a larger apartment, which was also at present unoccupied. They could
+hear now the shouts of the combatants without, the loud orders given by
+the leaders on the walls, the crack, as the stones hurled by the
+mangonels struck the walls, and the ring of steel as the arrows struck
+against steel cap and cuirass.
+
+"It is fortunate that all were so well engaged, or they would certainly
+have heard the noise of our forcing the door, which would have brought
+all of them upon us. As it is, we are in the heart of the keep. We have
+now but to make a rush up these winding steps, and methinks we shall find
+ourselves on the battlements. They will be so surprised, that no real
+resistance can be offered to us. Now let us advance."
+
+So saying Cnut led the way upstairs, followed by the foresters, Cuthbert,
+as before, allowing five or six of them to intervene between him and the
+leader. He carried his short sword and a quarterstaff, a weapon by no
+means to be despised in the hands of an active and experienced player.
+
+Presently, after mounting some fifty or sixty steps, they issued on the
+platform of the keep.
+
+Here were gathered some thirty or forty men, who were so busied in
+shooting with crossbows, and in working machines casting javelins,
+stones, and other missives upon the besiegers, that they were unaware of
+the addition to their numbers until the whole of the foresters had
+gathered on the summit, and at the order of Cnut suddenly fell upon them
+with a loud shout.
+
+Taken wholly by surprise by the foe, who seemed to have risen from the
+bowels of the earth by magic, the soldiers of the Baron of Wortham
+offered but a feeble resistance. Some were cast over the battlement of
+the keep, some driven down staircases, others cut down, and then
+Cuthbert, fastening a small white flag he had prepared to his
+quarter-staff, waved it above the battlements.
+
+Even now the combatants on the outer wall were in ignorance of what had
+happened in the keep; so great was the din that the struggle which had
+there taken place had passed unnoticed; and it was not until the
+fugitives, rushing out into the courtyard, shouted that the keep had been
+captured, that the besieged became aware of the imminence of the danger.
+
+Hitherto the battle had been going well for the defenders of the castle.
+The Baron of Wortham was indeed surprised at the feebleness of the
+assault. The arrows which had fallen in clouds upon the first day's
+attack upon the castle among his soldiers were now comparatively few and
+ineffective. The besiegers scarcely appeared to push forward their
+bridges with any vigour, and it seemed to him that a coldness had fallen
+upon them, and that some disagreement must have arisen between the
+foresters and the earl, completely crippling the energy of the attack.
+
+When he heard the words shouted from the courtyard below he could not
+believe his ears. That the keep behind should have been carried by the
+enemy appeared to him impossible. With a roar he called upon the bravest
+of his men to follow, and rushing across the courtyard, rapidly ascended
+the staircase. The movement was observed from the keep, and Cnut and a
+few of his men, stationed themselves with their battle-axes at the top of
+various stairs leading below.
+
+The signal shown by Cuthbert had not passed unobserved. The earl, who had
+given instructions to his followers to make a mere feint of attacking,
+now blew the signal for the real onslaught. The bridges were rapidly run
+across the moat, ladders were planted, and the garrison being paralyzed
+and confused by the attack in their rear, as well as hindered by the
+arrows which now flew down upon them from the keep above, offered but a
+feeble resistance, and the assailants, led by Sir Walter himself, poured
+over the walls.
+
+Now there was a scene of confusion and desperate strife. The baron had
+just gained the top of the stairs, and was engaged in a fierce conflict
+with Cnut and his men, when the news reached him that the wall was
+carried from without. With an execration he again turned and rushed down
+the stairs, hoping by a vigorous effort to cast back the foe.
+
+It was, however, all too late: his followers, disheartened and alarmed,
+fought without method or order in scattered groups of threes and fours.
+They made their last stand in corners and passages. They knew there was
+but little hope of mercy from the Saxon foresters, and against these they
+fought to the last. To the Norman retainers, however, of the earl they
+offered a less determined resistance, throwing down their arms and
+surrendering at discretion.
+
+The baron, when fiercely fighting, was slain by an arrow from the keep
+above, and with his fall the last resistance ceased. A short time was
+spent in searching the castle, binding the prisoners, and carrying off
+the valuables that the baron had collected in his raids. Then a light was
+set to the timbers, the granaries were fired, and in a few minutes the
+smoke wreathing out of the various loopholes and openings told the
+country round that the stronghold had fallen, and that they were free
+from the oppressor at last.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE CRUSADES.
+
+
+Warm thanks and much praise were bestowed upon Cuthbert for his share in
+the capture of the castle, and the earl, calling the foresters round him,
+then and there bestowed freedom upon any of them who might have been
+serfs of his, and called upon all his knights and neighbours to do the
+same, in return for the good service which they had rendered.
+
+This was willingly done, and a number of Cnut's party who had before
+borne the stigma of escaped serfs were now free men.
+
+We are too apt to forget, in our sympathy with the Saxons, that fond as
+they were of freedom for themselves, they were yet severe masters, and
+kept the mass of the people in a state of serfage. Although their laws
+provided ample justice as between Saxon man and man, there was no justice
+for the unhappy serfs, who were either the original inhabitants or
+captives taken in war, and who were distinguished by a collar of brass or
+iron round their neck.
+
+Cnut's party had indeed long got rid of these badges, the first act of a
+serf when he took to the woods being always to file off his collar; but
+they were liable when caught to be punished, even by death, and were
+delighted at having achieved their freedom.
+
+"And what can I do for you, Cuthbert?" Sir Walter said, as they rode
+homewards. "It is to you that I am indebted: in the first place for the
+rescue of my daughter, in the second for the capture of that castle,
+which I doubt me much whether we should ever have taken in fair fight had
+it not been for your aid."
+
+"Thanks, Sir Walter," the lad replied. "At present I need nothing, but
+should the time come when you may go to the wars, I would fain ride
+with you as your page, in the hope of some day winning my spurs also in
+the field."
+
+"So shall it be," the earl said, "and right willingly. But who
+have we here?"
+
+As he spoke a horseman rode up and presented a paper to the earl.
+
+"This is a notice," the earl said, after perusing it, "that King Richard
+has determined to take up the cross, and that he calls upon his nobles
+and barons to join him in the effort to free the holy sepulchre from the
+infidels. I doubt whether the minds of the people are quite prepared, but
+I hear that there has been much preaching by friars and monks in some
+parts, and that many are eager to join in the war."
+
+"Think you that you will go to the war, Sir Walter?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"I know not as yet; it must much depend upon the king's mood. For
+myself, I care not so greatly as some do about this question of the Holy
+Land. There has been blood enough shed already to drown it, and we are no
+nearer than when the first swarms of pilgrims made their way thither."
+
+On Cuthbert's returning home and telling his mother all that had passed,
+she shook her head, but said that she could not oppose his wishes to go
+with the earl when the time should come, and that it was only right he
+should follow in the footsteps of the good knight his father.
+
+"I have heard much of these Crusades," he said; "canst tell me
+about them?"
+
+"In truth I know not much, my son; but Father Francis, I doubt not, can
+tell you all the particulars anent the affair."
+
+The next time that Father Francis, who was the special adviser of Dame
+Editha, rode over from the convent on his ambling nag, Cuthbert eagerly
+asked him if he would tell him what he knew of the Crusades.
+
+"Hitherto, my son," he said, "the Crusades have, it must be owned,
+brought many woes upon Europe. From the early times great swarms
+of pilgrims were accustomed to go from all parts of Europe to the
+holy shrines.
+
+"When the followers of the evil prophet took possession of the land, they
+laid grievous burdens upon the pilgrims, heavily they fined them,
+persecuted them in every way, and treated them as if indeed they were but
+the scum of the earth under their feet.
+
+"So terrible were the tales that reached Europe that men came to think
+that it would be a good deed truly, to wrest the sepulchre of the Lord
+from the hands of these heathens. Pope Urban was the first to give
+authority and strength to the movement, and at a vast meeting at
+Claremont of 30,000 clergy and 4000 barons, it was decided that war must
+be made against the infidel. From all parts of France men flocked to
+hear Pope Urban preach there; and when he had finished his oration, the
+vast multitude, carried away by enthusiasm, swore to win the holy
+sepulchre or to die.
+
+"Mighty was the throng that gathered for the First Crusade. Monks threw
+aside their gowns and took to the sword and cuirass; even women and
+children joined in the throng. What, my son, could be expected from a
+great army so formed? Without leaders, without discipline, without
+tactics, without means of getting food, they soon became a scourge of the
+country through which they passed.
+
+"Passing through Hungary, where they greatly ravaged the fields, they
+came to Bulgaria. Here the people, struck with astonishment and dismay at
+this great horde of hungry people who arrived among them like locusts,
+fell upon them with the sword, and great numbers fell. The first band
+that passed into that country perished miserably, and of all that huge
+assembly, it may be said that, numbering, at the start, not less than
+250,000 persons, only about 100,000 crossed into Asia Minor. The fate of
+these was no better than that of those who had perished in Hungary and
+Bulgaria. After grievous suffering and loss they at last reached Nicaea.
+There they fell into an ambuscade; and out of the whole of the
+undisciplined masses who had followed Peter the Hermit, it is doubtful
+whether 10,000 ever returned home.
+
+"This first attempt to rescue the holy sepulchre was followed by others
+equally wild, misguided, and unfortunate. Some of them indeed began their
+evil deeds as soon as they had left their home. The last of these bodies
+fell upon the Jews, who are indeed enemies of the Christian faith, but
+who have now, at least, nothing to do with the question of the holy
+sepulchre. As soon as they entered into Germany the Crusaders put them to
+death with horrible torture. Plunder and rapine indeed appeared to be the
+object of the crusaders. On this as well as on most other preceding
+bands, their misdeeds drew down the vengeance of the people. At an early
+period of their march, and as soon as they reached Hungary, the people
+fell upon them, and put the greater portion to the sword.
+
+"Thus, in these irregular expeditions no less than 500,000 people are
+supposed to have perished. Godfrey de Bouillon was the first who
+undertook to lead a Crusade according to the military knowledge of the
+day. With him were his brothers Eustace and Baldwin, the Counts of Anault
+and St. Paul, and many other nobles and gentlemen, with their retainers,
+well armed and under good order; and so firm was the discipline of Duke
+Godfrey that they were allowed to pass freely, by the people of the
+countries who had opposed the previous bands.
+
+"Through Hungary, Bulgaria, and Thrace he made his way; and though he
+met with many difficulties from Alexius, the crafty and treacherous
+Emperor of the Greeks, he at last succeeded in crossing into Asia.
+There he was joined by many from England, as well as from France and
+other countries. Duke Robert, the son of our first William, led a
+strong band of Normans to the war, as did the other great princes of
+France and Spain.
+
+"The army which crossed the narrow passage of the Hellespont is estimated
+at no less than 700,000 fighting men. Of these 100,000 were knights clad
+in complete armour, the remainder were men-at-arms and bowmen.
+
+"Nicaea, the place which had been the scene of the massacre of Peter the
+Hermit's hosts, was taken after a desperate conflict, lasting for many
+weeks, and the crusaders afterwards defeated the Turks in a great battle
+near the town of Doryleum. After these successes disputes arose among the
+leaders, and Count Baldwin, brother of Duke Godfrey, left the main body
+with about 1500 men, and founded a kingdom for himself in Mesopotamia.
+
+"The main body, slowly and painfully, and suffering from disease, famine,
+and the heat, made its way south. Antioch, a city of great strength and
+importance, was besieged, but it proved so strong that it resisted for
+many months, and was at last only taken by treachery.
+
+"After the capture of this place the sufferings of the crusaders so far
+from being diminished were redoubled. They themselves during the siege
+had bought up all the food that could be brought from the surrounding
+country, while the magazines of the town were found, when an entry was
+effected, to be entirely deserted. The enemy, aided by a great Persian
+host, came down, and those who had been the besiegers were now besieged.
+However, when in the last strait the Christian army sallied out, and
+inspired with supernatural strength, defeated the Turks and Persians,
+with a slaughter of 100,000 men. Another slow movement to the south
+brought them into the Holy Land, and pressing forward, they came at last
+within sight of Jerusalem itself.
+
+"So fearful had been the losses of the crusaders that of 700,000 who
+crossed the Hellespont, not more than 40,000 reached the end of the
+pilgrimage. This fragment of an army, which had appeared before a very
+strongly fortified town, possessed no means of capturing the place--none
+of the machines of war necessary for the purpose, no provisions or
+munitions of any kind. Water was scarce also; and it appeared as if the
+remnant of the great army of Godfrey de Bouillon had arrived before
+Jerusalem only to perish there.
+
+"Happily just at this time a further band of crusaders from Genoa, who
+had reached Jaffa, made their appearance. They were provided with stores,
+and had skilled workmen capable of making the machines for the siege. On
+July 14th, 1099, the attack was made, and after resistance gallant and
+desperate as the assault, the crusaders burst into the city, massacred
+the whole of the defenders and inhabitants, calculated at 70,000 in
+number, and so became masters of the holy sepulchre.
+
+"The Sultan of Egypt was meanwhile advancing to the assistance of the
+Mohammedans of Syria; but Godfrey, with 20,000 of his best men, advanced
+to meet the vast host, and scattered them as if they had been sheep.
+Godfrey was now chosen King of Jerusalem, and the rest of his army--save
+300 knights and 200 soldiers, who agreed to remain with him--returned to
+their home. The news of the victory led other armies of crusaders to
+follow the example of that of Godfrey; but as these were almost as
+completely without organization or leadership as those of Peter the
+Hermit, they suffered miserably on their way, and few indeed ever
+reached the Holy Land. Godfrey died in 1100, and his brother Baldwin
+succeeded him.
+
+"The history of the last 100 years has been full of fresh efforts to
+crush the Moslem power, but hitherto it cannot be said that fortune has
+attended the efforts of the Christians. Had it not been indeed for the
+devotion of the Knights of St. John and of the Templars, two great
+companies formed of men who devoted their lives to the holding of the
+sepulchre against the infidel, our hold of the Holy Land would have
+been lost.
+
+"Gradually the Saracens have wrested post after post from our hands.
+Edessa was taken in 1144, and the news of this event created an intense
+excitement. The holy St. Bernard stirred up all France, and Louis VII.
+himself took the vow and headed a noble army. The ways of God are not our
+ways, and although the army of Germany joined that of France, but little
+results came of this great effort. The Emperor Conrad, with the Germans,
+was attacked by the Turk Saladin of Iconium, and was defeated with a loss
+of 60,000 men. The King of France, with his army, was also attacked with
+fury, and a large portion of his force were slaughtered. Nothing more
+came of this great effort, and while the first Crusade seemed to show
+that the men-at-arms of Europe were irresistible, the second on the
+contrary gave proof that the Turks were equal to the Christian knights.
+Gradually the Christian hold of the Holy Land was shaken. In 1187,
+although fighting with extraordinary bravery, the small army of Christian
+Knights of the Temple and of St. John were annihilated, the King of
+Jerusalem was made prisoner, and the Christian power was crushed. Then
+Saladin, who commanded the Turks, advanced against Jerusalem, and forced
+it to capitulate.
+
+"Such, my boy, is the last sad news which has reached us; and no wonder
+that it has stirred the hearts of the monarchs of Europe, and that every
+effort will be again made to recapture the holy sepulchre, and to avenge
+our brethren who have been murdered by the infidels."
+
+"But, Father Francis, from your story it would seem that Europe has
+already sacrificed an enormous number of lives to take the holy
+sepulchre, and that after all the fighting, when she has taken it, it is
+only to lose it again."
+
+"That is so, my son; but we will trust that in future things will be
+better managed. The Templars and Hospitallers now number so vast a number
+of the best lances in Europe, and are grown to be such great powers, that
+we may believe that when we have again wrested the holy sepulchre from
+the hands of the infidels they will be able to maintain it against all
+assaults. Doubtless the great misfortunes which have fallen upon the
+Christian armies have been a punishment from heaven, because they have
+not gone to work in the right spirit. It is not enough to take up lance
+and shield, and to place a red cross upon the shoulder. Those who desire
+to fight the battle of the Lord must cleanse their hearts, and go forth
+in the spirit of pilgrims rather than knights. I mean, not that they
+should trust wholly to spiritual weapons--for in truth the infidel is a
+foe not to be despised--but I mean, that they should lay aside all
+thoughts of worldly glory, and rivalry one against another."
+
+"And think you, Father, that such is the spirit with which King Richard
+and the other kings and nobles now preparing to go to the Holy Land are
+animated?"
+
+Father Francis hesitated.
+
+"It is not for me, my son, to judge motives, or to speak well or ill the
+instruments who have been chosen for this great work. It is of all works
+the most praiseworthy, most holy. It is horrible to think that the holy
+shrines of Jerusalem should be in the hands of men who believe not in our
+Redeemer; and I hold it to be the duty of every man who can bear arms, no
+matter what his rank or his station, to don his armour and to go forth to
+battle in the cause. Whether success will crown the effort, or whether
+God wills it otherwise, it is not for man to discuss; it is enough that
+the work is there, and it is our duty to do it."
+
+"And think you, Father, that it will do good to England?"
+
+"That do I, my son, whether we gain the Holy Land or no. Methinks that it
+will do good service to the nation that Saxon and Norman should fight
+together under the holy cross. Hitherto the races have stood far too
+much apart. They have seen each other's bad qualities rather than good;
+but methinks that when the Saxon and the Norman stand side by side on the
+soil of the Holy Land, and shout together for England, it must needs bind
+them together, and lead them to feel that they are no longer Normans and
+Saxons, but Englishmen. I intend to preach on the village green at
+Evesham next Sunday morning on this subject, and as I know you are in
+communication with the forest men, I would, Cuthbert, that you would
+persuade them to come in to hear me. You were wondering what could be
+found for these vagrants. They have many of them long since lost the
+habits of honest labour. Many of them are still serfs, although most have
+been freed by the good earl and the knights his followers. Some of those
+who would fain leave the life in the woods, still cling to it because
+they think that it would be mean to desert their comrades, who being
+serfs are still bound to lurk there; but methinks that this is a great
+opportunity for them. They are valiant men, and the fact that they are
+fond of drawing an arrow at a buck does not make them one whit the worse
+Christians. I will do my best to move their hearts, and if they will but
+agree together to take the cross, they would make a goodly band of
+footmen to accompany the earl."
+
+"Is the earl going?" Cuthbert asked eagerly.
+
+"I know not for certain," said Father Francis; "but I think from what I
+hear from his chaplain, Father Eustace, that his mind turns in that
+direction."
+
+"Then, Father, if he goes, I will go too," Cuthbert exclaimed. "He
+promised to take me as his page the first time he went to war."
+
+Father Francis shook his head.
+
+"I fear me, Cuthbert, this is far from the spirit in which we a while ago
+agreed that men should go to the holy war."
+
+Cuthbert hung his head a little.
+
+"Ay, Father Francis, men; but I am a boy," he said, "and after all, boys
+are fond of adventure for adventure's sake. However, Father," he said,
+with a smile, "no doubt your eloquence on the green will turn me mightily
+to the project, for you must allow that the story you have told me this
+morning is not such as to create any very strong yearning in one's mind
+to follow the millions of men who have perished in the Holy Land."
+
+"Go to," said Father Francis, smiling, "thou art a pert varlet. I will do
+my best on Sunday to turn you to a better frame of mind."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+PREPARATIONS.
+
+
+Next Sunday a large number of people from some miles round were gathered
+on the green at Evesham, to hear Father Francis preach on the holy
+sepulchre. The forest men in their green jerkins mingled with the crowd,
+and a look of attention and seriousness was on the faces of all, for the
+news of the loss of the holy sepulchre had really exercised a great
+effect upon the minds of the people in England as elsewhere.
+
+Those were the days of pilgrimage to holy places, when the belief in the
+sanctity of places and things was overwhelming, and when men believed
+that a journey to the holy shrines was sufficient to procure for them a
+pardon for all their misdeeds. The very word "infidel" in those days was
+full of horror, and the thought that the holy places of the Christians
+were in the hands of Moslems, affected all Christians throughout Europe
+with a feeling of shame as well as of grief.
+
+Among the crowd were many of the Norman retainers from the castle and
+from many of the holds around, and several knights with the ladies of
+their family stood a little apart from the edge of the gathering; for it
+was known that Father Francis would not be alone, but that he would be
+accompanied by a holy friar who had returned from the East, and who could
+tell of the cruelties which the Christians had suffered at the hands of
+the Saracens.
+
+Father Francis, at ordinary times a tranquil preacher, was moved beyond
+himself by the theme on which he was holding forth. He did not attempt
+to hide from those who stood around that the task to be undertaken was
+one of grievous peril and trial; that disease and heat, hunger and
+thirst, must be dared, as well as the sword of the infidel. But he
+spoke of the grand nature of the work, of the humiliation to Christians
+of the desecration of the shrines, and of the glory which awaited those
+who joined the crusade, whether they lived or whether they died in the
+Holy Land.
+
+His words had a strong effect upon the simple people who listened to him,
+but the feelings so aroused were as nought to the enthusiasm which
+greeted the address of the friar.
+
+Meagre and pale, with a worn, anxious face as one who had suffered much,
+the friar, holding aloft two pieces of wood from the Mount of Olives tied
+together in the form of a cross, harangued the crowd. His words poured
+forth in a fiery stream, kindling the hearts, and stirring at once the
+devotion and the anger of his listeners.
+
+He told of the holy places, he spoke of the scenes of Holy Writ, which
+had there been enacted; and then he depicted the men who had died for
+them. He told of the knights and men-at-arms, each of whom proved himself
+again and again a match for a score of infidels. He spoke of the holy
+women, who, fearlessly and bravely, as the knights themselves, had borne
+their share in the horrors of the siege and in the terrible times which
+had preceded it.
+
+He told them that this misfortune had befallen Christianity because of
+the lukewarmness which had come upon them.
+
+"What profited it," he asked, "if the few knights who remained to defend
+the holy sepulchre were heroes? A few heroes cannot withstand an army. If
+Christendom after making a mighty effort to capture the holy sepulchre
+had not fallen away, the conquest which had been made with so vast an
+expenditure of blood would not have been lost. This is a work in which no
+mere passing fervour will avail; bravery at first, endurance afterwards,
+are needed. Many men must determine not only to assist to wrest the holy
+sepulchre from the hands of the infidels, but to give their lives, so
+long as they might last, to retaining it. It is scarce to be expected
+that men with wives and families will take a view like this, indeed it is
+not to be desired. But there are single men, men of no ties, who can
+devote their whole lives, as did the Knights of the Orders of the Cross,
+to this great object. When their life has come to an end, doubtless
+others will take up the banner that their hands can no longer hold. But
+for life it is, indeed, that many of humble as well as of princely class
+must bind themselves to take and defend to death the holy sepulchre."
+
+So, gradually raising the tone of his speech, the friar proceeded;
+until at length by his intense earnestness, his wild gesticulations,
+his impassioned words, he drew the whole of his listeners along with
+him; and when he ceased, a mighty shout of "To the Holy Land!" burst
+from his hearers.
+
+Falling upon their knees, the crowd begged of him to give them the sign
+of the cross, and to bestow his blessing upon their swords, and upon
+their efforts.
+
+Father Francis had prepared, in contemplation of such a movement, a large
+number of small white crosses of cloth. These he and the friar now
+fastened to the shoulders of the men as they crowded up to receive it,
+holding their hands aloft, kissing the cross that the Friar extended to
+them, and swearing to give their lives, if need be, to rescue the holy
+shrines from the infidel.
+
+When all had received the holy symbol, Father Francis again ascended the
+bank from which they had addressed the crowd:
+
+"Now go to your homes, my sons," he said. "Think of the oath that you
+have taken, and of the course that lies open to you when the time comes.
+When King Richard is prepared to start, then will you be called upon to
+fulfil your vows. It may be that all who have sworn may not be called
+upon to go. It needs that the land here should be tilled, it needs that
+there should be protectors for the women and children, it needs that this
+England of ours should flourish, and we cannot give all her sons, however
+willing they might be to take the cross. But the willingness which you
+will, I am sure, show to go if needs be, and to redeem your vows, will be
+sufficient. Some must go and some must stay; these are matters to be
+decided hereafter; for the time let us separate; you will hear when the
+hour for action arrives."
+
+A fortnight later the Earl of Evesham, who had been on a long journey to
+London, returned with full authority to raise and organize a force as his
+contingent to the holy wars.
+
+All was now bustle and activity in the castle.
+
+Father Francis informed him of the willingness of such of the forest men
+as he deemed fit to enlist under his banner; and the earl was much
+gratified at finding that the ranks of heavily-armed retainers whom he
+would take with him, were to be swollen by the addition of so useful a
+contingent as that of 100 skilful archers.
+
+Cuthbert was not long in asking for an interview with the earl.
+
+He had indeed great difficulty in persuading Dame Editha that he was old
+enough to share in the fatigues of so great an expedition, but he had
+Father Francis on his side; and between the influence of her confessor,
+and the importunities of her son, the opposition of the good lady fell to
+the ground.
+
+Cuthbert was already, for his age, well trained to arms. Many of the old
+soldiers at the castle who had known and loved his father, had been ever
+ready to give lessons in the use of arms to Cuthbert, who was
+enthusiastic in his desire to prove as good a knight as his father had
+been. His friends, the outlaws, had taught him the use of the bow and of
+the quarter-staff; and Cuthbert, strong and well-built for his age, and
+having little to do save to wield the sword and the bow, had attained a
+very considerable amount of skill with each.
+
+He had too, which was unusual, a certain amount of book learning,
+although this, true to say, had not been acquired so cheerfully or
+willingly as the skill at arms. Father Francis had, however, taught him
+to read and to write--accomplishments which were at that time rare,
+except in the cloister. In those days if a knight had a firm seat in his
+saddle, a strong arm, a keen eye, and high courage, it was thought to be
+of little matter whether he could or could not do more than make his mark
+on the parchment. The whole life of the young was given to acquiring
+skill in arms; and unless intended for the convent, any idea of education
+would in the great majority of cases have been considered as
+preposterous.
+
+To do Cuthbert justice, he had protested with all his might against
+the proposition of Father Francis to his mother to teach him some
+clerkly knowledge. He had yielded most unwillingly at last to her
+entreaties, backed as they were by the sound arguments and good sense
+of Father Francis.
+
+The Earl of Evesham received Cuthbert's application very graciously.
+
+"Certainly, Cuthbert," he said, "you shall accompany me; first, on
+account of my promise to you; secondly, because from the readiness you
+displayed both in the matter of my daughter and of the attack on Wortham,
+you will be a notable aid and addition to my party; thirdly, from my
+friendship for your father and Dame Editha."
+
+This point being settled, Cuthbert at once assumed his new duties. There
+was plenty for him to do--to see that the orders of the earl were
+properly carried out; to bear messages to the knights who followed the
+earl's fortunes, at their various holds; to stand by and watch the
+armourers at work, and the preparation of the stores of arms and missiles
+which would be necessary for the expedition.
+
+Sometimes he would go round to summon the tenants of the various farms
+and lands, who held from the earl, to come to the castle; and here Sir
+Walter would, as far as might be without oppression, beg of them to
+contribute largely to the expedition.
+
+In these appeals he was in no slight way assisted by Father Francis, who
+pointed out loudly to the people that those who stayed behind were bound
+to make as much sacrifice of their worldly goods, as those who went to
+the war might make of their lives. Life and land are alike at the service
+of God. Could the land be sold, it would be a good deed to sell it; but
+as this could not be, they should at least sell all that they could, and
+pledge their property if they could find lenders, in order to contribute
+to the needs of their lord, and the fitting out of this great enterprise.
+
+The preparations were at last complete, and a gallant band gathered at
+the castle ready for starting. It consisted of some 200 men-at-arms led
+by six knights, and of 100 bowmen dressed in Lincoln green, with quilted
+jerkins to keep out the arrows of the enemy. All the country from around
+gathered to see the start. Dame Editha was there, and by her side stood
+the earl's little daughter. The earl himself was in armour, and beside
+him rode Cuthbert in the gay attire of a page.
+
+Just at that moment, however, his face did not agree with his costume,
+for although he strove his best to look bright and smiling, it was a
+hard task to prevent the tears from filling his eyes at his departure
+from his mother. The good lady cried unrestrainedly, and Margaret joined
+in her tears. The people who had gathered round cheered lustily; the
+trumpets blew a gay fanfaronade; and the squire threw to the wind the
+earl's colours.
+
+It was no mere pleasure trip on which they were starting, for all knew
+that, of the preceding crusades, not one in ten of those who had gone so
+gladly forth had ever returned.
+
+It must not be supposed that the whole of those present were animated by
+any strong religious feeling. No doubt there existed a desire, which was
+carefully fanned by the preaching of the priests and monks, to rescue the
+holy sepulchre from the hands of the Saracens; but a far stronger
+feeling was to be found in the warlike nature of the people in those
+days. Knights, men-at-arms, and indeed men of all ranks, were full of a
+combative spirit. Life in the castle and hut was alike dull and
+monotonous, and the excitement of war and adventure was greatly looked
+for, both as a means of obtaining glory and booty, and for the change
+they afforded to the dreary monotony of life.
+
+There is little to tell of the journey of the Earl of Evesham's band
+through England to Southampton, at which place they took ship and crossed
+to France--or rather to Normandy, for in those days Normandy was
+regarded, as indeed it formed, a part of England.
+
+Cuthbert, as was natural to his age, was full of delight at all the
+varying scenes through which they passed. The towns were to him an
+especial source of wonder, for he had never visited any other than that
+of Worcester, to which he had once or twice been taken on occasions of
+high festival. Havre was in those days an important place, and being the
+landing-place of a great portion of the English bands, it was full of
+bustle and excitement. Every day ships brought in nobles and their
+followings.
+
+The King of England was already in Normandy hastening the preparations,
+and each band, as it landed, marched down to the meeting-place on the
+plains of Vezelay. Already they began to experience a taste of the
+hardships which they were to endure.
+
+In those days there was no regular supply train for an army, but each
+division or band supported itself by purchase or pillage, as the case
+might be, from the surrounding country.
+
+As the English troops were marching through a friendly country, pillage
+was of course strictly forbidden; but while many of the leaders paid for
+all they had, it must be owned that among the smaller leaders were many
+who took anything that they required with or without payment.
+
+The country was eaten up.
+
+The population in those days was sparse, and the movement of so large a
+number of men along a certain route completely exhausted all the
+resources of the inhabitants; and although willing to pay for all that
+his men required, the Earl of Evesham had frequently to lie down on the
+turf supperless himself.
+
+"If this is the case now," he said to Cuthbert, "what will it be after we
+have joined the French army? Methinks whatever we may do if we reach the
+Holy Land, that we have a fair chance of being starved before we sail."
+
+After a long succession of marches they arrived in sight of the great
+camp at Vezelay. It was indeed rather a canvas town than a camp. Here
+were gathered nearly 100,000 men, a vast host at any time, but in those
+days far greater in proportion to the strength of the countries than at
+present. The tents of the leaders, nobles, and other knights and
+gentlemen, rose in regular lines, forming streets and squares.
+
+The great mass of troops, however, were contented to sleep in the open
+air; indeed the difficulties of carriage were so great that it was only
+the leaders who could carry with them their canvas abodes. Before each
+tent stood the lance and colours of its owner, and side by side in the
+centre of the camp stood the royal pavilions of Phillip of France and
+Richard of England, round which could be seen the gonfalons of all the
+nobles of Western Europe.
+
+Nothing could be gayer than the aspect of this camp as the party rode
+into it. They were rather late, and the great body of the host were
+already assembled.
+
+Cuthbert gazed with delight at the varied colours, the gay dresses, the
+martial knights, and the air of discipline and order which reigned
+everywhere.
+
+This was indeed war in its most picturesque form, a form which, as far as
+beauty is concerned, has been altogether altered, and indeed destroyed,
+by modern arms.
+
+In those days individual prowess and bravery went for everything. A
+handful of armoured knights were a match for thousands of footmen, and
+battles were decided as much by the prowess and bravery of the leader and
+his immediate following as by that of the great mass of the army.
+
+The earl had the day before sent on a messenger to state that he was
+coming, and as the party entered the camp they were met by a squire of
+the camp-marshal, who conducted them to the position allotted to them.
+
+The earl's tent was soon erected, with four or five grouped around it for
+his knights, one being set aside for his squires and pages.
+
+When this was done, Cuthbert strolled away to look at the varied sights
+of the camp. A military officer in these days would be scandalized at the
+scenes which were going on, but the strict, hard military discipline of
+modern times was then absolutely unknown.
+
+A camp was a moving town, and to it flocked the country people with their
+goods; smiths and armourers erected their forges; minstrels and
+troubadours flocked in to sing of former battles, and to raise the
+spirits of the soldiers by merry lays of love and war; simple countrymen
+and women came in to bring their presents of fowls or cakes to their
+friends in camp; knights rode to and fro on their gaily caparisoned
+horses through the crowd; the newly raised levies, in many cases composed
+of woodmen and peasants who had not in the course of their lives wandered
+a league from their birthplaces, gaped in unaffected wonder at the sights
+around them; while last, but by no means least, the maidens and good
+wives of the neighbourhood, fond then as now of brave men and gay
+dresses, thronged the streets of the camp, and joined in, and were the
+cause of, merry laughter and jest.
+
+Here and there, a little apart from the main stream of traffic, the
+minstrels would take up their position, and playing a gay air, the
+soldier lads and lasses would fall to and foot it merrily to the strains.
+Sometimes there would be a break in the gaiety, and loud shouts, and
+perhaps fierce oaths, would rise. Then the maidens would fly like
+startled fawns, and men hasten to the spot; though the quarrel might be
+purely a private one, yet should it happen between the retainers of two
+nobles, the friends of each would be sure to strike in, and serious frays
+would arise before the marshal of the camp with his posse could arrive to
+interfere. Sometimes indeed these quarrels became so serious and
+desperate that alliances were broken up and great intentions frustrated
+by the quarrels of the soldiery.
+
+Here and there, on elevated platforms, or even on the top of a pile of
+tubs, were friars occupied in haranguing the soldiers, and in inspiring
+them with enthusiasm for the cause upon which they were embarked. The
+conduct of their listeners showed easily enough the motives which had
+brought them to war. Some stood with clasped hands and eager eyes
+listening to the exhortations of the priests, and ready, as might be
+seen from their earnest gaze, to suffer martyrdom in the cause. More,
+however, stood indifferently round, or after listening to a few words
+walked on with a laugh or a scoff; indeed preaching had already done all
+that lay in its power. All those who could be moved by exhortations of
+this kind were there, and upon the rest the discourses and sermons were
+thrown away.
+
+Several times in the course of his stroll round the camp Cuthbert
+observed the beginnings of quarrels, which were in each case only checked
+by the intervention of some knight or other person in authority coming
+past, and he observed that these in every instance occurred between men
+of the English and those of the French army.
+
+Between the Saxon contingent of King Richard's army and the French
+soldiers there could indeed be no quarrel, for the Saxons understood no
+word of their language; but with the Normans the case was different, for
+the Norman-French, which was spoken by all the nobles and their retainers
+in Britain, was as nearly as possible the same as that in use in France.
+
+It seemed, however, to Cuthbert, watching narrowly what was going on,
+that there existed by no means a good feeling between the men of the
+different armies; and he thought that this divergence so early in the
+campaign boded but little good for the final success of the expedition.
+
+When he returned to the tent the earl questioned him as to what he had
+seen, and Cuthbert frankly acknowledged that it appeared to him that the
+feeling between the men of the two armies was not good.
+
+"I have been," the earl said, "to the royal camp, and from what I hear,
+Cuthbert, methinks that there is reason for what you say. King Richard is
+the most loyal and gallant of kings, but he is haughty, and hasty in
+speech. The Normans, too, have been somewhat accustomed to conquer our
+neighbours, and it may well be that the chivalry of France love us not.
+However, it must be hoped that this feeling will die away, and that we
+shall emulate each other only in our deeds on the battlefield."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+THE LISTS.
+
+
+The third day after the arrival of the Earl of Evesham there was a
+great banquet given by the King of France to King Richard and his
+principal nobles.
+
+Among those present was the Earl of Evesham, and Cuthbert as his page
+followed him to the great tent where the banquet was prepared.
+
+Here, at the top of the tent, on a raised dais, sat the King of France,
+surrounded by his courtiers.
+
+The Earl of Evesham, having been conducted by the herald to the dais,
+paid his compliments to the king, and was saluted by him with many
+flattering words.
+
+The sound of a trumpet was heard, and Richard of England, accompanied by
+his principal nobles, entered.
+
+It was the first time that Cuthbert had seen the king.
+
+Richard was a man of splendid stature and of enormous strength. His
+appearance was in some respects rather Saxon than Norman, for his hair
+was light and his complexion clear and bright. He wore the moustache and
+pointed beard at that time in fashion; and although his expression was
+generally that of frankness and good humour, there might be observed in
+his quick motions and piercing glances signs of the hasty temper and
+unbridled passion which went far to wreck the success of the enterprise
+upon which he was embarked.
+
+Richard possessed most of the qualities which make a man a great king and
+render him the idol of his subjects, especially in a time of
+semi-civilization, when personal prowess is placed at the summit of all
+human virtues. In all his dominions there was not one man who in personal
+conflict was a match for his king.
+
+Except during his fits of passion, King Richard was generous, forgiving,
+and royal in his moods. He was incapable of bearing malice. Although
+haughty of his dignity, he was entirely free from any personal pride, and
+while he would maintain to the death every right and privilege against
+another monarch, he could laugh and joke with the humblest of his
+subjects on terms of hearty good fellowship. He was impatient of
+contradiction, eager to carry out whatever he had determined upon; and
+nothing enraged him so much as hesitation or procrastination. The delays
+which were experienced in the course of the Crusade angered him more than
+all the opposition offered by the Saracens, or than the hardships through
+which the Christian host had to pass.
+
+At a flourish of trumpets all took their seats at dinner, their places
+being marked for them by a herald, whose duty it was to regulate nicely
+the various ranks and dignities.
+
+The Earl of Evesham was placed next to a noble of Brabant. Cuthbert
+took his place behind his lord and served him with wines and meats,
+the Brabant being attended by a tall youth, who was indeed on the
+verge of manhood.
+
+As the dinner went on the buzz of conversation became fast and furious.
+In those days men drank deep, and quarrels often arose over the cups.
+From the time that the dinner began, Cuthbert noticed that the manner of
+Sir de Jacquelin Barras, Count of Brabant, was rude and offensive.
+
+It might be that he was accustomed to live alone with his retainers, and
+that his manners were rude and coarse to all. It might be that he had a
+special hostility to the English. At any rate, his remarks were
+calculated to fire the anger of the earl.
+
+He began the conversation by wondering how a Norman baron could live in a
+country like England, inhabited by a race but little above pigs.
+
+The earl at once fired up at this, for the Normans were now beginning to
+feel themselves English, and to resent attacks upon a people for whom
+their grandfathers had entertained contempt.
+
+He angrily repelled the attack upon them by the Brabant knight, and
+asserted at once that the Saxons were every bit as civilized, and in some
+respects superior, to the Normans or French.
+
+The ill-feeling thus begun at starting clearly waxed stronger as dinner
+went on. The Brabant knight drank deeply, and although his talk was not
+clearly directed against the English, yet he continued to throw out
+innuendoes and side attacks, and to talk with a vague boastfulness, which
+greatly irritated Sir Walter.
+
+Presently, as Cuthbert was about to serve his master with a cup of wine,
+the tall page pushed suddenly against him, spilling a portion of the wine
+over his dress.
+
+"What a clumsy child!" he said scoffingly.
+
+"You are a rough and ill-mannered loon," Cuthbert said angrily. "Were
+you in any other presence I would chastise you as you deserve."
+
+The tall page burst into a mocking laugh.
+
+"Chastise me!" he said. "Why, I could put you in my pocket for a little
+hop-of-my-thumb as you are."
+
+"I think," said Sir Jacquelin--for the boys' voices both rose
+loud--to the earl, "you had better send that brat home and order him
+to be whipped."
+
+"Sir count," said the earl, "your manners are insolent, and were we not
+engaged upon a Crusade, it would please me much to give you a lesson on
+that score."
+
+Higher and higher the dispute rose, until some angry word caught the ear
+of the king.
+
+Amid the general buzz of voices King Phillip rose, and speaking a word to
+King Richard, moved from the table, thus giving the sign for the breaking
+up of the feast.
+
+Immediately afterwards a page touched the earl and Sir Jacquelin upon the
+shoulder, and told them that the kings desired to speak with them in the
+tent of the King of France.
+
+The two nobles strode through the crowd, regarding each other with eyes
+much like those of two dogs eager to fly at each other's throat.
+
+"My lords, my lords," said King Phillip when they entered, "this is
+against all law and reason. For shame, to be brawling at my table. I
+would not say aught openly, but methinks it is early indeed for the
+knights and nobles engaged in a common work to fall to words."
+
+"Your Majesty," said the Earl of Evesham, "I regret deeply what has
+happened. But it seemed, from the time we sat down to the meal, that this
+lord sought to pass a quarrel upon me, and I now beseech your Majesty
+that you will permit us to settle our differences in the lists."
+
+King Richard gave a sound of assent, but the King of France shook his
+head gravely.
+
+"Do you forget," he said, "the mission upon which you are assembled
+here? Has not every knight and noble in these armies taken a solemn oath
+to put aside private quarrels and feuds until the holy sepulchre is
+taken? Shall we at this very going off show that the oath is a mere form
+of words? Shall we show before the face of Christendom that the knights
+of the cross are unable to avoid flying at each other's throats, even
+while on their way to wrest the holy sepulchre from the infidel? No,
+sirs, you must lay aside your feuds, and must promise me and my good
+brother here that you will keep the peace between you until this war is
+over. Whose fault it was that the quarrel began I know not. It may be
+that my Lord of Brabant was discourteous. It may be that the earl here
+was too hot. But whichever it be, it matters not."
+
+"The quarrel, sire," said Sir Jacquelin, "arose from a dispute between
+our pages, who were nigh coming to blows in your Majesty's presence. I
+desired the earl to chide the insolence of his varlet, and instead of so
+doing he met my remarks with scorn."
+
+"Pooh, pooh," said King Richard, "there are plenty of grounds for quarrel
+without two nobles interfering in the squabbles of boys. Let them fight;
+it will harm no one. By-the-bye, your Majesty," he said, turning to the
+King of France with a laugh, "if the masters may not fight, there is no
+reason in the world why the varlets should not. We are sorely dull for
+want of amusement. Let us have a list to-morrow, and let the pages fight
+it out for the honour of their masters and their nations."
+
+"It were scarce worth while to have the lists set for two boys to fight,"
+said the King of France.
+
+"Oh, we need not have regular lists," said King Richard. "Leave that
+matter in my hands. I warrant you that if the cockerels are well plucked,
+they will make us sport. What say you, gentlemen?"
+
+The Brabant noble at once assented, answering that he was sure that his
+page would be glad to enter the lists; and the earl gave a similar
+assent, for he had not noticed how great was the discrepancy between the
+size of the future combatants.
+
+"That is agreed, then," said King Richard joyously. "I will have a piece
+of ground marked out on the edge of the camp to-morrow morning. It shall
+be kept by my men-at-arms, and there shall be a raised place for King
+Phillip and myself, who will be the judges of the conflict. Will they
+fight on foot or on horse?"
+
+"On foot, on foot," said the King of France. "It would be a pity that
+knightly exercises should be brought to scorn by any failure on their
+part on horseback. On foot at least it will be a fair struggle."
+
+"What arms shall they use?" the Brabant knight asked.
+
+"Oh, swords and battle-axes, of course," said King Richard with a laugh.
+
+"Before you go," King Phillip said, "you must shake hands, and swear
+to let the quarrel between you drop, at least until after our return.
+If you still wish to shed each other's blood, I shall offer no
+hindrance thereto."
+
+The earl and Count Jacquelin touched each other's hands in obedience to
+the order, went out of the tent together, and strode off without a word
+in different directions.
+
+"My dear lad," the Earl of Evesham said on entering his tent where his
+page was waiting him, "this is a serious business. The kings have
+ordered this little count and myself to put aside our differences till
+after the Crusade, in accordance with our oath. But as you have no wise
+pledged yourself in the same fashion, and as their Majesties fell
+somewhat dull while waiting here, it is determined that the quarrel
+between me, and between you and the count's page, shall be settled by a
+fight between you in the presence of the kings."
+
+"Well, sir," Cuthbert said, "I am glad that it should be, seeing the
+varlet insulted me without cause, and purposely upset the cup over me."
+
+"What is he like?" the earl asked. "Dost think that you are a
+fair match?"
+
+"I doubt not that we are fair match enough," Cuthbert said. "As you know,
+sir, I have been well trained to arms of all kinds, both by my father and
+by the men-at-arms at the castle, and could hold my own against any of
+your men with light weapons, and have then no fear that this gawky loon,
+twenty years old though he seems to be, will bring disgrace upon me or
+discredit upon my nation."
+
+"If thou thinkest so," the earl said, "the matter can go on. But had it
+been otherwise, I would have gone to the king and protested that the
+advantage of age was so great that it would be murder to place you in the
+list together."
+
+"There is," Cuthbert said, "at most no greater difference between us than
+between a strong man and a weak one, and these, in the ordeal of battle,
+have to meet in the lists. Indeed I doubt if the difference is so great,
+for if he be a foot taller than I, methinks that round the shoulders I
+should have the advantage of him."
+
+"Send hither my armourer," the earl said; "we must choose a proper suit
+for you. I fear that mine would be of little use; but doubtless there are
+some smaller suits among my friends."
+
+"The simpler and lighter the better," Cuthbert said. "I'd rather have a
+light coat of mail and a steel cap, than heavy armour and a helmet that
+would press me down and a visor through which I could scarcely see. The
+lighter the better, for after all if my sword cannot keep my head, sooner
+or later the armour would fail to do so too."
+
+The armourer speedily arrived, and the knights and followers of the earl
+being called in and the case stated, there was soon found a coat of fine
+linked mail, which fitted Cuthbert well. As to the steel cap, there was
+no difficulty whatever.
+
+"You must have a plume at least," the earl said, and took some feathers
+from his own casque and fastened them in. "Will you want a light sword
+and battle-axe?"
+
+"No," Cuthbert said, "my arms are pretty well used to those of the
+men-at-arms. I could wield my father's sword, and that was a heavy one."
+
+The lightest of the earl's weapons were chosen, and it was agreed that
+all was now ready for the conflict to-morrow.
+
+In the morning there was a slight bustle in the camp.
+
+The news that a fight was to take place between an English and a Brabant
+page, by the permission of the Kings of England and France, that their
+Majesties were to be present, and that all was to be conducted on regular
+rules, caused a stir of excitement and novelty in the camp.
+
+Nowhere is life duller than among a large body of men kept together for
+any time under canvas, and the thought of a combat of this novel kind
+excited general interest.
+
+In a meadow at a short distance from the camp, a body of King Richard's
+men-at-arms marked off an oval space of about an acre. Upon one side of
+this a tent was pitched for the kings, and a small tent was placed at
+each end for the combatants. Round the enclosure the men-at-arms formed
+the ring, and behind them a dense body of spectators gathered, a place
+being set aside for nobles, and others of gentle blood.
+
+At the hour fixed the Kings of England and France arrived together. King
+Richard was evidently in a state of high good humour, for he preferred
+the clash of arms and the sight of combat to any other pleasure.
+
+The King of France, on the other hand, looked grave. He was a far wiser
+and more politic king than Richard; and although he had consented to the
+sudden proposal, yet he felt in his heart that the contest was a foolish
+one, and that it might create bad feeling among the men of the two
+nationalities whichever way it went. He had reserved to himself the right
+of throwing down the baton when the combat was to cease, and he
+determined to avail himself of this right, to put a stop to the conflict
+before either party was likely to sustain any deadly injury.
+
+When the monarchs had taken their places the trumpeters sounded their
+trumpets, and the two combatants advanced on foot from their ends of the
+lists. A murmur of surprise and dissatisfaction broke from the crowd.
+
+"My Lord of Evesham," the king said angrily to the earl, who with Count
+Jacquelin was standing by the royal party, "thou shouldst have said that
+the difference between the two was too great to allow the combat to be
+possible. The Frenchman appears to be big enough to take your page under
+his arm and walk off with him."
+
+The difference was indeed very striking. The French champion was arrayed
+in a full suit of knightly armour--of course without the gold spurs which
+were the distinguishing mark of that rank--and with his helmet and lofty
+plume of feathers he appeared to tower above Cuthbert, who, in his
+close-fitting steel cap and link armour, seemed a very dwarf by the side
+of a giant.
+
+"It is not size, sire, but muscle and pluck will win in a combat like
+this. Your Majesty need not be afraid that my page will disgrace me. He
+is of my blood, though the kinship is not close. He is of mixed Saxon and
+Norman strain, and will, believe me, do no discredit to either."
+
+The king's brow cleared, for in truth he was very proud of his English
+nationality, and would have been sorely vexed to see the discomfiture of
+an English champion, even though that champion were a boy.
+
+"Brother Phillip," he said, turning to the king, "I will wager my gold
+chain against yours on yonder stripling."
+
+"Methinks that it were robbery to take your wager," the King of France
+said. "The difference between their bulk is disproportionate. However, I
+will not baulk your wish. My chain against yours."
+
+The rule of the fight was that they were to commence with Swords, but
+that either could, if he chose, use his battle-axe.
+
+The fight need scarcely be described at length, for the advantage was all
+one way. Cuthbert was fully a match in strength for his antagonist,
+although standing nigh a foot shorter. Constant exercise, however, had
+hardened his muscles into something like steel, while the teaching that
+he had received had embraced all that was then known of the use of arms.
+
+Science in those days there was but little of; it was a case rather of
+hard, heavy hitting, than of what we now call swordsmanship.
+
+With the sword Cuthbert gained but slight advantage over his adversary,
+whose superior height enabled him to rain blows down upon the lad, which
+he was with difficulty enabled to guard; but when the first paroxysm of
+his adversary's attack had passed, he took to the offensive, and drove
+his opponent back step by step. With his sword, however, he was unable to
+cut through the armour of the Frenchman, but in the course of the
+encounter, guarding a severe blow aimed at him, his sword was struck from
+his hand, and he then, seizing his axe, made such play with it that his
+foe dropped his own sword and took to the same weapon.
+
+In this the superior height and weight of his opponent gave him even a
+greater advantage than with the sword, and Cuthbert knowing this, used
+his utmost dexterity and speed to avoid the sweeping blows showered upon
+him. He himself had been enabled to strike one or two sweeping strokes,
+always aiming at the same place, the juncture of the visor with the
+helmet. At last the Frenchman struck him so heavy a blow that it beat
+down his guard and struck his steel cap from his head, bringing him to
+the knee. In an instant he was up, and before his foe could be again on
+guard, he whirled his axe round with all its force, and bringing it just
+at the point of the visor which he had already weakened with repeated
+blows, the edge of the axe stove clean through the armour, and the page
+was struck senseless to the ground.
+
+A great shout broke from the English portion of the soldiery as Cuthbert
+leant over his prostrate foe, and receiving no answer to the question "Do
+you yield?" rose to his feet, and signified to the squire who had kept
+near that his opponent was insensible.
+
+King Richard ordered the pursuivant to lead Cuthbert to the royal
+enclosure.
+
+"Thou art a brave lad and a lusty," the king said, "and hast borne thee
+in the fight as well as many a knight would have done. Wert thou older, I
+would myself dub thee knight; and I doubt not that the occasion will yet
+come when thou wilt do as good deeds upon the bodies of the Saracens as
+thou hast upon that long-shanked opponent of thine. Here is a gold chain;
+take it as a proof that the King of England holds that you have sustained
+well the honour of his country; and mark me, if at any time you require a
+boon, bring or send me that chain, and thou shall have it freely. Sir
+Walter," he said, turning to the earl, "in this lad thou hast a worthy
+champion, and I trust me that thou wilt give him every chance of
+distinguishing himself. So soon as thou thinkst him fit for the knightly
+rank I myself will administer the accolade."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+REVENGE.
+
+
+After his interview with the king, Cuthbert was led to his tent amid the
+hearty plaudits of the English troops.
+
+His own comrades flocked round him; the men of the greenwood headed by
+Cnut, were especially jubilant over his victory.
+
+"Who would have thought," said the tall forester, "that the lad who but a
+short time ago was a child, should now have sustained the honour of the
+country? We feel proud of you, Cuthbert; and trust us some day or other
+to follow wherever you may lead, and to do some deed which will attain
+for you honour and glory, and to show that the men of Evesham are as
+doughty as any under King Richard's rule."
+
+"You must be wary, Cuthbert," the earl said to him that evening. "Believe
+me that you and I have made a foe, who, although he may not have the
+power, has certainly the will to injure us to the death. I marked the eye
+of Count Jacquelin during the fight, and again when you were led up to
+the king. There was hatred and fury in his eye. The page too, I hear, is
+his own nephew, and he will be the laughing-stock of the French camp at
+having been conquered by one so much younger than himself. It will be
+well to keep upon your guard, and not go out at night unattended. Keep
+Cnut near you; he is faithful as a watch-dog, and would give his life, I
+am sure, for you. I will myself be also upon my guard, for it was after
+all my quarrel, and the fury of this fierce knight will vent itself upon
+both of us if the opportunity should come. I hear but a poor account of
+him among his confreres. They say he is one of those disgraces to the
+name of knight who are but a mixture of robber and soldier; that he
+harries all the lands in his neighbourhood; and that he has now only
+joined the Crusade to avoid the vengeance which the cries of the
+oppressed people had invoked from his liege lord. I am told indeed that
+the choice was given him to be outlawed, or to join the Crusades with
+all the strength he could raise. Naturally he adopted the latter
+alternative; but he has the instincts of the robber still, and will do us
+an evil turn, if he have the chance."
+
+Two days later the great army broke up its camp and marched south. After
+a week's journeying they encamped near a town, and halted there two or
+three days in order to collect provisions for the next advance; for the
+supplies which they could obtain in the country districts were wholly
+insufficient for so great a host of men. Here the armies were to
+separate, the French marching to Genoa, the English to Marseilles, the
+town at which they were to take ship.
+
+One evening the earl sent Cuthbert with a message for another English
+lord, staying in the town at the palace of the bishop, who was a friend
+of his.
+
+Cnut accompanied Cuthbert, for he now made a point of seldom letting him
+out of his sight. It was light when they reached the bishop's palace, but
+here they were delayed for some time, and night had fallen when they
+sallied out.
+
+The town was quiet, for the inhabitants cared not to show themselves in
+the streets now that such a large army of fierce men were in the
+neighbourhood.
+
+The others indeed of the monarchs were stringent, but discipline there
+was but little of, and the soldiery in those days regarded peaceful
+citizens as fair game; hence, when they came from the palace the streets
+of the city were already hushed and quiet, for the orders of the king had
+been preemptory that no men-at-arms, or others except those on duty, were
+to be away from their camp after nightfall.
+
+This order had been absolutely necessary, so many were the complaints
+brought in by country peasants and farmers, of the doings of bands of
+soldiers.
+
+Cnut and Cuthbert proceeded along the streets unmolested for some
+distance. Occasionally a solitary passer-by, with hooded cape, hurried
+past. The moon was half full, and her light was welcome indeed, for in
+those days the streets were unlighted, and the pavement so bad that
+passage through the streets after dark was a matter of difficulty, and
+even of danger.
+
+Here and there before some roadside shrine a lamp dimly burned; before
+these they paused, and, as good Catholics, Cnut and Cuthbert crossed
+themselves. Just as they had passed one of these wayside shrines, a
+sudden shout was heard, and a party of eight or ten men sprang out from a
+side street and fell upon them.
+
+Cnut and Cuthbert drew their swords and laid about them heartily, but
+their assailants were too strong. Cnut was stricken to the ground, and
+Cuthbert, seeing that defence was hopeless, took to his heels and ran for
+his life. He was already wounded, but happily not so severely as in any
+way to disable him.
+
+Seeing that it was speed, and speed alone, which now could save him, he
+flung aside his belt scabbard and as he ran, and with rapid steps flew
+along the streets, not knowing whither he went, and striving only to keep
+ahead of his pursuers. They, more encumbered by arms and armour, were
+unable to keep up with the flying footsteps of a lad clothed in the light
+attire of a page; but Cuthbert felt that the blood running from his wound
+was weakening him fast, and that unless he could gain some refuge his
+course must speedily come to an end. Happily he saw at some little
+distance ahead of him a man standing by a door. Just as he arrived the
+door opened, and a glow of light from within fell on the road, showing
+that the person entering was a monk.
+
+Without a moment's hesitation Cuthbert rushed through the door, shouting
+"Sanctuary!" and sank almost fainting on the ground.
+
+The monks, accustomed to wild pursuits and scenes of outrage in those
+warlike days, hastily closed the door, barring it securely. In a moment
+there was a rush of men against it from without.
+
+One of the monks opened a lattice above the door.
+
+"What mean you," he said, "by this outrage? Know ye not that this is the
+Monastery of St. John, and that it is sacrilege to lay a hand of violence
+even against its postern? Begone," he said, "or we'll lodge a complaint
+before the king."
+
+The assailants, nothing daunted, continued to batter at the door; but at
+this moment the monks, aroused from their beds, hastened to the spot, and
+seizing bill and sword--for in those days even monks were obliged at
+times to depend upon carnal weapons--they opened the door, and flung
+themselves upon the assailants with such force that the latter, surprised
+and discomfited, were forced to make a hasty retreat.
+
+The doors were then again barred, and Cuthbert was carried up to a cell
+in the building, where the leech of the monastery speedily examined his
+wound, and pronounced, that although his life was not in danger by it, he
+was greatly weakened by the loss of blood, that the wound was a serious
+one, and that it would be some time before the patient would recover.
+
+It was two days before Cuthbert was sufficiently restored to be able to
+speak. His first question to the monk was as to his whereabouts, and how
+long he had been there. Upon being answered, he entreated that a
+messenger might be despatched to the camp of the Earl of Evesham, to beg
+that a litter might be sent for him, and to inquire what had become of
+Cnut, whom he had last seen stricken down.
+
+The monk replied, "My son, I grieve to tell you that your request cannot
+be complied with. The army moved away yesternoon, and is now some
+five-and-twenty miles distant. There is nothing for you but patience, and
+when restored you can follow the army, and rejoin your master before he
+embarks at Marseilles. But how is it that a lad so young as you can have
+incurred the enmity of those who sought your life? For it is clear from
+the pertinacity with which they urged their attack that their object was
+not plunder, of which indeed they would get but little from you, but to
+take your life."
+
+Cuthbert recounted the circumstances which had led to the feud of the
+Count of Brabant against him, for he doubted not that this truculent
+knight was at the bottom of the attack.
+
+"After what has happened," the monk said, "you will need have caution
+when you leave here. The place where you have taken refuge is known to
+them, and should this wild noble persist in his desire for vengeance
+against you, he will doubtless leave some of his ruffians to watch the
+monastery. We will keep a look-out, and note if any strangers are to be
+seen near the gates; if we find that it is so, we shall consider what is
+best to be done. We could of course appeal to the mayor for protection
+against them, and could even have the strangers ejected from the town or
+cast into prison; but it is not likely that we should succeed in
+capturing more than the fellow who may be placed on the look-out, and the
+danger would be in no wise lessened to yourself. But there is time to
+talk over this matter before you leave. It will be another fortnight at
+least before you will be able to pursue your journey."
+
+Cuthbert gained strength more rapidly than the monk had expected. He was
+generously fed, and this and his good constitution soon enabled him to
+recover from the loss of blood; and at the end of five days he expressed
+his hope that he could on the following day pursue his journey. The monk
+who attended him shook his head.
+
+"Thou mightst, under ordinary circumstances, quit us to-morrow, for thou
+art well enough to take part in the ordinary pursuits of a page; but to
+journey is a different thing. You may have all sorts of hardships to
+endure; you may have even to trust for your life to your speed and
+endurance; and it would be madness for you to go until your strength is
+fully established. I regret to tell you that we have ascertained beyond a
+doubt that the monastery is closely watched. We have sent some of the
+acolytes out, dressed in the garbs of monks, and attended by one of our
+elder brethren; and in each case, a monk who followed at a distance of
+fifty yards was able to perceive that they were watched. The town is full
+of rough men, the hangers-on of the army; some, indeed, are followers of
+laggard knights, but the greater portion are men who merely pursue the
+army with a view to gain by its necessities, to buy plunder from the
+soldiers, and to rob, and, if necessary, to murder should there be a hope
+of obtaining gold. Among these men your enemies would have little
+difficulty in recruiting any number, and no appeal that we could make to
+the mayor would protect you from them when you have left the walls. We
+must trust to our ingenuity in smuggling you out. After that, it is upon
+your own strength and shrewdness that you must rely for an escape from
+any snares that may be laid for you. You will see, then, that at least
+another three or four days are needed before you can set forth. Your
+countrymen are so far away that a matter of a few days will make but
+little difference. They will in any case be delayed for a long time at
+Marseilles before they embark; and whether you leave now or a month
+hence, you would be equally in time to join them before their
+embarkation--that is, supposing that you make your way through the snares
+which beset you."
+
+Cuthbert saw the justice of the reasoning, and it was another week
+before he announced himself as feeling absolutely restored to strength
+again, and capable of bearing as much exertion as he could have done
+before his attack.
+
+A long consultation was held with the prior and a monk who had acted as
+his leech, as to the best plan of getting Cuthbert beyond the walls of
+the city. Many schemes were proposed and rejected. Every monk who
+ventured beyond the walls had been closely scrutinized, and one or two of
+short stature had even been jostled in the streets, so as to throw back
+their hoods and expose a sight of their faces. It was clear, then, that
+it would be dangerous to trust to a disguise. Cuthbert proposed that he
+should leave at night, trusting solely to their directions as to the
+turnings he should take to bring him to the city walls, and that, taking
+a rope, he should there let himself down, and make the best of his way
+forward. This, however, the monks would not consent to, assuring him that
+the watch was so strictly kept round the monastery that he would
+inevitably be seen.
+
+"No," the prior said, "the method, whatever it is, must be as open as
+possible; and though I cannot at this moment hit upon a plan, I will
+think it over to-night, and putting my ideas with those of Father Jerome
+here, and the sacristan, who has a shrewd head, it will be hard if we
+cannot between us contrive some plan to evade the watch of those robber
+villains who beset the convent."
+
+The next morning when the prior came in to see Cuthbert, the latter said,
+"Good father, I have determined not to endeavour to make off in disguise.
+I doubt not that your wit could contrive some means by which I should get
+clear of the walls without observation from the scouts of this villain
+noble. But once in the country, I should have neither horse nor armour,
+and should have hard work indeed to make my way down through France, even
+though none of my enemies were on my track. I will therefore, if it
+please you, go down boldly to the Mayor, and claim a protection and
+escort. If he will but grant me a few men-at-arms for one day's ride from
+the town, I can choose my own route, and riding out in mail can then take
+my chance of finding my way down to Marseilles."
+
+"I will go down with you, my son," the prior said, "to the mayor. Two of
+my monks shall accompany us; and assuredly no insult will be offered to
+you in the street thus accompanied." Shortly afterwards, Cuthbert
+started as arranged, and soon arrived at the house of the mayor, Sir
+John de Cahors.
+
+Upon the prior making known to this knight whom he had brought with him,
+the mayor exclaimed,--
+
+"Pest! young gentleman; you have caused us no small trouble and concern.
+We have had ridings to and fro concerning you, and furious messages from
+your fiery king. When in the morning a tall, stalwart knave dressed in
+green was found, slashed about in various places, lying on the pavement,
+the townsmen, not knowing who he was, but finding that he still
+breathed, carried him to the English camp, and he was claimed as a
+follower of the Earl of Evesham. There was great wrath and anger over
+this; and an hour later the earl himself came down and stated that his
+page was missing, and that there was reason to believe that he had been
+foully murdered, as he had accompanied the man found wounded.
+Fortunately the bulk of the armies had marched away at early dawn, and
+the earl had only remained behind in consequence of the absence of his
+followers. I assured the angry Englishman that I would have a thorough
+search made in the town; and although in no way satisfied, he rode off
+after his king with all his force, carrying with him the long-limbed
+man whom we had picked up. Two days after, a message came back from King
+Richard himself, saying that unless this missing page were discovered,
+or if, he being killed, his murderers were not brought to justice and
+punished, he would assuredly on his return from the Holy Land burn the
+town over our ears. Your king is not a man who minces matters. However,
+threatened men live long, especially when the person who threatens is
+starting for a journey, from which, as like or not, he may never return.
+However, I have had diligent search made for you. All the houses of bad
+repute have been examined, and their inhabitants questioned. But there
+are so many camp-followers and other rabble at present in the town that
+a hundred men might disappear without our being able to obtain a clue. I
+doubted not indeed that your body had been thrown in the river, and that
+we should never hear more of you. I am right glad that you have been
+restored; not indeed from any fear of the threats of the king your
+master, but because, from what the Earl of Evesham said, you were a lad
+likely to come to great fame and honour. The earl left in my charge your
+horse, and the armour which he said you wore at a tournament lately, in
+case we should hear aught of you."
+
+Cuthbert gave an exclamation of pleasure. His purse contained but a few
+pieces of silver, and being without arms except for his short dagger, or
+means of locomotion, the difficulties of the journey down to Marseilles
+had sorely puzzled him. But with his good horse between his knees, and
+his suit of Milan armour on his back, he thought that he might make his
+way through any dangers which threatened him.
+
+The prior now told the knight that circumstances had occurred, which
+showed that it was known to the assailants of Cuthbert that he had taken
+refuge in the convent, over which a strict watch had been kept by
+Cuthbert's enemies.
+
+"If I could find the varlets, I would hang them over the gates of the
+town," the knight said wrathfully. "But as at the present moment there
+are nearly as many rogues as honest men in the place, it would be a
+wholesale hanging indeed to ensure getting hold of the right people.
+Moreover, it is not probable that another attempt upon his life will be
+made inside our walls; and doubtless the main body of this gang are
+somewhere without, intending to assault him when he continues his
+journey, and they have left but a spy or two here to inform them as to
+his movements. I will give you any aid in my power, young sir. The army
+is by this time nigh Marseilles, and, sooth to say, I have no body of
+men-at-arms whom I could send as your escort for so long a distance. I
+have but a small body here, and they are needed, and sorely too, to keep
+order within the walls."
+
+"I thought, sir," Cuthbert said, "that if you could lend me a party of
+say four men-at-arms to ride with me for the first day, I could then
+trust to myself, especially if you could procure me one honest man to act
+as guide and companion. Doubtless they suppose that I should travel by
+the main road south; but by going the first day's journey either east or
+west, and then striking some southward road, I should get a fair start of
+them, throw all their plans out, and perchance reach Marseilles without
+interruption."
+
+The knight willingly agreed to furnish four men-at-arms, and a
+trustworthy guide who would at least take him as far south as Avignon.
+
+"I will," he said, "tell the men-at-arms off to-night. They shall be
+at the western gate at daybreak with the pass permitting them to ride
+through. The guide shall be at the convent door half an hour earlier.
+I will send up to-night your armour and horse. Here is a purse which
+the Earl of Evesham also left for your use. Is there aught else I can
+do for you?"
+
+"Nothing, sir," Cuthbert said; "and if I regain the army in safety, I
+shall have pleasure in reporting to King Richard how kindly and
+courteously you have treated me."
+
+The arrangements were carried out.
+
+An hour before daybreak Cuthbert was aroused, donned his armour and steel
+casque, drank a flask of wine, and ate a manchet of bread which the
+prior himself brought him; and then, with a cordial adieu to the kind
+monks, issued forth.
+
+The guide had just reached the gate, and together they trotted down the
+narrow streets to the west gate of the city, where four men-at-arms were
+awaiting them.
+
+The gates were at once opened, and Cuthbert and his little troop
+sallied forth.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+THE ATTACK.
+
+
+All day they rode with their faces west, and before nightfall had made a
+journey of over forty miles. Then bestowing a largess upon the
+men-at-arms, Cuthbert dismissed them, and took up his abode at a
+hostelry, his guide looking to the two horses.
+
+Cuthbert was pleased with the appearance of the man who had been placed
+at his disposal. He was a young fellow of two-or-three-and-twenty, with
+an honest face. He was, he told Cuthbert, the son of a small farmer near
+Avignon; but having a fancy for trade, he had been apprenticed to a
+master smith. Having served his apprenticeship, he found that he had
+mistaken his vocation, and intended to return to the paternal vineyards.
+
+Cuthbert calculated that he would make at least four days' journey to the
+south before he could meet with any dangers. Doubtless his exit from the
+convent had been discovered, and the moment the gates of the city were
+opened the spy would have proceeded south to warn his comrades, and these
+would doubtless have taken a road which at a distance would again take
+them on to that by which Cuthbert would be now travelling. As, however,
+he rode fast, and made long marches each day, he hoped that he might
+succeed in distancing them. Unfortunately, upon the third day his horse
+cast his shoe, and no smith could be met with until the end of the day's
+journey. Consequently, but a short distance could be done, and this at a
+slow pace. Upon the fifth day after their first start they arrived at a
+small town.
+
+The next morning, Cuthbert on rising found that his guide did not present
+himself as usual. Making inquiries, he found that the young man had gone
+out the evening before, and had not returned. Extremely uneasy at the
+circumstance, Cuthbert went to the city guard, thinking that perhaps his
+guide might have got drunk, and been shut up in the cells. No news,
+however, was to be obtained there, and after waiting some hours, feeling
+sure that some harm had befallen him, he gave notice to the authorities
+of his loss, and then, mounting his horse, and leaving some money with
+the landlord of the hostelry to give to his guide in case the latter
+should return, he started at mid-day by the southern road.
+
+He felt sure now that he was overtaken, and determined to keep his eyes
+and faculties thoroughly on watch.
+
+The roads in those days were mere tracks. Here and there a little
+village was to be met with; but the country was sparsely cultivated, and
+travelling lonely work. Cuthbert rode fast, carefully avoiding all copses
+and small woods through which the road ran, by making a circuit round
+them and coming on to it again on the other side.
+
+His horse was an excellent one, the gift of the earl, and he had little
+fear, with his light weight, of being overtaken, if he could once leave
+his enemies behind him.
+
+At length he approached an extensive forest, which stretched for miles on
+either side.
+
+Half a mile before he reached it the track divided.
+
+He had for some little time eased his horse down to a walk, as he felt
+that the wood would be the spot where he would in all probability be
+attacked, and he needed that his steed should be possessed of its
+utmost vigour.
+
+At the spot where the track branched, a man in the guise of a mendicant
+was sitting. He begged for alms, and Cuthbert threw him a small coin.
+
+A sudden thought struck him as he heard a rustling in the bushes near.
+
+"Which is the nearest and best road to Avignon?" he said.
+
+"The right-hand road is the best and shortest," the beggar said. "The
+other makes a long circuit, and leads through several marshes, which your
+honour will find it hard to pass."
+
+Cuthbert thanked him, and moved forward, still at a walk, along the
+right-hand road.
+
+When he had gone about 200 yards, and was hidden from the sight of the
+man he had left--the country being rough, and scattered with clumps of
+bushes--he halted, and, as he expected, heard the sound of horses' hoofs
+coming on at full gallop along the other road.
+
+"Your master must have thought me young indeed," he said, "to try and
+catch me with such a transparent trick as that. I do not suppose that
+accursed page has more than ten men with him, and doubtless has placed
+five on each road. This fellow was placed here to see which track I would
+follow, and has now gone to give the party on the left hand the news that
+I have taken this way. Had it not been for him I should have had to run
+the gauntlet with four or five of my enemies. As it is, the path will
+doubtless be clear."
+
+So saying, he turned his horse, galloped back to the spot where the
+tracks separated, and then followed the left-hand route.
+
+As he had hoped, he passed through the wood without incident or
+interruption, and arrived safely that night at a small town, having seen
+no signs of his enemies.
+
+The next day he started again early, and rode on until mid-day, when he
+halted at a large village, at which was the only inn between the place
+from which he started and his destination. He declined the offer of the
+servant of the inn to take his horse round to the stable, telling the
+man to hold him outside the door and give him from a sieve a few
+handfuls of grain.
+
+Then he entered the inn and ate a hearty meal. As he appeared at the
+door, he saw several men gathered near. With a single spring he threw
+himself into the saddle, just as a rush forward was made by those
+standing round. The man next to him sprang upon him, and endeavoured to
+drag him from the saddle. Cuthbert drew the little dagger called a
+Mis‚ricorde from his belt, and plunged it into his throat. Then seizing
+the short mace which hung at the saddle bow, he hurled it with all his
+force full in the face of his enemy, the page of Sir Philip, who was
+rushing upon him sword in hand. The heavy weapon struck him fairly
+between the eyes, and with a cry he fell back, his face completely
+smashed in by the blow, the sword which he held uplifted to strike flying
+far through the air.
+
+Cuthbert struck his spurs into his horse, and the animal dashed forward
+with a bound, Cuthbert striking with his long sword at one or two men who
+made a snatch at the reins. In another minute he was cantering out of
+the village, convinced that he had killed the leader of his foes, and
+that he was safe now to pursue the rest of his journey on to Marseilles.
+
+So it turned out.
+
+Without further incident, he travelled through the south of France, and
+arrived at the great seaport. He speedily discovered the quarters in
+which the Earl of Evesham's contingent were encamped, and made towards
+this without delay. As he entered a wild shout of joy was heard, and Cnut
+ran forward with many gestures of delight.
+
+"My dear Cuthbert, my dear Cuthbert!" he exclaimed. "Can it be true that
+you have escaped? We all gave you up; and although I did my best, yet had
+you not survived it I should never have forgiven myself, believing that I
+might have somehow done better, and have saved you from the cut-throats
+who attacked us."
+
+"Thanks, thanks, my good Cnut," Cuthbert cried. "I have been through a
+time of peril, no doubt; but as you see, I am hale and well--better,
+methinks than you are, for you look pale and ill; and I doubt not that
+the wound which I received was a mere scratch to that which bore you
+down. It sounded indeed like the blow of a smith's hammer upon an anvil."
+
+"Fortunately, my steel cap saved my head somewhat," Cnut said, "and the
+head itself is none of the thinnest; but it tried it sorely, I confess.
+However, now that you are back I shall, doubt not, soon be as strong as
+ever I was. I think that fretting for your absence has kept me back more
+than the inflammation from the wound itself--but there is the Earl at the
+door of his tent."
+
+Through the foresters and retainers who had at Cnut's shout of joy
+crowded up, Cuthbert made his way, shaking hands right and left with the
+men, among whom he was greatly loved, for they regarded him as being in a
+great degree the cause of their having been freed from outlawry, and
+restored to civil life again. The earl was really affected. As Cuthbert
+rode up he held out both arms, and as his page alighted he embraced him
+as a father.
+
+"My dear Cuthbert!" he exclaimed. "What anxiety have we not suffered. Had
+you been my own son, I could not have felt more your loss. We did not
+doubt for an instant that you had fallen into the hands of some of the
+retainers of that villain Count; and from all we could learn, and from
+the absence of any dead body by the side of that of Cnut, I imagined that
+you must have been carried off. It was clear that your chance of life, if
+you fell into the hands of that evil page, or his equally vile master,
+was small indeed. The very day that Cnut was brought in, I visited the
+French camp, and accused him of having been the cause of your
+disappearance and Cnut's wounds. He affected the greatest astonishment at
+the charge. He had not, as he said, been out of the camp for two days. My
+accusation was unfounded and malicious, and I should answer this as well
+as the previous outrage, when the vow of the Crusaders to keep peace
+among themselves was at an end. Of course I had no means of proving what
+I said, or I would have gone direct to the king and charged him with the
+outrage. As it was I gained nothing by my pains. He has accompanied this
+French division to Genoa; but when we meet at Sicily, where the two
+armies are to rendezvous, I will bring the matter before the king, as the
+fact that his page was certainly concerned in it must be taken as showing
+that he was the instigator."
+
+"It would, my lord earl, be perhaps better," Cuthbert said, "if I
+might venture to advise, to leave the matter alone. No doubt the count
+would say that he had discharged his page after the tournament, and
+that the latter was only carrying out his private feud with me. We
+should not be able to disprove the story, and should gain no
+satisfaction by the matter."
+
+The earl admitted the justice of Cuthbert's reasoning, but reserved to
+himself the task of punishing the author of the outrage upon the first
+fitting opportunity.
+
+There was a weary delay at Marseilles before the expedition set sail.
+This was caused by the fact of the English fleet, which had been ordered
+to be there upon their arrival, failing to keep the agreement.
+
+The words English fleet badly describe the vessels which were to carry
+the English contingent to their destination. They were ships belonging to
+the maritime nations of Italy--the Venetians, Genoese, Pisans, etc.; for
+England at that time had but few of her own, and these scarcely fitted
+for the stormy navigation of the Bay of Biscay.
+
+King Richard, impatient as ever of delay, at last lost his temper, and
+embarked on board a ship with a few of his chosen knights, and set sail
+by himself for Sicily, the point at which the two armies of the
+expedition were to re-unite. A few days after his departure, the
+long-looked-for fleet arrived, and a portion of the English host embarked
+at once, and set sail for Sicily, where they were to be landed, and the
+ships were to return to fetch the remaining contingent.
+
+A sea voyage of this kind in those days was a serious matter. Long
+voyages were rare, and troops were carried very much upon the principle
+of herrings; that is, were packed as close as they could be, without any
+reference to their comfort. As the voyages seldom lasted more than
+twenty-four hours, this did not much matter, but during long voyages the
+discomforts, or as may be said sufferings, of the troops were
+considerable. So tightly packed were the galleys in which the English set
+sail from Marseilles, that there was no walking about. Every man slept
+where he sat, and considered himself lucky indeed if he could obtain room
+sufficient to stretch himself at full length. Most slept sitting against
+bulwarks or other supports. In the cabins, where the knights, their pages
+and squires, were placed, the crowding was of course less excessive, but
+even here the amount of space, which a subaltern travelling to India for
+the first time now-a-days would grumble at, was considered amply
+sufficient for half-a-dozen knights of distinction. It was a week after
+sailing, when Cnut touched Cuthbert's arm as he came on deck one morning,
+and said,--
+
+"Look, look, Cuthbert! that mountain standing up in the water has caught
+fire on the top. Did you ever see such a thing?"
+
+The soldiers crowded to the side of the vessel, in intense astonishment
+and no little awe. From the top of a lofty and rugged hill, rising almost
+straight from the sea, flames were roaring up, smoke hung over the
+island, and stones were thrown into the air and rattled down the side of
+the hill, or fell into the sea with a splash.
+
+"That is a fearsome sight," Cnut said, crossing himself.
+
+"It looks as if it was the mouth of purgatory," exclaimed another,
+standing by.
+
+Cuthbert himself was amazed, for the instruction he had received from
+Father Francis was of too slight a nature to include the story of
+volcanoes. A priest, however, who accompanied the ship in the character
+of leech and confessor, explained the nature of the phenomenon to his
+astonished listeners, and told them that over on the mainland was a
+mountain which at times vomited forth such masses of stones and of
+liquid rock that it had swallowed up and covered many great cities. There
+was also, he told them, another mountain of the same sort, even more
+vast, on the island of Sicily itself; but that this had seldom, as far
+back as man could remember, done any great harm.
+
+Sailing on, in another day they arrived off the coast of Sicily itself,
+and sailing up the straits between it and the mainland, they landed at
+Messina. Here a considerable portion of the French army had already
+arrived, having been brought down from Genoa.
+
+There was no news of the King of England; and, as often happens, the
+saying "the more haste the less speed," had been verified here.
+
+It was some days later before King Richard arrived, having been driven
+from his course by tempests, well-nigh cast ashore, and having besides
+gone through many adventures. Three weeks later, the whole of the army of
+the Crusaders were gathered around Messina, where it was intended to
+remain some little time before starting. It was a gay time; and the
+kings vied with each other in entertainments, joustings, and tournaments.
+The Italian knights also made a brave show, and it might have been
+thought that this huge army of men were gathered there simply for
+amusement and feasting. In the tournaments every effort was made to
+prevent any feeling of national rivalry, and although parties of knights
+held their own against all comers, these were most carefully selected to
+represent several nationalities, and therefore victory, on whichsoever
+side it fell, excited no feelings of bitterness.
+
+Alone, King Richard was undoubtedly the strongest cavalier of the two
+armies. Against his ponderous strength no knight could keep his seat; and
+this was so palpable, that after many victories, King Richard was forced
+to retire from the lists from want of competitors, and to take his place
+on the dais with the more peace-loving King of France.
+
+The gaiety of the camp was heightened by the arrival of many nobles and
+dames from Italy. Here, too, came the Queen of Navarre, bringing with her
+the beautiful Princess Berengaria.
+
+"Methinks," the Earl of Evesham said to Cuthbert, a fortnight after the
+arrival of the queen, "that unless my eyes deceive me, the princess is
+likely to be a cause of trouble."
+
+"In what way?" asked Cuthbert with surprise, for he had been struck with
+her marvellous beauty, and wondered greatly what mischief so fair a
+being could do.
+
+"By the way in which our good lord, the king, gazes upon her, methinks
+that it were like enough that he broke off his engagement with the
+Princess of France, for the sake of the fair eyes of this damsel."
+
+"That were indeed a misfortune," Cuthbert said gravely, for he saw at
+once the anger which such a course would excite in the minds of the
+French king and his knights, who would naturally be indignant in the
+extreme at the slight put upon their princess. As day after day passed,
+it became evident to all that the King of England was infatuated by the
+princess. Again he entered the lists himself, and as some fresh Italian
+knights and others had arrived, he found fresh opponents, and
+conspicuously laid the spoils of victory at the feet of the princess,
+whom he selected as the Queen of Beauty.
+
+All sorts of rumours now became current in camp; violent quarrels between
+the kings, and bad feeling between the French and English knights, broke
+out again in consequence, and this more violently than before.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+THE PRINCESS BERENGARIA.
+
+
+One night it chanced that Cuthbert was late in his return to camp, and
+his road took him through a portion of the French encampment; the night
+was dark, and Cuthbert presently completely lost all idea as to his
+bearings. Presently he nearly ran against a tent; he made his way to the
+entrance in order to crave directions as to his way--for it was a wet
+night; the rain was pouring in torrents, and few were about of whom he
+could demand the way--and, as he was about to draw aside the hangings, he
+heard words said in a passionate voice which caused him to withdraw his
+hand suddenly.
+
+"I tell you," said a voice, "I would rather drive a dagger myself into
+her heart, than allow our own princess to be insulted by this hot-headed
+island dog."
+
+"It is sad indeed," said another, but in a calmer and smoother tone,
+"that the success of a great expedition like this, which has for its
+object the recovery of the holy sepulchre from the infidels, should be
+wrecked by the headstrong fancies of one man. It is even, as is told by
+the old Grecian poet, as when Helen caused a great war between peoples of
+that nation."
+
+"I know nothing," another voice said, "either of Helen or the Greeks, or
+of their poets. They are a shifty race, and I can believe aught that is
+bad of them. But touching this princess of Navarre, I agree with our
+friend, it would be a righteous deed to poniard her, and so to remove the
+cause of dispute between the two kings, and, indeed, the two nations.
+This insult laid upon our princess is more than we, as French knights and
+gentlemen, can brook; and if the king says the word, there is not a
+gentleman in the army but will be ready to turn his sword against the
+islanders."
+
+Then the smooth voice spoke again.
+
+"It would, my brethren, be wrong and useless to shed blood; but methinks,
+that if this apple of discord could be removed, a good work would be
+done; not, as our friend the count has suggested, by a stab of the
+dagger; that indeed would be worse than useless. But surely there are
+scores of religious houses, where this bird might be placed in a cage
+without a soul knowing where she was, and where she might pass her life
+in prayer that she may be pardoned for having caused grave hazards of the
+failure of an enterprise in which all the Christian world is concerned."
+
+The voices of the speakers now fell, and Cuthbert was straining his ear
+to listen, when he heard footsteps approaching the tent, and he glided
+away into the darkness.
+
+With great difficulty he recovered the road to the camp, and when he
+reached his tent he confided to the Earl of Evesham what he had heard.
+
+"This is serious indeed," the earl said, "and bodes no little trouble
+and danger. It is true that the passion which King Richard has conceived
+for Berengaria bids fair to wreck the Crusade, by the anger which it has
+excited in the French king and his nobles; but the disappearance of the
+princess would no less fatally interfere with it, for the king would be
+like a raging lion deprived of his whelps, and would certainly move no
+foot eastward until he had exhausted all the means in his power of
+tracing his lost lady love. You could not, I suppose, Cuthbert, point out
+the tent where this conversation took place?"
+
+"I could not," Cuthbert answered; "in the darkness one tent is like
+another. I think I should recognize the voices of the speakers did I hear
+them again; indeed, one voice I did recognize, it was that of the Count
+of Brabant, with whom we had trouble before."
+
+"That is good," the earl said, "because we have at least an object to
+watch. It would never do to tell the king what you have heard. In the
+first place, his anger would be so great that it would burst all
+bounds, and would cause, likely enough, a battle at once between the
+two armies; nor would it have any good effect, for he of Brabant would
+of course deny the truth of your assertions, and would declare it was
+merely a got-up story to discredit him with the king, and so to wipe
+out the old score now standing between us. No, if we are to succeed,
+alike in preventing harm happening to the princess, and an open break
+between the two monarchs, it must be done by keeping a guard over the
+princess, unsuspected by all, and ourselves frustrating any attempt
+which may be made."
+
+Cuthbert expressed his willingness to carry out the instructions which
+the earl might give him; and, much disturbed by the events of the day,
+both earl and page retired to rest, to think over what plan had best
+be adopted.
+
+The princess was staying at the palace of the bishop of the town; this
+he, having another residence a short distance outside the walls, had
+placed at the disposal of the Queen of Navarre and her suite; and the
+first step of Cuthbert in the morning was to go into the town, to
+reconnoitre the position and appearance of the building. It was a large
+and irregular pile, and communicated with the two monasteries lying
+alongside of it. It would therefore clearly be a most difficult thing to
+keep up a complete watch on the exterior of so large a building. There
+were so many ways in which the princess might be captured and carried off
+by unscrupulous men, that Cuthbert in vain thought over every plan by
+which it could be possible to safeguard her. She might be seized upon
+returning from a tournament or entertainment; but this was improbable, as
+the queen would always have an escort of knights with her, and no attempt
+could be successful except at the cost of a public fracas and much loss
+of blood. Cuthbert regarded as out of the question that an outrage of
+this kind would be attempted.
+
+The fact that one of the speakers in the tent had used the words "my
+sons," showed that one priest or monk, at least, was connected with the
+plot. It was possible that this man might have power in one of the
+monasteries, or he might be an agent of the bishop himself; and
+Cuthbert saw that it would be easy enough in the night for a party from
+one or other of the monasteries to enter by the door of communication
+with the palace, and carry off the princess without the slightest alarm
+being given. Once within the walls of the convent, she could be either
+hidden in the dungeons or secret places, which buildings of that kind
+were sure to possess, or could be at once carried out by some quiet
+entrance, and taken into the country, or transferred to some other
+building in the town.
+
+When Cuthbert joined the earl he told him the observations that he had
+made, and Sir Walter praised the judgment which he had shown in his
+conclusions. The earl was of opinion that it would be absolutely
+necessary to get some clue as to the course which the abductors purposed
+to take; indeed it was possible that on after-consideration they might
+drop their plan altogether, for the words which Cuthbert had overheard
+scarcely betokened a plan completely formed and finally decided upon.
+
+The great point he considered, therefore, was that the tent of his old
+enemy should be carefully watched, and that an endeavour should be made
+to hear something of what passed within, which might give a clue to the
+plan fixed upon. They did not, of course, know whether the tent in
+which the conversation had been heard by Cuthbert was that of Sir de
+Jacquelin Barras, or of one of the other persons who had spoken; and
+Cuthbert suggested that the first thing would be to find out whether
+the count, after nightfall, was in the habit of going to some other
+tent, or whether, on the other hand, he remained within, and was
+visited by others.
+
+It was easy, of course, to discover which was his tent; and Cuthbert soon
+got its position, and then took Cnut into his counsels.
+
+"The matter is difficult," Cnut said, "and I see no way by which a watch
+can be kept up by day; but after dark--I have several men in my band who
+can track a deer, and surely could manage to follow the steps of this
+baron without being observed. There is little Jack, who is no bigger than
+a boy of twelve, although he can shoot, and run, and play with the
+quarter-staff, or, if need be, with the bill, against the best man in the
+troop. I warrant me that if you show him the tent, he will keep such
+sharp watch that no one shall enter or depart without his knowing where
+they go to. On a dark night he will be able to slip among the tents, and
+to move here and there without being seen. He can creep on his stomach
+without moving a leaf, and trust me the eyes of these French men-at-arms
+will look in vain for a glimpse of him."
+
+"You understand, Cnut, all that I want to know is whether the
+other conspirators in this matter visit his tent, or whether he
+goes to theirs."
+
+"I understand," Cnut said. "That is the first point to be arrived at."
+
+Three days later Cnut brought news that each night after dark a party of
+five men met in the tent that was watched; that one of the five always
+came out when all had assembled, and took his station before the entrance
+of the tent, so as to be sure that no eavesdropper was near.
+
+Cuthbert smiled,--
+
+"It is a case of locking the door after the horse has gone."
+
+"What is to be done now?" Cnut asked.
+
+"I will talk with the earl before I tell you, Cnut. This matter is too
+serious for me to take a step without consulting Sir Walter."
+
+That night there was a long talk between the earl and his page as to the
+best course to be pursued. It was clear that their old enemy was the
+leading person in the plot, and that the only plan to baffle it with any
+fair chances of success was to keep a constant eye upon his movements,
+and also to have three or four of the sturdiest men of the band told off
+to watch, without being perceived, each time that the princess was in
+her palace.
+
+The Earl of Evesham left the arrangements entirely in the hands of his
+page, of whose good sense and sagacity he had a very high opinion.
+
+His own first impulse had been to go before the king and denounce the
+Count of Brabant. But the ill-will between them was already well known;
+for not only was there the original dispute at the banquet, but when the
+two armies had joined at Sicily, King Richard, who had heard from the
+earl of the attempt at the assassination of Cuthbert, had laid a
+complaint before King Phillip of the conduct of his subject.
+
+Sir de Jacquelin Barras, however, had denied that he had any finger in
+the matter.
+
+"He had," he said, "discharged his page after the encounter with
+Cuthbert, and knew nothing further whatever of his movements."
+
+Although it was morally certain that the page could not have purchased
+the services of the men who assisted him, from his own purse, or gain
+them by any means of persuasion, but that they were either the followers
+of the Count of Brabant, or ruffians hired with his money, as no proof
+could be obtained, the matter was allowed to drop.
+
+The earl felt, however, that an accusation against the count by him of an
+intention to commit a high crime, and this merely on the evidence of his
+page, would appear like an attempt to injure the fair fame of his rival.
+
+Feeling, therefore, that nothing could be done save to watch, he left
+the matter entirely in the hands of his page, telling him that he
+could take as many men-at-arms or archers as he might choose and use
+them in his name.
+
+Cnut entered warmly into Cuthbert's plans; and finally it was arranged
+between them that six of the archers should nightly keep watch opposite
+the various entrances of the bishop's palace and of the two monasteries
+joining. Of course they could not patrol up and down without attracting
+attention, but they were to take up posts where they could closely
+observe the entrances, and were either to lie down and feign drunken
+sleep, or to conceal themselves within the shadow of an arch or other
+hiding-place.
+
+Down on the sea-shore, Cuthbert made an arrangement with one of the
+owners of small craft lying there that ten of his men should sleep on
+board every night, together with some fishermen accustomed to the use
+of the oar.
+
+Cuthbert himself determined to be always with this party.
+
+Night after night passed, and so long a time went by that Cuthbert began
+to think the design must have been given up.
+
+However, he resolved to relax none of his watchfulness during the
+remaining time that the expedition might stop in Sicily.
+
+It was in January, three weeks after the first watch had been set, when
+one of the men who had been placed to watch the entrance to one of the
+monasteries, leapt on board the craft and shook Cuthbert by the shoulder.
+
+"A party of some five men," he said, "have just issued out from the
+monastery. They are bearing a burden--what, I cannot see. They were
+making in the direction of the water. I whistled to Dick, who was
+next to me in the lane. He is following them, and I came on to tell
+you to prepare."
+
+The night was pitch dark, and it was difficult in the extreme to see any
+one moving at a short distance off.
+
+There were two or three streets that led from the monastery, which stood
+at the top of the town, towards the sea; and a party coming down might
+take any of these, according to the position in which the boat they were
+seeking was placed.
+
+Cuthbert now instantly sent five or six of his men, with instructions to
+avoid all noise, along the line of the port, with orders to bring in
+word should any one come down and take boat, or should they hear any
+noise in the town.
+
+He himself with the sailors loosed the ropes which fastened the boat to
+shore, got out the oars, and prepared to put off at a moment's notice.
+
+He was of course ignorant whether the abductors would try to carry the
+princess off by water, or would hide her in one of the convents of the
+town; but he was inclined to think that the former would be the course
+adopted; for the king in his wrath would be ready to lay the town in
+flames, and to search every convent from top to bottom for the princess.
+Besides, there would be too many aware of the secret.
+
+Cuthbert was not wrong in his supposition.
+
+Soon the man he had sent to the extreme right came running up with the
+news that a boat had embarked at the farther end, with a party of some
+ten men on board. As he came along he had warned the others, and in five
+minutes the whole party were collected in the craft, numbering in all
+twelve of Cuthbert's men and six sailors. They instantly put out, and
+rowed in the direction in which the boat would have gone, the boatmen
+expressing their opinion that probably the party would make for a vessel
+which was lying anchored at some little distance from shore. The bearings
+of the position of this ship was known to the boatmen, but the night was
+so dark that they were quite unable to find it. Orders had been given
+that no sound or whisper was to be heard on board the boat; and after
+rowing as far as they could, the boatmen said they were in the direction
+of the ship.
+
+The boatmen all lay on their oars, and all listened intently.
+Presently the creaking of a pulley was heard in the still night, at a
+distance of a few hundred yards. This was enough. It was clear that
+the vessel was getting up sail. The boat's head was turned in that
+direction; the crew rowed steadily but noiselessly, and in a few
+minutes the tall mast of a vessel could be seen faintly against the
+sky. Just as they perceived the situation, a hail from on board showed
+that their approach was now observed.
+
+"Stretch to your oars," Cuthbert said, "we must make a dash for it now."
+
+The rowers bent to their work and in a minute the boat ran alongside
+the craft.
+
+As Cuthbert and his followers scrambled upon the deck, they were attacked
+by those of the crew and passengers who were standing near; but it was
+evident at once that the chiefs of the expedition had not heard the hail,
+and that there was no general plan of defence against them.
+
+It was not until the last of them had gained a footing, and were
+beginning to fight their way along the vessel, that from below three or
+four men-at-arms ran up, and one in a tone of authority demanded what was
+the matter. When he heard the clash of swords and the shouts of the
+combatants, he put himself at once at the head of the party, and a fierce
+and obstinate fight now took place.
+
+The assailants had, however, the advantage.
+
+Cuthbert and his men were all lightly clad, and this on the deck of a
+ship lumbered with ropes and gear, and in the dark, was a great
+advantage, for the mailed men-at-arms frequently stumbled and fell. The
+fight lasted for several minutes. Cnut who was armed with a heavy mace,
+did great service, for with each of his sweeping blows he broke down the
+guard of an opponent, and generally levelled him to the deck.
+
+The numbers at the beginning of the fight were not unequal, but the men
+to whom the vessel belonged made but a faint resistance when they
+perceived that the day was going against them. The men-at-arms, however,
+consisting of three, who appeared to be the leaders, and of eight
+pikemen, fought stubbornly and well.
+
+Cuthbert was not long in detecting in the tones of the man who was
+clearly at the head of affairs the voice of Sir de Jacquelin Barras. To
+do him justice he fought with extreme bravery, and when almost all his
+followers were cut down or beaten overboard, he resisted staunchly and
+well. With a heavy two-handed sword he cleaved a space at the end of the
+boat, and kept the whole of Cuthbert's party at bay.
+
+At last Cnut, who had been engaged elsewhere, came to the front, and a
+tough fight ensued between them.
+
+It might have ended badly for the brave forester, for his lack of armour
+gave an enormous advantage to his opponent. Soon, however, the count's
+foot slipped on the boards of the deck, and before he could recover
+himself the mace of Cnut descended with tremendous force upon his head,
+which was unprotected, as he had taken off his casque on arriving at the
+ship. Without a word or a cry the count fell forward on the deck, killed
+as a bullock by a blow of a pole-axe.
+
+While this conflict had been going on, occasionally the loud screams of a
+woman had been heard below.
+
+Cuthbert, attended by Cnut and two of his followers, now descended.
+
+At the bottom of the steps they found a man-at-arms placed at the
+door of a cabin. He challenged them as they approached, but being
+speedily convinced that the vessel was in their hands, and that his
+employer and party were all conquered, he made a virtue of necessity,
+and laid down his arms.
+
+"You had better go in alone," Cnut said, "Master Cuthbert. The lady is
+less likely to be frightened by your appearance than by us, for she must
+wonder indeed what is going on."
+
+On entering the cabin, which had evidently been fitted up for the use of
+a lady, Cuthbert saw standing at the other end the princess whom of
+course he knew well by sight. A lamp was burning in the cabin, and by its
+light he could see that her face was deadly pale. Her robes were torn and
+disarranged, and she wore a look at once of grave alarm and surprise upon
+seeing a handsomely dressed page enter with a deep reverence.
+
+"What means this outrage, young sir? Whoever you be, I warn you that the
+King of England will revenge this indignity."
+
+"Your Highness," Cuthbert said, "you have no further reason for alarm;
+the knaves who carried you off from the bishop's palace and conveyed you
+to this ship are all either killed or in our power. I am the page of the
+Earl of Evesham, a devoted follower of King Richard. Some of the designs
+of the bold men came to the ears of my lord, and he ordered me and a band
+of his followers to keep good guard over the palace and buildings
+adjoining. We were unable to gather our strength in time to prevent your
+being taken on board, but we lost no time in putting forth when we found
+that your abductors had taken boat, and by good fortune arrived here in
+time; a few minutes later, and the knaves would have succeeded in their
+object, for the sails were already being hoisted, and the vessel making
+way, when we arrived. Your abductors are all either killed or thrown
+overboard, and the vessel's head is now turned towards the shore, and I
+hope in a few minutes to have the honour of escorting you to the palace."
+
+The princess, with a sigh of much satisfaction and relief, sank on
+to a couch.
+
+"I am indeed indebted to you, young sir," she said. "Believe me, the
+Princess Berengaria is not ungrateful, and should it be ever in her power
+to do aught for your lord, or for yourself, or for those who have
+accompanied you to rescue her, believe me that she will do it."
+
+"May I be so bold as to ask a boon?" Cuthbert said, dropping on one knee
+before her.
+
+"It is granted at once, whatever it be, if in my power."
+
+"My boon is, lady," he said, "that you will do your best to assuage the
+natural anger which the King of England will feel at this bold and most
+violent attempt. That he should be told, is of course necessary; but,
+lady, much depends upon the telling, and I am sure that at your request
+the king would restrain his anger. Were it not for that, I fear that such
+quarrels and disputes might arise as would bring the two armies to blows,
+and destroy for ever all hope of the successful termination of our joint
+enterprise."
+
+"You are a wise and good youth," the princess said, holding out her hand
+to Cuthbert, which, as in duty bound, he placed to his lips. "Your
+request is wise and most thoughtful. I will use any poor influence which
+I may possess"--and Cuthbert could see that the blood came back now to
+the white face--"to induce King Richard to allow this matter to pass
+over. There is no reason why he should take up the case. I am no more
+under his protection than under that of the King of France, and it is to
+the latter I should appeal, for as I believe the men who abducted me were
+his subjects."
+
+"The leader of them, madam, was a certain Sir de Jacquelin Barras, a
+Count of Brabant, with whom my master has had an old feud, and who has
+been just killed by the leader of our men-at-arms. The others, who have
+had the most active hand in the matter, have also perished; and it would,
+I think, be doubtful whether any clue could be obtained to those who were
+in league with them. The only man in the party who is alive, was placed
+as a sentry at your door, and as he is but a man-at-arms, we may be sure
+that he knows nought of the enterprise, but has merely carried out the
+orders of his master."
+
+The vessel had by this time brought up close to the port. The princess
+determined to wait on board until the first dawn was seen in the skies,
+and then under the escort of her deliverers to go back to the palace,
+before the town was moving. This plan was carried out, and soon after
+dawn the princess was safe in the palace from which she had been carried
+a few hours previously.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+PIRATES.
+
+
+It was not possible that a matter of this sort could be entirely hushed
+up. Not many hours passed before rumours were current of events which had
+taken place, though none knew what those events were.
+
+There were reports that the tire-woman of the Princess Berengaria had in
+the night discovered that her mistress's couch was unoccupied, that she
+had found signs of a struggle, and had picked up a dagger on the floor,
+where it had evidently fallen from the sheath; also it was said, that the
+princess had returned at daylight escorted by an armed party, and that
+she was unable to obtain entrance to the palace until one of the ladies
+of the queen had been fetched down to order the sentries at the gate to
+allow her to enter.
+
+This was the news which rumour carried through the camp. Few, however,
+believed it, and none who could have enlightened them opened their lips
+upon the subject.
+
+It was known, however, that a messenger had come to King Richard early,
+and that he had at once mounted, and ridden off to the bishop's palace.
+What had happened there none could say, but there were rumours that his
+voice had been heard in furious outbursts of passion. He remained there
+until the afternoon, when he sent for a number of his principal nobles.
+
+When these arrived, they found him standing on a da‹s in the principal
+hall of the palace, and he there formally introduced to them the Princess
+Berengaria as his affianced wife. The ceremony of the marriage, he told
+them, would shortly take place.
+
+This announcement caused a tremendous stir in both armies. The English,
+who had never been favourable to the alliance with the French princess,
+were glad to hear that this was broken off, and were well content that
+the Princess Berengaria should be their future queen, for her beauty,
+high spirit, and kindness had won all hearts.
+
+On the part of the French, on the other hand, there was great
+indignation, and for some time it was feared that the armies would come
+to open blows.
+
+King Phillip, however, although much angered, was politic enough to
+deprecate any open outbreak. He knew that a dispute now began, would not
+only at once put a stop to the Crusade, but that it might lead to more
+serious consequences at home. The fiery bravery of the English king,
+backed as it would be by the whole strength of his subjects, might render
+him a very formidable opponent; and the king felt that private grievances
+must be laid aside where the good of France was concerned.
+
+Still the coldness between the armies increased, their camps were moved
+further apart, and during the time that they remained in Sicily, there
+was but little commerce between the two forces.
+
+As soon as the winter had broken, the French monarch broke up his camp,
+and in March sailed for the Holy Land.
+
+The English had expected that the marriage ceremony of the king and
+Princess Berengaria would be celebrated before they left Sicily, but this
+was not the case. There were high joustings and fetes in honour of the
+princess, but the marriage was delayed. A fortnight after the French had
+sailed, the English embarked in the 200 ships, which had been prepared,
+and sailed also on their way to Acre.
+
+It must not be supposed that the attempted abduction of the Princess
+Berengaria was unimportant in its results to Cuthbert.
+
+After returning from the palace the king, who had heard from her the
+details of what had taken place, and the names of her rescuers, sent for
+the Earl of Evesham. The latter had of course learned from Cuthbert all
+that had happened, and had expressed his high approval of his conduct,
+and his gratification at the result.
+
+"I learn, Sir Earl," said King Richard, "that it is to you that I am
+indebted for the rescue of the princess. She tells me, that suspecting
+some plot, you placed a guard around the bishop's palace, with a strong
+body on the shore ready to rescue her from the hands of any who might
+attempt to take her to sea."
+
+"It is as you say, sire," replied the earl; "but the whole merit of the
+affair rests upon my page, the lad whom you may remember as having fought
+with and conquered the French page, and of whose conduct you then
+approved highly. You may also remember that he escaped by some display of
+bravery and shrewdness the further attempts to assassinate him, and your
+Majesty was good enough to make a complaint to King Phillip of the
+conduct of one of his nobles on that head. It seems that some two months
+since, the lad in coming through the French camp at night missed his way,
+and accidentally overheard a few words spoken in a voice which he
+recognized as that of his enemy. The name of your Majesty being
+mentioned, he deemed it his duty to listen, and thus discovered that a
+plot was on foot for carrying off the princess. After consultation with
+me, we agreed upon the course to be adopted, namely, to place sentries
+round the bishop's palace and the buildings adjoining, who should follow
+and bring word should she be taken to another place in town, while a band
+was placed on the shore in readiness to interfere at once to prevent her
+being carried away by sea. He undertook the management of all details,
+having with him a trusty squire who commands my Saxon bowmen."
+
+"For your own part I thank you, my lord," the king said, "and, believe
+me, you shall not find Richard ungrateful. As to your page, he appears
+brave and wise beyond his years. Were it not that I think that it would
+not be good for him, and might attract some envy upon the part of
+others, I would at once make him a knight. He already has my promise
+that I will do so on the first occasion when he can show his prowess
+upon the infidels. Bring him to me to-morrow, when the princess will be
+here with the Queen of Navarre at a banquet. I would fain thank him
+before her; and, although I have agreed--at the princess's earnest
+solicitation--to take no further notice of the matter, and to allow it
+to pass as if it had not been, yet I cannot forgive the treachery which
+has been used, and, without letting all know exactly what has occurred,
+would fain by my reception of your page, let men see that something of
+great import has happened, of the nature of which I doubt not that
+rumour will give some notion."
+
+Upon the following day, therefore, Cuthbert to his confusion found
+himself the centre of the royal circle. The king expressed himself to him
+in the most gracious manner, patting him on the shoulder, and said that
+he would be one day one of the best and bravest of his knights. The
+princess and the Queen of Navarre gave him their hands to kiss; and
+somewhat overwhelmed, he withdrew from the royal presence, the centre of
+attention, and, in some minds, of envy.
+
+Cnut too did not pass unrewarded.
+
+His Majesty, finding that Cnut was of gentle Saxon blood, gave him a gold
+chain in token of his favour, and distributed a heavy purse among the men
+who had followed him.
+
+When the British fleet, numbering 200 ships, set sail from Sicily, it was
+a grand and martial sight. From the masts were the colours of England and
+those of the nobles who commanded; while the pennons of the knights, the
+bright plumes and mantles, the flash of armour and arms, made the decks
+alive with light and colour.
+
+The king's ship advanced in the van, and round him were the vessels
+containing his principal followers. The Queen of Navarre and the
+Princess Berengaria were with the fleet. Strains of music rose from the
+waters, and never were the circumstances of war exhibited in a more
+picturesque form.
+
+For two days the expedition sailed on, and then a change of a sudden and
+disastrous kind took place.
+
+"What is all this bustle about?" Cuthbert said to Cnut. "The sailors are
+running up the ladders, and all seems confusion."
+
+"Methinks," said Cnut, "that we are about to have a storm. A few minutes
+ago scarce a cloud was to be seen; now that bank over there has risen
+half-way up the sky. The sailors are accustomed to these treacherous
+seas, and the warnings which we have not noticed have no doubt been clear
+enough to them." With great rapidity the sails of the fleet came down,
+and in five minutes its whole aspect was changed; but quickly as the
+sailors had done their work, the storm was even more rapid in its
+progress. Some of the ships whose crews were slower or less skilful than
+the others, were caught by the gale before they could get their sails
+snug, and the great sheets of white canvas were blown from the bolt ropes
+as if made of paper, and a blackness which could almost be felt, covered
+the sea, the only light being that given by the frothing waters. There
+was no longer any thought of order. Each ship had to shift for herself;
+and each captain to do his best to save those under his charge, without
+thought of what might befall the others.
+
+In the ship which carried the Earl of Evesham's contingent, order and
+discipline prevailed. The earl's voice had been heard at the first puff
+of wind, shouting to the men to go below, save a few who might be of use
+to haul at ropes. His standard was lowered, the bright flags removed from
+the sides of the ship, the shields which were hanging over the bulwarks
+were hurriedly taken below, and when the gale smote them, the ship was
+trim, and in readiness to receive it. A few square yards of sail alone
+were all that the captain had thought it prudent to keep spread, and in a
+minute from the time she was struck the lofty hulk was tearing along
+through the waters at a tremendous speed. Four of the best hands were
+placed at the helm; and here the captain took his post.
+
+The danger was now that in the darkness they might run against one of
+their consorts. Even in the war of the elements they could hear from time
+to time crashes as of vessels striking against each other, with shouts
+and cries. Once or twice from the darkness ships emerged, close on one
+hand or the other; but the steadiness of the captain in each case saved
+the ship from collision.
+
+As the storm continued, these glimpses of other vessels became more and
+more rare, and the ship being a very fast sailer, the captain indulged
+the hope that he was now clear of the rest of the fleet.
+
+He now attempted to lie-to to the storm, but the wind was too strong.
+The ships in those days too, were so high out of the water, and offered
+in themselves such a target to the wind, that it was useless to adopt any
+other maneuver than to run before it.
+
+For two days and nights the tempest raged.
+
+"What think you," the earl said to the captain, "of our position? Where
+are we, and where will the course upon which we are running take us?"
+
+"I cannot say with certainty," the captain said, "for the wind has
+shifted several times. I had hoped to gain the shelter of Rhodes, but a
+shift of wind bore us away from there, and I much fear that from the
+direction in which we have been running we must be very nigh on the coast
+of Africa."
+
+"Pest!" the earl said. "That would indeed be a speedy end to our Crusade.
+These Moors are pirates and cut-throats to a man; and even should we
+avoid the risk of being dashed to pieces, we should end our lives as
+slaves to one of these black infidels."
+
+Three hours later, the captain's prophecies turned out right. Breakers
+were seen in various points in front, and with the greatest difficulty
+the vessel was steered through an opening between them; but in another
+few minutes she struck heavily, one of her masts went over the side,
+and she lay fast and immovable. Fortunately, the outside bank of sand
+acted as a sort of breakwater; had she struck upon this, the good ship
+would have gone to pieces instantly; but although the waves still
+struck her with considerable force, the captain had good hope that she
+would not break up. Darkness came on; the tempest seemed to lull. As
+there was no immediate danger, and all were exhausted by the tossing
+which they had received during the last forty-eight hours, the crew of
+the "Rose" slept soundly.
+
+In the morning the sun rose brilliantly, and there was no sign of the
+great storm which had scattered the fleet of England. The shore was to be
+seen at a distance of some four miles, It was low and sandy, with lofty
+mountains in the distance. Far inland a white town with minaret and dome
+could be seen.
+
+"Know you where we are?" the earl asked.
+
+"As far as I can tell," the captain said, "we have been driven up the bay
+called the Little Syrtis--a place full of shoals and shallows, and
+abounding with pirates of the worst kind."
+
+"Think you that the ship has suffered injury?"
+
+"Whether she has done so or not," the captain said, "I fear greatly that
+she is fast in the sand, and even the lightening of all her cargo will
+scarce get her off; but we must try at least."
+
+"It is little time that we shall have to try, Master Captain," Cuthbert,
+who was standing close, said. "Methinks those two long ships which are
+putting out from that town will have something to say to that."
+
+"It is too true," the captain said. "Those are the galleys of the Moorish
+corsairs. They are thirty or forty oars, draw but little water, and will
+be here like the wind."
+
+"What do you advise?" asked the earl. "The balistas which you have upon
+the poop can make but a poor resistance to boats that can row around us,
+and are no doubt furnished with heavy machines. They will quickly
+perceive that we are aground and defenceless, and will be able to plump
+their bolts into us until they have knocked the good ship to pieces.
+However, we will fight to the last. It shall not be said that the Earl of
+Evesham was taken by infidel dogs and sold as a slave, without striking a
+blow in his defence."
+
+Cuthbert stood watching the corsairs, which were now rowing towards them
+at all speed.
+
+"Methinks, my lord," he said, presently, "if I might venture to give an
+opinion, that we might yet trick the infidel."
+
+"As how, Cuthbert?" the earl said. "Speak out; you know that I have great
+faith in your sagacity."
+
+"I think, sir," the page said, "that did we send all your men below,
+leaving only the crew of the vessel on deck, they would take us for a
+merchant ship which has been wrecked here, and exercise but little care
+how they approach us. The men on deck might make a show of shooting once
+or twice with the balistas. The pirates, disdaining such a foe, would row
+alongside. Once there, we might fasten one or both to our side with
+grapnels, and then, methinks, that English bill and bow will render us
+more than a match for Moorish pirates, and one of these craft can
+scarcely carry more men than we have. I should propose to take one of
+them by force, and drive the pirates overboard; take possession of, if
+possible, or beat off, her consort; and then take the most valuable
+stores from the ship, and make our way as best we can to the north."
+
+"Well thought of!" exclaimed the earl, cordially. "You have indeed
+imagined a plan which promises well. What think you, captain?"
+
+"I think, my lord," the Genoese said, "that the plan is an excellent one,
+and promises every success. If your men will all go below, holding their
+arms in readiness for the signal, mine shall prepare grapnels and ropes,
+and the first of these craft which comes alongside they will lash so
+securely to the "Rose" that I warrant me she gets not away."
+
+These preparations were soon made.
+
+The soldiers, who at first had been filled with apprehension at the
+thought of slavery among the infidels, were now delighted at the prospect
+of a struggle ending in escape.
+
+The archers prepared their bows and arrows, and stood behind the
+port-holes in readiness to pour a volley into the enemy; the men-at-arms
+grasped their pikes and swords; while above, the sailors moved hither and
+thither as if making preparations for defence, but in reality preparing
+the grapnels and ropes.
+
+One of the pirates was faster than the other, and soon coming within
+reach, poured flights of javelins and stones upon the "Rose" from
+powerful machines, which she carried in her bow.
+
+The crew of the "Rose" replied with their crossbows and arrows
+from the poop.
+
+The corsair at first did not keep her course direct for the ship, but
+rowed round her, shooting arrows and casting javelins. Then, apparently
+satisfied that no great precaution need be observed with a feebly-manned
+ship in so great a strait as the "Rose," they set up a wild cry of
+"Allah!" and rowed towards her.
+
+In two minutes the corsair was alongside of the "Rose," and the fierce
+crew were climbing up her sides. As she came alongside the sailors cast
+grapnels into her rigging, and fastened her to the "Rose;" and then aloud
+shout of "Hurrah for England!" was heard; the ports opened, and a volley
+of arrows was poured upon the astonished corsair; and from the deck above
+the assailants were thrown back into the galley, and a swarm of heavily
+armed men leapt down from the ship upon them.
+
+Taken by surprise, and indeed outnumbered, the resistance of the corsairs
+was but slight. In a close fierce mˆl‚e like this the light-armed Moors
+had but little chance with the mail-clad English, whose heavy swords and
+axes clove their defences at a blow. The fight lasted but three minutes,
+and then the last of the corsairs was overboard.
+
+The men who rowed the galley had uttered the most piercing cries while
+this conflict had been raging. They were unable to take any part in
+it, had they been disposed to do so, for they were all slaves chained
+to the oars.
+
+Scarcely had the conflict ended when the other galley arrived upon the
+scene; but seeing what had happened, and that her consort had fallen into
+the hands of the English, she at once turned her head, and rowed back
+rapidly to the town from which she had come.
+
+Among the slaves who rowed the galley were many white men, and their
+cries of joy at their liberation greatly affected those who had thus
+unexpectedly rescued them. Hammers were soon brought into requisition,
+the shackles struck off them, and a scene of affecting joy took place.
+The slaves were of all nationalities, but Italians and Spaniards, French
+and Greeks, formed the principal part. There was no time, however, to be
+lost; the arms and munitions of war were hastily removed from the "Rose,"
+together with the most valuable of the stores.
+
+The galley-slaves again took their places, and this time willingly, at
+the oars, the places of the weakest being supplied by the English, whose
+want of skill was made up by the alacrity with which they threw their
+strength into the work; and in an hour from the time that the galley had
+arrived alongside of the "Rose," her head was turned north, and with
+sixty oars she was rowing at all speed for the mouth of the bay.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+IN THE HOLY LAND.
+
+
+As soon as the galley which had escaped reached the town from which it
+had started, it with three others at once set out in pursuit; while from
+a narrow creek two other galleys made their appearance.
+
+There were a few words of question among the English whether to stop and
+give battle to these opponents, or to make their way with all speed. The
+latter counsel prevailed; the earl pointing out that their lives were now
+scarcely their own, and that they had no right on their way to the holy
+sepulchre to risk them unnecessarily.
+
+Fortunately they had it in their hands to fight or escape, as they chose;
+for doubly banked as the oars now were, there was little chance of the
+enemy's galleys overtaking them. Gradually as they rowed to sea the
+pursuing vessels became smaller and smaller to view, until at last they
+were seen to turn about and make again for land.
+
+After some consultation between the earl and the captain of the lost
+ship, it was determined to make for Rhodes. This had been settled as a
+halting-point for the fleet, and the earl thought it probable that the
+greater portion of those scattered by the storm would rendezvous there.
+
+So it proved; after a voyage, which although not very long was tedious,
+owing to the number of men cramped up in so small a craft, they came
+within sight of the port of Rhodes, and were greatly pleased at seeing a
+perfect forest of masts there, showing that at least the greater portion
+of the fleet had survived the storm.
+
+This was indeed the fact, and a number of other single ships dropped in
+during the next day or two.
+
+There was great astonishment on the part of the fleet when the long swift
+galley was seen approaching, and numerous conjectures were offered as to
+what message the pirates could be bringing--for there was no mistaking
+the appearance of the long, dangerous-looking craft.
+
+When, upon her approach, the standard of the Earl of Evesham was seen
+flying on the bow, a great shout of welcome arose from the fleet; and
+King Richard himself, who happened to be on the deck of the royal ship,
+shouted to the earl to come on board and tell him what masquerading he
+was doing there. The earl of course obeyed the order, anchoring near the
+royal vessel, and going on board in a small boat, taking with him his
+page and squire.
+
+The king heard with great interest the tale of the adventures of the
+"Rose"; and when the Earl of Evesham said that it was to Cuthbert that
+was due the thought of the stratagem by which the galley was captured,
+and its crew saved from being carried away into hopeless slavery, the
+king patted the boy on the shoulder with such hearty force as nearly to
+throw Cuthbert off his feet.
+
+"By St. George!" said the monarch, "you are fated to be a very pink of
+knights. You seem as thoughtful as you are brave; and whatever your age
+may be, I declare that the next time your name is brought before me I
+will call a chapter of knights, and they shall agree that exception shall
+be made in your favour, and that you shall at once be admitted to the
+honourable post. You will miss your page, Sir Walter; but I am sure you
+will not grudge him that."
+
+"No, no, sire," said the earl. "The lad, as I have told your Majesty, is
+a connexion of mine--distant, it is true, but one of the nearest I
+have--and it will give me the greatest pleasure to see him rising so
+rapidly, and on a fair way to distinguish himself highly. I feel already
+as proud of him as if he were my own son."
+
+The fleet remained some two or three weeks at Rhodes, for many of the
+vessels were sorely buffeted and injured, masts were carried away as well
+as bulwarks battered in, and the efforts of the crews and of those of the
+whole of the artificers of Rhodes were called into requisition. Light
+sailing craft were sent off in all directions, for the king was in a
+fever of anxiety. Among the vessels still missing was that which bore the
+Queen of Navarre and the fair Berengaria.
+
+One day a solitary vessel was seen approaching.
+
+"Another of our lost sheep," the earl said, looking out over the poop.
+
+She proved, however, to be a merchant ship of Greece, and newly come
+from Cyprus.
+
+Her captain went on board the royal ship, and delivered message to the
+king, to the effect that two of the vessels had been cast upon the coast
+of Cyprus, that they had been plundered by the people, the crews
+ill-treated and made prisoners by the king, and that the Queen of Navarre
+and the princess were in their hands.
+
+This roused King Richard into one of his furies.
+
+"Before I move a step towards the Holy Land," he said, "I will avenge
+these injuries upon this faithless and insolent king. I swear that I will
+make him pay dearly for having laid a hand upon these ladies."
+
+At once the signal was hoisted for all the vessels in a condition to sail
+to take on board water and provisions, and to prepare to sail for Cyprus;
+and the next morning at daybreak the fleet sailed out, and made their way
+towards that island, casting anchor off the harbour of Famagosta.
+
+King Richard sent a messenger on shore to the king, ordering him at once
+to release the prisoners; to make the most ample compensation to them; to
+place ships at their service equal to those which had been destroyed;
+and to pay a handsome sum of money as indemnity.
+
+The King of Cyprus, however, an insolent and haughty despot, sent back a
+message of defiance. King Richard at once ordered the anchors to be
+raised, and all to follow the royal ship.
+
+The fleet entered the harbour of Famagosta; the English archers began the
+fight by sending a flight of arrows into the town. This was answered from
+the walls by a shower of stones and darts from the machines.
+
+There was no time wasted. The vessels were headed towards the shore, and
+as the water was deep, many of them were able to run close alongside the
+rocky wharves. In an instant, regardless of the storm of weapons poured
+down by the defenders, the English leapt ashore.
+
+The archers kept up so terrible a rain of missiles against the
+battlements that the defenders could scarcely show themselves for an
+instant there, and the men-at-arms, placing ladders against them,
+speedily mounted, and putting aside all opposition, poured into the town.
+The effeminate Greek soldiers of the monarch could offer no effectual
+resistance whatever, and he himself fled from the palace and gained the
+open country, followed by a few adherents. The English gained a
+considerable booty, for in those days a town taken by assault was always
+looked upon as the property of the captors. The Queen of Navarre and the
+princess were rescued.
+
+King Richard, however, was not satisfied with the success he had
+gained, and was determined to punish this insolent little king.
+Accordingly the English were set in motion into the interior, and town
+after town speedily fell, or opened their gates to him. The king,
+deserted by his troops, and detested by his people for having brought
+so terrible a scourge upon them by his reckless conduct, now sued for
+peace; but King Richard would give him no terms except dethronement,
+and this he was forced to accept. He was deprived of his crown, and
+banished from the island.
+
+The king now, to the surprise of his barons, announced his intention of
+at once marrying the Princess Berengaria.
+
+Popular as he was, there was yet some quiet grumbling among his troops;
+as they said, with justice, they had been waiting nearly six months in
+the island of Sicily, and the king might well have married there, instead
+of a fresh delay being caused when so near their place of destination.
+
+However, the king as usual had his own way, and the marriage was
+solemnized amidst great rejoicing and solemnity.
+
+It was a brilliant scene indeed in the cathedral of Limasol. There were
+assembled all the principal barons of England, together with a great
+number of the nobles of Cyprus.
+
+Certainly no better matched pair ever stood at the altar together, for
+as King Richard was one of the strongest and bravest men of his own or
+any other time, so Berengaria is admitted to have been one of the
+loveliest maidens.
+
+The air was rent with the acclamations of the assembled English host
+and of the numerous inhabitants of Limasol as they emerged from the
+cathedral. For a fortnight the town was given up to festivity;
+tournaments, joustings, banquets succeeded each other day after day,
+and the islanders, who were fond of pleasure, and indeed very wealthy,
+vied with the English in the entertainments which they gave in honour
+of the occasion.
+
+The festivities over, the king gave the welcome order to proceed on their
+voyage. They had now been joined by all the vessels left behind at
+Rhodes, and it was found that only a few were missing, and that the great
+storm, terrible as it had been, had inflicted less damage upon the fleet
+than was at first feared.
+
+Two days' sail brought them within sight of the white walls of Acre, and
+it was on the 8th of June, 1191, that the fleet sailed into the port of
+that town. Tremendous acclamations greeted the arrival of the English
+army by the host assembled on the shores.
+
+Acre had been besieged for two years, but in vain; and even the arrival
+of the French army under Phillip Augustus had failed to turn the scale.
+The inhabitants defended themselves with desperate bravery; every assault
+upon the walls had been repulsed with immense slaughter; and at no great
+distance off the Sultan Saladin, with a large army, was watching the
+progress of the siege.
+
+The fame of King Richard and the English was so great, however, that the
+besiegers had little doubt that his arrival would change the position of
+things; and even the French, in spite of the bad feeling which had
+existed in Sicily, joined with the knights and army of the King of
+Jerusalem in acclaiming the arrival of the English.
+
+Phillip Augustus, the French King, was of a somewhat weak and wavering
+disposition. It would have been thought that after his dispute with King
+Richard he would have gladly done all in his power to carry Acre before
+the arrival of his great rival. To the great disappointment of the
+French, however, he declared that he would take no step in the general
+assault until the arrival of Richard; and although the French had given
+some assistance to the besiegers, the army had really remained passive
+for many weeks.
+
+Now, however, that the English had arrived, little time was lost; for the
+moment the dissensions and jealousies between the monarchs were patched
+up, the two hosts naturally imitated the example of their sovereigns, and
+French and English worked side by side in throwing up trenches against
+the walls, in building movable towers for the attack, and in preparing
+for the great onslaught.
+
+The French were the first to finish their preparations, and they
+delivered a tremendous assault upon the walls. The besieged, however, did
+not lose heart, and with the greatest bravery repulsed every attempt. The
+scaling ladders were hurled backwards, the towers were destroyed by Greek
+fire; boiling oil was hurled down upon the men who advanced under the
+shelter of machines to undermine the walls; and after desperate fighting
+the French fell back, baffled and beaten.
+
+There was some quiet exultation in the English lines at the defeat of the
+French, for they believed that a better fortune would crown their own
+efforts. Such, however, to their surprise and mortification, was not the
+case. When their preparations were completed, they attacked with splendid
+bravery. They were fighting under the eyes of their king, and in sight of
+the French army, who had a few days before been baffled; and if bravery
+and devotion could have carried the walls of Acre, assuredly King
+Richard's army would have accomplished the task.
+
+It was, however, too great for them, and with vast loss the army fell
+back to its camp, King Richard raging like a wounded lion. Many of his
+barons had been killed in the assault, and the pikemen and men-at-arms
+had suffered heavily. The Earl of Evesham had been wounded; Cuthbert had
+taken no part in the assault, for the earl, knowing his bravery, had
+forbidden his doing so, as he foresaw the struggle would be of the most
+desperate character; and as it was not usual for pages to accompany
+their lords on the battle-field, Cuthbert could not complain of his being
+forbidden to take part in the fight.
+
+The earl, however, permitted him to accompany Cnut and the bowmen, who
+did great service by the accuracy of their aim, preventing by their storm
+of arrows the men on the battlements from taking steady aim and working
+their machines, and so saved the Earl of Evesham's troop and those
+fighting near him from suffering nearly as heavy loss as some of those
+engaged in other quarters.
+
+But while successful in beating off all assaults, the defenders of Acre
+were now nearly at the end of their resources. The Emperor Saladin,
+although he had collected an army of 200,000 men, yet feared to advance
+and give battle to the crusaders in their own lines--for they had thrown
+up round their camp strong entrenchments, to prevent the progress of the
+siege being disturbed by forces from without.
+
+The people of Acre seeing the time pass and no sign of a rescuing force,
+their provisions being utterly exhausted, and pestilence and fever making
+frightful ravages in the city, at last determined to surrender.
+
+For over two years they had made a resistance of the most valiant
+description, and now, despairing of success or rescue, and seeing the
+hosts of their besiegers increasing day by day, they hoisted a flag upon
+the walls, and sent a deputation to the kings, asking for terms if they
+submitted. They would have done well had they submitted upon the arrival
+of the French and English reinforcements. For the monarchs, annoyed by
+the defeat of their forces and by the heavy losses they had sustained,
+and knowing that the besieged were now at their last crust, were not
+disposed to be merciful.
+
+However, the horrors which then attended the capture of cities in a
+war in which so little quarter was given on either side, were avoided.
+The city was to be surrendered; the much-prized relic contained within
+its walls--said to be a piece of the true Cross which had been
+captured by the Saracens at the battle of Tiberias, in which they had
+almost annihilated the Christian armies a few years before--was to be
+surrendered; the Christian prisoners in their hands were to be given
+up unharmed; and the inhabitants undertook to pay 200,000 pieces of
+gold to the kings within forty days, under the condition that the
+fighting men now taken prisoners were to be put to death should this
+ransom not be paid.
+
+The conquest of Acre was hailed throughout Christendom as a triumph of
+the highest importance. It opened again the gates of the Holy Land; and
+so tremendous was the strength of the fortress, that it was deemed that
+if this stronghold were unable to resist effectually the arms of the
+crusaders, and that if Saladin with so great an army did not dare to
+advance to its rescue, then the rest of the Holy Land would speedily fall
+under the hands of the invading army.
+
+With the fall of Acre, however, the dissensions between the two kings,
+which had for a while been allowed to rest while the common work was to
+be done, broke out again with renewed intensity. The jealousy of Phillip
+Augustus was raised to the highest point by the general enthusiasm of the
+combined armies for the valiant King of England, and by the authority
+which that monarch exercised in the councils. He therefore suddenly
+announced his intention of returning to France.
+
+This decision at first occasioned the greatest consternation in the ranks
+of the crusaders; but this feeling was lessened when the king announced
+that he should leave a large portion of the French army behind, under the
+command of the Duke of Burgundy. The wiser councillors were satisfied
+with the change. Although there was a reduction of the total fighting
+force, yet the fact that it was now centred under one head, and that King
+Richard would now be in supreme command, was deemed to more than
+counterbalance the loss of a portion of the French army.
+
+Before starting on the march for Jerusalem, King Richard sullied his
+reputation by causing all the defenders of Acre to be put to death, their
+ransom not having arrived at the stipulated time.
+
+Then the allied army set out upon their journey. The fleet cruised along
+near them, and from it they obtained all that was requisite for their
+wants, and yet, notwithstanding these advantages, the toil and fatigue
+were terrible. Roads scarcely existed, and the army marched across the
+rough and broken country. There was no straggling, but each kept his
+place; and if unable to do so, fell and died. The blazing sun poured down
+upon them with an appalling force; the dust which rose when they left the
+rocks and came upon flat sandy ground, almost smothered them. Water was
+only obtainable at the halts, and then was frequently altogether
+insufficient for the wants of the army; while in front, on flank, and in
+rear hovered clouds of the cavalry of Saladin.
+
+At times King Richard would allow parties of his knights to detach
+themselves from the force to drive off these enemies. But it was the
+chase of a lion after a hare. The knights in their heavy armour and
+powerful steeds were left behind as if standing still, by the fleet
+Bedouins on their desert coursers; and the pursuers, exhausted and worn
+out, were always glad to regain the ranks of the army.
+
+These clouds of cavalry belonging to the enemy did not content
+themselves with merely menacing and cutting off stragglers. At times,
+when they thought they saw an opening, they would dash in and attack the
+column desperately, sometimes gaining temporary advantages, killing and
+wounding many, then fleeing away again into the desert.
+
+Finding that it was impossible to catch these wary horsemen, King Richard
+ordered his bowmen to march outside his cavalry, so that when the enemy's
+horse approached within bowshot they should open upon them with arrows;
+then, should the horsemen persist in charging, the archers were at once
+to take refuge behind the lines of the knights.
+
+Day after day passed in harassing conflicts. The distance passed over
+each day was very small, and the sufferings of the men from thirst, heat,
+and fatigue enormous. Cuthbert could well understand now what he had
+heard of great armies melting away, for already men began to succumb in
+large numbers to the terrible heat, and the path traversed by the army
+was scattered with corpses of those who had fallen victims to sunstroke.
+Not even at night did the attacks of the enemy cease, and a portion of
+the harassed force was obliged to keep under arms to repel assaults.
+
+So passed the time until the army arrived at Azotus, and there, to the
+delight of the crusaders, who only longed to get at their foes, they
+beheld the whole force of Saladin, 200,000 strong, barring their way. Had
+it not been for the stern discipline enforced by King Richard, the
+knights of England and France would have repeated the mistake which had
+caused the extermination of the Christian force at Tiberias, and would
+have levelled their lances and charged recklessly into the mass of their
+enemies. But the king, riding round the flanks and front of the force,
+gave his orders in the sternest way, with the threat that any man who
+moved from the ranks should die by his hand.
+
+The army was halted, the leaders gathered round the king, and a hasty
+consultation was held. Richard insisted upon the fight being conducted
+upon the same principles as the march--that the line of archers
+should stand outside the knights, and should gall the advancing force
+with arrows till the last moment, and then retire among the cavalry,
+only to sally out again as the Bedouins fell back from the steel wall
+of horsemen.
+
+Cuthbert had now for the first time donned full armour, and rode behind
+the Earl of Evesham as his esquire, for the former esquire had been left
+behind, ill with fever, at Acre.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE ACCOLADE.
+
+
+It was now a year since they had left England, and Cuthbert had much
+grown and widened out in the interval, and had never neglected an
+opportunity of practising with arms; and the earl was well aware that he
+should obtain as efficient assistance from him in time of need as he
+could desire.
+
+This was the first time that Cuthbert, and indeed the great proportion of
+those present in the Christian host, had seen the enemy in force, and
+they eagerly watched the vast array. It was picturesque in the extreme,
+with a variety and brightness of colour rivalling that of the Christian
+host. In banners and pennons the latter made a braver show; but the
+floating robes of the infidel showed a far brighter mass of colour than
+the steel armour of the Christians.
+
+Here were people drawn from widely separated parts of Saladin's
+dominions. Here were Nubians from the Nile, tall and powerful men, jet
+black in skin, with lines of red and white paint on their faces, giving a
+ghastly and wild appearance to them. On their shoulders were skins of
+lions and other wild animals. They carried short bows, and heavy clubs
+studded with iron. By them were the Bedouin cavalry, light, sinewy men,
+brown as berries, with white turbans and garments. Near these were the
+cavalry from Syria and the plains of Assyria--wild horsemen with
+semi-barbarous armour and scarlet trappings. Here were the solid lines of
+the Egyptian infantry, steady troops, upon whom Saladin much relied. Here
+were other tribes, gathered from afar, each distinguished by its own
+particular marks. In silence did this vast array view awhile the solid
+mass of the Christians. Suddenly a strange din of discordant music from
+thousands of musical instruments--conches and horns, cymbals and drums,
+arose in wild confusion. Shouts of defiance in a dozen tongues and from
+200,000 throats rose wild and shrill upon the air, while clear above all
+the din were heard the strange vibratory cries of the warriors from the
+Egyptian highlands.
+
+"One would think," said Cnut grimly to Cuthbert, "that the infidels
+imagine we are a flock of antelopes to be frightened by an outcry. They
+would do far better to save their wind for future use. They will want it,
+methinks, when we get fairly among them. Who would have thought that a
+number of men, heathen and infidel though they be, could have made so
+foul an outcry?"
+
+Cuthbert laughed.
+
+"Every one fights according to his own method, Cnut; and I am not sure
+that there is not something to be said for this outcry, for it is really
+so wild and fearful that it makes my blood almost curdle in my veins; and
+were it not that I know the proved valour of our knights and footmen, I
+should feel shaken by this terrible introduction to the fight."
+
+"I heed it no more," said Cnut, "than the outcry of wild fowl, when one
+comes upon them suddenly on a lake in winter. It means no more than that;
+and I reckon that they are trying to encourage themselves fully as much
+as to frighten us. However, we shall soon see. If they can fight as well
+as they can scream, they certainly will get no answering shouts from us.
+The English bulldog fights silently, and bite as hard as he will, you
+will hear little beyond a low growl. Now, my men," he said, turning to
+his archers, "methinks the heathen are about to begin in earnest. Keep
+steady; do not fire until you are sure that they are within range. Draw
+your bows well to your ears, and straightly and steadily let fly. Never
+heed the outcry or the rush, keep steady to the last moment. There is
+shelter behind you, and fierce as the attack may be, you can find a sure
+refuge behind the line of the knights."
+
+Cnut with his archers formed part of the line outside the array of
+English knights, and the arrows of the English bowmen fell fast as bands
+of the Bedouin horse circled round them in the endeavour to draw the
+Christians on to the attack. For some time Saladin persisted in these
+tactics. With his immense superiority of force he reckoned that if the
+Christian chivalry would but charge him, the victory of Tiberias would be
+repeated. Hemmed in by numbers, borne down by the weight of armour and
+the effects of the blazing sun, the knights would succumb as much to
+fatigue as to the force of their foes. King Richard's orders, however,
+were well obeyed, and at last the Moslem chief, urged by the entreaties
+of his leading emirs, who felt ashamed that so large a force should
+hesitate to attack one so vastly inferior in numbers, determined upon
+taking the initiative, and forming his troops in a semicircle round the
+Christian army, launched his horsemen to the attack. The instant they
+came within range, a cloud of arrows from the English archers fell among
+them, but the speed at which the desert horses covered the ground
+rendered it impossible for the archers to discharge more than one or two
+shafts before the enemy were upon them. Quickly as they now slipped back
+and sought refuge under the lances of the knights, many of them were
+unable to get back in time, and were cut down by the Saracens. The rest
+crept between the horses or under their bellies into the rear, and there
+prepared to sally out again as soon as the enemy retired, The Christian
+knights sat like a wall of steel upon their horses, their lances were
+levelled, and, brave as the Bedouin horsemen were, they felt to break
+this massive line was impossible. The front line, however, charged well
+up to the points of the lances, against which they hewed with their sharp
+scimitars, frequently severing the steel top from the ashpole, and then
+breaking through and engaging in hand-to-hand conflict with the knights.
+Behind the latter sat their squires, with extra spears and arms ready to
+hand to their masters; and in close combat, the heavy maces with their
+spike ends were weapons before which the light clad horsemen went down
+like reeds before a storm.
+
+Hour after hour the Arab horsemen persisted in their attack, suffering
+heavily, but determined to conquer if possible. Then Saladin suddenly
+ordered a retreat, and at seeing their enemy fly, the impetuosity of the
+crusaders at last broke out. With a shout they dashed after the foe. King
+Richard, knowing that his followers had already shown a patience far
+beyond what he could have expected, now headed the onslaught, performing
+prodigies of valour with his single arm, and riding from point to point
+to see that all was well.
+
+The early resistance of the infidel host was comparatively slight.
+The heavy mass of the Christian cavalry, with their levelled lances,
+swept through the ranks of the light horsemen, and trampled them down
+like grass beneath their feet; but every moment the resistance became
+more stubborn.
+
+Saladin, knowing the Christians would sooner or later assume the
+offensive, had gathered his troops line in line behind the front ranks,
+and as the force of the crusaders' charge abated, so did the number of
+foes in their front multiply. Not only this, but upon either side chosen
+bands swept down, and ere long the Christians were brought to a stand,
+and all were fighting hand to hand with their enemies. The lances were
+thrown away now, and with axe and mace each fought for himself.
+
+The Earl of Evesham was one of a group of knights whom King Richard had
+that day ordered to keep close to his person, and around this group the
+fight raged most furiously.
+
+Saladin, aware of the extreme personal valour and warlike qualities of
+King Richard, set the greatest value upon his death or capture, and had
+ordered a large number of his best troops to devote their whole attention
+to attacking the King of England. The royal standard carried behind the
+king was a guide to their onslaught, and great as was the strength and
+valour of King Richard, he with difficulty was able to keep at bay the
+hosts that swept around him.
+
+Now that the lance had been abandoned for battle-axe, Cuthbert was able
+to take an active part in the struggle, his duties consisting mainly in
+guarding the rear of his master, and preventing his being overthrown by
+any sudden attack on the flank or from behind.
+
+King Richard was bent not only on defending himself from the attacks of
+his foes, but on directing the general course of the battle; and from
+time to time he burst, with his own trusty knights, through the ring of
+foes, and rode from point to point of the field, calling the knights
+together, exhorting them to steadiness, and restoring the fight where its
+fortunes seemed doubtful. At one time the impetuosity of the king led him
+into extreme danger. He had burst through the enemy surrounding him, and
+these, by order of their captain, allowed him to pass through their
+ranks, and then threw themselves together in his rear, to cut him off
+from the knights who rode behind. The maneuver was successful. The rush
+of horsemen fairly carried away the Christian knights, and one or two
+alone were able to make their way through.
+
+Amid the wild confusion that raged, where each man was fighting for his
+own life, and but little view of what was passing could be obtained
+through the barred visor, the fact that the king was separated from them
+was known to but few. Sir Walter himself was engaged fiercely in a
+hand-to-hand fight with four Bedouins who surrounded him, when Cuthbert
+shouted,--
+
+"The king, Sir Walter! the king! He is cut off and surrounded! For
+heaven's sake ride to him. See! the royal standard is down."
+
+With a shout the earl turned, brained one of his foes with a sweep of his
+heavy axe, and, followed by Cuthbert, dashed to the assistance of the
+king. The weight of his horse and armour cleft through the crowd, and in
+a brief space he penetrated to the side of King Richard, who was borne
+upon by a host of foes. Just as they reached them a Bedouin who had been
+struck from his horse crawled beneath the noble charger of King Richard,
+and drove his scimitar deep into its bowels. The animal reared high in
+its sudden pain, and then fell on the ground, carrying the king, who was
+unable to disengage himself quickly enough.
+
+In an instant the Earl of Evesham had leapt from his horse and with his
+broad triangular shield extended sought to cover him from the press of
+enemies. Cuthbert imitated his lord, and strove to defend the latter from
+attacks from the rear. For a moment or two the sweep of the earl's heavy
+axe and Cuthbert's circling sword kept back the foe, but this could not
+last. King Richard in vain strove to extricate his leg from beneath his
+fallen steed. Cuthbert saw at a glance that the horse still lived, and
+with a sudden slash of his sword he struck it on the hind quarter. Goaded
+by the pain the noble animal made a last effort to rise, but only to fall
+back dead. The momentary action was, however, sufficient for King
+Richard, who drew his leg from under it, and with his heavy battle-axe in
+hand, rose with a shout, and stood by the side of the earl.
+
+In vain did the Bedouins strive to cut down and overpower the two
+champions; in vain did they urge their horses to ride over them. With
+each sweep of his axe the king either dismounted a foe or clove in the
+head of his steed, and a wall of slain around them testified to the
+tremendous power of their arms. Still, even such warriors as these could
+not long sustain the conflict. The earl had already received several
+desperate wounds, and the king himself was bleeding from some severe
+gashes with the keen-edged scimitars. Cuthbert was already down, when a
+shout of "St. George!" was heard, and a body of English knights clove
+through the throng of Saracens and reached the side of King Richard.
+Close behind these in a mass pressed the British footmen with bill and
+pike, the enemy giving way foot by foot before their steady discipline.
+
+The king was soon on horseback again, and rallying his troops on, led
+them for one more great and final charge upon the enemy.
+
+The effect was irresistible. Appalled by the slaughter which they had
+suffered, and by the tremendous strength and energy of the Christian
+knights, the Saracens broke and fled; and the last reserves of Saladin
+gave way as the king, shouting his war-cry of "God help the holy
+sepulchre!" fell upon them. Once, indeed, the battle still seemed
+doubtful, for a fresh band of the enemy at that moment arrived and joined
+in the fray. The crusaders were now, however, inspired with such courage
+and confidence that they readily obeyed the king's war-cry, gathered in a
+firm body, and hurled themselves upon this new foe. Then the Saracens
+finally turned and fled, and the Christian victory was complete.
+
+It was one of the features of this war that however thorough the
+victories of the Christians, the Saracens very speedily recovered from
+their effects. A Christian defeat was crushing and entire; the knights
+died as they stood, and defeat meant annihilation. Upon the other hand,
+the Saracens and Bedouins when they felt that their efforts to win the
+battle were unsuccessful, felt no shame or humiliation in scattering like
+sheep. On their fleet horses and in their light attire they could easily
+distance the Christians, who never, indeed, dreamt of pursuing them. The
+day after the fight, the enemy would collect again under their chiefs,
+and be as ready as before to renew their harassing warfare.
+
+On his return from the field, the king assembled many of his principal
+knights and leaders, and summoned the Earl of Evesham, with the message
+that he was to bring his esquire with him. When they reached the tent,
+the king said,--
+
+"My lords, as some of you may be aware, I have this day had a narrow
+escape from death. Separated from you in the battle, and attended only by
+my standard-bearer, I was surrounded by the Saracens. I should doubtless
+have cleft my way through the infidel dogs, but a foul peasant stabbed my
+charger from below, and the poor brute fell with me. My standard-bearer
+was killed, and in another moment my nephew Arthur would have been your
+king, had it not been that my good lord here, attended by this brave lad,
+appeared. I have seen a good deal of fighting, but never did I see a
+braver stand than they made above my body. The Earl of Evesham, as you
+all know, is one of my bravest knights, and to him I can simply say,
+'Thanks; King Richard does not forget a benefit like this.' But such aid
+as I might well look for from so stout a knight as the Earl of Evesham, I
+could hardly have expected on the part of a mere boy like this. It is not
+the first time that I have been under a debt of gratitude to him; for it
+was his watchfulness and bravery which saved Queen Berengaria from being
+carried off by the French in Sicily. I deemed him too young then for the
+order of knighthood--although indeed bravery has no age; still for a
+private benefit, and that performed against allies, in name at least, I
+did not wish so far to fly in the face of usage as to make him a knight.
+I promised him then, however, that the first time he distinguished
+himself against the infidel he should win his spurs. I think that you
+will agree with me, my lords, that he has done so. Not only did he stand
+over me, and with great bravery defend Sir Walter from attacks from
+behind, but his ready wit saved me, when even his sword and that of Sir
+Walter would have failed to do so. Penned down under poor Robin, I was
+powerless to move until our young esquire, in an interval of slashing at
+his assailants, found time to give a sharp blow together with a shout to
+Robin. The poor beast tried to rise, and the movement, short as it was,
+enabled me to draw my leg from under him, and then with my mace I was
+enabled to make a stand until you arrived at my side. I think, my lords,
+that you will agree with me that Cuthbert, the son of Sir William de
+Lance, is fit for the honour of knighthood."
+
+A general chorus of approval arose from the assembly, and the king,
+bidding Cuthbert kneel before him, drew his sword and laid it across his
+shoulders, dubbing him Sir Cuthbert de Lance. When he had risen, the
+great barons of England pressed round to shake his hand, and Cuthbert,
+who was a modest young fellow, felt almost ashamed at the honours which
+were bestowed upon him. The usual ceremonies and penances which young
+knights had to undergo before admission into the body--and which in those
+days were extremely punctilious, and indeed severe, consisting, among
+other things, in fasting, in watching the armour at night, in seclusion
+and religious services--were omitted when the accolade was bestowed for
+bravery in the field.
+
+The king ordered his armourer at once to make for Cuthbert a suit of the
+finest armour, and authorized him to carry on his shield a sword raising
+a royal crown from the ground, in token of the deed for which the honour
+of knighthood had been bestowed upon him.
+
+Upon his return to the earl's camp the news of his new dignity spread at
+once among the followers of Sir Walter, and many and hearty were the
+cheers that went up from the throats of the Saxon foresters, led by Cnut.
+These humble friends were indeed delighted at his success, for they felt
+that to him they owed very much; and his kindness of manner and the
+gaiety of heart which he had shown during the hardships they had
+undergone since their start, had greatly endeared him to them.
+
+Cuthbert was now to take rank among the knights who followed the banner
+of the earl. A tent was erected for him, an esquire assigned to him, and
+the lad as he entered his new abode felt almost bewildered at the change
+which had taken place in one short day--that he, at the age of sixteen,
+should have earned the honour of knighthood, and the approval of the King
+of England, expressed before all the great barons of the realm, was
+indeed an honour such as he could never have hoped for; and the thought
+of what his mother would say should the news reach her in her quiet Saxon
+home, brought the tears into his eyes. He had not gone through the usual
+religious ceremonies, but he knelt in his tent alone, and prayed that he
+might be made worthy of the honours bestowed upon him; that he might
+fulfil the duties of a Christian knight fearlessly and honourably; that
+his sword might never be raised but for the right; that he might devote
+himself to the protection of the oppressed, and the honour of God; that
+his heart might be kept from evil; and that he might carry through life,
+unstained his new escutcheon.
+
+If the English had thought that their victory would have gained them
+immunity from the Saracen attacks, they were speedily undeceived. The
+host, indeed, which had barred their way had broken up; but its fragments
+were around them, and the harassing attacks began again with a violence
+and persistency even greater than before. The crusaders, indeed, occupied
+only the ground upon which they stood. It was death to venture 100 yards
+from the camp, unless in a strong body; and the smallest efforts to bring
+in food from the country round were instantly met and repelled. Only in
+very strong bodies could the knights venture from camp even to forage for
+their horses, and the fatigues and sufferings of all were in a way
+relieved by the great victory of Azotus.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+IN THE HANDS OF THE SARACENS.
+
+
+The English had hoped that after one pitched battle they should be able
+to advance upon Jerusalem, but they had reckoned without the climate
+and illness.
+
+Although unconquered in the fray, the Christian army was weakened by its
+sufferings to such an extent that it was virtually brought to a
+standstill. Even King Richard, with all his impetuosity, dared not
+venture to cut adrift from the seashore, and to march direct upon
+Jerusalem; that city was certainly not to be taken without a long siege,
+and this could only be undertaken by an army strong enough, not only to
+carry out so great a task, but to meet and defeat the armies which
+Saladin would bring up to the rescue, and to keep open the line down to
+Joppa, by which alone provisions, and the engines necessary for the
+siege, could be brought up. Hence the war resolved itself into a series
+of expeditions and detached fights.
+
+The British camp was thoroughly fortified, and thence parties of the
+knights sallied out and engaged in conflicts with the Saracens, with
+varying success. On several of these expeditions Cuthbert attended the
+earl, and behaved with a bravery which showed him well worthy of the
+honours which he had received.
+
+Upon one occasion the news reached camp that a party of knights, who had
+gone out to guard a number of footmen cutting forage and bringing it
+into camp, had been surrounded and had taken refuge in a small town,
+whose gates they had battered in when they saw the approach of an
+overwhelming host of the enemy. King Richard himself headed a strong
+force and advanced to their assistance. Their approach was not seen until
+within a short distance of the enemy, upon whom the crusaders fell with
+the force of a thunderbolt, and cleft their way through their lines.
+After a short pause in the little town, they prepared to again cut their
+way through, joined by the party who had there been besieged. The task
+was now however, far more difficult; for the footmen would be unable to
+keep up with the rapid charge of the knights, and it was necessary not
+only to clear the way, but to keep it open for their exit. King Richard
+himself and the greater portion of his knights were to lead the charge;
+another party were to follow behind the footmen, who were ordered to
+advance at the greatest speed of which they were capable, while their
+rearguard by charges upon the enemy, kept them at bay. To this latter
+party Cuthbert was attached.
+
+The Saracens followed their usual tactics, and this time with great
+success. Dividing as the king with his knights charged them, they
+suffered these to pass through with but slight resistance, and then
+closed in upon their track, while another and still more numerous body
+fell upon the footmen and their guard. Again and again did the knights
+charge through the ranks of the Moslems, while the billmen stoutly kept
+together and resisted the onslaughts of the enemy's cavalry. In spite of
+their bravery, however, the storm of arrows shot by the desert horsemen
+thinned their ranks with terrible rapidity. Charging up to the very point
+of the spears, these wild horsemen fired their arrows into the faces of
+their foe, and although numbers of them fell beneath the more formidable
+missiles sent by the English archers, their numbers were so overwhelming
+that the little band melted away. The small party of knights, too, were
+rapidly thinned, although performing prodigious deeds of valour. The
+Saracens when dismounted or wounded still fought on foot, their object
+being always to stab or hough the horses, and so dismount the riders.
+King Richard and his force, though making the most desperate efforts to
+return to the assistance of the rearguard, were baffled by the sturdy
+resistance of the Saracens, and the position of those in the rear was
+fast becoming hopeless.
+
+One by one the gallant little band of knights fell, and a sea of turbans
+closed over the fluttering plumes. Cuthbert, after defending himself with
+extreme bravery for a long time, was at last separated from the small
+remainder of his comrades by a rush of the enemy's horse, and when
+fighting desperately he received a heavy blow at the back of the head
+from the mace of a huge Nubian soldier, and fell senseless to the ground.
+
+When he recovered his consciousness, the first impression upon his mind
+was the stillness which had succeeded to the din of battle; the shouts
+and war-cries of the crusaders, the wild yells of the Moslems, were
+hushed, and in their place was a quiet chatter in many unknown tongues,
+and the sound of laughter and feasting. Raising his head and looking
+round, Cuthbert saw that he and some ten of his comrades were lying
+together in the midst of a Saracen camp, and that he was a prisoner to
+the infidels. The sun streamed down with tremendous force upon them;
+there was no shelter; and though all were wounded and parched with
+thirst, the Saracens of whom they besought water, pointing to their
+mouths and making signs of their extreme thirst, laughed in their faces,
+and signified by a gesture that it was scarcely worth the trouble to
+drink when they were likely so soon to be put to death.
+
+It was late in the afternoon before any change was manifest. Then
+Cuthbert observed a stir in the camp; the men ran to their horses, leapt
+on their backs, and with wild cries of "Welcome!" started off at full
+speed. Evidently some personage was about to arrive, and the fate of the
+prisoners would be solved. A few words were from time to time exchanged
+between these, each urging the other to keep up his heart and defy the
+infidel. One or two had succumbed to their wounds during the afternoon,
+and only six were able to stand erect when summoned to do so by some of
+their guard, who made signs to them that a great personage was coming.
+Soon the shouts of the horsemen and other sounds announced that the great
+chief was near at hand, and the captives gathered from the swelling
+shouts of the Arabs that the new arrival was Sultan Suleiman--or Saladin,
+for he was called by both names--surrounded by a body-guard of
+splendidly-dressed attendants. The emir, who was himself plainly attired,
+reined up his horse in front of the captives.
+
+"You are English," he said, in the lingua-franca which was the medium of
+communication between the Eastern and Western peoples in those days. "You
+are brave warriors, and I hear that before you were taken you slaughtered
+numbers of my people. They did wrong to capture you and bring you here to
+be killed. Your cruel king gives no mercy to those who fall into his
+hands. You must not expect it here, you who without a pretence of right
+invade my country, slaughter my people, and defeat my armies. The murder
+of the prisoners of Acre has closed my heart to all mercy. There, your
+king put 10,000 prisoners to death in cold blood, a month after the
+capture of the place, because the money at which he had placed their
+ransom had not arrived. We Arabs do not carry huge masses of gold about
+with us; and although I could have had it brought from Egypt, I did not
+think that so brave a monarch as Richard of England could have committed
+so cruel an action in cold blood. When we are fresh from battle, and our
+wounds are warm, and our hearts are full of rage and fury, we kill our
+prisoners; but to do so weeks after a battle is contrary to the laws
+alike of your religion and of ours. However, it is King Richard who has
+sealed your doom, not I. You are knights, and I do not insult you with
+the offer of turning from your religion and joining me. Should one of you
+wish to save his life on these conditions, I will, however, promise him a
+place of position and authority among us."
+
+None of the knights moved to accept the offer, but each, as the eye of
+the emir ran along the line, answered with an imprecation of contempt and
+hatred. Saladin waved his hand, and one by one the captives were led
+aside, walking as proudly to their doom as if they had been going to a
+feast. Each wrung the hand of the one next to him as he turned, and then
+without a word followed his captors. There was a dull sound heard, and
+one by one the heads of the knights rolled in the sand.
+
+Cuthbert happened to be last in the line, and as the executioners laid
+hands upon him and removed his helmet, the eye of the sultan fell upon
+him, and he almost started at perceiving the extreme youth of his
+captive. He held his hand aloft to arrest the movements of the
+executioners, and signalled for Cuthbert to be brought before him again.
+
+"You are but a boy," he said. "All the knights who have hitherto fallen
+into my hands have been men of strength and power; how is it that I see a
+mere youth among their ranks, and wearing the golden spurs of
+knighthood?"
+
+"King Richard himself made me a knight," Cuthbert said proudly, "after
+having stood across him when his steed had been foully stabbed at the
+battle of Azotus, and the whole Moslem host were around him."
+
+"Ah!" said the emir, "were you one of the two who, as I have heard,
+defended the king for some time against all assaults? It were hard
+indeed to kill so brave a youth. I doubt me not that at present you are
+as firmly determined to die a Christian knight as those who have gone
+before you? But time may change you. At any rate for the present your
+doom is postponed."
+
+He turned to a gorgeously-dressed noble next to him, and said,--
+
+"Your brother, Ben Abin, is Governor of Jerusalem, and the gardens of
+the palace are fair. Take this youth to him as a present, and set him to
+work in his gardens. His life I have spared, in all else Ben Abin will
+be his master."
+
+Cuthbert heard without emotion the words which changed his fate from
+death to slavery. Many, he knew, who were captured in these wars were
+carried away as slaves to different parts of Asia, and it did not seem to
+him that the change was in any way a boon. However, life is dear, and it
+was but natural that a thought should leap into his heart that soon
+either the crusaders might force a way into Jerusalem and there rescue
+him, or that he himself might in some way escape.
+
+The sultan having thus concluded the subject, turned away, and galloped
+off surrounded by his body-guard.
+
+Those who had captured the Christians now stripped off the armour of
+Cuthbert; then he was mounted on a bare-backed steed, and with four
+Bedouins, with their long lances, riding beside him, started for
+Jerusalem. After a day of long and rapid riding, the Arabs stopped
+suddenly, on the crest of a hill, with a shout of joy, and throwing
+themselves from their horses, bent with their foreheads to the earth at
+the sight of their holy city. Cuthbert, as he gazed at the stately walls
+of Jerusalem, and the noble buildings within, felt bitterly that it was
+not thus that he had hoped to see the holy city. He had dreamt of
+arriving before it with his comrades, proud and delighted at their
+success so far, and confident in their power soon to wrest the town
+before them from the hands of the Moslems. Instead of this he was a
+slave--a slave to the infidel, perhaps never more to see a white face,
+save that of some other unfortunate like himself.
+
+Even now in its fallen state no city is so impressive at first sight as
+Jerusalem; the walls, magnificent in height and strength, and picturesque
+in their deep embattlements, rising on the edge of a deep valley. Every
+building has its name and history. Here is the church built by the first
+crusaders; there the mighty mosque of Suleiman on the site of the Temple;
+far away on a projecting ridge the great building known as the Tomb of
+Moses; on the right beyond the houses rise the towers on the Roman walls;
+the Pool of Bethsaida lies in the hollow; in the centre are the cupolas
+of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Among all the fairest cities of the
+world, there are none which can compare in stately beauty with Jerusalem.
+Doubtless it was a fairer city in those days, for long centuries of
+Turkish possession have reduced many of the former stately palaces to
+ruins. Then, as now, the banner of the Prophet floated over the high
+places; but whereas at present the population is poor and squalid, the
+city in those days contained a far large number of inhabitants,
+irrespective of the great garrison collected for its defence.
+
+The place from which Cuthbert had his first sight of Jerusalem is that
+from which the best view is to be obtained--the crest of the Mount of
+Olives. After a minute or two spent in looking at the city, the Arabs
+with a shout continued their way down into the valley. Crossing this
+they ascended the steep road to the walls, brandishing their lances and
+giving yells of triumph; then riding two upon each side of their
+prisoner, to protect him from any fanatic who might lay a hand upon him,
+they passed under the gate known as the Gate of Suleiman into the city.
+
+The populace thronged the streets; and the news brought by the horsemen
+that a considerable portion of the Christian host had been defeated and
+slain, passed from mouth to mouth, and was received with yells of
+exultation. Execrations were heaped upon Cuthbert, who rode along with an
+air as quiet and composed as if he were the centre of an ovation instead
+of that of an outburst of hatred.
+
+He would, indeed, speedily have been torn from his guards, had not these
+shouted that he was placed in their hands by Saladin himself for conduct
+to the governor. As the emir was as sharp and as ruthless with his own
+people as with the prisoners who fell into his hands, the name acted as a
+talisman, and Cuthbert and his escort rode forward without molestation
+until they reached the entrance to the palace.
+
+Dismounting, Cuthbert was now led before the governor himself, a stern
+and grave-looking man, sitting cross-legged on a divan surrounded by
+officers and attendants. He heard in silence the account given him by the
+escort, bowed his head at the commands of Suleiman, and, without
+addressing a word to Cuthbert, indicated to two attendants that he was to
+be removed into the interior of the house. Here the young knight was led
+to a small dungeon-like room; bread and dates with a cruse of water were
+placed before him; the door was then closed and locked without, and he
+found himself alone with his thoughts.
+
+No one came near him that night, and he slept as soundly as he would have
+done in his tent in the midst of the Christian host. He was resolved to
+give no cause for ill-treatment or complaint to his captors, to work as
+willingly, as cheerfully, as was in his power, and to seize the first
+opportunity to make his escape, regardless of any risk of his life which
+he might incur in doing so.
+
+In the morning the door opened, and a black slave led him into the
+garden, which was surrounded by a very high and lofty wall. It was large,
+and full of trees and flowers, and far more beautiful than any garden
+that Cuthbert had seen in his native land. There were various other
+slaves at work; and an Arab, who appeared to be the head of the
+gardeners, at once appointed to Cuthbert the work assigned to him. A
+guard of Arabs with bow and spear watched the doings of the slaves.
+
+With one glance round, Cuthbert was assured that escape from this garden,
+at least, was not to be thought of, and that for the present, patience
+alone was possible. Dismissing all ideas of that kind from his mind, he
+set to work with a steady attention to his task. He was very fond of
+flowers, and soon he became so absorbed in his work as almost to forget
+that he was a slave. It was not laborious--digging, planting, pruning and
+training the flowers, and giving them copious draughts of water from a
+large fountain in the centre of the garden.
+
+The slaves were not permitted to exchange a word with each other. At the
+end of the day's work they were marched off to separate chambers, or, as
+they might be called, dungeons. Their food consisted of water, dried
+dates, and bread, and they had little to complain of in this respect;
+indeed, the slaves in the gardens of the governor's house at Jerusalem
+enjoyed an exceptionally favoured existence. The governor himself was
+absorbed in the cares of the city. The head gardener happened to be a man
+of unusual humanity, and it was really in his hands that the comfort of
+the prisoners was placed.
+
+Sometimes in the course of the day, veiled ladies would issue in groups
+from the palace, attended by black slaves with drawn scimitars. They
+passed without unveiling across the point where the slaves were at work,
+and all were forbidden on pain of death to look up, or even to approach
+the konak or pavilion, where the ladies threw aside their veils, and
+enjoyed the scent and sight of the flowers, the splash of murmuring
+waters, and the strains of music touched by skilful hands.
+
+Although Cuthbert wondered in his heart what these strange wrapped-up
+figures might look like when the veils were thrown back, he certainly did
+not care enough about the matter to run any risk of drawing the anger of
+his guards upon himself by raising his eyes towards them; nor did he ever
+glance up at the palace, which was also interdicted to the slaves. From
+the lattice casements during the day the strains of music and merry
+laughter often came down to the captives; but this, if anything, only
+added to the bitterness of their position, by reminding them that they
+were shut off for life from ever hearing the laughter of the loved ones
+they had left behind.
+
+For upwards of a month Cuthbert remained steadily at work, and during
+that time no possible plan of escape had occurred to him, and he had
+indeed resigned himself to wait, either until, as he hoped, the city
+would be taken by the Christians, or until he himself might be removed
+from his present post and sent into the country, where, although his
+lot would doubtless be far harder, some chance of escape might open
+before him.
+
+One night, long after slumber had fallen upon the city, Cuthbert was
+startled by hearing his door open. Rising to his feet, he saw a black
+slave, and an old woman beside him. The latter spoke first in the
+lingua-franca,--
+
+"My mistress, the wife of the governor, has sent me to ask your story.
+How is it that, although but a youth, you are already a knight? How is it
+that you come to be a slave to our people? The sultan himself sent you to
+her lord. She would fain hear through me how it has happened. She is the
+kindest of ladies, and the sight of your youth has touched her heart."
+
+With thanks to the unknown lady who had felt an interest in him, Cuthbert
+briefly related the events which had led to his captivity. The old woman
+placed on the ground a basket containing some choice fruit and white
+bread, and then departed with the negro as quietly as she had come,
+leaving Cuthbert greatly pleased at what had taken place.
+
+"Doubtless," he said to himself, "I shall hear again; and it may be that
+through the pity of this lady some means of escape may open to me."
+
+Although for some little time no such prospect appeared, yet the visits
+of the old woman, which were frequently repeated, were of interest to
+him, and seemed to form a link between him and the world.
+
+After coming regularly every night for a week, she bade the young knight
+follow her, holding her finger to her lips in sign that caution must be
+observed. Passing through several passages, he was at length led into a
+room where a lady of some forty years of age, surrounded by several
+slaves and younger women, was sitting. Cuthbert felt no scruple in making
+a deep obeisance to her; the respect shown to women in the days of
+chivalry was very great, and Cuthbert in bowing almost to the ground
+before the lady who was really his mistress, did not feel that he was
+humiliating himself.
+
+"Young slave," she said, "your story has interested us. We have
+frequently watched from the windows, and have seen how willingly and
+patiently you have worked; and it seems strange indeed that one so young
+should have performed such feats of bravery as to win the honour of
+knighthood from the hand of that greatest of warriors, Richard of
+England. What is it, we would fain learn from your lips, that stirs up
+the heart of the Christian world that they should launch their armies
+against us, who wish but to be left alone, and who have no grudge against
+them? This city is as holy to us as it is to you; and as we live around
+it, and all the country for thousands of miles is ours, is it likely that
+we should allow it to be wrested from us by strangers from a distance?"
+
+This was spoken in some Eastern language of which Cuthbert understood no
+word, but its purport was translated to him by the old woman who had
+hitherto acted as his mistress's messenger.
+
+Cuthbert reported the circumstances of the fight at Azotus and
+endeavoured to explain the feelings which had given rise to the Crusade.
+He then, at the orders of the lady, related the incidents of his voyage
+out, and something of his life at home, which was more interesting even
+than the tale of his adventures to his hearers, as to them the home-life
+of these fierce Christian warriors was entirely unknown.
+
+After an audience of two hours Cuthbert was conducted back to his cell,
+his mistress assuring him of her good-will, and promising to do all in
+her power to make his captivity as light as possible.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+AN EFFORT FOR FREEDOM.
+
+
+Two or three nights afterwards the old woman again came to Cuthbert, and
+asked him, in her mistress's name, if in any way he could suggest a
+method of lightening his captivity, as his extreme youth, and bravery of
+demeanour, had greatly pleased her.
+
+Cuthbert replied that nothing but freedom could satisfy his longings;
+that he was comfortable and not overworked, but that he pined to be back
+again with his friends.
+
+The old woman brought him on the following night a message to the
+effect that his mistress would willingly grant him his liberty, but as
+he was sent to her husband by the sultan, it would be impossible to
+free him openly.
+
+"From what she said," the old woman continued, "if you could see some
+plan of making your escape, she would in no way throw difficulties in
+your path; but it must not be known that the harem in any way connived at
+your escape, for my lord's wrath would be terrible, and he is not a man
+to be trifled with."
+
+Looking round at the high walls that surrounded the garden, Cuthbert said
+that he could think of no plan whatever for escaping from such a place;
+that he had often thought it over, but that it appeared to him to be
+hopeless. Even should he manage to scale these walls, he would only find
+himself in the town beyond, and his escape from that would be altogether
+hopeless. "Only," he said, "if I were transported to some country palace
+of the governor could I ever hope to make my escape." The next night the
+messenger brought him the news that his mistress was disposed to favour
+his escape in the way he had pointed out, and that she would in two or
+three days ask the governor for permission to pay a visit to their palace
+beyond the walls, and that with her she would take a number of
+gardeners--among them Cuthbert--to beautify the place. Cuthbert returned
+the most lively and hearty thanks to his patroness for her kind
+intentions, and hope began to rise rapidly in his heart.
+
+It is probable, however, that the black guards of the harem heard
+something of the intentions of their mistress, and that they feared the
+anger of the governor should Cuthbert make his escape, and should it be
+discovered that this was the result of her connivance. Either through
+this or through some other source the governor obtained an inkling that
+the white slave sent by the sultan was receiving unusual kindness from
+the ladies of the harem.
+
+Two nights after Cuthbert had begun to entertain bright hopes of his
+liberty, the door of the cell was softly opened. He was seized by four
+slaves, gagged, tied hand and foot, covered with a thick burnous, and
+carried out from his cell. By the sound of their feet he heard that they
+were passing into the open air, and guessed that he was being carried
+through the garden; then a door opened and was closed after them; he was
+flung across a horse like a bale of goods, a rope or two were placed
+around him to keep him in that position, and then he felt the animal put
+in motion, and heard by the trampling of feet that a considerable number
+of horsemen were around him. For some time they passed over the rough,
+uneven streets of the city; then there was a pause and exchange of
+watchword and countersign, a creaking of doors, and a lowering of a
+drawbridge, and the party issued out into the open country. Not for very
+long did they continue their way; a halt was called, and Cuthbert was
+taken off his horse.
+
+On looking round, he found that he was in the middle of a considerable
+group of men. Those who had brought him were a party of the governor's
+guards; but he was now delivered over to a large band of Arabs, all of
+whom were mounted on camels. One of these creatures he was ordered to
+mount, the bonds being loosed from his arms and feet. An Arab driver,
+with lance, bows, and arrows, and other weapons, took his seat on the
+neck of the animal, and then with scarcely a word the caravan marched
+off, with noiseless step, and with their faces turned southwards.
+
+It seemed to Cuthbert almost as a dream. A few hours before he had been
+exalted with the hope of freedom; now he was being taken away to a
+slavery which would probably end but with his life. Although he could not
+understand any of his captors, the repetition of a name led him to
+believe that he was being sent to Egypt as a present to some man in high
+authority there; and he doubted not that the Governor of Jerusalem,
+fearing that he might escape, and dreading the wrath of the sultan,
+should he do so, had determined to transfer the troublesome captive to a
+more secure position and to safer hands.
+
+For three days the journey continued; they had now left the fertile
+lowlands of Palestine, and their faces were turned west. They were
+entering upon that sandy waste which stretches between the southern
+corner of Palestine and the land of Egypt, a distance which can be
+travelled by camels in three days, but which occupied the Children of
+Israel forty years.
+
+At first the watch had been very sharply kept over the captive; but now
+that they had entered the desert the Arabs appeared to consider that
+there was no chance of an attempt to escape. Cuthbert had in every way
+endeavoured to ingratiate himself with his guard. He had most willingly
+obeyed their smallest orders, had shown himself pleased and grateful for
+the dates which formed the staple of their repasts. He had assumed so
+innocent and quiet an appearance that the Arabs had marvelled much among
+themselves, and had concluded that there must have been some mistake in
+the assertion of the governor's guard who had handed the prisoner over to
+them, that he was one of the terrible knights of King Richard's army.
+
+Cuthbert's heart had not fallen for a moment. He knew well that if he
+once reached Cairo all hope of escape was at an end; and it was before
+reaching that point that he determined if possible to make an effort for
+freedom. He had noticed particularly the camel which appeared to be the
+fleetest of the band; it was of lighter build than the rest, and it was
+with difficulty that its rider had compelled it to accommodate itself to
+the pace of the others. It was clear from the pains he took with it, by
+the constant patting and the care bestowed upon its watering and
+feeding, that its rider was extremely proud of it; and Cuthbert
+concluded that if an escape was to be made, this was the animal on which
+he must accomplish it.
+
+Upon arriving at the end of each day's journey the camels were allowed
+to browse at will, a short cord being tied between one of their hind and
+one of their fore feet. The Arabs then set to work to collect sticks and
+to make a fire--not for cooking, for their only food was dried dates and
+some black bread, which they brought with them--but for warmth, as the
+nights were damp and somewhat chilly, as they sat round the fire, talked,
+and told stories. Before finally going off to rest, each went out into
+the bushes and brought in his camel; these were then arranged in a circle
+around the Arabs, one of the latter being mounted as sentry to prevent
+any sudden surprise--not indeed that they had the smallest fear of the
+Christians, who were far distant; but then, as now, the Arabs of the
+desert were a plundering race, and were ever ready to drive off each
+other's camels or horses. Cuthbert determined that if flight was possible
+it must be undertaken during the interval after the arrival at the
+halting-place and before the bringing in of the camels. Therefore, each
+day upon the halt he had pretended great fatigue from the rough motion of
+the camel, and had, after hastily eating the dates handed to him, thrown
+himself down, covered himself with his Arab robe, and feigned instant
+sleep. Thus they had in the three days from starting come to look upon
+his presence sleeping close to them as a matter of course.
+
+The second day after entering the desert, however, Cuthbert threw himself
+down by the side of an uprooted shrub of small size and about his own
+length. He covered himself as usual with his long, dark-blue robe, and
+pretended to go to sleep. He kept his eyes, however, on the alert through
+an aperture beneath his cloth, and observed particularly the direction in
+which the camel upon which he had set his mind wandered into the bushes.
+The darkness came on a very few minutes after they had halted, and when
+the Arabs had once settled round their fire, Cuthbert very quietly
+shifted the robe from himself to the long low bush near him, and then
+crawled stealthily off into the darkness.
+
+He had no fear of his footfall being heard upon the soft sand, and was
+soon on his feet, looking for the camels. He was not long in finding
+them, or in picking out the one which he had selected. The bushes were
+succulent, and close to the camping ground; indeed, it was for this that
+the halting-places were always chosen. It was not so easy, however, to
+climb into the high wooden saddle, and Cuthbert tried several times in
+vain. Then he repeated in a sharp tone the words which he had heard the
+Arabs use to order their camels to kneel, striking the animal at the same
+moment behind the fore-legs with a small switch. The camel immediately
+obeyed the order to which he was accustomed, and knelt down, making,
+however, as he did so, the angry grumble which those creatures appear to
+consider it indispensable to raise when ordered to do anything.
+Fortunately this noise is so frequently made, and the camels are so given
+to quarrel among themselves, that although in the still air it might have
+been heard by the Arabs sitting a short hundred yards away, it attracted
+no notice, and Cuthbert, climbing into the seat, shook the cord that
+served as a rein, and the animal, rising, set off at a smooth, steady
+swing in the direction in which his head was turned--that from which they
+had that day arrived.
+
+Once fairly away from the camping-ground, Cuthbert, with blows of his
+stick, increased the speed of the camel to a long shuffling trot, and the
+fire in the distance soon faded out into the darkness.
+
+Cuthbert trusted to the stars as guides. He was not unarmed, for as he
+crawled away from his resting-place, he had picked up one of the Arabs'
+spears and bow and arrows, and a large bag of dates from the spot where
+they had been placed when their owner dismounted. He was already clad in
+Eastern garb, and was so sun-burnt and tanned that he had no fear
+whatever of any one at a distance detecting that he was a white man.
+
+Steering his course by the stars, he rode all night without stopping. He
+doubted not that he would have at least three hours' start, for the
+Arabs were sure to have sat that time round the fires before going out to
+bring in their camels. Even then they would suppose for some time that
+the animal upon which he was seated had strayed, and no pursuit would be
+attempted until it was discovered that he himself had made his escape,
+which might not be for a long time, as the Arabs would not think of
+looking under the cloth to see if he were there. He hoped, therefore,
+that he would reach the cultivated land long before he was overtaken. He
+had little fear but that he should then be able to journey onward without
+attracting attention.
+
+A solitary Arab when travelling rides straight, and his communications to
+those whom he meets are confined to the set form of two or three words,
+"May Allah protect you!" the regular greeting of Moslems when they meet.
+
+When morning broke Cuthbert, even when ascending to the top of a somewhat
+lofty mound, could see no signs of pursuers in the vast stretch of desert
+behind him. In front, the ground was already becoming dotted here and
+there with vegetation, and he doubted not that after a few hours' ride he
+should be fairly in the confines of cultivated country. He gave his camel
+a meal of dates, and having eaten some himself, again set the creature in
+motion. These camels, especially those of good breed, will go on for
+three or four days with scarcely a halt; and there was no fear of that on
+which he rode breaking down from fatigue, for the journeys hitherto had
+been comparatively short.
+
+By mid-day Cuthbert had reached the cultivated lands of Palestine. Here
+and there over the plain, villages were dotted, and parties of men and
+camels were to be seen. Cuthbert now arranged his robes carefully in Arab
+fashion, slung the long spear across his shoulders, and went boldly
+forward at a slinging trot, having little fear that a passer-by would
+have any suspicion whatever as to his being other than an Arab bent upon
+some rapid journey. He soon found that his hopes were justified. Several
+times he came upon parties of men whom he passed with the salute, and who
+scarcely raised their eyes as he trotted by them. The plain was an open
+one, and though cultivated here and there, there were large tracts lying
+unworked. There was no occasion therefore to keep to the road; so riding
+across country, and avoiding the villages as far as possible, stopping
+only at a stream to give his camel water, Cuthbert rode without ceasing
+until nightfall. Then he halted his camel near a wood, turned it in to
+feed on the young foliage, and wrapping himself in his burnous was soon
+asleep, for he ached from head to foot with the jolting motion which had
+now been continued for so many hours without an interval. He had little
+fear of being overtaken by the party he had left behind; they would, he
+was convinced, be many hours behind, and it was extremely improbable that
+they would hit upon the exact line which he had followed, so that even if
+they succeeded in coming up to him, they would probably pass him a few
+miles either to the right or left.
+
+So fatigued was he with his long journey, that the next day he slept
+until after the sun had risen. He was awakened suddenly by being seized
+by a party of Arabs, who, roughly shaking him, questioned him as to
+where he came from, and what he was doing there. He saw at a glance that
+they were not with the party from which he had escaped, and he pointed to
+his lips to make signs that he was dumb. The Arabs evidently suspected
+that something was wrong. They examined the camel, and then the person of
+their captive. The whiteness of his skin at once showed them that he was
+a Frank in disguise, and without more ado or questioning, they tied him
+hand and foot, flung him across the camel, and, mounting their own
+animals, rode rapidly away.
+
+From the position of the sun, Cuthbert saw that they were making their
+course nearly due east, and therefore that it could not be their
+intention to take him to Jerusalem, which was to the north of the line
+they were following. A long day's journeying, which to Cuthbert seemed
+interminable, found them on the low spit of sand which runs along by the
+side of the Dead Sea. Behind, lofty rocks rose almost precipitously, but
+through a cleft in these the Arabs had made their way. Cuthbert saw at
+once that they belonged to some desert tribe over whom the authority of
+Suleiman was but nominal. When summoned for any great effort, these
+children of the desert would rally to his armies and fight for a short
+time; but at the first disaster, or whenever they became tired of the
+discipline and regularity of the army, they would mount their camels and
+return to the desert, generally managing on the way to abstract from the
+farms of those on their route either a horse, cattle, or some other
+objects which would pay them for the labours they had undergone.
+
+They were now near the confines of their own country, and apparently had
+no fear whatever of pursuit. They soon gathered some of the dead wood
+cast on the shores of the sea, and with these a fire was speedily
+lighted, and an earthenware pot was taken down from among their baggage:
+it was filled with water from a skin, and then grain having been placed
+in it, it was put among the wood ashes. Cuthbert, who was weary and
+aching in every limb from the position in which he had been placed on
+the camel, asked them by signs for permission to bathe in the lake.
+This was given, principally apparently from curiosity, for but very few
+Arabs were able to swim; indeed, as a people they object so utterly to
+water, that the idea of any one bathing for his amusement was to them a
+matter of ridicule.
+
+Cuthbert, who had never heard of the properties of the Dead Sea, was
+perfectly astonished upon entering the water to find that instead of
+wading in it up to the neck before starting-to swim, as he was accustomed
+to do at home, the water soon after he got waist-deep took him off his
+feet, and a cry of astonishment burst from him as he found himself on
+rather than in the fluid. The position was so strange and unnatural that
+with a cry of alarm he scrambled over on to his feet, and made the best
+of his way to shore, the Arabs indulging in shouts of laughter at his
+astonishment and alarm. Cuthbert was utterly unable to account for the
+strange sensations he had experienced; he perceived that the water was
+horribly salt, and that which had got into his mouth almost choked him.
+He was, however, unaware that saltness adds to the weight of water, and
+so to the buoyancy of objects cast into it. The saltness of the fluid he
+was moreover painfully conscious of by the smarting of the places on his
+wrists and ankles where the cords had been bound that fastened him to the
+camel. Goaded, however, by the laughter of the Arabs, he determined once
+more to try the experiment of entering this strange sheet of water, which
+from some unaccountable cause appeared to him to refuse to allow anybody
+to sink in it. This time he swam about for some time, and felt a little
+refreshed. When he returned to the shore he soon re-attired himself in
+his Bedouin dress, and seated himself a little distance from his captors,
+who were now engaged in discussing the materials prepared by themselves.
+They made signs to Cuthbert that he might partake of their leavings, for
+which he was not a little grateful, for he felt utterly exhausted and
+worn out with his cruel ride and prolonged fasting.
+
+The Arabs soon wrapped themselves in their burnouses, and feeling
+confident that their captive would not attempt to escape from them, in a
+place where subsistence would be impossible, paid no further attention to
+him beyond motioning to him to lie down at their side.
+
+Cuthbert, however, determined to make another effort to escape; for
+although he was utterly ignorant of the place in which he found himself,
+or of the way back, he thought that anything would be better than to be
+carried into helpless slavery into the savage country beyond the Jordan.
+An hour, therefore, after his captors were asleep he stole to his feet,
+and fearing to arouse them by exciting the wrath of one of the camels by
+attempting to mount him, he struck up into the hills on foot. All night
+he wandered, and in the morning found himself at the edge of a strange
+precipice falling abruptly down to a river, which, some fifty feet wide,
+ran at its foot. Upon the opposite side the bank rose with equal
+rapidity, and to Cuthbert's astonishment he saw that the cliffs were
+honeycombed by caves.
+
+Keeping along the edge for a considerable distance, he came to a spot
+where it was passable, and made his way down to the river bank. Here he
+indulged in a long drink of fresh water, and then began to examine the
+caves which perforated the rocks. These caves Cuthbert knew had formerly
+been the abode of hermits. It was supposed to be an essentially sacred
+locality, and between the third and fourth centuries of Christianity some
+20,000 monks had lived solitary lives on the banks of that river. Far
+away he saw the ruins of a great monastery, called Mar Saba, which had
+for a long time been the abode of a religious community, and which at the
+present day is still tenanted by a body of monks. Cuthbert made up his
+mind at once to take refuge in these caves. He speedily picked out one
+some fifty feet up the face of the rock, and approachable only with the
+greatest difficulty and by a sure foot. First he made the ascent to
+discover the size of the grotto, and found that although the entrance was
+but four feet high and two feet wide, it opened into an area of
+considerable dimensions. Far in the corner, when his eyes became
+accustomed to the light, he discovered a circle of ashes, and his
+conjectures that these caves had been the abode of men were therefore
+verified. He again descended, and collected a large bundle of grass and
+rushes for his bed. He discovered growing among the rocks many edible
+plants, whose seeds were probably sown there centuries before, and
+gathering some of these he made his way back to the cavern. The grass
+furnished him with an excellent bed, and he was soon asleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+A HERMIT'S TALE.
+
+
+The next day he discovered on his excursions plenty of eatable berries on
+the bushes; and now that he had no longer fear of hunger he resolved to
+stay for some little time, until his wounds, which had festered badly,
+had recovered, before making an attempt to rejoin the Christian army.
+
+One day when employed in gathering berries he was surprised by meeting a
+wild-looking figure, who appeared suddenly from one of the caves. It was
+that of a very old man, with an extremely long white beard flowing to his
+waist; his hair, which was utterly unkempt, fell to the same point. He
+was thin to an extraordinary extent, and Cuthbert wondered how a man
+could have been reduced to such a state of starvation, with so plentiful
+a supply of fruit and berries at hand.
+
+The old man looked at Cuthbert attentively, and then made the sign of the
+cross. Cuthbert gave a cry of joy, and repeated the sign. The old man at
+once came down from his cavern, and looked at him with surprise and
+astonishment, and then addressed him in the French language.
+
+"Are you a Christian truly; and if so, whence do you come?"
+
+Cuthbert at once explained that he had been taken prisoner when with King
+Richard's army, and had effected his escape. He also told the old man
+that he had been remaining for the last four days in a cave higher up the
+stream. The hermit--for he was one--beckoned him to follow him, and
+Cuthbert found himself in a cave precisely similar to that which he
+himself inhabited. There were no signs of comfort of any kind; a
+bed-place made of great stones stood in one corner, and Cuthbert,
+remembering the comforts of his own grassy couch, shuddered at the
+thought of the intense discomfort of such a sleeping-place. In another
+corner was an altar, upon which stood a rough crucifix, before which the
+hermit knelt at once in prayer, Cuthbert following his example. Rising
+again, the hermit motioned to him to sit down, and then began a
+conversation with him.
+
+It was so long since the hermit had spoken to any living being, that he
+had almost lost the use of his tongue, and his sentences were slow and
+ill-formed. However, Cuthbert was able to understand him, and he to
+gather the drift of what Cuthbert told him. The old man then showed him,
+that by touching a stone in the corner of his cave the apparently solid
+rock opened, and revealed an entrance into an inner cave, which was lit
+by a ray of light, which penetrated from above.
+
+"This," he said, "was made centuries ago, and was intended as a refuge
+from the persecutors of that day.  The caves were then almost all
+inhabited by hermits, and although many recked not of their lives, and
+were quite ready to meet death through the knife of the infidel, others
+clung to existence, and preferred to pass many years of penance on earth
+for the sake of atoning for their sins before called upon to appear
+before their Maker.
+
+"If you are pursued, it will be safer for you to take up your abode here.
+I am known to all the inhabitants of this country, who look upon me as
+mad, and respect me accordingly. None ever interfere with me, or with the
+two or three other hermits, the remains of what was once almost an army,
+who now alone survive. I can offer you no hospitality beyond that of a
+refuge; but there is water in the river below, fruits and berries in
+abundance on the shrubs. What would you have more?"
+
+Cuthbert accepted the invitation with thanks; for he thought that even at
+the worst the presence of this holy man would be a protection to him from
+any Arabs who might discover him.
+
+For three or four days he resided with the hermit, who, although he
+stretched his long lean body upon the hard stones of his bed, and passed
+many hours of the night kneeling on the stone floor in front of his
+alter, yet had no objection to Cuthbert making himself as comfortable as
+he could under the circumstances.
+
+At the end of the fourth day Cuthbert asked him how long he had been
+there, and how he came to take up his abode in so desolate and fearsome a
+place. The hermit was silent for a time, and then said,--
+
+"It is long indeed since my thoughts have gone back to the day when I was
+of the world. I know not whether it would not be a sin to recall them;
+but I will think the matter over to-night, and if it appears to me that
+you may derive good from my narrative, I will relate it to you
+to-morrow."
+
+The next day Cuthbert did not renew the request, leaving it to the hermit
+to speak should he think fit. It was not until the evening that he
+alluded to the subject; and then taking his seat on a bank near the edge
+of the river, he motioned to Cuthbert to sit beside him, and began,--
+
+"My father was a peer of France, and I was brought up at the court.
+Although it may seem strange to you, looking upon this withered frame,
+sixty-five years back I was as bold and comely a knight as rode in the
+train of the king, for I am now past ninety, and for sixty years I have
+resided here. I was a favourite of the king's, and he loaded me with
+wealth and honour. He, too, was young, and I joined with him in the mad
+carousals and feastings of the court. My father resided for the most part
+at one of his castles in the country, and I, an only son, was left much
+to myself. I need not tell you that I was as wild and as wicked as all
+those around me; that I thought little of God, and feared neither Him nor
+man.
+
+"It chanced that one of the nobles--I need not mention his name--whose
+castle lay in the same province as that of my father, had a lovely
+daughter, who, being an only child, would be his heiress. She was
+considered one of the best matches in France, and reports of her
+exceeding beauty had reached the court. Although my allowance from my
+father, and from the estates which the king had give me personally,
+should have been more than enough for my utmost wants, gambling and
+riotous living swallowed up my revenue faster than it came in, and I was
+constantly harassed by debt.
+
+"Talking one night at supper with a number of bold companions, as to the
+means we should take for restoring our wasted fortunes, some said in jest
+that the best plan would be for one of us to marry the beauty of
+Dauphiny. I at once said that I would be the man to do it; the ideas was
+a wild one, and a roar of laughter greeted my words. Her father was known
+to be a stern and rigid man, and it was certain that he would not consent
+to give his daughter to a spendthrift young noble like myself. When the
+laughter had subsided I repeated my intention gravely, and offered to
+wager large sums with all around the table that I would succeed.
+
+"On the morrow I packed up a few of my belongings, put in my valise the
+dress of a wandering troubadour, and taking with me only a trusty
+servant, started for Dauphiny. It would be tedious to tell you the means
+I resorted to to obtain the affections of the heiress. I had been well
+instructed in music and could play on the lute, and knew by heart large
+numbers of ballads, and could myself, in case of necessity, string verses
+together with tolerable ease. As a troubadour I arrived at the castle
+gate, and craved permission to enter to amuse its occupants. Troubadours
+then, as now, were in high esteem in the south, and I was at once made a
+welcome guest.
+
+"Days passed, and weeks; still I lingered at the castle, my heart being
+now as much interested as my pride in the wager which I had undertaken.
+Suffice it to say, that my songs, and perhaps my appearance--for I cannot
+be accused of vanity now in saying nature had been bountiful to me--won
+my way to her heart. Troubadours were licensed folk, and even in her
+father's presence there was nought unseemly in my singing songs of love.
+While he took them as the mere compliments of a troubadour, the lady, I
+saw, read them as serious effusions of my heart.
+
+"It was only occasionally that we met alone; but ere long she confessed
+that she loved me. Without telling her my real name, I disclosed to her
+that I was of her own rank, and that I had entered upon the disguise I
+wore in order to win her love. She was romantic, and was flattered by my
+devotion. I owned to her that hitherto I had been wild and reckless; and
+she told me at once that her father destined her for the son of an old
+friend of his, to whom it appeared she had been affianced while still a
+baby. She was positive that nothing would move her father. For the man
+she was to marry she entertained no kind of affection, and indeed had
+never seen him, as she had been brought up in a convent to the age of
+fifteen; and just before she had returned thence, he had gone to finish
+his education at Padua.
+
+"She trembled when I proposed flight; but I assured her that I was
+certain of the protection of the king, and that he would, I was sure,
+when the marriage was once celebrated, use his influence with her father
+to obtain his forgiveness.
+
+"The preparations for her flight were not long in making. I purchased a
+fleet horse in addition to my own, and ordered my servant to bring it to
+a point a short distance from the castle gate. I had procured a long rope
+with which to lower her down from her lattice to the moat below, which
+was at present dry, intending myself to slide after her. The night chosen
+was one when I knew that the count was to have guests, and I thought that
+they would probably, as is the custom, drink heavily, and that there
+would be less fear of any watch being kept.
+
+"The guests arrived just at nightfall. I had feigned illness, and kept my
+room. From time to time I heard through the windows of the banqueting
+hall bursts of laughter. These gradually ceased; and at last, when all
+was still, I, awaiting some time, stole from my room with a rope in my
+hand to the apartment occupied by her. A slight tap at the door, as
+arranged, was at once answered, and I found her ready cloaked and
+prepared for the enterprise. She trembled from head to foot, but I
+cheered her to the best of my power, and at last she was in readiness to
+be lowered. The window was at a considerable height from the ground; but
+the rope was a long one, and I had no fear of its reaching the bottom.
+Fastening it round her waist, I began to lower her from the window.
+
+"The night was a windy one, and she swung backwards and forwards as she
+went down. By what chance it was I know not,--for I had examined the
+rope and found it secure--but methinks in swaying backwards and
+forwards it may have caught a sharp stone, maybe it was a punishment
+from Heaven upon me for robbing a father of his child--but suddenly I
+felt there was no longer a weight on my arms. A fearful shriek rang
+through the air, and, looking out, I saw far below a white figure
+stretched senseless in the mud!
+
+"For a minute I stood paralyzed. But the cry had aroused others, and,
+turning round, I saw a man at the door with a drawn sword. Wild with
+grief and despair, and thinking, not of making my escape, or of
+concealing my part in what had happened, but rushing without an instant's
+delay to the body of her I loved so well, I drew my sword, and like a
+madman rushed upon him who barred the door. The combat was brief but
+furious, and nerved by the madness of despair I broke down his guard and
+ran him through the body. As he fell back, his face came in the full
+light of the moon, which streamed through the open door of the passage,
+and to my utter horror and bewilderment I saw that I had slain my father.
+
+"What happened after that night I know not. I believe that I made my
+escape from the castle and rushed round to the body of her whose life I
+had destroyed, and that there finding her dead, I ran wildly across the
+country. When I came to my senses months had passed, and I was the inmate
+of an asylum for men bereaved of their senses, kept by noble monks. Here
+for two years I remained, the world believing that I was dead. None knew
+that the troubadour whose love had cost the lady her life, who had slain
+the guest of her father, and had then disappeared, was the unhappy son of
+that guest. My friends in Paris when they heard of the tragedy of course
+associated it with me, but they all kept silent. The monks, to whom I
+confessed the whole story, were shocked indeed, but consoled me in my
+grief and despair by the assurance that however greatly I had sinned, the
+death of the lady had been accidental, and that if I were a parricide it
+was at least unintentionally.
+
+"My repentance was deep and sincere; and after a while, under another
+name, I joined the army of the crusaders, to expiate my sin by warring
+for the holy sepulchre. I fought as men fight who have no wish to live;
+but while all around me fell by sword and disease, death kept aloof from
+me. When the crusade had failed I determined to turn for ever from the
+world, and to devote my life to prayer and penance; and so casting aside
+my armour, I made my way here, and took up my abode in a cave in this
+valley, where at that time were many thousands of other hermits--for the
+Saracens, while they gained much money from fines and exactions from
+pilgrims who came to Jerusalem, and fought stoutly against those who
+sought to capture that city, were in the main tolerant, and offered no
+hindrance to the community of men whom they looked upon as mad.
+
+"Here, my son, for more than sixty years have I prayed, with much
+fasting and penance. I trust now that the end is nearly at hand, and
+that my long life of mortification may be deemed to have obliterated the
+evil deeds which I did in my youth. Let my fate be a warning to you.
+Walk steadily in the right way; indulge not in feasting and evil
+companionship; and above all, do not enter upon evil deeds, the end of
+which no man can see."
+
+The hermit was silent, and Cuthbert, seeing that his thoughts had again
+referred to the past, wandered away, and left him sitting by the river
+side. Some hours later he returned, and found the hermit kneeling before
+the altar; and the next morning the latter said,--
+
+"I presume, my son, you do not wish to remain here as a hermit, as I have
+done? Methinks it were well that we made our arrangements for your return
+to the Christian host, who will, I hope, ere long be at the gates of
+Jerusalem."
+
+"I should like nothing better," Cuthbert said. "But ignorant as I am of
+the nature of the country, it seems to be nigh impossible to penetrate
+through the hosts of the Saracens to reach the camp of King Richard."
+
+"The matter is difficult and not without danger," the hermit said. "As to
+the nature of the country, I myself know but little, for my dealings with
+the natives have been few and simple. There are, however, several
+Christian communities dwelling among the heathen. They are poor, and are
+forced to live in little-frequented localities. Their Christianity may be
+suspected by their neighbours, but as they do no man harm, and carry on
+their worship in secret, they are little interfered with. There is one
+community among the hills between this and Jerusalem, and I can give you
+instructions for reaching this, together with a token which will secure
+you hospitality there, and they will no doubt do their best to forward
+you to another station. When you approach the flat country where the
+armies are maneuvering you must doubtless trust to yourself; but as far
+as the slopes extend, methinks that our friends will be able to pass you
+without great difficulty."
+
+Cuthbert's heart rose greatly at the prospect of once again entering upon
+an active life, and the next evening, with many thanks for his kindness,
+he knelt before the aged hermit to receive his blessing.
+
+With the instructions given him he had no difficulty in making his way
+through the mountains, until after some five hours' walk he found himself
+at a little village situated in a narrow valley.
+
+Going to the door of the principal hut, he knocked, and upon entering
+showed the owner--who opened the door--a rosette of peculiar beads, and
+repeated the name of Father Anselm. The peasant at once recognized it,
+and bade Cuthbert welcome. He knew but a few words of French, although
+doubtless his ancestors had been of European extraction. In the morning
+he furnished Cuthbert with the sheepskin and short tunic which formed the
+dress of a shepherd, and dyeing his limbs and face a deep brown, he
+himself started with Cuthbert on his journey to the next Christian
+community.
+
+This was a small one, consisting of two huts only, built almost on the
+summit of a mountain, the inhabitants living partly on the milk and
+cheese of their goats, and partly upon the scanty vegetables which grew
+around the huts.
+
+His welcome was as cordial as that of the night before; and the next
+morning, his former guide taking leave of him, the peasant in whose house
+he had slept, again conducted him forward to another community. This was
+the last station, and stood in a narrow gorge on the face of the hills
+looking down over the plain, beyond which in the far distance a faint
+line of blue sea was visible.
+
+This community was far more prosperous and well-to-do than those at which
+the previous nights had been passed. The head of the village appeared to
+be a personage of some importance; and although clinging in secret to his
+Christian faith, he and his belongings had so far adopted the usages of
+the Mussulmen that apparently no thought of their Christianity entered
+into the minds of the authorities. He was the owner of two or three
+horses, and of some extensive vineyards and olive grounds. He was also
+able to speak French with some degree of fluency.
+
+At considerable length he explained to Cuthbert the exact position of the
+Christian army, which had moved some distance along the coast since
+Cuthbert had left it. It was, he said, exposed to constant attacks by the
+Saracens, who harassed it in every way, and permitted it no repose. He
+said that the high hopes which had been raised by the defeat of the
+Saracens at Azotus, had now fallen, and that it was feared the Christians
+would not be able to force their way forward to Jerusalem. The great
+portion of their animals had died, and the country was so eaten up by the
+Saracen hosts, that an advance upon Jerusalem without a large baggage
+train was next to impossible; and indeed if the Christians were to arrive
+before that city, they could effect nothing without the aid of the heavy
+machines necessary for battering the walls or effecting an escalade.
+
+Cuthbert was vastly grieved when he heard of the probable failure of the
+expedition, and he burned with eagerness to take his part again in the
+dangers and difficulties which beset the Christian army. His host pointed
+out to him the extreme difficulty and danger of his crossing the enemy's
+lines, but at the same time offered to do all in his power to assist him.
+After two days' stay at the village, and discussing the pros and cons of
+all possible plans, it was decided that the best chance lay in a bold
+effort. The host placed at his disposal one of his horses, together with
+such clothes as would enable him to ride as an Arab chief of rank and
+station; a long lance was furnished him, a short and heavy mace, and
+scimitar; a bag of dates was hung at the saddle-bow; and with the
+sincerest thanks to his protector, and with a promise that should the
+Christian host win their way to Jerusalem the steed should be returned
+with ample payment, Cuthbert started on his journey.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+A FIGHT OF HEROES.
+
+
+The horse was a good and spirited one, and when he had once descended to
+the plains, Cuthbert rode gaily along, exulting in his freedom, and in
+once again possessing arms to defend himself should it be needed. His
+appearance was so exactly that of the horsemen who were continually
+passing and repassing that no observation whatever was attracted by it.
+Through villages, and even through camps, Cuthbert rode fearlessly, and
+arrived, without having once been accosted, near the main camp of the
+Saracens, which extended for miles parallel to the sea. But at a distance
+of some three leagues beyond, could be seen the white tents of the
+Christian host, and Cuthbert felt that the time of trial was now at hand.
+
+He dismounted for an hour to allow his steed to rest itself, fed it with
+dates from his wallet, and gave it a drink of water at the stream. Then,
+when he felt that it had thoroughly recovered its strength and freshness,
+he re-mounted, and rode briskly on as before. He passed unchallenged,
+attracting no more notice than a person now-a-days would do in walking
+along a crowded street. Without hesitation he passed through the tents
+and started across the open country. Bands of horsemen were seen here and
+there, some going, and some coming from the direction of the Christian
+camp. As it was doubtless supposed that he was on his way to join some
+band that had gone on in advance, the passage of the solitary horseman
+excited no comment until he approached within about two miles of the
+Christian camp. There were now, so far as he could see, no enemies
+between him and the point he so longed to gain. But at this minute a
+group of Arab horsemen, gathered, apparently on the look-out against any
+movement of the Christians, shouted to him "Halt!" demanding whither he
+was going.
+
+Up to this point Cuthbert had ridden at a gentle canter; but at the
+challenge he put spurs into his steed and made across the plain at full
+speed. With a wild yell the Arabs started in pursuit. They lay at first
+some 200 yards on his right, and he had therefore a considerable start of
+them. His horse was fairly fresh, for the journey that he had made had
+only been about fifteen miles--an inconsiderable distance to an Arab
+steed. For half a mile he did not think that his pursuers gained much
+upon him, riding as they had done sideways. They had now gathered in his
+rear, and the nearest was some 150 yards behind him. A quarter of a mile
+farther he again looked round, and found that two of the Arabs, far
+better mounted than the others, had come within half the distance which
+separated them from him when he last glanced back. His horse was
+straining to the utmost, and he felt that it could do no more; he
+therefore prepared himself for a desperate fight should his pursuers
+overtake him. In another quarter of a mile they were but a short distance
+behind, and an arrow whizzing by Cuthbert's ear told him they had
+be-taken themselves to their bows.
+
+Half a mile ahead he saw riding towards him a group of Christian knights;
+but he felt that it was too late for him to hope to reach them, and that
+his only chance now was to boldly encounter his pursuers. The main body
+of the Arabs was fully 200 yards behind--a short distance when going at a
+gallop--which left him but little time to shake off the pursuit of the
+two immediately behind him.
+
+A sharp stinging pain in his leg told him that it was time to make his
+effort; and checking his horse, he wheeled suddenly round. The two Arabs
+with a yell rode at him with pointed lance. With his right hand Cuthbert
+grasped the short heavy mace which hung at his saddle-bow, and being well
+practised in the hurling of this weapon--which formed part of the
+education of a good knight--he cast it with all his force at the chest of
+the Arab approaching on that side. The point of the spear was within a
+few yards of his breast as he flung the mace; but his aim was true, for
+it smote the Saracen full on the chest, and hurled him from his horse as
+if struck with a thunderbolt. At the same instant Cuthbert threw himself
+flat on the neck of his steed and the lance of the Arab who came up on
+the other side passed harmlessly between his shoulders, tearing his
+clothes as it went. In an instant Cuthbert had wheeled his horse, and
+before the Arab could turn his steed Cuthbert, coming up from behind,
+had run him through the body.
+
+Short as the delay had been, the main body of the pursuers were scarcely
+fifty yards away; but Cuthbert now continued his flight towards the
+knights, who were galloping forward at full speed; and a moment
+afterwards glancing back, he saw that his pursuers had turned and were in
+full flight.
+
+With a shout of joy he rode forward to the party who had viewed with
+astonishment this conflict between what appeared to be three of the
+infidels. Even louder than his first shout of exultation was the cry of
+joy which he raised at seeing among the party to whom he rode up, the
+Earl of Evesham, who reined in his horse in astonishment, and drew his
+sword as the supposed enemy galloped towards him.
+
+"My lord, my lord!" Cuthbert said. "Thank heaven I am safe with
+you again."
+
+The earl lowered his sword in astonishment.
+
+"Am I mad," he said, "or dreaming, or is this really Sir Cuthbert?"
+
+"It is I sure enough," Cuthbert exclaimed, "although truly I look more
+like a Bedouin soldier than a Christian knight."
+
+"My dear boy!" exclaimed the earl, galloping forward and throwing his
+arms around Cuthbert's neck, "we thought you were dead. But by what
+wonderful fortune have you succeeded in escaping?"
+
+In a few words Cuthbert related the principal incidents of his
+adventures, and he was heartily congratulated by the assembled knights.
+
+There was, however, no time for long explanations. Large bodies of the
+Saracen horse were already sweeping down, to capture, if possible, this
+small band of knights who had ventured so far from the camp; and as King
+Richard's orders were that none should venture upon conflicts except by
+his orders, the party reluctantly turned their horses and galloped back
+to the camp.
+
+Great as had been the earl's joy, it was, if possible, exceeded by that
+of Cnut on discovering in the Arab chief who rode up alongside the earl,
+the lad he loved so well. Loud and hearty were the cheers which rang out
+from the earl's camp as the news spread, and Cuthbert was compelled to
+shake hands with the whole party before entering the earl's tent, to
+refresh himself and give the narrative of what had happened.
+
+Cuthbert, retiring to his tent with the Earl of Evesham, inquired of him
+what had taken place during his absence.
+
+"For," he said, "although but a short three days' march from here, I have
+been as one of the dead, and have heard nothing whatever of what has
+taken place."
+
+"Nothing could have gone worse," the earl said. "We have had nothing
+but dissensions and quarrels. First, the king fell out with the
+Archduke of Austria."
+
+"On what ground did this happen?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"For once," the earl said, "the king our master was wholly in the wrong,
+which is not generally the case. We had just taken Ascalon, and were hard
+at work fortifying the place. King Richard with his usual zeal, in order
+to encourage the army, seized heavy stones and himself bore them into
+their place. The Archduke stood near with some of his knights: and it may
+be that the haughty Austrian looked somewhat superciliously at our king,
+thus labouring.
+
+"'Why do you not make a show of helping?' King Richard said, going up to
+him. 'It would encourage the men, and show that the labour upon which we
+are engaged can be undertaken by all without derogation.'
+
+"To this the Archduke replied,--
+
+"'I am not the son of a mason!'
+
+"Whereupon Richard, whose blood no doubt had been excited by the air of
+the Austrian, struck him with his hand a fierce blow across the face. We
+nearly betook ourselves to our swords on both sides; but King Richard
+himself could have scattered half the Austrians, and these, knowing that
+against his impetuous valour they could do nothing, simply withdrew from
+our camp, and sailed the next day for home. Then the king, in order to
+conciliate some at least of his allies, conferred the crown of Jerusalem
+upon Conrad of Montferat. No sooner had he done this than Conrad was
+mysteriously wounded. By whom it was done none knew. Some say that it was
+by emissaries of the Old Man of the Mountain. Others affirm that it was
+the jealousy of some of the knights of the holy orders. But be that as it
+may, he died. Some of the French, ever jealous of the valour of our king,
+ascribed it to his orders. This monstrous accusation coming to the ears
+of King Richard, he had hot words with the Duke of Burgundy. In this I
+blame him not, for it is beyond all reason that a man like the king,
+whose faults, such as they are, arise from too much openness, and from
+the want of concealment of such dislikes as he may have, should resort to
+poison to free himself of a man whom he himself had but a day or two
+before appointed King of Jerusalem. However it be, the consequences were
+most unfortunate, for the result of the quarrel was that the Duke of
+Burgundy and his Frenchmen followed the example of the Austrians, and we
+were left alone. Before this we had marched upon Jerusalem. But the
+weather had been so bad, and our train was so insufficient to carry the
+engines of war, that we had been forced to fall back again. King Richard
+again advanced, and with much toil we went as far as the village of
+Bethany."
+
+"Why," Cuthbert exclaimed, "I passed through that village, and it is but
+three miles from the holy city."
+
+"That is so," the earl said; "and many of us, ascending the hill in
+front, saw Jerusalem. But even then it was certain that we must again
+retrace our steps; and when we asked King Richard to come to the crest of
+the hill to see the holy city, he refused to do so, saying, 'No; those
+who are not worthy of conquering Jerusalem should not look at it!' This
+was but a short time since, and we are now retracing our steps to Acre,
+and are treating with Saladin for a peace."
+
+"Then," Cuthbert said sadly, "all our hopes and efforts are thrown away;
+all this blood has been shed for nothing; and after the three great
+powers of Europe have engaged themselves solemnly in the war, we are
+baffled, and have to fall back before the hordes of the infidels."
+
+"Partly before them," the earl said, "partly as the result of our own
+jealousies and passions. Had King Richard been a lesser man than he is,
+we might have conquered Jerusalem. But he is so extraordinary a warrior
+that his glory throws all others into the shade. He is a good general,
+perhaps the best in Europe; and had he done nothing but lead, assuredly
+we should have carried out our purpose. See how ably he maneuvered the
+army at the fight of Azotus. Never was a more complete defeat than that
+which he inflicted there upon the Saracens; and although the fact that
+his generalship achieved this, might have caused some jealousy to the
+other commanders, this might have died away could he between the battles
+have been a general, and nothing more. But alas! he is in addition a
+knight-errant--and such a knight-errant as Europe has never seen before.
+Wherever there is danger, Richard will plunge into the midst. There are
+brave men in all the three armies; but the strongest and bravest are as
+children to King Richard. Alone he can dart into ranks of the infidels,
+and cut a lane for himself by the strength of his right arm. More than
+this, when danger has threatened he has snatched up his battle-axe and
+dashed into the fray without helm or cuirass, performing such prodigies
+of valour and strength that it has been to his prowess alone that victory
+was to be ascribed. Hence he is the idol of all the soldiers, whatever
+their nationality; for he is as ready to rush to the rescue of a French
+or Austrian knight when pressed as to that of his own men. But the
+devotion which the whole army felt for him was as gall and wormwood to
+the haughty Austrian and the indolent Frenchman; and the retirement of
+the King of France, which left Richard in supreme command, was in every
+way unfortunate."
+
+Upon the following day the army again marched, and Cuthbert could not but
+notice the difference, not only in number but in demeanour, from the
+splendid array which had left Acre a few months before. There was little
+now of the glory of pennon and banner; the bright helms and cuirasses
+were rusted and dinted, and none seemed to care aught for bravery of
+show. The knights and men-at-arms were sunburnt and thin, and seemed but
+half the weight that they had been when they landed. Fatigue, hardship,
+and the heat had done their work; disease had swept off vast numbers. But
+the remains of the army were so formidable in their fighting powers that
+the Saracens, although following them at a distance in vast numbers, did
+not venture an attack upon them.
+
+A few days after their arrival at Acre, the king gave orders for the
+embarcation of the troops. Just as they were preparing to enter the ships
+a small vessel was seen entering the harbour. It drew up to the shore,
+and a knight leaped from it, and, inquiring where King Richard was to be
+found, made his way to the king, who was standing superintending the
+embarcation of some of the horses.
+
+"The Saracens, sire!" he exclaimed. "The Saracens are besieging Jaffa,
+and the place must be lost unless assistance arrives in a day or two."
+
+The king leaped on board the nearest ship, shouted to his leading
+officers to follow him, and gave orders to others to bring down the
+troops with all possible speed, to waste not a moment, and to see that
+all was done, and then, in five minutes after the receipt of the news he
+started for Jaffa. The Earl of Evesham and Cuthbert had been standing
+near the king when the order was given, and followed him at once on board
+the bark which he had chosen.
+
+"Ah, my gallant young knight," the king exclaimed, "I am right glad to
+see you with me. We shall have more fighting before we have done, and I
+know that that suits your mood as well as my own."
+
+The king's vessel was far in advance of any of the others, when early the
+following morning it arrived at Jaffa.
+
+"Your eyes are better than mine," the king said to Cuthbert. "Tell me
+what is that flag flying on the top of the town."
+
+Cuthbert looked at it earnestly.
+
+"I fear, sire, that it is the crescent. We have arrived too late."
+
+"By the holy cross," said King Richard, "that shall not be so; for if the
+place be taken, we will retake it."
+
+As the vessel neared the shore a monk ran out into the water up to his
+shoulders, and said to the king that the citadel still held out, and that
+even now the Saracens might be driven back. Without delay the king leaped
+into the water, followed by the knights and men-at-arms, and entering the
+gate, threw himself upon the infidels within, who, busy plundering, had
+not noticed the arrival of the ship.
+
+The war cry of "St. George! St. George!" which the king always shouted
+in battle, struck panic among the infidels; and although the king was
+followed but by five knights and a few men-at-arms, the Saracens, to
+the number of 3000, fled before him, and all who tarried were smitten
+down. The king followed them out upon the plain, driving them before
+him as a lion would drive a flock of sheep, and then returned
+triumphant into the city.
+
+The next day, some more ships having arrived, King Richard found that in
+all, including the garrison, he could muster 2000 combatants. The enemy
+renewed the attack in great numbers, and the assaults upon the walls were
+continuous and desperate. King Richard, who loved fighting in the plain
+rather than behind walls, was impatient at this, and at one time so
+fierce was the attack that he resolved to sally out. Only ten horses
+remained in the town, and King Richard, mounting one, called upon nine of
+the knights to mount and sally out with him. The little band of ten
+warriors charged down upon the host of the Saracens and swept them before
+them. It was a marvellous sight indeed to see so small a group of
+horsemen dashing through a crowd of Saracen warriors. These, although at
+first beaten back, yet rallied, and the ten knights had great difficulty
+in fighting their way back to the town. When near the walls the
+Christians again made a stand, and a few knights sallied out from the
+town on foot and joined them. Among these was Cuthbert, the Earl of
+Evesham having accompanied King Richard in his charge. In all, seventeen
+knights were now rallied round the king. So fierce was the charge of the
+Saracens that the king ordered those on horseback to dismount, and with
+their horses in the centre, the little body knelt with their lances
+opposed to the Saracens. Again and again the wild cavalry swept down upon
+this little force, but in vain did they attempt to break their ranks. The
+scene was indeed an extraordinary one. At last the king, seeing that the
+enemy were losing heart, again ordered the knights to mount, and these
+dashing among the enemy, completed their defeat.
+
+While this had been going on, news came to the king that the Saracens
+from another side had made their way into Jaffa, and were massacring the
+Christians. Without an instant's delay he flew to their succour, followed
+only by two knights and a few archers, the rest being so worn by their
+exertions as to be unable to move. The Mamelukes, the chosen guard of
+Saladin, had headed the attack; but even these were driven out from the
+town, and Richard dashed out from the city in their pursuit. One Saracen
+emir, distinguished for his stature and strength, ventured to match
+himself against the king, and rode boldly at him. But with one blow
+Richard severed his head, and his right shoulder and arm, from his body.
+Then having, by his single arm, put to rout the Saracens at this point,
+he dashed through them to the aid of the little band of knights who had
+remained on the defensive when he left them at the alarm of the city
+being entered. These were almost sinking with fatigue and wounds; but
+King Richard opened a way around them by slaying numbers of the enemy,
+and then charged again alone into the midst of the Mussulman host, and
+was lost to the sight of his companions. All thought that they would
+never see him again. But he soon reappeared, his horse covered with
+blood, but himself unwounded; and the attack of the enemy ceased.
+
+From the hour of daybreak, it is said, Richard had not ceased for a
+moment to deal out his blows, and the skin of his hand adhered to the
+handle of his battle-axe. This narration would appear almost fabulous,
+were it not that it is attested in the chronicles of several
+eye-witnesses, and for centuries afterwards the Saracen women hushed
+their babes when fractious by threatening them with Malek-Rik, the name
+which they gave to King Richard.
+
+Glorious as was the success, it was a sad one, for several of the most
+devoted of the followers of King Richard were wounded badly, some few to
+death. Among these last, to the terrible grief of Cuthbert, was his
+friend and patron, the Earl of Evesham. The king, on taking off his
+armour, hurried to his tent.
+
+"The glory of this day is marred indeed," he said to the wounded knight,
+"if I am to lose you, Sir Walter."
+
+"I fear that it must even be so, my lord," the dying earl said. "I am
+glad that I have seen this day, for never did I think to witness such
+feats as those which your Majesty has performed; and though the crusade
+has failed, and the Holy City remains in the hands of the infidel, yet
+assuredly no shadow of disgrace has fallen upon the English arms, and,
+indeed, great glory has accrued to us. Whatever may be said of the Great
+Crusade, it will, at least, be allowed by all men, and for all time, that
+had the princes and soldiers of other nations done as your Majesty and
+your followers have done, the holy city would have fallen into our hands
+within a month of our putting foot upon the soil. Your Majesty, I have a
+boon to ask."
+
+"You have but to name it, Sir Walter, and it is yours."
+
+"Sir Cuthbert, here," he said, pointing to the young knight, who was
+sorrowfully kneeling by his bedside, "is as a son to me. The relationship
+by blood is but slight, but by affection it is as close as though he were
+mine own. I have, as your Majesty knows, no male heirs, and my daughter
+is but young, and will now be a royal ward. I beseech your Majesty to
+bestow her in marriage, when the time comes, upon Sir Cuthbert. They have
+known each other as children, and the union will bring happiness,
+methinks, to both, as well as strength and protection to her; and
+further, if it might be, I would fain that you should bestow upon him my
+title and dignity."
+
+"It shall be so," the king said. "When your eyes are closed, Sir Walter,
+Sir Cuthbert shall be Earl of Evesham, and, when the time comes, the
+husband of your daughter."
+
+Cuthbert was too overwhelmed with grief to feel a shadow of exaltation at
+the gracious intimation of the king; although, even then, a thought of
+future happiness in the care of the fair young lady Margaret passed
+before his mind. For the last time the king gave his hand to his faithful
+servant, who pressed it to his lips, and a few minutes afterwards
+breathed his last.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+AN ALPINE STORM.
+
+
+The tremendous exertions which King Richard had made told upon him, and
+attacks of fever succeeded each other at short intervals. This, however,
+mattered the less, since negotiations were now proceeding between him and
+Saladin. It was impossible, with the slight means at his disposal, for
+Richard further to carry on the crusade alone. Moreover, pressing news
+had arrived from his mother in England, urging him to return, as his
+brother John was intriguing against him, and had already assumed all but
+the kingly tide. Saladin was equally desirous of peace. His wild troops
+were, for the most part, eager to return to their homes, and the defeats
+which they had suffered, and the, to them, miraculous power of King
+Richard's arm, had lowered their spirit and made them eager to be away.
+Therefore he consented without difficulty to the terms proposed. By
+these, the Christians were to surrender Ascalon, but were to keep Jaffa,
+Tyre, and the fortresses along the coast. All hostilities were to be
+suspended on both sides for the space of three years, three months, three
+weeks, three days, and three hours, when Richard hoped to return again
+and to recommence the struggle.
+
+Between the sultan and King Richard a feeling approaching that of
+friendship had sprung up during the campaign. Saladin was himself brave
+in the extreme, and exposed his life as fearlessly as did his Christian
+rival, and the two valiant leaders recognized the great qualities of each
+other. Several times during the campaign, when Richard had been ill, the
+emir had sent him presents of fruit and other matters, to which Richard
+had responded in the same spirit. An interview had taken place between
+them which further cemented their friendship; and when Richard promised
+to return again at the end of the truce with a far larger army, and to
+accomplish the rescue of the holy city, the sultan smiled, and said that
+it appeared that valour alone was not sufficient to conquer in the Holy
+Land, but that if Jerusalem were to fall into the hands of the
+Christians, it could fall into no worthier hands than those of Malek-Rik.
+
+So, with many mutual courtesies, the great rivals separated, and, soon
+after, King Richard and the little remnant of his army embarked on board
+ship, and set sail for England.
+
+It was on the 11th of October, 1192, that Richard Coeur de Lion left
+Palestine. Soon after they started, a storm suddenly burst upon them,
+and dispersed them in various directions. The ship in which Queen
+Berengaria was carried, arrived safely in Sicily; but that in which King
+Richard was borne was missing, and none of his fellow-voyagers knew what
+had become of him.
+
+Sir Cuthbert was in the same vessel as the king, and the bark was driven
+upon the Island of Corfu. All reached shore in safety, and King Richard
+then hired three small vessels, in which he sailed to the port of Zara,
+whence he hoped to reach the domains of his nephew, Otho of Saxony, the
+son of his sister Matilda. The king had with him now but two of his
+knights, Baldwin of B‚thune, and Cuthbert of Evesham. Cnut was with his
+feudal chief--for such Cuthbert had now, by his accession to the rank of
+Earl of Evesham, become--and three or four English archers.
+
+"I fear, my lords," the king said to his knights as he sat in a little
+room in an inn at Zara, "that my plight is a bad one. I am surrounded by
+enemies, and, alas! I can no longer mount my steed and ride out as at
+Jaffa to do battle with them. My brother, John Lackland, is scheming to
+take my place upon the throne of England. Philip of France, whose mind is
+far better at such matters than at setting armies in the field, is in
+league with him. The Emperor Henry has laid claim to the throne of
+Sicily. Leopold of Austria has not forgiven me the blow I struck him in
+the face at Ascalon, and the friends of Conrad of Montferat are spreading
+far and wide the lie that I was the instigator of his murder. Sure never
+had a poor king so many enemies, and few have ever had so small a
+following as I have now. What think you, my lords? What course would you
+advise that I should adopt? If I can reach Saxony, doubtless Otho will
+aid me. But hence to Dresden is a long journey indeed. I have neither
+credit nor funds to hire a ship to take us by sea. Nor would such a
+voyage be a safe one, when so many of my enemies' ships are on the main.
+I must needs, I think, go in disguise, for my way lies wholly through the
+country of my enemies."
+
+"Surely," Cuthbert said, "no potentate could for very shame venture to
+detain your Majesty on your way from the Holy Land, where you have
+wrought such great deeds. Were I in your place, I would at once proclaim
+myself, mount my horse, have my banner carried before me, and ride openly
+on. You have, too, another claim, namely, that of being shipwrecked, and
+even in war-time nations respect those whom the force of God has thrown
+upon their shores."
+
+"I fear me, Sir Cuthbert," Sir Baldwin said, "that you overrate the
+chivalry of our master's enemies. Had we been thrown on the shores of
+France, Philip perhaps would hesitate to lay hands upon the king; but
+these petty German princelings have no idea of the observances of true
+chivalry. They are coarse and brutal in their ways; and though in outward
+form following the usages of knighthood, they have never been penetrated
+with its spirit. If the friends of Conrad of Montferat lay hands upon
+King Richard, I fear that no scruples will prevent them from using their
+advantage to the utmost. Even their emperor I would not trust. The course
+which you advise would no doubt be in accordance with the spirit of King
+Richard; but it would be madness for him to judge other people's spirit
+by his own, and it would be rushing into the lion's den to proclaim
+himself here. I should recommend, if I might venture to do so, that his
+Majesty should assume a false name, and that we should travel in small
+parties so as to attract no attention, each making his way to Saxony as
+best he may."
+
+There was silence for a minute or two, and then the king with a
+sigh, said,--
+
+"I fear that you are right, Sir Baldwin, and that there is no chivalry
+among these swinish German lords. You shall accompany me. Not, Sir
+Cuthbert," he observed kindly, noticing a look of disappointment upon the
+face of the young knight, "that I estimate your fidelity one whit lower
+than that of my brave friend; but he is the elder and the more versed in
+European travel, and may manage to bring matters through better than you
+would do. You will have dangers enough to encounter yourself, more even
+than I shall, for your brave follower, Cnut, can speak no language but
+his own, and your archers will be hard to pass as any other than what
+they are. You must be my messenger to England, should you arrive there
+without me. Tell my mother and wife where you left me, and that, if I do
+not come home I have fallen into the hands of one or other of my bitter
+foes. Bid them bestir themselves to hold England for me against my
+brother John, and, if needs be, to move the sovereigns of Europe to free
+me from the hands of my enemies. Should a ransom be needed, I think that
+my people of England will not grudge their goods for their king."
+
+The following day the king bade farewell to his faithful followers,
+giving his hand to kiss, not only to Sir Cuthbert, but to Cnut and
+his archers.
+
+"You have done me brave service," he said, "and I trust may yet have
+occasion to do it again. These are bad times when Richard of England has
+nought wherewith to reward his friends. But," he said, taking a gold
+chain from his neck and breaking it with his strong fingers into five
+fragments, "that is for you, Cnut, and for your four archers, in
+remembrance of King Richard."
+
+The men, albeit hardened by many scenes of warfare, yet shed tears
+plenteously at parting with the king.
+
+"We had better," Cuthbert said to them when they were alone, "delay here
+for a few days. If we are taken, the news that some Englishmen have been
+captured making their way north from Zara will spread rapidly, and may
+cause the enemies of Richard to be on the look-out for him, suspecting
+that the ship which bore us may also have carried him; for the news that
+he is missing will spread rapidly through Europe, and will set all his
+enemies on the alert."
+
+In accordance with this plan, they delayed for another ten days at Zara,
+and then, hiring a small boat, were landed some thirty miles further
+along the coast. Cuthbert had obtained for Cnut the dress of a palmer, as
+in this he would pass almost unquestioned, and his silence might be
+accounted for on the ground that he had taken a vow of silence. He
+himself had placed on his coat and armour a red cross, instead of the
+white cross borne by the English knights, and would now pass as a French
+knight. Similar changes were made in the dress of his followers, and he
+determined to pass as a French noble who had been wrecked on his way
+home, and who was returning through Germany to France. The difficulties
+in his own case would not be serious, as his French would pass muster
+anywhere in Germany. The greatest difficulty would be with his
+attendants; but he saw no way of avoiding this.
+
+Cuthbert's object, when with his little party he separated from King
+Richard, was to make his way to Verona, thence cross by Trent into
+Bavaria, and so to journey to Saxony. Fortunately he had, at the storming
+of Acre, become possessed of a valuable jewel, and this he now sold, and
+purchased a charger for himself. He had little fear of any trouble in
+passing through the north of Italy, for this was neutral ground, where
+knights of all nations met, and where, neither as an English nor a French
+crusader would he attract either comment or attention.
+
+It was a slow journey across the northern plains, as of course he had to
+accommodate his pace to that of his men. Cnut and the archers had
+grumbled much at the change in the colour of the cross upon their
+jerkins; and, as Cnut said, would have been willing to run greater perils
+under their true colours than to affect to belong to any other
+nationality. On their way they passed through Padua, and there stopped a
+few days. Cuthbert could but feel, in looking at the splendour of this
+Italian city, the courteous manner of its people, and the university
+which was even then famous, how far in advance were those stately cities
+of Italy to Western Europe. His followers were as much surprised as
+himself at the splendour of the city. Here they experienced no trouble or
+annoyance whatever, for to the cities of Italy knights of all nations
+resorted, learned men came to study, philosophers to dispute, and as
+these brought their attendants with them, you might in the streets of
+Padua and its sister cities hear every language in Europe spoken.
+
+From Padua they journeyed to Verona, marvelling greatly at the richness
+of the country. The footmen, however, grumbled at the flatness of the
+plain, and said that it was as bad as marching in the Holy Land. On
+their right, however, the slopes of the Alps, thickly clad with forests,
+reached down nearly to the road, and Cuthbert assured them that they
+would have plenty of climbing before they had done. At Verona they
+tarried again, and wondered much at the great amphitheatre, then almost
+perfect. Cuthbert related to Cnut and the archers, how men had there
+been set to fight, while the great stone benches round were thronged
+with men and women looking on at their death struggles, and said that
+not unfrequently British captives were brought hither and made to
+contend in the arena. The honest fellows were full of indignation and
+horror at the thought of men killing themselves to give sport to others.
+They were used to hard knocks, and thought but little of their life, and
+would have betaken themselves to their bows and bills without hesitation
+in case of a quarrel. But to fight in cold blood for amusement seemed to
+them very terrible.
+
+Cuthbert would then have travelled on to Milan at that time next to Rome
+the richest city in Europe, but he longed to be back in England, and was
+the more anxious as he knew that King Richard would be passing through
+great dangers, and he hoped to meet him at the Court of Saxony. His
+money, too, was fast running out, and he found that it would be beyond
+his slender means to extend his journey so far. At Verona, then, they
+turned their back on the broad plains of Lombardy, and entered the valley
+of the Trent.
+
+So far no observation whatever had been excited by the passage of the
+English knight. So many crusaders were upon their way home, many in
+grievous plight, that the somewhat shabby retinue passed unnoticed. But
+they were now leaving Italy, and entering a country where German was
+spoken. Trent, in those days an important city, was then, and is still,
+the meeting place of Italy and Germany. Both tongues are here spoken; but
+while the Italian perhaps preponderates, the customs, manners, and mode
+of thought of the people belong to those of the mountaineers of the
+Tyrol, rather than of the dwellers on the plains.
+
+"You are choosing a stormy time," the landlord of the hostelry where they
+put up said to Cuthbert. "The winter is now at hand, and storms sweep
+across the passes with terrible violence. You had better, at the last
+village you come to in the valley, obtain the services of a guide, for
+should a snowstorm come on when you are crossing, the path will be lost,
+and nothing will remain but a miserable death. By daylight the road is
+good. It has been cut with much trouble, and loaded mules can pass over
+without difficulty. Poles have been erected at short distances to mark
+the way when the snow covers it. But when the snowstorms sweep across the
+mountains, it is impossible to see ten paces before you, and if the
+traveller leaves the path he is lost."
+
+"But I suppose," Cuthbert said, "that even in winter travellers
+pass over?"
+
+"They do," the host said. "The road is as open in winter as in summer,
+although, of course, the dangers are greater. Still, there is nothing to
+prevent vigorous men from crossing over when the storms come on. Now,
+too, with the snow already lying in the upper forests, the wolves are
+abroad, and should you be attacked by one of those herds, you will find
+it hard work to defend your lives. Much has been done to render the road
+safe. At the distance of every league stone houses have been erected,
+where travellers can find shelter either from the storm or from the
+attacks of wolves or bears, for these, too, abound in the forests, and in
+summer there is fine hunting among them. You are, as I see, returning
+from the Holy Land, and are therefore used to heat rather than cold, so I
+should advise you before you leave this city to buy some rough cloaks to
+shield you from the cold. You can obtain them for your followers very
+cheaply, made of the mountain goat or of sheepskins, and even those of
+bearskin well dressed are by no means dear."
+
+Obtaining the address of a merchant who kept these things, Cuthbert
+proceeded thither; and purchased five cloaks of goat-skin with hoods to
+pull over their heads for his followers, while for himself he obtained
+one of rather finer material.
+
+Another two days' journey brought them to the foot of the steep ascent,
+and here they hired the services of a guide. The ascent was long and
+difficult, and in spite of the praises which the host had bestowed upon
+the road, it was so steep that Cuthbert was, for the most part, obliged
+to walk, leading his steed, whose feet slipped on the smooth rock, and as
+in many places a false step would have thrown them down many hundreds of
+feet into the valley below, Cuthbert judged it safer to trust himself to
+his own feet. He disencumbered himself of his helmet and gorget, and
+placed these upon the horse's back. At nightfall they had attained a very
+considerable height, and stopped at one of the small refuges of which the
+landlord had spoken.
+
+"I like not the look of the weather," the guide said in the morning--at
+least that was what Cuthbert judged him to say, for he could speak no
+word of the man's language. His actions, however, as he looked towards
+the sky, and shook his head, spoke for themselves, and Cuthbert, feeling
+his own powerlessness in a situation so novel to him, felt serious
+misgivings at the prospect.
+
+The scenery was now very wild. On all sides crags and mountain tops
+covered with snow glistened in the sun. The woods near the path were free
+of snow; but higher up they rose black above the white ground. The wind
+blew keenly, and all rejoiced in the warm cloaks which they had obtained;
+for even with the protection of these they had found the cold bitter
+during the night.
+
+"I like not this country," Cnut said. "We grumbled at the heat of
+Palestine, but I had rather march across the sand there than in this
+inhospitable frozen region. The woods look as if they might contain
+spectres. There is a silence which seems to be unnatural, and my courage,
+like the warmth of my body, is methinks oozing out from my fingers."
+
+Cuthbert laughed.
+
+"I have no doubt that your courage would come again much quicker than the
+warmth, Cnut, if there were any occasion for it. A brisk walk will set
+you all right again, and banish these uneasy fancies. To-night we shall
+be at the highest point, and to-morrow begin to descend towards Germany."
+
+All day the men kept steadily on. The guide from time to time looked
+apprehensively at the sky; and although in the earlier part of the day
+Cuthbert's inexperienced eye saw nothing to cause the slightest
+uneasiness, towards the afternoon the scene changed. Light clouds began
+to gather on the top of all the hills and to shut the mountain peaks
+entirely from view. The wind moaned between the gorges and occasionally
+swept along in such sudden gusts that they could with difficulty retain
+their feet. The sky became gradually overcast, and frequently light
+specks of snow, so small as to be scarcely perceptible, were driven along
+on the blast, making their faces smart by the force with which they
+struck them.
+
+"It scarcely needs our guide's face," Cuthbert said, "to tell us that a
+storm is at hand, and that our position is a dangerous one. As for me, I
+own that I feel better pleased now that the wind is blowing, and the
+silence is broken, than at the dead stillness which prevailed this
+morning. After all, methinks that a snowstorm cannot be more dreaded than
+a sandstorm, and we have faced those before now."
+
+Faster and faster the snow came down, until at last the whole air seemed
+full of it, and it was with difficulty that they could stagger forward.
+Where the path led across open places the wind swept away the snow as
+fast as it fell, but in the hollows the track was already covered; and
+feeling the difficulty of facing the blinding gale, Cuthbert now
+understood the urgency with which his host had insisted upon the danger
+of losing the track. Not a word was spoken among the party as they
+plodded along. The guide kept ahead, using the greatest caution wherever
+the path was obliterated by the snow, sometimes even sounding with his
+iron-shod staff to be sure that they were upon the level rock. In spite
+of his warm cloak Cuthbert felt that he was becoming chilled to the bone.
+His horse could with difficulty keep his feet; and Cnut and the archers
+lagged behind.
+
+"You must keep together, lads," he shouted. "I have heard that in these
+mountains when sleepiness overpowers the traveller, death is at hand.
+Therefore, come what may, we must struggle on."
+
+Many times the gale was so violent that they were obliged to pause, and
+take shelter under the side of a rock or precipice, until the fury of the
+blast had passed; and Cuthbert eagerly looked out for the next refuge. At
+last they reached it, and the guide at once entered. It was not that in
+which he had intended to pass the night, for this lay still higher; but
+it would have been madness to attempt to go further in the face of such a
+gale. He signed to Cuthbert that it was necessary at once to collect
+firewood, and he himself proceeded to light some brands which had been
+left by previous travellers. Cuthbert gave directions to Cnut and the
+archers; and these, feeling that life depended upon a good fire being
+kept up, set to with a will, cutting down shrubs and branches growing in
+the vicinity of the hut. In half an hour a huge fire blazed in the
+refuge; and as the warmth thawed their limbs, their tongues were
+unloosened, and a feeling of comfort again prevailed.
+
+"If this be mountaineering, my lord," Cnut said, "I trust that never
+again may it be my fortune to venture among the hills. How long, I
+wonder, do the storms last here? I was grumbling all the way up the hill
+at the load of provisions which the guide insisted that each of us should
+bring with him. As it was to be but a three days' journey before we
+reached a village on the other side, I wondered why he insisted upon our
+taking food enough to last us at least for a week. But I understand now,
+and thank him for his foresight; for if this storm goes on, we are
+assuredly prisoners here for so long as it may continue."
+
+The horse had to be brought into the hut, for it would have been death
+for it to have remained outside.
+
+"What is that?" Cnut said presently, as a distant howl was heard between
+the lulls of the storm. The guide muttered some word, which Cuthbert did
+not understand. But he said to Cnut, "I doubt not that it is wolves.
+Thank God that we are safe within this refuge, for here not even the most
+ravenous beasts could make their way."
+
+"Pooh!" Cnut said contemptuously. "Wolves are no bigger than dogs. I have
+heard my grandfather say that he shot one in the forest, and that it was
+no bigger than a hound. We should make short work of them."
+
+"I know not," Cuthbert said. "I have heard tales of these animals which
+show that they must be formidable opponents. They hunt in great packs,
+and are so furious that they will attack parties of travellers; many of
+these have perished miserably, horses and men, and nothing but their
+swords and portions of their saddles have remained to tell where the
+battle was fought."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+SENTENCED TO DEATH.
+
+
+Just before arriving at the refuge, they had passed along a very steep
+and dangerous path. On one side the rock rose precipitously, ten feet
+above their heads. On the other, was a fall into the valley below. The
+road at this point was far wider than usual.
+
+Presently, the howl of a wolf was heard near, and soon the solitary call
+was succeeded by the howling of great numbers of animals. These speedily
+surrounded the hut, and so fierce were their cries, that Cnut changed his
+opinion as to the ease with which they could be defeated, and allowed
+that he would rather face an army of Saracens than a troop of these
+ill-conditioned animals. The horse trembled in every limb at the sound of
+the howling of the wolves; and cold as was the night, in spite of the
+great fire that blazed on the hearth, his coat became covered with the
+lather of fear. Even upon the roof above the trampling of the animals
+could be heard; and through the open slits of the windows which some
+travellers before them had stuffed with straw, they could hear the fierce
+breathing and snorting of the savage beasts, who scratched and tore to
+make an entrance.
+
+"Methinks," Cuthbert said, "that we might launch a few arrows through
+these loopholes. The roof appears not to be over strong; and should some
+of them force an entrance, the whole pack might follow."
+
+Dark as was the night, the black bodies were visible against the white
+snow, and the archers shot several arrows forth, each stretching a wolf
+dead on the ground. Those killed were at once pounced upon by their
+comrades, and torn to pieces; and this mark of savageness added to the
+horror which those within felt of the ferocious animals. Suddenly there
+was a pause in the howling around the hut, and then Cnut, looking forth
+from the loophole, declared that the whole body had gone off at full
+speed along the path by which they had reached the refuge. Almost
+immediately afterwards a loud shout for help was heard, followed by the
+renewed howling and yelping of the wolves.
+
+"Good heavens!" Cuthbert exclaimed. "Some traveller coming after us is
+attacked by these horrible beasts. Let us sally out, Cnut. We cannot hear
+a Christian torn to pieces by these beasts, without lending him a hand."
+
+In spite of the angry shouts and entreaties of the guide, the door thrust
+open, and the party, armed with their axes and bows, at once rushed out
+into the night. The storm had for the moment abated and they had no
+difficulty in making their way along the track. In fifty yards they came
+to a bend of the path, and saw, a little distance before them, a black
+mass of animals, covering the road, and congregated round a figure who
+stood with his back to the rock. With a shout of encouragement they
+sprang forward, and in a few moments were in the midst of the savage
+animals, who turned their rage against them at once. They had fired two
+or three arrows apiece, as they approached, into them; and now, throwing
+down their bows, the archers betook themselves to their swords, while
+Cuthbert with his heavy battle-axe hewed and cut at the wolves as they
+sprang towards him. In a minute they had cleared their way to the figure,
+which was that of a knight in complete armour. He leant against the rock
+completely exhausted, and could only mutter a word of thanks through his
+closed visor. At a short distance off a number of the wolves were
+gathered, rending and tearing the horse of the knight; but the rest soon
+recovering from their surprise, attacked with fury the little party. The
+thick cloaks of the archers stood them in good stead against the animals'
+teeth, and standing in a group with their backs to the rock, they hewed
+and cut vigorously at their assailants. The numbers of these, however,
+appeared almost innumerable, and fresh stragglers continued to come along
+the road, and swell their body. As fast as those in front fell, their
+heads cleft with the axes of the party, fresh ones sprang forward; and
+Cuthbert saw that in spite of the valour and strength of his men, the
+situation was well nigh desperate. He himself had been saved from injury
+by his harness, for he still had on his greaves and leg pieces.
+
+"Keep together," he shouted to his men, "and each lend aid to the other
+if he sees him pulled down. Strike lustily for life, and hurry not your
+blows, but let each tell." This latter order he gave perceiving that some
+of the archers, terrified by this furious army of assailants with gaping
+mouths and glistening teeth, were striking wildly, and losing their
+presence of mind.
+
+The combat, although it might have been prolonged, could yet have had
+but one termination, and the whole party would have fallen. At this
+moment, however, a gust-of wind, more furious than any which they had
+before experienced, swept along the gorge, and the very wolves had to
+crouch on their stomachs to prevent themselves being hurled by its fury
+into the ravine below. Then even above the storm a deep roar was heard.
+It grew louder and louder. The wolves, as if struck with terror, leaped
+to their feet, and scattered on either way along the path at full speed.
+
+"What sound can this be?" Cnut exclaimed in an awestruck voice. "It
+sounds like thunder; but it is regular and unbroken; and, my lord, surely
+the earth quakes under our feet!"
+
+Louder and louder grew the roar.
+
+"Throw yourselves down against the wall of rock," Cuthbert shouted,
+himself setting the example.
+
+A moment afterwards, from above, a mighty mass of rock and snow poured
+over like a cascade, with a roar and sound which nigh stunned them. For
+minutes--it seemed for hours to them--the deluge of snow and rock
+continued. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it ceased, and a silence as
+of death reigned over the place.
+
+"Arise," Cuthbert said; "the danger, methinks, is past. It was what men
+call an avalanche--a torrent of snow slipping down from the higher peaks.
+We have had a narrow escape indeed."
+
+By this time the knight whom they had rescued was able to speak, and
+raising his visor, he returned his deepest thanks to those who had come
+so opportunely to his aid.
+
+"I was well nigh exhausted," he said, "and it was only my armour which
+saved me from being torn to pieces. A score of them had hold of me; but,
+fortunately, my mail was of Milan proof, and even the jaws and teeth of
+these enormous beasts were unable to pierce it."
+
+"The refuge is near at hand," Cuthbert said. "It is but a few yards
+round yonder point. It is well that we heard your voice. I fear that your
+horse has fallen a victim."
+
+Assisting the knight, who, in spite of his armour, was sorely bruised
+and exhausted, they made their way back to the refuge. Cnut and the
+archers were all bleeding freely from various wounds inflicted upon them
+in the struggle, breathless and exhausted from their exertions, and
+thoroughly awe-struck by the tremendous phenomenon of which they had
+been witnesses, and which they had only escaped from their good fortune
+in happening to be in a place so formed that the force of the avalanche
+had swept over their heads The whole of the road, with the exception of
+a narrow piece four feet in width, had been carried away. Looking
+upwards, they saw that the forest had been swept clear, not a tree
+remaining in a wide track as far as they could see up the hill. The
+great bowlders which had strewn the hill-side, and many of which were as
+large as houses, had been swept away like straws before the rush of
+snow, and for a moment they feared that the refuge had also been
+carried away. Turning the corner, however, they saw to their delight
+that the limits of the avalanche had not extended so far, the refuges,
+as they afterwards learned, being so placed as to be sheltered by
+overhanging cliffs from any catastrophe of this kind.
+
+They found the guide upon his knees, muttering his prayers before a
+cross, which he had formed of two sticks laid crosswise on the ground
+before him; and he could scarce believe his eyes when they entered, so
+certain had he considered it that they were lost. There were no longer
+any signs of the wolves. The greater portion, indeed, of the pack had
+been overwhelmed by the avalanche, and the rest, frightened and scared,
+had fled to their fastnesses in the woods.
+
+The knight now removed his helmet, and discovered a handsome yoking man
+of some four-or-five-and-twenty years old.
+
+"I am," he said, "Baron Ernest of Kornstein. To whom do I owe my life?"
+
+"In spite of my red cross," Cuthbert said, "I am English. My name is Sir
+Cuthbert, and I am Earl of Evesham. I am on my return from the Holy Land
+with my followers; and as we are passing through countries where many of
+the people are hostile to England, we have thought it as well for a time
+to drop our nationality. But to you I do not hesitate to tell the truth."
+
+"You do well," the young knight said, "for, truth to say, the people of
+these parts bear but little love to your countrymen. You have saved my
+life when I was in the sorest danger. I had given myself up for lost, for
+even my armour could not have saved me long from these wretches; and my
+sword and life are at your disposal. You are young indeed," he said,
+looking with surprise at Cuthbert, who had now thrown back the hood of
+his cloak, "to have gained the honour of knighthood. You scarce look
+eighteen years of age, although, doubtless, you are older."
+
+"I am scarce seventeen," Cuthbert said; "but I have had the good fortune
+to attract the notice of King Richard, and to have received the
+knighthood from his sword."
+
+"None more worthy," said the young knight, "for although King Richard
+may be fierce and proud, he is the worthiest knight in Christendom, and
+resembles the heroes of romance rather than a Christian king."
+
+"He is my lord and master," Cuthbert said, "and I love him beyond all
+men, and would give my life for his. He is the kindest and best of
+masters; and although it be true that he brooks no opposition, yet is it
+only because his own bravery and eagerness render hateful to him the
+indolence and cowardice of others."
+
+They now took their seats round the fire. The archers, by the advice of
+the guide, rubbed their wounds with snow, and then applied bandages to
+them. The wallets were opened, and a hearty supper eaten; and all,
+wrapping themselves in their fur cloaks, were soon asleep.
+
+For four days the gale continued, keeping the party prisoners in the hut.
+On the fifth, the force of the wind abated, and the snow ceased to fall.
+They were forced to take the door off its hinges to open it, for the snow
+had piled up so high that the chimney alone of the hut remained above its
+surface. With great difficulty and labour they cleared a way out, and
+then the guide again placing himself at their head, they proceeded on
+their way. The air was still and cold, and the sky of a deep, dark blue,
+which seemed even darker in contrast with the whiteness of the snow. At
+times they had great difficulty in struggling through the deep drifts;
+but for the most part the wind had swept the path clear. Where it was
+deepest, the tops of the posts still showed above the snow, and enabled
+the guide to direct their footsteps. They were, however, obliged to
+travel slowly, and it was three days before they gained the village on
+the northern slope of the mountains, having slept at refuges by the road.
+
+"What are your plans?" the knight asked Sir Cuthbert that night, as they
+sat by the fire of the hostelry. "I would warn you that the town which
+you will first arrive at is specially hostile to your people, for the
+baron, its master, is a relation of Conrad of Montferat, who is said to
+have been killed by order of your king."
+
+"It is false," Cuthbert said. "King Richard had appointed him King of
+Jerusalem; and, though he liked him not, thought him the fittest of those
+there to exercise sovereignty. He was the last man who would have had an
+enemy assassinated; for so open is he of disposition, that he would have
+fought hand to hand with the meanest soldier of his army, had he desired
+to kill him."
+
+"I doubt not that it is so, since you tell me," the knight said
+courteously. "But the people here have taken that idea into their minds,
+and it will be hard to disabuse them. You must therefore keep up your
+disguise as a French knight while passing through this neighbourhood.
+Another week's journeying, and you will reach the confines of Saxony, and
+there you will, as you anticipate, be safe. But I would not answer for
+your life were you discovered here to be of English birth. And now tell
+me if there is aught that I can do for you. I will myself accompany you
+into the town, and will introduce you as a French knight, so that no
+suspicion is likely to lie upon you, and will, further, ride with you to
+the borders of Saxony. I am well known, and trust that my company will
+avert all suspicion from you. You have told me that your purse is
+ill-supplied; you must suffer me to replenish it. One knight need not
+fear to borrow of another; and I know that when you have returned to your
+home, you will bestow the sum which I now give you upon some holy shrine
+in my name, and thus settle matters between us."
+
+Cuthbert without hesitation accepted the offer, and was well pleased at
+finding his purse replenished, for its emptiness had caused him serious
+trouble. Cuthbert's steed was led by one of the archers, and he himself
+walked gaily alongside of Sir Ernest, followed by his retainers. Another
+long day's march brought them down to Innsbruck, where they remained
+quietly for a week. Then they journeyed on until they emerged from the
+mountains, crossed the Bavarian frontier, and arrived at Fussen, a strong
+city, with well-built walls and defences.
+
+They at once proceeded to the principal hostelry, where the young baron
+was well known, and where great interest was excited by the news of the
+narrow escape which he had had from the attack of the wolves. A journey
+across the Alps was in those days regarded as a very perilous enterprise
+in the winter season, and the fact that he should have been rescued from
+such a strait appeared almost miraculous. They stayed for two days
+quietly in the city, Cuthbert declining the invitation of the young
+noble to accompany him to the houses of his friends, as he did not wish
+that any suspicion should be excited as to his nationality, and
+preferred remaining quiet to having forced upon him the necessity of
+making false statements. As to his followers, there was no fear of the
+people among whom they mixed detecting that they were English. To the
+Bavarian inhabitants, all languages, save their native German, were
+alike unintelligible; and even had French been commonly spoken, the
+dialects of that tongue, such as would naturally be spoken by archers
+and men-at-arms, would have been as Greek to those accustomed only to
+Norman French.
+
+Upon the third day, however, an incident occurred which upset Cuthbert's
+calculations, and nearly involved the whole party in ruin. The town was,
+as the young baron had said, governed by a noble who was a near relation
+of Conrad of Montferat, and who was the bitter enemy of the English. A
+great fete had been given in honour of the marriage of his daughter, and
+upon this day the young pair were to ride in triumph through the city.
+Great preparations had been made; masques and pageants of various kinds
+manufactured; and the whole townspeople, dressed in their holiday attire,
+were gathered in the streets. Cuthbert had gone out, followed by his
+little band of retainers, and taken their station to see the passing
+show. First came a large body of knights and men-at-arms, with gay
+banners and trappings. Then rode the bridegroom, with the bride carried
+in a litter by his side. After this came several allegorical
+representations. Among these was the figure of a knight bearing the arms
+of Austria. Underneath his feet, on the car, lay a figure clad in a royal
+robe, across whom was thrown a banner with the leopards of England. The
+knight stood with his foot on this figure.
+
+This representation of the dishonour of England at the hands of Austria
+elicited great acclamations from the crowd. Cuthbert clenched his teeth
+and grasped his sword angrily, but had the sense to see the folly of
+taking any notice of the insult. Not so with Cnut. Furious at the insult
+offered to the standard of his royal master, Cnut, with a bound, burst
+through the ranks of the crowd, leaped on to the car, and with a buffet
+smote the figure representing Austria, into the road, and lifted the flag
+of England from the ground. A yell of indignation and rage was heard. The
+infuriated crowd rushed forward. Cnut, with a bound, sprang from the car,
+and, joining his comrades, burst through those who attempted to impede
+them, and darted down a by-street.
+
+Cuthbert, for the moment amazed at the action of his follower, had on the
+instant drawn his sword and joined the archers. In the crowd, however, he
+was for a second separated from them; and before he could tear himself
+from the hands of the citizens who had seized him, the men-at-arms
+accompanying the procession surrounded him, and he was led away by them
+to the castle, the guards with difficulty protecting him from the enraged
+populace. Even at this moment Cuthbert experienced a deep sense of
+satisfaction at the thought that his followers had escaped. But he feared
+that alone, and unacquainted with the language of the country, they would
+find it difficult indeed to escape the search which would be made for
+them, and to manage to find their way back to their country. For himself,
+he had little hopes of liberty, and scarcely more of life. The hatred of
+the baron towards the English would now be heightened by the daring act
+of insult to the arms of Austria, and this would give a pretext for any
+deed of violence which might be wrought.
+
+Cuthbert was, after a short confinement, brought before the lord baron of
+the place, in the great hall of the castle.
+
+"Who art thou, sir," the noble exclaimed, "who darest to disturb the
+marriage procession of my daughter, and to insult the standard of the
+emperor my master?"
+
+"I am Sir Cuthbert, Earl of Evesham, a baron of England," Cuthbert said
+fearlessly, "and am travelling homeward from the Holy Land. My garb as a
+crusader should protect me from all interruption; and the heedless
+conduct of my retainer was amply justified by the insult offered to the
+arms of England. There is not one of the knights assembled round you who
+would not in like manner have avenged an insult offered to those of
+Austria; and I am ready to do battle in the lists with any who choose to
+say that the deed was a foul or improper one. In the Holy Land, Austrians
+and English fought side by side; and it is strange indeed to me that on
+my return, journeying through the country of the emperor, I should find
+myself treated as an enemy, and see the arms of King Richard exposed to
+insult and derision by the burghers of this city."
+
+As Cuthbert had spoken, he threw down his mailed glove, and several of
+the knights present stepped forward to pick it up. The baron, however,
+waved them back.
+
+"It is no question," he said, "of honourable fight. This is a follower of
+the murderer of my good cousin of Montferat, who died under the hands of
+assassins set upon him by Richard of England."
+
+"It is false!" Cuthbert shouted. "I denounce it as a foul lie, and will
+maintain it with my life."
+
+"Your life is already forfeited," the baron said, "both by your past
+connexion with Richard of England and as the insulter of the arms of
+Austria. You die, and to-morrow at noon your head shall be struck off in
+the great square before my castle."
+
+Without another word Cuthbert was hurried off to his cell, and there
+remained, thinking moodily over the events of the day, until nightfall.
+He had no doubt that his sentence would be carried out, and his anxiety
+was rather for his followers than for himself. He feared that they would
+make some effort on his behalf, and would sacrifice their own lives in
+doing so, without the possibility of assisting him.
+
+The next morning he was led out to the square before the castle. It was a
+large flagged courtyard. Upon one side was the entrance to the castle,
+one of whose wings also formed a second side to the square. The side
+facing this was formed by the wall of the city, and the fourth opened
+upon a street of the town. This side of the square was densely filled
+with citizens, while the men-at-arms of the baron and a large number of
+knights were gathered behind a scaffold erected in the centre. Upon this
+was a block, and by the side stood a headsman. As Cuthbert was led
+forward a thrill of pleasure ran through him at perceiving no signs of
+his followers, who he greatly feared might have been captured in the
+night, and brought there to share his fate.
+
+As he was led forward, the young noble whose life he had saved advanced
+to the baron, and dropping on one knee before him, craved the life of
+Cuthbert, relating the event by which he had saved his life in the
+passage of the mountains. The baron frowned heavily.
+
+"Though he had saved the life of every noble in Bavaria," he said, "he
+should die. I have sworn an oath that every Englishman who fell into my
+hands should expiate the murder of my kinsman; and this fellow is,
+moreover, guilty of an outrage to the arms of Austria."
+
+The young Sir Ernest drew himself up haughtily.
+
+"My lord baron," he said, "henceforth I renounce all allegiance to you,
+and I will lay the case before the emperor, our common master, and will
+cry before him at the outrage which has thus been passed upon a noble
+gentleman. He has thrown down the glove, and challenged any of your
+knights, and I myself am equally ready to do battle in his cause."
+
+The baron grew red with passion, and he would have ordered the instant
+arrest of the young man, but as Sir Ernest was connected by blood with
+many present, and was indeed one of the most popular among the nobles of
+the province, the baron simply waved him aside, and ordered Cuthbert to
+be led to the block. The young Englishman was by the executioner divested
+of his armour and helmet, and stood in the simple attire worn by men of
+rank at that time. He looked around, and holding up his hand, conveying
+alike a farewell and a command to his followers to remain in concealment,
+he gazed round the crowd, thinking that he might see among them in some
+disguise or other the features of Cnut, whose tall figure would have
+rendered him conspicuous in a crowd. He failed, however, to see any signs
+of him, and turning to the executioner, signified by a gesture that he
+was ready.
+
+At this instant an arrow from the wall above pierced the brain of the
+man, and he fell dead in his tracks. A roar of astonishment burst from
+the crowd. Upon the city wall at this point was a small turret, and on
+this were five figures. The wall around was deserted, and for the moment
+these men were masters of the position.
+
+"Seize those insolent varlets!" the baron shouted, shaking his sword with
+a gesture of fury at them.
+
+His words, however, were arrested, for at the moment another arrow struck
+him in the throat, and he fell back into the arms of those around him.
+
+Quickly now the arrows of the English archers flew into the courtyard.
+The confusion which reigned there was indescribable. The citizens with
+shouts of alarm took to their heels. The men-at-arms were powerless
+against this rain of missiles, and the knights, hastily closing their
+visors, shouted contradictory orders, which no one obeyed.
+
+In the confusion no one noticed the prisoner. Seizing a moment when the
+attention of all was fixed upon the wall, he leaped from the platform,
+and making his way unnoticed through the excited crowd of men-at-arms,
+darted down a narrow lane that divided the castle from the wall. He ran
+along until, 100 yards farther, he came to a staircase by which access to
+the battlements was obtained. Running lightly up this, he kept along the
+wall until he reached the turret.
+
+"Thanks, my noble Cnut!" he exclaimed, "and you, my brave fellows. But I
+fear you have forfeited your lives. There is no escape. In a minute the
+whole force of the place will recover from their confusion, and be down
+upon us from both sides."
+
+"We have prepared for that," Cnut said. "Here is a rope hanging down into
+the moat."
+
+Glancing over, Cuthbert saw that the moat was dry; and after a final
+discharge of arrows into the crowd, the six men slid one after another
+down the rope and made their way at full speed across the country.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+DRESDEN.
+
+
+It was some ten minutes before the men-at-arms rallied sufficiently from
+their surprise to obey orders. Two bodies were then drawn up, and
+proceeded at a rapid pace towards the staircases leading to the wall, one
+on each side of the turret in which they believed that the little body of
+audacious assailants were still lying. Having reached the wall, the
+soldiers advanced, covering themselves with their shields, for they had
+learnt the force with which an English clothyard shaft drawn by a strong
+hand flies. Many had been killed by these missiles passing through and
+through the cuirass and backpiece.
+
+No reply being obtained to the summons to surrender, they proceeded to
+break in with their battle-axes the door of the little turret. Rushing in
+with axe and pike, they were astonished to find the place empty. A glance
+over the wall showed the rope still hanging, and the manner of the escape
+became manifest. The fugitives were already out of sight, and the
+knights, furious at the escape of the men who had bearded them in the
+heart of the city with such audacity, and had slain the lord baron and
+several of his knights, gave orders that an instant pursuit should be
+organized. It was, however, a full half hour before the city gates were
+thrown open, and a strong troop of knights and mounted men issued out.
+
+Cuthbert had been certain that an instant pursuit would be set on foot,
+and the moment that he was out of sight of the battlements, he changed
+the direction in which he had started, and turning at right angles,
+swept round the city, still keeping at a distance, until he reached the
+side next the mountains, and then plunged into the woods on the lower
+slopes of the hills.
+
+"They will," he said, as they halted breathless from their run, "follow
+the road towards the south, and scour the country for awhile before it
+occurs to their thick German skulls that we have doubled back on our
+tracks. Why, what is it, Cnut?"
+
+This exclamation was provoked by the forester throwing himself on his
+knees before Sir Cuthbert, and imploring his pardon for the dire strait
+into which his imprudence had drawn him.
+
+"It was a dire strait, certainly, Cnut. But if you got me into it, at
+least you have extricated me; and never say more about it, for I myself
+was near committing the imprudence to which you gave way, and I can well
+understand that your English blood boiled at the sight of the outrage to
+the flag of England. Now, let us waste no time in talk, but, keeping to
+the foot of this mountain, make along as far as we can to the west. We
+must cling to the hills for many days' march before we venture again to
+try to cross the plains. If possible, we will keep on this way until we
+reach the confines of the country of the Swiss, who will assuredly give
+us hospitality, and who will care little for any threats of these German
+barons, should they hear that we have reached their asylum."
+
+By nightfall they had already travelled many leagues, and making a fire
+in the wood, Cuthbert asked Cnut for an account of what had taken place
+on the previous day.
+
+"We ran for life, Sir Cuthbert, and had not noticed that you had been
+drawn into the fray. Had we done so, we would have remained, and sold our
+lives with yours; but hoping that you had passed unnoticed in the crowd,
+and that you would find some means to rejoin us, we kept upon our way.
+After running down three streets, we passed a place where a courtyard
+with stables ranged round it was open. There were none about, and we
+entered, and, taking refuge in a loft, hid ourselves beneath some
+provender. There we remained all night, and then borrowing some apparel
+which some of the stablemen had hung up on the walls, we issued into the
+town. As we neared the great square we saw some men employed in erecting
+a platform in the midst, and a suspicion that all might not be right, and
+that you might have fallen into the hands of these German dogs, beset our
+minds. After much consultation we determined to see what the affair
+meant, and making our way on to the walls, which, indeed, were entirely
+deserted, we took refuge in that turret where you saw us. Seeing the
+crowd gather, and being still more convinced that some misfortune was
+about to occur, I again went back to the stables, where I had noticed a
+long rope used by the carters for fastening their loads to the waggons.
+With this I returned, for it was clear that if we had to mingle in this
+business it would be necessary to have a mode of escape. Of the rest you
+are aware. We saw the knights coming out of the castle, with that portly
+baron, their lord, at their head. We saw the block and the headsman upon
+the platform, and were scarcely surprised when you were led out, a
+prisoner, from the gates. We judged that what did happen would ensue.
+Seeing that the confusion wrought by a sudden attack from men perched up
+aloft as we were, commanding the courtyard, and being each of us able to
+hit a silver mark at the distance of 100 yards, would be great indeed, we
+judged that you might be able to slip away unobserved, and were sure that
+your quick wit would seize any opportunity which might offer. Had you not
+been able to join us, we should have remained in the turret and sold our
+lives to the last, as, putting aside the question that we could never
+return to our homes, having let our dear lord die here, we should not, in
+our ignorance of the language and customs of the country, have ever been
+able to make our way across it. We knew, however, that before this turret
+was carried we could show these Germans how five Englishmen, when brought
+to bay, can sell their lives."
+
+They had not much difficulty in obtaining food in the forest, for game
+abounded, and they could kill as many deer as seemed fit to them. As Cnut
+said, it was difficult to believe that they were not back again in the
+forest near Evesham, so similar was their life to that which they had led
+three years before. To Cnut and the archers, indeed, it was a pleasanter
+time than any which they had passed since they had left the shores of
+England, and they blithely marched along, fearing little any pursuit
+which might be set on foot, and, indeed, hearing nothing of their
+enemies. After six days' travel they came upon a rude village, and here
+Cuthbert learnt from the people--with much difficulty, however, and
+pantomime, for neither could understand a word spoken by the other--that
+they were now in one of the Swiss cantons, and therefore secure from all
+pursuit by the Germans. Without much difficulty Cuthbert engaged one of
+the young men of the village to act as their guide to Basle, and here,
+after four days' travelling, they arrived safely. Asking for the
+residence of the Burgomaster, Cuthbert at once proceeded thither, and
+stated that he was an English knight on the return from the Crusades;
+that he had been foully entreated by the Lord of Fussen, who had been
+killed in a fray by his followers; and that he besought hospitality and
+refuge from the authorities of Basle.
+
+"We care little," the Burgomaster said, "what quarrel you may have had
+with your neighbours. All who come hither are free to come and go as they
+list, and you, as a knight on the return from the Holy Land, have a claim
+beyond that of an ordinary traveller."
+
+The Burgomaster was himself able to speak French, and summoning several
+of the councillors of the town, he requested Cuthbert to give a narrative
+of his adventures; which he did. The councillors agreed with the
+Burgomaster that Cuthbert must be received hospitably; but the latter saw
+that there was among many of them considerable doubt as to the expediency
+of quarrelling with a powerful neighbour. He therefore said to the
+Burgomaster,--
+
+"I have no intention, honourable sir, of taking up any prolonged
+residence here. I only ask to be furnished with a charger and arms, and
+in payment of these I will leave this gold chain, the gift of King
+Richard himself, as a gage, and will on my return to my country forward
+to you the value of the arms and horse, trusting that you will return the
+chain to me."
+
+The Burgomaster, however, said that the city of Basle was not so poor
+that it need take the gage of an honourable knight, but that the arms
+and charger he required should be given him in a few hours, and that he
+might pay the value in London to a Jew merchant there who had relations
+with one at Basle. Full instructions were given to him, and he resolved
+to travel down upon the left bank of the Rhine, until he reached
+Lorraine, and thence to cross into Saxony. The same afternoon the
+promised horse and arms were provided, and Cuthbert, delighted again to
+be in harness, and thanking courteously the Burgomaster and council for
+their kindness, started with his followers on his journey north. These
+latter had been provided with doublets and other garments suitable to
+the retinue of a knight, and made a better show than they had done since
+they first left England.
+
+Leaving Basle, they travelled along the left side of the Rhine by easy
+stages. The country was much disturbed, owing to the return and
+disbandment of so many of the troops employed in the Crusades. These,
+their occupation being gone, scattered over the country, and France and
+Germany alike were harassed by bands of military robbers. The wild
+country between the borders of Switzerland and Lorraine was specially
+vexed, as the mountains of the Vosges afforded shelter, into which the
+freebooters could not be followed by the troops of the duke.
+
+Upon the evening of the third day they reached a small inn standing in a
+lonely position near the foot of the mountains.
+
+"I like not the look of this place," Cuthbert said; "but as we hear that
+there is no other within a distance of another ten miles, we must e'en
+make the best of it."
+
+The host received them with extreme and even fawning civility, which by
+no means raised him in the estimation of Cuthbert or Cnut. A rough meal
+was taken, and they then ascended to the rude accommodation which had
+been provided. It was one large room, barely furnished. Upon one side
+straw was thickly littered down--for in those days beds among the common
+people were unknown. In a sort of alcove at the end was a couch with a
+rough mattress and coverlet. This Cuthbert took possession of, while his
+followers stretched themselves upon the straw.
+
+"Methinks," Cnut said, "that it were well that one should keep watch at
+the door. I like not the look of our host, and we are near the spot where
+the bands of the robbers are said to be busy."
+
+Towards morning the archer on guard reported that he could hear the sound
+of many approaching footsteps. All at once sprang to their feet, and
+betook themselves to their arms. Looking from the window they saw a large
+party of rough men, whose appearance at once betokened that they were
+disbanded soldiers--a title almost synonymous in those days with that of
+robber. With the united strength of the party the truckle bed was
+carried from the alcove and placed against the door. Cuthbert then threw
+open the window, and asked in French what they wanted. One of the party,
+who appeared to be the leader, said that the party had better surrender
+immediately. He promised them good treatment, and said that the knight
+would be put to ransom, should it be found that the valuables upon his
+person were not sufficient to pay the worshipful company present for the
+trouble which they had taken in waiting upon him. This sally was received
+with shouts of laughter. Cuthbert replied quietly that he had no
+valuables upon his person; that if they took him there were none would
+pay as much as a silver mark for the ransom of them all; and that the
+only things that they had to give were sharp arrows and heavy blows.
+
+"You talk bravely, young sir," the man said. "But you have to do with men
+versed in fight, and caring but little either for knocks or for arrows.
+We have gone through the Crusades, and are therefore held to be absolved
+from all sin, even that so great as would be incurred in the cutting of
+your knightly throat."
+
+"But we have gone through the Crusades also," Cuthbert said, "and our
+persons are sacred. The sin of slitting our weazands, which you speak of,
+would therefore be so great that even the absolution on which you rely
+would barely extend to it."
+
+"We know most of those who have served in the Holy Land," the man said
+more respectfully than he had yet spoken, "and would fain know with whom
+we speak."
+
+"I am an Englishman, and a follower of King Richard," Cuthbert said, "and
+am known as Sir Cuthbert of Evesham. As I was the youngest among the
+knights who fought for the holy sepulchre, it may be that my appearance
+is known to you?"
+
+"Ah," the other said, "you are he whom they called the Boy Knight, and
+who was often in the thick of the fray, near to Richard himself. How
+comes it, Sir Cuthbert, that you are here?"
+
+"The fleet was scattered on its return," Cuthbert replied, "and I landed
+with my followers, well-nigh penniless, at Zara, and have since made my
+way across the Tyrol. I have, then, as you may well suppose, neither
+silver nor gold about my person; and assuredly neither Philip of France
+nor John of Austria would give a noble for my ransom; and it would be
+long, methinks, to wait ere John of England would care to ransom one of
+King Richard's followers."
+
+The brigands spoke for awhile among themselves, and then the
+leader said,--
+
+"You speak frankly and fairly, Sir Knight, and as you have proved
+yourself indeed a doughty giver of hard blows, and as I doubt not that
+the archers with you can shoot as straight and as fast as the rest of the
+Saxon breed, we will e'en let you go on your way, for your position is
+but little better than ours, and dog should not rob dog."
+
+"Thanks, good fellow," Cuthbert said. "We trust that in any case we
+might have made a strong defence against you; but it would be hard if
+those who have fought together in the Holy Land, should slay each other
+in this lonely corner of Lorraine."
+
+"Are you seeking adventures or employment, Sir Knight? For if so, myself
+and comrades here would gladly take service with you; and it may be that
+with a clump of spears you might obtain engagement, either under the Duke
+of Lorraine or he of Cleves."
+
+"Thanks for your offer," Cuthbert replied; "but at present my face is
+turned towards England. King Richard needs all his friends; and there is
+so little chance of sack or spoil, even should we have--which God
+forfend--civil war, that I fear I could ill reward the services which you
+offer me."
+
+The leader and his men shouted an adieu to Cuthbert, and departed for the
+mountains, leaving the latter well pleased with his escape from a fight
+of which the result was doubtful.
+
+Journeying on without further adventure, they came to Nancy, and were
+there kindly received by the duke, who was not at that time upon good
+terms with Phillip of France, and was therefore well disposed towards the
+English. Cuthbert inquired from him whether any news had been heard of
+King Richard? but received as a reply that the duke had heard nothing of
+him since he sailed from Palestine.
+
+"This is strange," Cuthbert said, "for I myself have journeyed but
+slowly, and have met with many delays. King Richard should long ere this
+have reached Saxony; and I fear much that some foul treatment has
+befallen him. On our way, we found how bitter was the feeling among those
+related to Conrad of Montferat against him; and the Archduke John is
+still smarting from the blow which King Richard struck him at Ascalon.
+But surely they would not be so unknightly as to hinder so great a
+champion of Christendom as King Richard on his homeward way?"
+
+"The Archduke John is crafty and treacherous," the duke said; "and the
+emperor himself would, I think, be not sorry Conrad of Montferat, who
+falsely allege that the death of their kinsman was caused by King
+Richard. The Archduke John, too, owes him no good-will; and even the
+emperor is evilly disposed towards him. The king travelled under an
+assumed name; but it might well be that he would be recognized upon the
+way. His face was known to all who fought in the East; and his lordly
+manner and majestic stature could ill be concealed beneath a merchant's
+garb. Still, lady, as I have been so long in making my way across, it may
+be that King Richard has been similarly delayed without danger befalling
+him, and it could hardly be that so important a man as the King of
+England would be detained, or come to any misfortune, without the news
+being bruited abroad."
+
+In spite of Cuthbert's reassuring words, the duke and duchess were
+greatly alarmed at the news of King Richard's disappearance, although
+indeed consoled to find that their previous fears, that he had been
+drowned in the storm or captured by the Moorish corsairs, were unfounded.
+
+They now requested from Cuthbert the story of what had befallen him since
+he left the king; and this he related at some length. The duke was
+greatly interested, and begged Cuthbert at least to remain at his court
+until some news might arrive of King Richard.
+
+For a month Cuthbert tarried at the castle of the Duke of Saxony, where
+he was nobly entertained, and treated as a guest of much honour. Cnut and
+the archers were delighted at the treatment they received, for never in
+their lives had they been so royally entertained. Their Saxon tongue was
+nigh enough akin to the language spoken here to be understood; and their
+tales of adventure in the Holy Land rendered them as popular among the
+retainers of the duke as their master became with the duke and duchess.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+UNDER THE GREENWOOD.
+
+
+At the end of a month, news came from England that Sir Baldwin of B‚thune
+had returned there, bearing the news that the King had been arrested at
+Gortz, only two days' journey north of the Adriatic--that he had been
+recognized, and at once captured. He had offered no resistance, finding
+indeed that it would be hopeless so to do. Sir Baldwin had been permitted
+to depart without molestation. He believed that the folk into whose hands
+he had fallen were retainers of the Archduke John. This news, although
+sad in itself, was yet in some degree reassuring to the duke and his
+wife; for they felt that while the followers of Conrad of Montferat would
+not hesitate to put King Richard to death should he fall into their
+hands, the Archduke John would not dare to bring upon himself the
+indignation of Europe by such treatment of his royal captive. Cuthbert at
+once determined to return to England to see Sir Baldwin, and to ascertain
+what steps were being taken for the discovery of the prison in which King
+Richard was confined, and for his release therefrom; and also to
+establish himself in his new dignity as Earl of Evesham. Therefore,
+bidding adieu to the duke and duchess, he started north. The duke
+furnished him with letters of introduction to the princes through whose
+countries he would travel; and again crossing the Rhine, he journeyed
+through the territories of the Dukes of Cleves and Brabant, and reached
+the mouth of the Scheldt without interruption. There taking ship, he
+sailed for London.
+
+It was a long and stormy passage between the mouth of the Scheldt and
+London. The vessel in which Cuthbert had shipped was old and somewhat
+unseaworthy, and several times in the force of the gale all on board gave
+up hope for their lives. At last, however, they reached the mouth of the
+Thames, and dropping up with the tide, reached London eight days after
+their embarcation. The noble charger which the King of Saxony had
+presented to Cuthbert, had suffered greatly, and he feared at one time,
+that the poor animal would succumb to the effects of the tempest.
+However, after entering into smooth water it recovered itself, and on
+landing near the Tower he found that it was able to support his weight.
+Cnut and the archers were, like Cuthbert, delighted to have their feet
+again upon English soil; and although London did not now strike them with
+the same wonder which it would have done had they first visited it before
+starting on their journey--for in many respects it was greatly behind
+some of the continental cities--yet the feeling of home, and the pleasure
+of being able to understand the conversation of those around them, made
+the poor fellows almost beside themselves with joy. Beyond the main
+political incidents, Cuthbert had heard little of what had passed in
+England since his departure; and putting up at a hostelry, he inquired of
+the host whether Sir Baldwin of B‚thune was in London, or whether he was
+away on his estates. The landlord did not know. There were, he said, but
+few nobles at court, and London was never so dull as at present. As
+Cuthbert did not wish his coming home to be known to John until he had
+learnt something of the position of affairs, he despatched Cnut to the
+Tower to inquire privately of some of the officials about the place
+whether Sir Baldwin was there. Cnut soon returned with the news that he
+had not been at the court since his return from the Holy Land, and that
+he was living at his castle down in Dorsetshire. After some hesitation,
+Cuthbert resolved to set out to see his friend, and after six days'
+travel he arrived at the castle of the knight.
+
+Sir Baldwin received him with immense joy. He had not heard of him
+since they parted at Zara, and he feared that a fate similar to that
+which had befallen King Richard had overtaken Cuthbert, even if he were
+still alive.
+
+"Have you seen aught of the king, our master?" the good knight inquired.
+
+"Nothing," Cuthbert said. "I know no more than yourself. Indeed, I hoped
+to have learnt something from you as to the king."
+
+"I was separated from him at Gortz, and while he was taken a prisoner to
+the archduke, I was allowed to pursue my way. I had many difficulties
+and dangers, and was some weeks in finding my way back. Nothing was
+known of the king when I returned. Indeed, I was the first bearer of any
+definite news concerning him since the day when he sailed from Acre.
+Three weeks ago, as you may have learnt, the news came that he is now
+detained in captivity by the emperor who demanded his delivery by the
+Archduke John, into whose hands he first fell. But where he is, no one
+exactly knows. The news has created an immense excitement in the
+kingdom, and all are resolved to sacrifice any of their treasures which
+may be demanded in order to satisfy the ransom which the recreant
+emperor has placed upon the king. Shame is it indeed that a Christian
+sovereign should hold another in captivity. Still more, when that other
+was returning through his dominions as a crusader coming from the Holy
+Land, when his person should be safe, even to his deadliest enemy. It
+has long been suspected that he was in the hands either of the emperor,
+or of the archduke, and throughout Europe the feeling of indignation has
+been strong; and I doubt not, now that the truth is known, this feeling
+will be stronger than ever."
+
+"But, now that it is known," Cuthbert said, "I suppose there will be no
+delay in ransoming the king."
+
+"There will be no delay in raising the ransom," Sir Baldwin said. "But
+the kingdom is very impoverished by war, by the exactions of Prince John,
+and by those of Langley, who held it for King Richard. He was a loyal
+servant of the king, but an exacting and rapacious prelate. However, I
+doubt not that the rents of the English nobles will soon be charged with
+sums sufficient for the ransom; and if this avail not, not one of them
+will grudge their silver flagons and vessels to melt down to make the
+total required. But we must not flatter ourselves that he will obtain his
+liberty so soon as the money is raised. Prince John has long been
+yearning for sovereignty. He has long exercised the real, if not the
+nominal, power, and he has been intriguing with the Pope and Phillip of
+France for their support for his seizing the crown. He will throw every
+obstacle in the way, as, we may be sure, will Phillip of France,
+Richard's deadly enemy. And now about yourself, Sir Cuthbert; tell me
+what has befallen you since we last met."
+
+Cuthbert related the adventures which had befallen him, and heard those
+of Sir Baldwin.
+
+"You have not, I suppose," the latter remarked, "as yet seen
+Prince John?"
+
+"No," Cuthbert replied, "I thought it better to come down to ask you to
+advise me on the position of affairs before I attempted to see him."
+
+"You did well," Sir Baldwin said. "When I arrived, I found that the
+proper officials, had, according to King Richard's instructions, drawn up
+the patent conferring upon you the lands and title of Earl of Evesham,
+before leaving Acre, and had received the king's signature to it. This
+was attested by several of the nobles who were with us and who returned
+safely to England. Prince John, however, declared that he should not give
+any heed to the document; that King Richard's power over this realm had
+ceased before he made it; and that he should bestow the earldom upon
+whomsoever he chose. As a matter of fact, it has been given to Sir
+Rudolph Fleming, a Norman knight and a creature of the prince. The king
+has also, I hear, promised to him the hand of the young Lady Margaret,
+when she shall become of marriageable age. At present she is placed in a
+convent in Worcester. The abbess is, I believe, a friend of the late
+earl, and the girl had been with her for some time previously. Indeed she
+went there, I think, when her father left England. This lady was ordered
+to give up her charge to the guardianship of Sir Rudolph; but she refused
+to do so, saying that it would not be convenable for a young lady to be
+under the guardianship of a bachelor knight having no lady at the head of
+his establishment, and that therefore she should retain her, in spite of
+the orders of the Prince. Prince John, I hear, flew into a fury at this;
+but he did not dare to provoke the anger of the whole of the clergy by
+ordering the convent to be violated. And indeed, not only would the
+clergy have been indignant, but many of the great nobles would also have
+taken their part, for there can be no doubt that the contention of the
+abbess was reasonable; and there is among all the friends of King Richard
+a very strong feeling of anger at your having been deprived of the
+earldom. This, however, has, so far, not found much vent in words, for as
+it was uncertain whether you would ever return to claim your rights, it
+was worth no one's while to embroil himself unnecessarily with the prince
+upon such a subject. God knows that there are subjects enough of dispute
+between John Lackland and the English barons without any fresh ones
+arising. The whole kingdom is in a state of disturbance. There have been
+several risings against Prince John's authority; but these have been, so
+far, suppressed. Now that we know where King Richard is, and hope for his
+return ere very long, it is probable that peace will be maintained; but
+should treachery prevail, and King Richard's return be prevented, you may
+be sure that John will not be permitted to mount the throne without the
+determined resistance of a large number of the nobles."
+
+"But," Cuthbert said, "John is not the successor to the throne. Prince
+Arthur of Brittany was named by King Richard from the first as his
+successor. He is so by blood and by right, and John can have no pretence
+to the throne so long as he lives."
+
+"That is so," Sir Baldwin said. "But, unhappily, in England at present
+might makes right, and you may be sure that at King Richard's death, be
+it when it may, Prince John will make a bold throw for the throne, and,
+aided as he will be by the pope and by Phillip of France, methinks that
+his chances are better than those of the young prince. A man's power, in
+warlike times, is more than a boy's. He can intrigue and promise and
+threaten, while a boy must be in the hands of partisans. I fear that
+Prince Arthur will have troubled times indeed before he mounts the throne
+of England. Should Richard survive until he becomes of age to take the
+field himself and head armies, he may succeed, for all speak well of him
+as a boy of singular sweetness of disposition, while Prince John is
+detested by all save those who flatter and live by him. But enough for
+the present of politics, Cuthbert; let us now to table. It is long since
+we two feasted together; and, indeed, such meals as we took in the Holy
+Land could scarcely have been called feasts. A boar's head and a good
+roasted capon are worthy all the strange dishes that we had there. I
+always misdoubted the meat, which seemed to me to smack in flavour of the
+Saracens, and I never could bring myself to inquire whence that strange
+food was obtained. A stoup of English ale, too, is worth all the Cyprus
+wines, especially when the Cyprus wines are half full of the sand of the
+desert. Pah! it makes my throat dry to think of those horrible meals. So
+you have brought Cnut and your four archers safely back with you?"
+
+"Yes," Cuthbert said, smiling, "But they were, I can assure you, a heavy
+weight on me, in spite of their faithfulness and fidelity. Their
+ignorance of the language brought most of my troubles upon me, and Cnut
+had something of the nature of a bull in him. There are certain things
+which he cannot stomach, and when he seeth them he rageth like a wild
+beast, regardless altogether of safety or convenience."
+
+In the evening, the two knights again talked over the course which
+Cuthbert should adopt. The elder knight's opinion was that his young
+friend had best formally claim the title by writing to the king-at-arms,
+and should also announce his return to Prince John, signing himself "Sir
+Cuthbert, Earl of Evesham;" but that, in the present state of things, it
+would be unwise for him to attempt to regain his position, should, as was
+certain to be the case, Prince John refuse to recognize him.
+
+"You are very young yet," Sir Baldwin said, "not eighteen, I think, and
+can afford to wait, at any rate, to see whether King Richard returns.
+Should he come back, he will see all these wrongs are righted; and one of
+his first cares would assuredly be to cast this usurper out of his stolen
+dignities. How old is the Lady Margaret?"
+
+"She is fifteen," Cuthbert said. "She was three years younger than I."
+
+"I wish she had been younger," Sir Baldwin said. "At fifteen she is not
+by custom fairly marriageable; but men can strain these points when they
+choose; and I fear that the news of your coming will hasten both the
+prince and Sir Rudolph in their determination to strengthen the claim of
+this usurper by marriage with the heiress of Evesham. The Lady Margaret
+and her friends can of course claim that she is a royal ward, and that as
+such the king alone can dispose of her person and estates. But,
+unfortunately, force overrides argument."
+
+"But surely," Cuthbert said, "they will never venture to take her by
+force from the convent?"
+
+"They venture a great many strange things in England now," Sir Baldwin
+said; "and Worcester is perilously near to Evesham. With a clump of
+twenty spears, Sir Rudolph might break into the convent and carry off the
+young lady, and marry her by force; and although the Church might cry
+out, crying would be of little avail when the deed was done; and a
+handsome present on the part of Sir Rudolph might go far to shut the
+mouths of many of the complainants, especially as he will be able to say
+that he has the king's sanction for what he did."
+
+"Methinks," Cuthbert said, "that if such be the case it would be perilous
+indeed to wait for King Richard's return. Assuredly Sir Rudolph would not
+tarry until she attained the age of seventeen, and it may well be that
+two years may yet pass before King Richard comes back. It seems to me the
+wiser part will be that I should give Prince John no notice that I am in
+England. As you say, such notice would be of no avail in recovering my
+lands and title, but it would put the prince upon his guard; and
+assuredly he and his minions would press forward their measures to obtain
+possession of the person of the Lady Margaret; while, on the other hand,
+no harm can come of my maintaining silence."
+
+"I think that you are right, Sir Cuthbert. It were indeed best that your
+enemies should suppose you either dead or in some dungeon in the Tyrol.
+What would you then do?"
+
+"I would return to my old home," Cuthbert said. "My lady mother is, I
+trust, still alive. But I will not appear at her house, but will take
+refuge in the forest there. Cnut, and the archers with him, were all at
+one time outlaws living there, and I doubt not that there are many good
+men and true still to be found in the woods. Others will assuredly join
+when they learn that Cnut is there, and that they are wanted to strike a
+blow for my rights. I shall then bide my time. I will keep a strict watch
+over the castle and over the convent. As the abbess is a friend and
+relative of Lady Margaret's, I may obtain an interview with her, and warn
+her of the dangers that await her, and ask if she be willing to fulfil
+the promise of her father, and King Richard's will, in accepting me as
+her husband when due time shall arrive, and whether she will be willing
+that I should take such steps as I may to deliver her from the
+persecution of Sir Rudolph. If, as I trust, she assents to this, I will
+keep a watch over the convent as well as the castle, and can then either
+attack the latter, or carry her off from the former, as the occasion may
+appear to warrant. There are plenty of snug cottages round the forest,
+where she can remain in concealment in the care of some good farmer's
+wife for months, and we shall be close at hand to watch over her. With
+the aid of the forest men, Sir Walter took the castle of Sir John of
+Wortham; and although Evesham is a far grander pile than that, yet
+methinks it could be carried by a sudden assault; and we know more of war
+now than we did then. Prince John may deny me the right of being the Earl
+of Evesham; but methinks before many months I can, if I choose, become
+its master."
+
+"Be not too hasty in that matter," Sir Baldwin said. "You might capture
+the castle with the aid of your outlaws; but you could scarcely hold it.
+The prince has, ere now, with the aid of those faithful to him and his
+foreign mercenaries, captured stronger holds than that of Evesham; and if
+you turn his favourite out, you would have a swarm of hornets around you
+such as the walls of Evesham could not keep out. It would therefore be
+worse than useless for you to attempt what would be something like an
+act of rebellion against Prince John's authority, and would give him what
+now he has no excuse for, a ground for putting a price upon your
+head--and cutting it off if he got the opportunity. You might now present
+yourself boldly at court, and although he might refuse to recognize your
+title of earl, yet, as a knight and a crusader who has distinguished
+himself greatly in the Holy Land, he dare not interfere with your person,
+for this would be resented by the whole of the chivalry of England.
+Still, I agree with you that your best course is to keep your return a
+secret. You will then be unwatched and unnoticed, and your enemies will
+take their time in carrying their designs into effect."
+
+Two days later Cuthbert, attended by his faithful retainers, left Sir
+Baldwin's castle, and travelled by easy stages through Wiltshire and the
+confines of Gloucestershire up to Worcester. He had been supplied by Sir
+Baldwin with suitable attire for himself and his followers, and now rode
+as a simple knight, without arms or cognizance, journeying from one part
+to another. All the crosses and other crusading signs were laid aside,
+and there was nothing to attract any attention to him upon his passage.
+Cuthbert had at first thought of going direct to the convent of
+Worcester, and asking for an interview with Lady Margaret; but he
+reflected that it might be possible that some of the myrmidons of Sir
+Rudolph might be keeping a watch over that building, to see that Lady
+Margaret was not secretly removed to some other place of refuge, and that
+the appearance of a knight before its doors would excite comment and
+suspicion. He therefore avoided the town, and journeyed straight to the
+forest, where he had so often roamed with Cnut and the outlaws.
+
+Here he found that matters had but little changed since he was last
+there. Many of those who had fought with him in the Holy Land, and who
+had returned by sea, had again taken to the forest, joined by many new
+men whom the exactions of Sir Rudolph had already goaded into revolt.
+Cnut was received with enthusiasm, and when he presented Cuthbert to them
+as the rightful heir of Evesham and the well-known friend of the
+foresters, their enthusiasm knew no bounds. They at once accepted him as
+their lord and master, and promised to obey his orders, and to lay down
+their lives, if necessary, in his cause, as they knew that it was he who
+had formally obtained the pardon of the forest band, and who had fought
+with them in their attack on Wortham Castle.
+
+To Cuthbert's great delight he heard that his mother was in good health,
+although she had for some months been grievously fretting over his
+disappearance and supposed death. Cuthbert hesitated whether he should
+proceed at once to see her; but he feared that the shock of his
+appearance might be too much for her, and that her expressions of joy
+might make the retainers and others aware of his arrival, and the news
+might in some way reach the ears of those at the castle. He therefore
+despatched Cnut to see her, and break the news to her cautiously, and to
+request her to arrange for a time when she would either see Cuthbert at
+some place at a distance from the house, or would so arrange that the
+domestics should be absent and that he would have an interview with her
+there unobserved.
+
+Cnut was absent some hours, and on his return told Cuthbert that he had
+seen Dame Editha, and that her joy on hearing of her son's safe arrival
+had caused her no harm, but rather the reverse. The news that King
+Richard had bestowed upon him the title and lands of Evesham was new to
+her, and she was astonished indeed to hear of his elevation. Having heard
+much of the character of the pretending earl, she had great fears for the
+safety of Cuthbert, should his residence in the neighbourhood get to his
+ears; and although sure of the fidelity of all her retainers, she feared
+that in their joy at their young master's return they might let slip some
+incautious word which would come to the ears of some of those at the
+castle. She therefore determined to meet him at a distance. She had
+arranged that upon the following day she would give out that she intended
+to make a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Dunstan, which lay at the edge
+of the forest, to thank him for her recovery from illness, and to pray
+for the safety of her son.
+
+She would be carried thither in a litter, and her journey would excite no
+comment whatever. She would take with her four of her most trusted
+retainers, and would on her arrival at the shrine send them to a
+distance, in order to pay her devotions undisturbed. Cuthbert was to be
+near, and the moment he saw them depart, to enter.
+
+This arrangement was carried out, and the joy of Dame Editha at again
+meeting her son was deep indeed. He had left her a lad of fifteen. He now
+returned a youth of nearly eighteen, stout and strong beyond his age, and
+looking far older than he was, from the effect of the hot sun of Syria
+and of the hardships through which he had gone. That he should win his
+spurs upon the first opportunity the earl had promised her, and she
+doubted not that he would soon attain the rank which his father had held.
+But that he should return to her a belted earl was beyond her wildest
+thoughts. This, however, was but little in her mind then. It was her son,
+and not the Earl of Evesham, whom she clasped in her arms.
+
+As the interview must necessarily be a short one, Cuthbert gave her but a
+slight outline of what had happened since they parted, and the
+conversation then turned upon the present position, and upon the steps
+which had best be taken.
+
+"Your peril is, I fear, as great here as when you were fighting the
+infidels in the Holy Land," she said. "Sir Rudolph has not been here
+long; but he has proved himself a cruel and ruthless master. He has
+driven forth many of the old tenants and bestowed their lands upon his
+own servants and retainers. The forest laws he carries out to the fullest
+severity, and has hung several men who were caught infringing them. He
+has laid such heavy burdens on all the tenants that remain that they are
+fairly ruined, and if he stay here long he will rule over a desert. Did
+he dream of your presence here, he would carry fire and sword through the
+forest. It is sad indeed to think that so worthless a knave as this
+should be a favourite of the ruler of England. But all men say that he is
+so. Thus were you to attack him, even did you conquer and kill him, you
+would have the enmity of Prince John to contend with; and he spareth
+none, man or woman, who stand in his way. It will be a bad day indeed
+for England should our good King Richard not return. I will, as you wish
+me, write to my good cousin, the Lady Abbess of St. Anne's, and will ask
+that you may have an interview with the Lady Margaret, to hear her wishes
+and opinions concerning the future, and will pray her to do all that she
+can to aid your suit with the fair young lady, and to keep her at all
+events safe from the clutches of the tyrant of Evesham."
+
+Three days later, a boy employed as a messenger by Dame Editha brought a
+note to Cuthbert, saying that she had heard from the Abbess of St.
+Anne's, who would be glad to receive a visit from Cuthbert. The abbess
+had asked his mother to accompany him; but this she left for him to
+decide. Cuthbert sent back a message in reply, that he thought it would
+be dangerous for her to accompany him, as any spy watching would report
+her appearance, and inquiries were sure to be set on foot as to her
+companion. He said that he himself would call at the convent on the
+following evening after nightfall, and begged her to send word to the
+abbess to that effect, in order that he might, when he presented himself,
+be admitted at once.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+THE ATTEMPT ON THE CONVENT.
+
+
+Upon the following evening Cuthbert proceeded to Worcester. He left his
+horse some little distance outside the town, and entered on foot. Having
+no apprehension of an attack, he had left all his pieces of armour
+behind, and was in the quiet garb of a citizen. Cnut attended him--for
+that worthy follower considered himself as responsible that no harm of
+any sort should befall his young master. The consequences of his own
+imprudence in the Tyrol were ever before his mind, and he determined that
+from henceforth there should be no want of care on his part. He
+accompanied Cuthbert to within a short distance of the convent, and took
+up his position in the shade of a house, whence he could watch should any
+one appear to be observing Cuthbert's entrance.
+
+Upon ringing the bell, Cuthbert told the porteress, as had been arranged,
+that he had called on a message from Dame Editha, and he was immediately
+ushered into the parlour of the convent, where, a minute or two later, he
+was joined by the lady abbess. He had when young been frequently to the
+convent, and had always been kindly received.
+
+"I am indeed glad to see you, Sir Cuthbert," she said, "though I
+certainly should not have recognized the lad who used to come here with
+my cousin, in the stalwart young knight I see before me. You are indeed
+changed and improved. Who would think that my gossip Editha's son would
+come to be the Earl of Evesham! The Lady Margaret is eager to see you;
+but I think that you exaggerate the dangers of her residence here. I
+cannot think that even a minion of Prince John would dare to violate the
+sanctity of a convent."
+
+"I fear, good mother," Cuthbert said, "that when ambition and greed are
+in one scale, reverence for the holy church will not weigh much in the
+other. Had King Richard been killed upon his way home, or so long as
+nothing was heard of him, Sir Rudolph might have been content to allow
+matters to remain as they were, until at least Lady Margaret attained an
+age which would justify him in demanding that the espousal should be
+carried out. But the news which has now positively been ascertained, that
+the king is in the hands of the emperor, and the knowledge that sooner or
+later his freedom will be obtained, will hasten the friends of the
+usurper to make the most of their advantage. He knows that the king would
+at once upon his return annul the nomination of Sir Rudolph to the
+earldom which had previously been bestowed upon me. But he may well think
+that if before that time he can secure in marriage the person of the late
+earl's daughter, no small share of the domains may be allotted to him as
+her dowry, even if he be obliged to lay by his borrowed honours. You
+will, unless I am greatly mistaken, hear from him before long."
+
+The abbess looked grave.
+
+"There is much in what you say, Sir Cuthbert; and indeed a certain
+confirmation is given to it by the fact that only yesterday I received a
+letter from Sir Rudolph, urging that now the Lady Margaret is past the
+age of fifteen, and may therefore be considered marriageable, the will of
+the prince should be carried into effect, and that she should for the
+present be committed to the charge of the Lady Clara Boulger, who is the
+wife of a friend and associate of Sir Rudolph. He says that he should not
+wish to press the marriage until she attains the age of sixteen, but that
+it were well that his future wife should become accustomed to the outside
+world, so as to take her place as Castellan of Evesham with a dignity
+befitting the position. I wrote at once to him saying, that in another
+year it would, in my poor judgment, be quite time to think about such
+worldly matters; that at the present the Lady Margaret was receiving an
+education suitable to her rank; that she was happy here; and that unless
+constrained by force--of which, I said, I could not suppose that any
+possibility existed--I should not surrender the Lady Margaret into any
+hands whatsoever, unless, indeed, I received the commands of her lawful
+guardian, King Richard."
+
+"You said well, holy mother," Sir Cuthbert said. "But you see the hawks
+scent the danger from afar, and are moving uneasily already. Whether they
+consider it so pressing that they will dare to profane the convent, I
+know not. But I am sure that should they do so, they will not hesitate a
+moment at the thought of the anger of the church. Prince John has already
+shown that he is ready, if need be, to oppose the authority of the holy
+father, and he may well, therefore, despise any local wrath that might be
+excited by an action which he can himself disavow, and for which, even at
+the worst, he need only inflict some nominal punishment upon his vassal.
+Bethink thee, lady, whether it would not be safer to send the Lady
+Margaret to the care of some person, where she may be concealed from the
+search of Sir Rudolph."
+
+"I would gladly do so," the abbess said, "did I know of such a person or
+such a place. But it is difficult indeed for a young lady of rank to be
+concealed from such sharp searchers as Sir Rudolph would be certain to
+place upon her track. Your proposal that she should take refuge in the
+house of some small franklin near the forest, I cannot agree to. In the
+first place, it would demean her to be so placed; and in the second, we
+could never be sure that the report of her residence there might not
+reach the ears of Sir Rudolph. As a last resource, of course such a step
+would be justifiable, but not until at least overt outrages have been
+attempted. Now I will call Lady Margaret in."
+
+The young girl entered with an air of frank gladness, but was startled at
+the alteration which had taken place in her former playfellow, and paused
+and looked at the abbess, as if inquiring whether this could be really
+the Cuthbert she had known. Lady Margaret was fifteen in years; but she
+looked much younger. The quiet seclusion in which she had lived in the
+convent had kept her from approaching that maturity which as an earl's
+daughter, brought up in the stir and bustle of a castle, she would
+doubtless have attained.
+
+"This is indeed Sir Cuthbert," the abbess said, "your old playfellow, and
+the husband destined for you by your father and by the will of the king."
+
+Struck with a new timidity, the girl advanced, and, according to the
+custom of the times, held up her cheek to be kissed. Cuthbert was almost
+as timid as herself.
+
+"I feel, Lady Margaret," he said, "a deep sense of my own unworthiness of
+the kindness and honour which the dear lord your father bestowed upon me;
+and were it not that many dangers threaten, and that it were difficult
+under the circumstances to find one more worthy of you, I would gladly
+resign you into the hands of such a one were it for your happiness. But
+believe me that the recollection of your face has animated me in many of
+the scenes of danger in which I have been placed; and although even in
+fancy my thoughts scarcely ventured to rise so high, yet I felt as a true
+knight might feel for the lady of his love."
+
+"I always liked you, Sir Cuthbert," the girl said frankly, "better than
+any one else next to my father, and gladly submit myself to his will. My
+own inclinations indeed, so far as is maidenly, go with his. These are
+troubled times," she said anxiously, "and our holy mother tells me that
+you fear some danger is overhanging me."
+
+"I trust that the danger may not be imminent," Cuthbert answered. "But
+knowing the unscrupulous nature of the false Earl of Evesham, I fear that
+the news that King Richard is found will bestir him to early action. But
+you can rely, dear lady, on a careful watch being kept over you night and
+day; and should any attempt be made to carry you away, or to put force
+upon you, be assured that assistance will be at hand. Even should any
+attempt succeed, do not lose heart, for rescue will certainly be
+attempted; and I must be dead, and my faithful followers crushed, before
+you can become the bride of Sir Rudolph."
+
+Then turning to other subjects, he talked to her of the life he had led
+since he last saw her. He told her of the last moments of her father, and
+of the gallant deeds he had done in the Holy Land.
+
+After waiting for two hours, the abbess judged that the time for
+separation had arrived; and Cuthbert, taking a respectful adieu of his
+young mistress, and receiving the benediction of the abbess, departed.
+
+He found Cnut on guard at the point where he had left him.
+
+"Have you seen aught to give rise to suspicion?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"Yes," Cnut said, "the place is undoubtedly watched. Just after you had
+entered, a man came from that house yonder and went up to the gate, as if
+he would fain learn by staring at its iron adornments the nature of him
+who had passed in. Then he re-entered his house, and if I mistake not is
+still on the watch at that casement. If we stand here for a minute or
+two, perchance he may come out to see what delays you in this dark
+corner, in which case I may well give him a clout with my axe which will
+settle his prying."
+
+"Better not," Cuthbert said. "We can retire round this corner and so
+avoid his observation; and were his body found slain here, suspicion
+would be at once excited in the mind of his employer. At present he can
+have no ground for any report which may make the knight uneasy, for he
+can but know that a gentleman has entered, and remained for two hours at
+the convent, and he will in no way connect my visit with the Lady
+Margaret."
+
+They had just turned the corner which Cuthbert indicated, when a man came
+up rapidly behind them and almost brushed them as he passed, half-turning
+round and trying to gaze into their faces. Cnut at once assumed the
+aspect of an intoxicated person, and stretching forth his foot, with a
+dexterous shove pushed the stranger into the gutter. The latter rose with
+a fierce cry of anger; but Cnut with a blow of his heavy fist again
+stretched him on the ground, this time to remain quiet until they had
+walked on and passed out of sight.
+
+"A meddling fool," Cnut grumbled. "He will not, methinks, have much to
+report to Sir Rudolph this time. Had I thought that he had seen your
+face, I would have cleft his skull with no more hesitation than I send
+an arrow into the brain of a stag in the forest."
+
+As they journeyed along, Cuthbert informed Cnut of what the abbess had
+told him; and the latter agreed that a watch must be placed on the
+convent, and that a force must be kept as near as possible at hand so as
+to defeat any attempt which might be made.
+
+The next day one of the forest men who had been a peaceable citizen, but
+who had been charged with using false weights and had been condemned to
+lose his ears, repaired to Worcester. His person was unknown there, as he
+had before lived at Gloucester. He hired a house in the square in which
+the convent was situated, giving out that he desired to open a house of
+business for the sale of silks, and for articles from the Low Countries.
+As he paid down earnest-money for the rent, no suspicion whatever was
+excited. He at once took up his abode there, having with him two stout
+serving-men, and a 'prentice boy; and from that time two sets of watchers
+observed without ceasing what passed at the Convent of St. Anne.
+
+At a distance of half a mile from the road leading between Worcester and
+Evesham, stood a grange, which had for some time been disused, the ground
+belonging to it having been sequestrated and given to the lord of an
+adjoining estate, who did not care to have the grange occupied. In this,
+ten men, headed by Cnut, took up their residence, blocking up the window
+of the hall with hangings, so that the light of the fire kindled within
+would not be observed.
+
+Two months passed on without any incident of importance. The feeling
+between the outlaws in the forest and the retainers of the false Earl of
+Evesham was becoming much embittered. Several times the foresters of the
+latter, attempting pursuit of men charged with breaking the game laws,
+were roughly handled. These on making their report were sent back again,
+supported by a force of footmen; but these, too, were driven back, and
+the authority of Sir Rudolph was openly defied.
+
+Gradually it came to his ears that the outlaws were commanded by a man
+who had been their leader in times gone by, but who had been pardoned,
+and had, with a large number of his band, taken service in the army of
+the crusaders; also, that there was present a stranger, whose manner and
+the deference paid to him by Cnut proclaimed him to be of gentle blood.
+This news awakened grave uneasiness on the part of Sir Rudolph. The
+knight caused inquiries to be made, and ascertained that Cnut had been
+especially attached to the young Cuthbert, and that he had fought under
+the Earl of Evesham's banner. It seemed possible then that with him had
+returned the claimant for the earldom; and in that case Sir Rudolph felt
+that danger menaced him, for the bravery of the Earl of Evesham's
+adopted son had been widely spoken of by those who had returned from the
+Holy Land.
+
+Sir Rudolph was a man of forty, tall and dark, with Norman features. He
+held the Saxons in utter contempt, and treated them as beings solely
+created to till the land for the benefit of their Norman lords. He was
+brave and fearless, and altogether free from the superstition of the
+times. Even the threats of the pope, which although Prince John defied
+them yet terrified him at heart, were derided by his follower, who feared
+no one thing in the world, save, perhaps, the return of King Richard from
+captivity.
+
+No sooner had the suspicion that his rival was in the neighbourhood
+possessed him, than he determined that one of two things must be carried
+out: either Sir Cuthbert must be killed, or the Lady Margaret must be
+carried off and forced to accept him as her husband. First he endeavoured
+to force Sir Cuthbert to declare himself, and to trust to his own arm to
+put an end to his rival. To that end he caused a proclamation to be
+written, and to be affixed to the door of the village church at the fair
+of Evesham.
+
+Cnut and several of his followers were there, all quietly dressed as
+yeomen. Seeing a crowd round the door of the church, he pressed forward.
+Being himself unable to read writing, he asked one of the burgesses what
+was written upon the paper which caused such excitement.
+
+"It is," the burgess said, "in the nature of a cartel or challenge from
+our present lord, Sir Rudolf. He says that it having come to his ears
+that a Saxon serf, calling himself Sir Cuthbert, Earl of Evesham, is
+lurking in the woods and consorting with outlaws and robbers, he
+challenges him to appear, saying that he will himself, grievously
+although he would demean himself by so doing, yet condescend to meet him
+in the lists with sword and battle-axe, and to prove upon his body the
+falseness of his averments. Men marvel much," the burgess continued, "at
+this condescension on the earl's part. We have heard indeed that King
+Richard, before he sailed for England, did, at the death of the late good
+earl, bestow his rank and the domains of Evesham upon Sir Cuthbert, the
+son of the Dame Editha. Whether it be true or not, we cannot say; but it
+seems strange that such honour should have been bestowed upon one so
+young. In birth indeed he might aspire to the rank, since his father, Sir
+Walter, was a brave knight, and the mother, Dame Editha, was of good
+Saxon blood, and descended from those who held Evesham before the arrival
+of the Normans."
+
+Cnut's first impulse was to stride forward and to tear down the
+proclamation. But the remembrance of his solemn determination not in
+future to act rashly, came across him, and he decided to take no
+steps until he had reported the facts to his master, and taken his
+counsel thereon.
+
+Cuthbert received the news with much indignation.
+
+"There is nought that I should like better," he said, "than to try my
+strength against that of this false traitor. But although I have proved
+my arm against the Saracens, I think not that it is yet strong enough to
+cope against a man who, whatsoever be his faults, is said to be a valiant
+knight. But that would not deter me from attempting the task. It is
+craftily done on the part of Sir Rudolph. He reckons that if I appear he
+will kill me; that if I do not appear, I shall be branded as a coward,
+and my claims brought into disrepute. It may be, too, that it is a mere
+ruse to discover if I be in the neighbourhood. Some rumours thereof may
+have reached him, and he has taken this course to determine upon their
+truth. He has gone too far, and honest men will see in the cartel itself
+a sign that he misdoubts him that my claims are just; for were I, as he
+says, a Saxon serf, be sure that he would not condescend to meet me in
+the lists as he proposes. I trust that the time will come when I may do
+so. But, at present, I will submit to his insult rather than imperil the
+success of our plans, and, what is of far greater importance, the safety
+and happiness of the Lady Margaret, who, did aught befall me, would
+assuredly fall into his hands."
+
+After some thought, however, Cuthbert drew up an answer to the knight's
+proclamation. He did not in this speak in his own name, but wrote as if
+the document were the work of Cnut. It was worded as follows: "I, Cnut, a
+free Saxon and a leader of bowmen under King Richard in the Holy Land, do
+hereby pronounce and declare the statements of Sir Rudolph, miscalled
+the Earl of Evesham, to be false and calumnious. The earldom was, as
+Rudolph well knows, and as can be proved by many nobles and gentlemen of
+repute who were present with King Richard, granted to Sir Cuthbert, King
+Richard's true and faithful follower. When the time shall come, Sir
+Cuthbert will doubtless be ready to prove his rights. But at present
+right has no force in England, and until the coming of our good King
+Richard must remain in abeyance. Until then, I support the title of Sir
+Cuthbert, and do hereby declare Sir Rudolph a false and perjured knight;
+and warn him that if he falls into my hands it will fare but badly with
+him, as I know it will fare but badly with me should I come into his."
+
+At nightfall the cartel of Sir Rudolph was torn down from the church and
+that of Cnut affixed in its place. The reading thereof caused great
+astonishment in Evesham, and the rage of Sir Rudolph, when the news came
+to his ears, was very great. Cuthbert was sure that this affair would
+quicken the intentions of Sir Rudolph with regard to the Lady Margaret,
+and he received confirmation of this in a letter which the abbess sent
+him, saying that she had received another missive from Sir Rudolph,
+authoritatively demanding in the king's name the instant surrender of
+Lady Margaret to him. That night forty archers stole, one by one, quietly
+into Worcester, entering the town before the gates were shut, and so
+mingling with the citizens that they were unobserved. When it was quite
+dark they quietly took their way, one by one, to the square in which
+stood the convent, and were admitted into the shop of Master Nicholas,
+the silk mercer.
+
+The house was a large one, with its floors overhanging each the one
+beneath it, as was the custom of the time, and with large casements
+running the whole width of the house.
+
+The mercer had laid by a goodly store of provisions, and for three days
+the troop, large as it was, was accommodated there. Cuthbert himself
+was with them, Cnut remaining at the grange with the ten men originally
+sent there.
+
+On the third day Sir Rudolph, with a number of knights and men-at-arms,
+arrived in the town, giving out that he was passing northwards, but he
+would abide that night at the hostelry. A great many of his men-at-arms
+did, as those on the watch observed, enter one by one into the town.
+The people of Worcester were somewhat surprised at this large
+accompaniment of the earl, but thought no harm. The Abbess of St.
+Anne's, however, was greatly terrified, as she feared that some evil
+design might be intended against her. She was, however, reassured in
+the evening by a message brought by a boy, to the effect that succour
+would be near, whatsoever happened.
+
+At midnight a sudden uproar was heard in the streets of Worcester.
+
+A party of men fell upon the burgesses guarding the gate of the town,
+disarmed them, and took possession of it. At the same time those who had
+put up at the hostelry with Sir Rudolph suddenly mounted their horses,
+and with a great clatter rode down the streets to the Convent of St.
+Anne. Numbers of men on foot also joined, and some sixty in all suddenly
+appeared before the great gate of the convent. With a thundering noise
+they knocked at the door, and upon the grating being opened Sir Rudolph
+himself told the porteress who looked through it, that she was to go at
+once to the abbess and order her to surrender the body of the Lady
+Margaret to him, in accordance with the order of Prince John; adding,
+that if within the space of five minutes the order was not complied with,
+he would burst in the gates of the convent and take her for himself. In
+another minute a casement opened above, and the abbess herself appeared.
+
+"Rash man," she said to Sir Rudolph, "I warn you against committing the
+sin of sacrilege. Neither the orders of Prince John nor of any other
+potentate can over-ride the rights of the holy church; and should you
+venture to lay the hand of force upon this convent you will be placed
+under the anathema of the church, and its spiritual terrors will be
+directed against you."
+
+"I am prepared to risk that, holy mother," Sir Rudolph said, with a
+laugh. "So long as I am obeying the orders of my prince, I care nought
+for those of any foreign potentate, be he pope or be he emperor. Three
+minutes of the time I gave you have elapsed, and unless within two more
+the Lady Margaret appears at the gate I will batter it down; and you may
+think yourself lucky if I do not order my men to set light to it and to
+smoke you out of your hole."
+
+The abbess closed the window, and as she did so the long row of casements
+in the house of Master Nicholas were opened from top to bottom, and a
+volley of sixty clothyard arrows was poured into the group closely
+standing round the gate. Many fell, killed outright, and shouts of rage
+and pain were heard arising.
+
+Furious at this unexpected attack, Sir Rudolph turned, and commanded
+those with him to attack the house whence this volley of missiles had
+come. But even while he spoke another flight of arrows, even more deadly
+than the last, was poured forth. One of the knights standing by the side
+of Sir Rudolph fell, shot through the brain. Very many of the common men,
+undefended by harness, fell shot through and through; and an arrow
+piercing the joint of the armour of Sir Rudolph, wounded him in the
+shoulder. In vain the knight stormed and raged and ordered his men to
+advance. The suddenness of the attack seemed to his superstitious
+followers a direct answer from heaven to the words of the abbess. Their
+number was already seriously lessened, and those who were in case to do
+so at once took flight and scattered through the city, making for the
+gate, which had already been seized by Sir Rudolph's men.
+
+Finding himself alone with only a few of his knights and principal
+men-at-arms remaining, while the storm of arrows continued unabated, Sir
+Rudolph was forced to order his men to retreat, with many fierce threats
+of the vengeance which he would hereafter take.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+A DASTARDLY STRATAGEM.
+
+
+The return of Sir Rudolph's party to Evesham was not unmarked by
+incident, for as they passed along the road, from an ambush in a wood
+other archers, whose numbers they could not discover, shot hard upon
+them, and many fell there who had escaped from the square at Worcester.
+When the list was called upon the arrival at the castle, it was found
+that no less than thirty of those who had set out were missing, while
+many others were grievously wounded.
+
+The noise of the tumult in the square of the convent aroused the whole
+town of Worcester. Alarm bells were rung; and the burgesses, hastily
+arming themselves, poured into the streets. Directed by the sound, they
+made their way to the square, and were astonished at finding it entirely
+deserted, save for some twenty men, lying dead or dying in front of the
+gate of the convent, pierced with long arrows. They speedily found that
+Sir Rudolph and his troop had departed; and further inquiry revealed the
+fact that the burgher guard at one of the gates had been overpowered and
+were prisoners in the watchroom. These could only say that they were
+suddenly seized, all being asleep save the one absolutely on guard. They
+knew nothing more than that a few minutes later there was a great clatter
+of horsemen and men on foot leaving the city. Unable to find any solution
+to this singular circumstance, but satisfied that Sir Rudolph had
+departed, and that no more disturbance was likely to arise that night,
+the burgesses again betook themselves to their beds, having closed the
+gates and placed a strong guard over them, determining next morning to
+sift the affair to the bottom.
+
+In the morning the leading burgesses met in council, and finding none who
+could give them any information, the mayor and two of the councillors
+repaired to the convent, where they asked for an interview with the lady
+abbess. Mightily indignant were they at hearing that Sir Rudolph had
+attempted to break into the convent, and to carry off a boarder residing
+there. But the abbess herself could give them no further news. She said
+that after she retired from the window, she heard great shouts and cries,
+and that almost immediately afterwards the whole of the party in front
+hastily retired.
+
+That Sir Rudolph had been attacked by a party of archers was evident; but
+whence they had shot, or how they had come upon the spot at the time, or
+whither they had gone, were mysteries that could not be solved. In the
+search which the authorities made, however, it was discovered that the
+house of the draper, Master Nicholas, was closed. Finding that summonses
+to open were unanswered, the door was broken in, and the premises were
+found in confusion. No goods of any kind were discovered there, but many
+bales filled with dried leaves, bark of trees, and other worthless
+matters. Such goods as had been displayed in the window had clearly been
+carried away. Searching the house, they found signs that a considerable
+number of men had been concealed there, and although not knowing whence
+the body of archers could have come, they concluded that those who
+defeated the attempt of Sir Rudolph must have been hidden in the draper's
+house. The singularity of this incident gave rise to great excitement;
+but the indignation against Sir Rudolph was in no way lessened by the
+fact that his attempt had been defeated, not by the townsmen themselves,
+but by some unknown force.
+
+After much consultation on the part of the council, it was resolved that
+a deputation, consisting of the mayor and the five senior councillors,
+should resort to London, and there demand from the prince redress for the
+injury put upon their town by Sir Rudolph. These worthy merchants betook
+themselves to London by easy stages, and upon their arrival there were
+kept for some days before they could obtain an interview with King John.
+When they appeared before him and commenced telling their story, the
+prince fell into sudden rage.
+
+"I have heard of this matter before," he said, "and am mightily angry
+with the people of Worcester, inasmuch as they have dared to interfere to
+prevent the carrying out of my commands. The Earl of Evesham has written
+to me, that thinking to scare the abbess of St. Anne's into a compliance
+with the commands which I had laid upon her, and to secure the delivery
+of a contumacious ward of the crown, he had pretended to use force,
+having, however, no idea of carrying his threats into effect. When, as he
+doubted not, the abbess was on the point of yielding up the ward, the
+good knight was suddenly set upon by the rascals of the town, who slew
+some of his companions and followers, and did grievously ill-treat the
+remainder. This," said the prince, "you now pretend was done by a party
+of men of whose presence in the town you had no cognizance. Your good
+sense must be small, if you think that I should believe such a tale as
+this. It is your rascaldom at Worcester which interfered to prevent my
+will being carried out, and I have a goodly mind to order the troop of
+Sir Charles Everest, which is now marching towards Evesham, to sack the
+town, as a punishment for its rebellion. As, however, I am willing to
+believe that you and the better class of burgesses were in ignorance of
+the doings of the rougher kind, I will extend mercy towards the city, and
+will merely inflict a fine of 3000 golden marks upon it."
+
+The mayor attempted humbly to explain and to entreat; but the prince was
+seized with a sudden passion, and threatened if he said more he would at
+once cast him and his fellows into durance. Therefore, sadly crestfallen
+at the result of their mission, the mayor and councillors returned to
+Worcester, where their report caused great consternation. This was
+heightened by the fact that upon the following day Sir Charles Everest,
+with 500 mercenaries of the prince, together with Sir Rudolph and his
+following, and several other barons favourable to the cause of the
+prince, were heard to be approaching the town.
+
+Worcester was capable of making a stout defence, but seeing that no help
+was likely to be forthcoming, and fearing the utter ruin of the town
+should it be taken by storm, the council, after sitting many hours in
+deliberation, determined to raise the money required to pay the fine
+inflicted by the prince. The bolder sort were greatly averse to this
+decision, especially as a letter had been received, signed "Cuthbert,
+Earl of Evesham," offering, should the townspeople decide to resist the
+unjust demands of Prince John, to enter the town with 150 archers to
+take part in its defence. With this force, as the more ardent spirits
+urged, the defeat of any attempt to carry it by storm would be assured.
+But the graver men argued that even if defeated for the first time,
+further attempts would be made, and as it was likely that King Richard
+would not return for a long time, and that Prince John might become
+Sovereign of England, sooner or later the town must be taken, and, in
+any case, its trade would for a long time be destroyed, and great
+suffering inflicted upon all; therefore, that it was better to pay the
+fine now than to risk all these evils, and perhaps the infliction of a
+heavier impost upon them.
+
+The abbess was kept informed by friends in the council of the course of
+the proceedings. She had in the meantime had another interview with Sir
+Cuthbert, and had determined, seeing that Prince John openly supported
+the doings of his minion, it would be better to remove the Lady Margaret
+to some other place, as no one could say how the affair might terminate;
+and with 500 mercenaries at his back, Sir Rudolph would be so completely
+master of the city that he would be able in broad daylight, did he
+choose, to force the gates of the convent and carry off the king's ward.
+
+Accordingly, two days before the arrival of the force before the walls of
+Worcester, Lady Margaret left the convent by a postern gate in the rear,
+late in the evening. She was attended by two of the sisters, both of
+whom, as well as herself, were dressed as countrywomen. Mules were in
+readiness outside the city gates, and here Sir Cuthbert, with an escort
+of archers, was ready to attend them. They travelled all night, and
+arrived in the morning at a small convent situated five miles from the
+city of Hereford. The abbess here was a cousin of the Superior of St.
+Anne's, and had already consented to receive Lady Margaret. Leaving her
+at the door, and promising that, as far as possible, he would keep watch
+over her, and that even in the worst she need never despair, Sir Cuthbert
+left her and returned to the forest.
+
+The band there assembled varied considerably in numbers, for provisions
+could not be found continually for a large body of men. The forest was
+indeed very extensive, and the number of deer therein large. Still, for
+the feeding of 150 men many animals are required and other food. The
+franklins in the neighbourhood were all hostile to Sir Rudolph, whom they
+regarded as a cruel tyrant, and did their utmost in the way of supplies
+for those in the forest. Their resources, however, were limited, and it
+was found necessary to scatter the force, and for a number of them to
+take up their residence in places a short distance away, forty only
+remaining permanently on guard.
+
+Sir Rudolph and his friends entered Worcester, and there received with
+great hauteur the apologies of the mayor and council, and the assurance
+that the townspeople were in nowise concerned in the attack made upon
+him. To this he pretended disbelief. The fine demanded was paid, the
+principal portion in gold, the rest in bills signed by the leading
+merchants of the place; for after every effort it had been found
+impossible to collect such a sum within the city.
+
+The day after he arrived, he again renewed his demand to the abbess for
+the surrender of the Lady Margaret; this time, however, coming to her
+attended only by two squires, and by a pursuivant bearing the king's
+order for the delivery of the damsel. The abbess met him at the gate,
+and informed him that the Lady Margaret was no longer in her charge.
+
+"Finding," she said, in a fearless tone, "that the holy walls of this
+convent were insufficient to restrain lawless men, and fearing that these
+might be tempted to acts of sacrilege, which might bring down upon them
+the wrath of the church and the destruction of their souls, I have sent
+her away."
+
+"Whither has she gone?" Sir Rudolph demanded, half mad with passion.
+
+"That I decline to say," the lady abbess replied. "She is in good
+hands; and when King Richard returns, his ward shall be delivered to
+him at once."
+
+"Will you take oath upon the Bible that she is not within these walls?"
+Sir Rudolph exclaimed.
+
+"My word is sufficient," the lady abbess replied calmly. "But should it
+be necessary, I should be ready to swear upon the relics that she is
+not here."
+
+A few hours later Sir Rudolph, attended by his own party and by 100 of
+Sir Charles Everest's mercenaries, returned to his castle.
+
+Three days afterwards, as Cuthbert was sitting at a rude but hearty meal
+in the forest, surrounded by Cnut and his followers, a hind entered
+breathless. Cuthbert at once recognized him as one of the servitors of
+his mother.
+
+"What is it?" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet.
+
+"Terrible news, Master Cuthbert, terrible news!" exclaimed the man. "The
+wicked earl came down this morning, with fifty of his men, set fire to
+the house, and all its buildings and stacks, and has carried off the
+lady, your mother, a prisoner to the castle, on a charge, as he said, of
+harbouring traitors."
+
+A cry of fury broke from Cnut and his men.
+
+"The false traitor shall bitterly regret this outrage," Cuthbert
+exclaimed.
+
+He had in the first excitement seized his arms, and his followers
+snatched up their bows, as if for instant warfare. A few moments'
+reflection, however, showed to Cuthbert the impossibility of his
+attacking a fortress like Evesham, garrisoned by a strong body of
+well-armed men, with only the archers of the forest, without implements
+necessary for such an assault.
+
+"Send at once, Cnut," he said, "and call in all the band. We cannot take
+the castle; but we will carry fire and sword round its walls. We will cut
+off all communication from within or from without. If attacked by large
+forces, we will retire upon the wood, returning to our posts without the
+walls as soon as the force is withdrawn. These heavily armed men can move
+but slowly; while we can run at full speed. There cannot be more than
+some twenty horsemen in the castle; and methinks with our arrows and
+pikes we can drive these back if they attempt to fall upon us."
+
+Cnut at once sent off swift-footed messengers to carry out Cuthbert's
+orders, and on the following day the whole of the band were again
+assembled in the woods. Just as Cuthbert was setting them in motion, a
+distant blast of a horn was heard.
+
+"It is," Cuthbert exclaimed, "the note calling for a parley. Do you,
+Cnut, go forward, and see what is demanded. It is probably a messenger
+from Sir Rudolph."
+
+After half-an-hour's absence, Cnut returned, bringing with him a
+pursuivant or herald. The latter advanced at once towards Cuthbert, who,
+now in his full knightly armour, was evidently the leader of the party.
+
+"I bear to you, Sir Cuthbert, falsely calling yourself Earl of Evesham, a
+message from Sir Rudolph. He bids me tell you that the traitress, Dame
+Editha, your mother, is in his hands, and that she has been found guilty
+of aiding and abetting you in your war against Prince John, the Regent of
+this kingdom. For that offence she has been condemned to die."
+
+Here he was interrupted by a cry of rage which broke from the assembled
+foresters. Continuing unmoved, he said,--
+
+"Sir Rudolph, being unwilling to take the life of a woman, however justly
+forfeited by the law, commands me to say, that if you will deliver
+yourself up to him by to-morrow at twelve, the Dame Editha shall be
+allowed to go free. But that if by the time the dial points to noon you
+have not delivered yourself up, he will hang her over the battlements of
+the castle."
+
+Cuthbert was very pale, and he waved his hand to restrain the fury which
+animated the outlaws.
+
+"This man," he said to them, "is a herald, and, as such, is protected by
+all the laws of chivalry. Whatsoever his message, it is none of his. He
+is merely the mouthpiece of him who sent him." Then, turning to the
+herald, he said, "Tell the false knight, your master, on my part, that he
+is a foul ruffian, perjured to all the vows of knighthood; that this act
+of visiting upon a woman the enmity he bears her son, will bring upon him
+the execration of all men; and that the offer which he makes me is as
+foul and villainous as himself. Nevertheless, knowing his character, and
+believing that he is capable of keeping his word, tell him that by
+to-morrow at noon I will be there; that the lady, my mother, is to leave
+the castle gates as I enter them; and that though by his foul device he
+may encompass my death, yet that the curse of every good man will light
+upon him, that he will be shunned as the dog he is, and that assuredly
+heaven will not suffer that deeds so foul should bring with them the
+prize he seeks to gain."
+
+The herald bowed, and, escorted by two archers to the edge of the forest,
+returned to Evesham Castle.
+
+After his departure, an animated council took place. Cnut and the
+outlaws, burning with indignation, were ready to attempt anything. They
+would, had Cuthbert given the word, have attacked the castle that very
+night. But Cuthbert pointed out the absolute impossibility of their
+carrying so strong a place by such an assault, unprovided with engines
+for battering down the gates. He said that surprise would be impossible,
+as the knight would be sure to take every precaution against it; and that
+in the event of such an attack being attempted, he would possibly carry
+his threat into execution, and murder Dame Editha before their eyes. Cnut
+was like a madman, so transported with fury was he; and the archers were
+also beside themselves. Cuthbert alone retained his calmness. Retiring
+apart from the others, he paced slowly backwards and forwards among the
+trees, deliberating upon the best course to be pursued. The archers
+gathered round the fire and passed the night in long and angry talk, each
+man agreeing that in the event of their beloved leader being sacrificed
+by Sir Rudolph, they would one and all give their lives to avenge him by
+slaying the oppressor whensoever he ventured beyond the castle gates.
+
+After a time, Cuthbert called Cnut to him, and the two talked long and
+earnestly. Cnut returned to his comrades with a face less despairing than
+that he had before worn, and sent off at once a messenger with all speed
+to a franklin near the forest to borrow a stout rope some fifty feet in
+length, and without telling his comrades what the plans of Sir Cuthbert
+were, bade them cheer up, for that desperate as the position was, all
+hope was not yet lost.
+
+"Sir Cuthbert," he said, "has been in grievous straits before now, and
+has gone through them. Sir Rudolph does not know the nature of the man
+with whom he has to deal, and we may trick him yet."
+
+At eleven o'clock the next day, from the walls of Evesham Castle a body
+of archers 150 strong were seen advancing in solid array.
+
+"Think you, Sir Rudolph," one of his friends, Sir Hubert of Gloucester,
+said to him, "that these varlets think of attacking the castle?"
+
+"They might as well think of scaling heaven," Sir Rudolph said. "Evesham
+could resist a month's siege by a force well equipped for the purpose;
+and were it not that good men are wanted for the king's service, and
+that these villains shoot straight and hard, I would open the gates of
+the castle and launch our force against them. We are two to one as
+strong as they, and our knights and mounted men-at-arms could alone
+scatter that rabble."
+
+Conspicuous upon the battlements a gallows had been erected.
+
+The archers stopped at a distance of a few hundred yards from the castle,
+and Sir Cuthbert advanced alone to the edge of the moat.
+
+"Sir Rudolph of Eresby, false knight and perjured gentleman," he shouted
+in a loud voice, "I, Sir Cuthbert of Evesham, do denounce you as
+foresworn and dishonoured, and do challenge you to meet me here before
+the castle in sight of your men and mine, and decide our quarrel as
+heaven may judge with sword and battle-axe."
+
+Sir Rudolph leant over the battlements, and said,--
+
+"It is too late, varlet. I condescended to challenge you before, and you
+refused. You cannot now claim what you then feared to accept. The sun on
+the dial approaches noon, and unless you surrender yourself before it
+reaches the mark, I will keep my word, and the traitress, your mother,
+shall swing from that beam."
+
+Making a sign to two men-at-arms, these brought forward Dame Editha and
+so placed her on the battlements that she could be seen from below. Dame
+Editha was still a very fair woman, although nigh forty years had rolled
+over her head. No sign of fear appeared upon her face, and in a firm
+voice she cried to her son,--
+
+"Cuthbert, I beg--nay, I order you to retire. If this unknightly lord
+venture to carry out his foul threats against me, let him do so.
+England will ring with the dastardly deed, and he will never dare show
+his face again where Englishmen congregate. Let him do his worst. I am
+prepared to die."
+
+A murmur rose from the knights and men-at-arms standing round Sir
+Rudolph.
+
+Several of his companions had from the first, wild and reckless as they
+were, protested against Sir Rudolph's course, and it was only upon his
+solemn assurance that he intended but to frighten Sir Cuthbert into
+surrender, and had no intention of carrying his threats against the lady
+into effect, that they had consented to take part in the transaction.
+Even now, at the fearless words of the Saxon lady several of them
+hesitated, and Sir Hubert of Gloucester stepped forward to Sir Rudolph.
+
+"Sir knight," he said, "you know that I am your true comrade and the
+faithful servant of Prince John. Yet in faith would I not that my name
+should be mixed up in so foul a deed. I repent me that I have for a
+moment consented to it. But the shame shall not hang upon the escutcheon
+of Hubert of Gloucester that he stood still when such foul means were
+tried. I pray you, by our long friendship, and for the sake of your own
+honour as a knight, to desist from this endeavour. If this lady be
+guilty, as she well may be, of aiding her son in his assaults upon the
+soldiers of Prince John, then let her be tried, and doubtless the court
+will confiscate her estates. But let her son be told that her life is in
+no danger, and that he is free to go, being assured that harm will not
+come to her."
+
+"And if I refuse to consent to allow my enemy, who is now almost within
+my hand, to escape," Sir Rudolph said, "what then?"
+
+"Then," said the knight, "I and my following will at once leave your
+walls, and will clear ourselves to the brave young knight yonder of all
+hand in this foul business."
+
+A murmur of agreement from several of those standing round showed that
+their sentiments were in accordance with those of Sir Hubert.
+
+"I refuse," said Rudolph passionately. "Go, if you will. I am master of
+my actions, and of this castle."
+
+Without a word, Sir Hubert and two others of the knights present turned,
+and briefly ordering their men-at-arms to follow them, descended the
+staircase to the courtyard below. Their horses were brought out, the men
+fell into rank, and the gates of the castle were thrown open.
+
+"Stand to arms!" Sir Cuthbert shouted to the archers. "They are going to
+attempt a sortie." And hastily he retired to the main body of his men.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIII.
+
+THE FALSE AND PERJURED KNIGHT.
+
+
+As the band of knights and their retainers issued from the gate, a
+trumpeter blew a parley, and the three knights advanced alone towards the
+group of archers.
+
+"Sir Cuthbert de Lance," Sir Hubert said, "in the name of myself and my
+two friends here we ask your pardon for having so far taken part in this
+foul action. We did so believing only that Sir Rudolph intended the
+capture of your lady mother as a threat. Now that we see he was in
+earnest, we wash our hands of the business; and could we in any way atone
+for our conduct in having joined him, we would gladly do so, consistently
+only with our allegiance to the Prince Regent."
+
+Cuthbert bowed courteously.
+
+"Thanks for your words, Sir Hubert. I had always heard yourself and the
+knights here spoken of as brave and gallant gentlemen, whose sole fault
+was that they chose to take part with a rebel prince, rather than with
+the King of England. I rejoice that you have cleared your name of so foul
+a blot as this would have placed upon it, and I acknowledge that your
+conduct now is knightly and courteous. But I can no more parley. The sun
+is within a few minutes of twelve, and I must surrender, to meet such
+fate as may befall me."
+
+So saying, with a bow he left them, and again advanced to the
+castle gate.
+
+"Sir Rudolph," he shouted, "the hour is at hand. I call upon you to
+deliver, outside the gate, the lady, my mother. Whether she wills it or
+not, I call upon you to place her beyond the gate, and I give you my
+knightly word that as she leaves it I enter it."
+
+Dame Editha would then have attempted resistance; but she saw that it
+would be useless. With a pale face she descended the steps, accompanied
+by the men-at-arms. She knew that any entreaty to Sir Rudolph would be
+vain, and with the courage of her race she mentally vowed to devote the
+rest of her life to vengeance for her son.
+
+As the gate opened and she was thrust forth, for a moment she found
+herself in the arms of her son.
+
+"Courage, mother!" he whispered; "all may yet be well."
+
+Cnut was waiting a few paces behind, and offering his hand to Dame
+Editha, he led her to the group of archers, while Cuthbert, alone,
+crossed the drawbridge, and entered the portal, the heavy portcullis
+falling after him.
+
+Cnut immediately ordering four of his men to escort Dame Editha to the
+wood with all speed, advanced with his men towards the walls. All had
+strung their bows and placed their arrows on the ground in front of them
+in readiness for instant use. Cnut himself, with two others carrying the
+rope, advanced to the edge of the moat. None observed their doings, for
+all within the castle were intent upon the proceedings there.
+
+In the courtyard Sir Rudolph had taken his post, with the captain of the
+mercenaries beside him, and the men-at-arms drawn up in order. He smiled
+sardonically as Cuthbert entered.
+
+"So, at last," he said, "this farce is drawing to an end. You are in my
+power, and for the means which I have taken to capture you, I will
+account to the prince. You are a traitor to him; you have attacked and
+slaughtered many of my friends; you are an outlaw defying the law; and
+for each of these offences your head is forfeited."
+
+"I deny," Cuthbert said, standing before him, "your right to be my
+judge. By my peers only can I be tried. As a knight of England and as
+rightful lord of this castle, I demand to be brought before a jury of
+my equals."
+
+"I care nothing for rights or for juries," said Sir Rudolph. "I have the
+royal order for your execution, and that order I shall put into effect,
+although all the knights and barons in England objected."
+
+Cuthbert looked round to observe the exact position in which he was
+standing. He knew, of course, every foot of the castle, and saw that but
+a short distance behind a single row of armed men was the staircase
+leading to the battlements.
+
+"False and perjured knight," he said, taking a step forward, "I may die;
+but I would rather a thousand deaths than such a life as yours will be
+when this deed is known in England. But I am not yet dead. For myself, I
+could pardon you; but for the outrage to my mother--" and with a sudden
+movement he struck Sir Rudolph in the face with all his strength, with
+his mailed hand.
+
+With the blood gushing from his nostrils, the knight fell backwards, and
+Sir Cuthbert, with a bound, before the assembly could recover from their
+astonishment at the deed, burst through the line of men-at-arms, and
+sprang up the narrow staircase. A score of men-at-arms started in
+pursuit; but Sir Cuthbert gained the battlements first, and without a
+moment's hesitation sprang upon them and plunged forward, falling into
+the moat fifty feet below. Here he would have perished miserably, for in
+his heavy armour he was of course unable to swim a stroke, and his weight
+took him at once into the mud of the moat. At its margin, however, Cnut
+stood awaiting him, with one end of the rope in his hand. In an instant
+he plunged in, and diving to the bottom, grasped Cuthbert by the body,
+and twisted the rope round him. The two archers on the bank at once
+hauled upon it, and in a minute Sir Cuthbert was dragged to the bank.
+
+By this time a crowd of men-at-arms appeared upon the battlements. But as
+they did so the archers opened a storm of arrows upon them, and quickly
+compelled them to find shelter. Carried by Cnut and the men with him--for
+he was insensible--Sir Cuthbert was quickly conveyed to the centre of the
+outlaws, and these at once in a compact body began their retreat to the
+wood. Cuthbert quickly recovered consciousness, and was soon able to
+walk. As he did so, the gates of the castle were thrown open, and a crowd
+of men-at-arms, consisting of the retainers of the castle and the
+mercenaries of Prince John, sallied forth. So soon as Cuthbert was able
+to move, the archers started at a brisk run, several of them carrying
+Cuthbert's casque and sword, and others assisting him to hurry along. The
+rear ranks turned as they ran and discharged flights of arrows at the
+enemy, who, more heavily armed and weighted, gained but slowly upon them.
+
+Had not Sir Rudolph been stunned by the blow dealt him by Cuthbert, he
+would himself have headed the pursuit, and in that case the foresters
+would have had to fight hard to make their retreat to their fastness. The
+officer in command of the mercenaries, however, had no great stomach for
+the matter. Men were hard to get, and Prince John would not have been
+pleased to hear that a number of the men whom he had brought with such
+expense from foreign parts had been killed in a petty fray. Therefore
+after following for a short time he called them off, and the archers fell
+back into the forest.
+
+Here they found Dame Editha, and for three days she abode among them,
+living in a small hut in the centre of the forest. Then she left, to take
+up her abode, until the troubles were past, with some kin who lived in
+the south of Gloucestershire.
+
+Although the lady abbess had assured Cuthbert that the retreat of Lady
+Margaret was not likely to be found out, he himself, knowing how great a
+stake Sir Rudolph had in the matter, was still far from being easy. It
+would not be difficult for the latter to learn through his agents that
+the lady superior of the little convent near Hereford was of kin to her
+of St. Anne's, and, close as a convent is, yet the gossiping of the
+servants who go to market was certain to let out an affair so important
+as the arrival of a young lady to reside under the charge of the
+superior. Cuthbert was not mistaken as to the acuteness of his enemy. The
+relationship between the two lady superiors was no secret, and after
+having searched all the farmhouses and granges near the forest, and being
+convinced that the lady abbess would have sent her charge rather to a
+religious house than to that of a franklin, Sir Rudolph sought which of
+those within the circuit of a few miles would be likely to be the one
+selected. It was not long before he was enabled to fix upon that near
+Hereford, and spies going to the spot soon found out from the
+countrypeople that it was a matter of talk that a young lady of rank had
+been admitted by the superior. Sir Rudolph hesitated whether to go
+himself at the head of a strong body of men and openly to take her, or to
+employ some sort of device. It was not that he himself feared the
+anathema of the church; but he knew Prince John to be weak and
+vacillating, at one time ready to defy the thunder of the pope, the next
+cringing before the spiritual authority. He therefore determined to
+employ some of his men to burst into the convent and carry off the
+heiress, arranging that he himself, with some of his men-at-arms, should
+come upon them in the road, and make a feigned rescue of her, so that, if
+the lady superior laid her complaint before the pope's legate, he could
+deny that he had any hand in the matter, and could even take credit for
+having rescued her from the men who had profaned the convent. That his
+story would be believed mattered but little. It would be impossible to
+prove its falsity, and this was all that he cared for.
+
+This course was followed out. Late one evening, the lady superior was
+alarmed by a violent knocking at the door. In reply to questions asked
+through the grill, the answer was given, "We are men of the forest, and
+we are come to carry the Lady Margaret of Evesham off to a secure
+hiding-place. The lord of Evesham has discovered her whereabouts, and
+will be here shortly, and we would fain remove her before he arrives."
+
+"From whom have you warrant?" the lady superior said. "I surrender her to
+no one, save to the lady abbess of St. Anne's. But if you have a written
+warrant from Sir Cuthbert, the rightful lord of Evesham, I will lay the
+matter before the Lady Margaret, and will act as it may seem fit to her."
+
+"We have no time for parleying," a rough voice said. "Throw open the gate
+at once, or we will break it down."
+
+"Ye be no outlaws," the lady superior said, "for the outlaws are men who
+fear God and respect the church. Were ye what ye say, ye would be
+provided with the warrants that I mention. I warn you, therefore, that if
+you use force, you will be excommunicated, and placed under the ban of
+the church."
+
+The only answer was a thundering assault upon the gate, which soon
+yielded to the blows. The sisters and novices ran shrieking through the
+corridors at this rude uproar. The lady superior, however, stood calmly
+awaiting the giving way of the gate.
+
+"Where is the Lady Margaret?" the leader of the party, who were dressed
+in rough garb, and had the seeming of a band of outlaws, demanded.
+
+"I will say nothing," she said, "nor do I own that she is here."
+
+"We will soon take means to find out," the man exclaimed. "Unless in five
+minutes she is delivered to us, we will burn your place to the ground."
+
+The lady abbess was insensible to the threat; but the men rushing in,
+seized some sisters, who, terrified out of their wits by this irruption,
+at once gave the information demanded, and the men made their way to the
+cell where the Lady Margaret slept.
+
+The girl had at once risen when the tumult commenced, doubting not in her
+mind that this was another attempt upon the part of her enemy to carry
+her off. When, therefore, she heard heavy footsteps approaching along the
+gallery--having already hastily attired herself--she opened the door and
+presented herself.
+
+"If you seek the Lady Margaret of Evesham," she said calmly, "I am she.
+Do not harm any of the sisters here. I am in your power, and will go with
+you at once. But I beseech you add not to your other sins that of
+violence against holy women."
+
+The men, abashed by the calm dignity of this young girl, abstained from
+laying hands upon her, but merely motioned to her to accompany them. Upon
+their way they met the man who appeared to be their leader, and he, well
+pleased that the affair was over, led the way to the courtyard.
+
+"Farewell, my child," the abbess exclaimed. "God will deliver you from
+the power of these wicked men. Trust in Him, and keep up your courage.
+Wickedness will not be permitted to triumph upon the earth; and be
+assured that the matter shall be brought to the ears of the pope's
+legate, and of Prince John himself."
+
+She could say no more, for the men closing round the weeping girl,
+hurried her out from the convent. A litter awaited them without, and in
+this the young lady was placed, and, borne upon the shoulders of four
+stout men, she started at a fast pace, surrounded closely by the rest
+of the band.
+
+It was a dark night, and the girl could not see the direction in which
+she was being taken; but she judged from the turn taken upon leaving the
+convent, that it was towards Evesham. They had proceeded some miles, when
+a trampling of horses was heard, and a body of armed men rode up. For a
+moment Lady Margaret's heart gave a leap, for she thought that she had
+been rescued by her friends. There was a loud and angry altercation, a
+clashing of swords, and a sound of shouting and cries outside the litter.
+Then it was placed roughly on the ground, and she heard the sound of the
+footsteps of her first captors hurrying away. Then the horsemen closed
+round the litter, and the leader dismounted.
+
+"I am happy indeed, Lady Margaret," he said approaching the litter, "to
+have been able to save you from the power of these villains. Fortunately,
+word came to me that the outlaws in the forest were about to carry you
+off, and that they would not hesitate even to desecrate the walls of the
+convent. Assembling my men-at-arms, I at once rode to your rescue, and am
+doubly happy to have saved you, first, as a gentleman, secondly, as being
+the man to whom our gracious prince has assigned you as a wife. I am Sir
+Rudolph, Earl of Evesham."
+
+As from the first the girl had been convinced that she had fallen into
+the power of her lawless suitor, this came upon her as no surprise.
+
+"Whether your story is true, Sir Rudolph," she said, "or not, God knows,
+and I, a poor weak girl, will not pretend to venture to say. It is
+between you and your conscience. If, as you say, you have saved me from
+the power of the outlaws, I demand that, as a knight and a gentleman, you
+return with me at once to the convent from which I was taken by force."
+
+"I cannot do that," Sir Rudolph said. "Fortune has placed you in my
+hands, and has enabled me to carry out the commands of the prince.
+Therefore, though I would fain yield to your wishes and so earn your
+goodwill, which above all things I wish to obtain, yet my duty towards
+the prince commands me to utilize the advantage which fate has thrown in
+my hands."
+
+"You must do as you will, Sir Rudolph," the girl said with dignity. "I
+believe not your tale. You sought before, in person, to carry me off, but
+failed, and you have now employed other means to do so. The tale of your
+conduct to Dame Editha has reached my ears, and I hold you a foresworn
+knight and a dishonoured man, and as such I would rather die than become
+your wife, although as yet I am but a child, and have no need to talk of
+weddings for years to come."
+
+"We need not parley here," the knight said coldly. "We shall have plenty
+of time when at my castle."
+
+The litter was now lifted, placed between two horses, and proceeded
+rapidly on its journey. Although the hope was but faint, yet until the
+gates of the castle closed upon them the Lady Margaret still hoped that
+rescue might reach her. But the secret had been too well kept, and it was
+not until the following day that the man who had been placed in a cottage
+near the convent arrived in all haste in the forest, to say that it was
+only in the morning that he had learnt that the convent had been broken
+open by men disguised as archers, and the Lady Margaret carried off.
+
+Four days elapsed before Sir Rudolph presented himself before the girl
+he had captured. So fearfully was his face bruised and disfigured by the
+blow from the mailed hand of Cuthbert three weeks before, that he did not
+wish to appear before her under such unfavourable circumstances, and the
+captive passed the day gazing from her casement in one of the rooms in
+the upper part of the keep, towards the forest whence she hoped rescue
+would come.
+
+Within the forest hot discussions were going on as to the best course
+to pursue. An open attack was out of the question, especially as upon
+the day following the arrival there of Lady Margaret, 300 more
+mercenaries had marched in from Worcester, so that the garrison was now
+raised to 500 men.
+
+"Is there no way," Cnut exclaimed furiously, "by which we might creep
+into this den, since we cannot burst into it openly?"
+
+"There is a way from the castle," Cuthbert said, "for my dear lord told
+me of it one day when we were riding together in the Holy Land. He said
+then that it might be that he should never return, and that it were well
+that I should know of the existence of this passage, which few beside the
+earl himself knew of. It is approached by a very heavy slab of stone in
+the great hall. This is bolted down, and as it stands under the great
+table passes unnoticed, and appears part of the ordinary floor. He told
+me the method in which, by touching a spring, the bolts were withdrawn
+and the stone could be raised. Thence a passage a quarter of a mile long
+leads to the little chapel standing in the hollow, and which, being
+hidden among the trees, would be unobserved by any party besieging the
+castle. This of course was contrived in order that the garrison, or any
+messenger thereof, might make an exit in case of siege."
+
+"But if we could escape," Cnut asked, "why not enter by this way?"
+
+"The stone is of immense weight and strength," Cuthbert replied, "and
+could not be loosed from below save with great labour and noise. There
+are, moreover, several massive doors in the passage, all of which are
+secured by heavy bolts within. It is therefore out of the question that
+we could enter the castle by that way. But were we once in, we could
+easily carry off the lady through this passage."
+
+The large force which Sir Rudolph had collected was not intended merely
+for the defence of the castle, for the knight considered that with his
+own garrison he could hold it against a force tenfold that which his
+rival could collect. But he was determined if possible to crush out the
+outlaws of the forest, for he felt that so long as this formidable body
+remained under an enterprising leader like Sir Cuthbert, he would never
+be safe for a moment, and would be a prisoner in his own castle.
+
+Cuthbert had foreseen that the attack was likely to be made and had
+strengthened his band to the utmost. He felt, however, that against so
+large a force of regularly armed men, although he might oppose a stout
+resistance and kill many, yet that in the end he must be conquered. Cnut,
+however, suggested to him a happy idea, which he eagerly grasped.
+
+"It would be rare sport," Cnut said, "when this armed force comes out
+to attack us, if we could turn the tables by slipping in, and taking
+their castle."
+
+"The very thing," Cuthbert exclaimed. "It is likely that he will use the
+greater portion of his forces, and that he will not keep above fifty or
+sixty men, at the outside, in the castle. When they sally out we will at
+first oppose a stout resistance to them in the wood, gradually falling
+back. Then, at a given signal, all save twenty men shall retire hastily,
+and sweeping round, make for the castle. Their absence will not be
+noticed, for in this thick wood it is difficult to tell whether twenty
+men or two hundred are opposing you among the bushes; and the twenty who
+remain must shoot thick and fast to make believe that their numbers are
+great, retiring sometimes, and leading the enemy on into the heart of
+the wood."
+
+"But supposing, Sir Cuthbert, that they should have closed the gates and
+lifted the drawbridge? We could not gain entrance by storming, even if
+only twenty men held the walls, until long after the main body would have
+returned."
+
+Cuthbert thought for some time, and then said, "Cnut, you shall
+undertake this enterprise. You shall fill a cart high with faggots, and
+in it shall conceal a dozen of your best men. You, dressed as a serf,
+shall drive the oxen, and when you reach the castle shall say, in answer
+to the hail of the sentry, that you are bringing in the tribute of wood
+of your master the franklin of Hopeburn. They will then lower the
+drawbridge and open the gates; and when you have crossed the bridge and
+are under the portcullis, spring out suddenly, cut loose the oxen so
+that they will not draw the cart further in, cut the chains of the
+drawbridge so that it cannot be drawn off, and hold the gate for a
+minute or two until we arrive."
+
+"The plan is capital," Cnut exclaimed. "We will do the proud Norman yet.
+How he will storm when he finds us masters of his castle. What then will
+you do, Sir Cuthbert?"
+
+"We can hold the castle for weeks," Cuthbert said, "and every day is in
+our favour. If we find ourselves forced to yield to superior numbers, we
+can at last retire through the passage I have spoken of, and must then
+scatter and each shift for himself until these bad days be past."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXIV
+
+THE SIEGE OF EVESHAM CASTLE.
+
+
+Upon the day before starting out to head the expedition against the
+outlaws, Sir Rudolph sent word to the Lady Margaret that she must prepare
+to become his wife at the end of the week. He had provided two tiring
+maids for her by ordering two of the franklins to send in their daughters
+for that purpose, and these mingled their tears with Margaret's at the
+situation in which they were placed. She replied firmly to the messenger
+of the knight that no power on earth could oblige her to marry him. He
+might drive her to the altar; but though he killed her there, her lips
+should refuse to say the words which would unite them.
+
+The following morning, early, the castle rang with the din of
+preparation. The great portion of the mercenaries were encamped in tents
+outside the walls, for, spacious as it was, Evesham could hardly contain
+400 men in addition to its usual garrison. The men-at-arms were provided
+with heavy axes to cut their way through the bushes. Some carried bundles
+of straw, to fire the wood should it be found practicable to do so; and
+as it was now summer and the wind was blowing high, Sir Rudolph hoped
+that the dry grass and bushes would catch, and would do more even than
+his men-at-arms in clearing the forest of those whom he designated the
+villains infesting it. They had, too, with them several fierce dogs
+trained to hunting the deer, and these, the knight hoped, would do good
+service in tracking the outlaws. He and the knights and the men-at-arms
+with him were all dismounted, for he felt that horses would in the
+forest be an encumbrance, and he was determined himself to lead the way
+to the men-at-arms.
+
+When they reached the forest, they were saluted by a shower of arrows;
+but as all were clad in mail, these at a distance effected but little
+harm. As they came closer, however, the clothyard arrows began to pierce
+the coarse and ill-made armour of the foot soldiers, although the finer
+armour of the knight kept out the shafts which struck against it. Sir
+Rudolph and his knights leading the way, they entered the forest, and
+gradually pressed their invisible foe backwards through the trees. The
+dogs did good service, going on ahead and attacking the archers; but, one
+by one, they were soon shot, and the assailants left to their own
+devices. Several attempts were made to fire the wood. But these failed,
+the fire burning but a short time and then dying out of itself. In
+addition to the fighting men, Sir Rudolph had impressed into the service
+all the serfs of his domain, and these, armed with axes, were directed to
+cut down the trees as the force proceeded, Sir Rudolph declaring that he
+would not cease until he had levelled the whole forest, though it might
+take him months to do so.
+
+The assailants gained ground steadily, the resistance being less severe
+than Sir Rudolph had anticipated. Several small huts and clearings in the
+forest which had been used by the outlaws, and round which small crops
+had been planted, were destroyed, and all seemed to promise well for the
+success of the enterprise.
+
+It was about two hours after they had left the castle, when a heavy cart
+filled with faggots was seen approaching its gates. The garrison, who had
+not the least fear of any attack, paid no attention to it until it
+reached the edge of the moat. Then the warder, seeing that it contained
+faggots, lowered the drawbridge without question, raised the portcullis,
+and opened the gates.
+
+"From whom do you bring this wood?" he asked, as the man driving the oxen
+began to cross the bridge.
+
+"From the franklin of Hopeburn."
+
+"It is well," said the warder, "for he is in arrear now, and should have
+sent in the firewood two months since. Take it to the wood-house at the
+other end of the court."
+
+The heavy-waggon crossed the drawbridge, but as it was entering the gate
+it came suddenly to a stop. With a blow of his ox goad Cnut levelled the
+warder to the ground, and cutting the cords of the bullocks, drove them
+into the yard ahead. As he did so the pile of faggots fell asunder, and
+twelve men armed with bow and pike leaped out. The men-at-arms standing
+near, lounging in the courtyard, gave a shout of alarm, and the garrison,
+surprised at this sudden cry, ran to their arms. At first they were
+completely panic-stricken. But seeing after a time how small was the
+number of their assailants, they took heart and advanced against them.
+The passage was narrow, and the twelve men formed a wall across it. Six
+of them with their pikes advanced, the other six with bent bows standing
+behind them and delivering their arrows between their heads. The garrison
+fought stoutly, and although losing many, were pressing the little band
+backwards. In vain the assistant-warder tried to lower the portcullis, or
+to close the gates. The former fell on to the top of the waggon, and was
+there retained. The gates also were barred by the obstacle. The chains of
+the drawbridge had at once been cut. Cnut encouraged his followers by his
+shouts, and armed with a heavy axe, did good service upon the assailants.
+But four of his party had fallen, and the rest were giving way, when a
+shout was heard, and over the drawbridge poured Cuthbert and 150 of the
+outlaws of the forest. Struck with terror at this attack, the garrison
+drew back, and the foresters poured into the yard. For a few minutes
+there was a fierce fight; but the defenders of the castle, disheartened
+and taken by surprise, were either cut down or, throwing down their arms,
+cried for quarter.
+
+Ten minutes after the waggon had crossed the drawbridge, the castle was
+safely in possession of Sir Cuthbert. The bridge was raised, the waggon
+removed, the portcullis lowered, and to the external eye all remained
+as before.
+
+Cuthbert at once made his way to the chamber where the Lady Margaret was
+confined, and her joy at her deliverance was great indeed. So unlimited
+was her faith in Sir Cuthbert that she had never lost confidence; and
+although it did not seem possible that in the face of such disparity of
+numbers he could rescue her from the power of Sir Rudolph, yet she had
+not given up hope. The joy of the farmers' daughters who had been
+carried off to act as her attendants was little inferior to her own; for
+once in the power of this reckless baron, the girls had small hopes of
+ever being allowed to return again to their parents.
+
+The flag of Sir Rudolph was thrown down from the keep, and that of the
+late earl hoisted in its stead; for Cuthbert himself, although he had
+assumed the cognizance which King Richard had granted him, had not yet
+any flag or pennon emblazoned with it.
+
+No words can portray the stupefaction and rage of Sir Rudolph when a man
+who had managed to slip unobserved from the castle at the time of its
+capture, bore the news to him in the forest. All opposition there had
+ceased, and the whole of the troops were engaged in aiding the peasants
+in cutting wide roads through the trees across the forest, so as to make
+it penetrable by horsemen in every direction. It was supposed that the
+outlaws had gradually stolen away through the thickets and taken to the
+open country, intending to scatter to their homes, or other distant
+hiding-places; and the news that they had by a ruse captured the castle,
+came as a thunderclap.
+
+Sir Rudolph's first impulse was to call his men together and to march
+towards the castle. The drawbridge was up, and the walls bristled with
+armed men. It was useless to attempt a parley; still more useless to
+think of attacking the stronghold without the proper machines and
+appliances. Foaming with rage, Sir Rudolph took possession of a cottage
+near, camped his men around and prepared for a siege.
+
+There were among the mercenaries many men accustomed to the use of
+engines of war. Many, too, had aided in making them; and these were at
+once set to work to construct the various machines in use at that time.
+Before the invention of gunpowder, castles such as those of the English
+barons were able to defy any attack by an armed force for a long period.
+Their walls were so thick that even the balistas, casting huge stones,
+were unable to breach them except after a very long time. The moats
+which surrounded them were wide and deep, and any attempt at storming by
+ladders was therefore extremely difficult; and these buildings were
+consequently more often captured by famine than by other means. Of
+provisions, as Sir Rudolph knew, there was a considerable supply at
+present in the castle, for he had collected a large number of bullocks in
+order to feed the strong body who had been added to the garrison. The
+granaries, too, were well stored; and with a groan Sir Rudolph thought of
+the rich stores of French wines which he had collected in his cellars.
+
+After much deliberation with the knights with him and the captain of the
+mercenaries, it was agreed in the first instance to attempt to attack the
+place by filling up a portion of the moat and ascending by scaling
+ladders. Huge screens of wood were made, and these were placed on
+waggons; the waggons themselves were filled with bags of earth, and a
+large number of men getting beneath them shoved the ponderous machines
+forward to the edge of the moat. The bags of stones and earth were then
+thrown in, and the waggons pushed backwards to obtain a fresh supply.
+This operation was of course an exceedingly slow one, a whole day being
+occupied with each trip of the waggons. They were not unmolested in their
+advance, for, from the walls, mangonels and other machines hurled great
+stones down upon the wooden screens, succeeding sometimes, in spite of
+their thickness, in crashing through them, killing many of the men
+beneath. The experiment was also tried of throwing balls of Greek fire
+down upon the wood; but as this was green and freshly felled it would not
+take fire, but the flames dropping through, with much boiling pitch and
+other materials, did grievously burn and scald the soldiers working below
+it. Upon both sides every device was tried. The cross-bow men among the
+mercenaries kept up a fire upon the walls to hinder the defenders from
+interfering with the operations, while the archers above shot steadily,
+and killed many of those who ventured within range of their bows.
+
+After ten days' labour, a portion of the moat some twenty yards in
+length was filled with bags of earth, and all was ready for the assault.
+The besiegers had prepared great numbers of strong ladders, and these
+were brought up under shelter of the screens. Then, all being ready, the
+trumpets sounded for the assault, and the troops moved forward in a close
+body, covering themselves with their shields so that no man's head or
+body was visible, each protecting the one before him with his shield held
+over him. Thus the body presented the appearance of a great scale-covered
+animal. In many respects, indeed, the warfare of those days was changed
+in no way from that of the time of the Romans. In the 1200 years which
+had elapsed between the siege of Jerusalem and the days of the crusades
+there had been but little change in arms or armour, and the operations
+which Titus undertook for the reduction of the Jewish stronghold differed
+but little from those which a Norman baron employed in besieging his
+neighbour's castle.
+
+Within Evesham Castle all was contentment and merriment during these
+days. The garrison had no fear whatever of being unable to repel the
+assault when it should be delivered. Huge stones had been collected in
+numbers on the walls, cauldrons of pitch, beneath which fires kept
+simmering, stood there in readiness. Long poles with hooks with which to
+seize the ladders and cut them down were laid there; and all that
+precaution and science could do was prepared.
+
+Cuthbert passed much of the day, when not required upon the walls,
+chatting with the Lady Margaret, who, attended by her maidens, sat
+working in her bower. She had learnt to read from the good nuns of the
+convent--an accomplishment which was by no means general, even among the
+daughters of nobles; but books were rare, and Evesham boasted but few
+manuscripts. Here Margaret learnt in full all the details of Cuthbert's
+adventures since leaving England, and the fondness with which as a child
+she had regarded the lad grew gradually into the affection of a woman.
+
+The courage of the garrison was high, for although they believed that
+sooner or later the castle might be carried by the besiegers, they had
+already been told by Cnut that there was a means of egress unknown to the
+besiegers, and that when the time came they would be able to escape
+unharmed. This, while it in no way detracted from their determination to
+defend the castle to the last, yet rendered their task a far lighter and
+more agreeable one than it would have been had they seen the gallows
+standing before them as the end of the siege. As the testudo, as it was
+called in those days, advanced towards the castle, the machines upon the
+walls--catapults, mangonels, and arbalasts--poured forth showers of
+stones and darts upon it, breaking up the array of shields and killing
+many; and as these openings were made, the archers, seizing their time,
+poured in volleys of arrows. The mercenaries, however, accustomed to war,
+advanced steadily, and made good their footing beneath the castle wall,
+and proceeded to rear their ladders. Here, although free from the action
+of the machines, they were exposed to the hand missiles, which were
+scarcely less destructive. In good order, and with firmness, however,
+they reared the ladders, and mounted to the assault, covering themselves
+as well as they could with their shields. In vain, however, did they
+mount. The defenders poured down showers of boiling pitch and oil, which
+penetrated the crevices of their armour, and caused intolerable torment.
+Great stones were toppled over from the battlements upon them; and
+sometimes the ladders, seized by the poles with hooks, were cast
+backwards, with all upon them, on the throng below. For half-an-hour,
+encouraged by the shouts of Sir Rudolph and their leaders, the soldiers
+strove gallantly; but were at last compelled to draw off, having lost
+nigh 100 men, without one gaining a footing upon the walls.
+
+That evening another council of war was held without. Already some large
+machines for which Sir Rudolph had sent had arrived. In anticipation of
+the possibility of failure, two castles upon wheels had been prepared,
+and between these a huge beam with an iron head was hung. This was upon
+the following day pushed forward on the newly-formed ground across the
+moat. Upon the upper part of each tower were armed men who worked
+machines casting sheaves of arrows and other missiles. Below were those
+who worked the ram. To each side of the beam were attached numerous
+cords, and with these it was swung backwards and forwards, giving heavy
+blows each stroke upon the wall. The machines for casting stones, which
+had arrived, were also brought in play, and day and night these
+thundered against the walls; while the ram repeated its ceaseless blows
+upon the same spot, until the stone crumbled before it.
+
+Very valiantly did the garrison oppose themselves to these efforts. But
+each day showed the progress made by the besiegers. Their forces had been
+increased, Prince John having ordered his captain at Gloucester to send
+another 100 men to the assistance of Sir Rudolph. Other towers had now
+been prepared. These were larger than the first, and overtopped the
+castle walls. From the upper story were drawbridges, so formed as to drop
+from the structures upon the walls, and thus enable the besiegers to rush
+upon them. The process was facilitated by the fact that the battlements
+had been shot away by the great stones, and there was a clear space on
+which the drawbridges could fall. The attack was made with great vigour;
+but for a long time the besieged maintained their post, and drove back
+the assailants as they poured out across the drawbridges on to the wall.
+At last Cuthbert saw that the forces opposed to him were too numerous to
+be resisted, and gave orders to his men to fall back upon the inner keep.
+
+Making one rush, and clearing the wall of those who had gained a footing,
+the garrison fell back hastily, and were safely within the massive keep
+before the enemy had mustered in sufficient numbers upon the wall to
+interfere with them. The drawbridge was now lowered, and the whole of the
+assailants gained footing within the castle. They were still far from
+having achieved a victory. The walls of the keep were massive and strong,
+and its top far higher than the walls, so that from above a storm of
+arrows poured down upon all who ventured to show themselves. The keep had
+no windows low enough down for access to be gained; and those on the
+floors above were so narrow, and protected by bars, that it seemed by
+scaling the walls alone could an entry be effected. This was far too
+desperate an enterprise to be attempted, for the keep rose eighty feet
+above the courtyard. It was upon the door, solid and studded with iron,
+that the attempt had to be made.
+
+Several efforts were made by Sir Rudolph, who fought with a bravery
+worthy of a better cause, to assault and batter down the door. Protected
+by wooden shields from the rain of missiles from above, he and his
+knights hacked at the door with their battle-axes. But in vain. It had
+been strengthened by beams behind, and by stones piled up against it.
+Then fire was tried. Faggots were collected in the forest, and brought;
+and a huge pile having been heaped against the door, it was lighted. "We
+could doubtless prolong the siege for some days, Lady Margaret," said
+Cuthbert, "but the castle is ours; and we wish not, when the time comes
+that we shall again be masters of it, that it should be a mere heap of
+ruins. Methinks we have done enough. With but small losses on our side,
+we have killed great numbers of the enemy, and have held them at bay for
+a month. Therefore, I think that tonight it will be well for us to leave
+the place."
+
+Lady Margaret was rejoiced at the news that the time for escape had come,
+for the perpetual clash of war, the rattling of arrows, the ponderous
+thud of heavy stones, caused a din very alarming to a young girl; and
+although the room in which she sat, looking into the inner court of the
+castle, was not exposed to missiles, she trembled at the thought that
+brave men were being killed, and that at any moment a shot might strike
+Cuthbert, and so leave her without a friend or protector.
+
+Content with having destroyed the door, the assailants made no further
+effort that evening, but prepared in the morning to attack it, pull
+down the stones filled behind it, and force their way into the keep.
+There was, with the exception of the main entrance, but one means of
+exit, a small postern door behind the castle, and throughout the siege
+a strong body of troops had been posted here, to prevent the garrison
+making a sortie.
+
+Feeling secure therefore that upon the following day his enemies would
+fall into his power, Sir Rudolph retired to rest.
+
+An hour before midnight the garrison assembled in the hall. The table was
+removed, and Cuthbert having pressed the spring, which was at a distance
+from the stone and could not be discovered without a knowledge of its
+existence, the stone turned aside by means of a counterpoise, and a
+flight of steps was seen. Torches had been prepared. Cnut and a chosen
+band went first; Cuthbert followed, with Lady Margaret and her
+attendants; and the rest of the archers brought up the rear, a trusty man
+being left in charge at last with orders to swing back the stone into its
+place, having first hauled the table over the spot, so that their means
+of escape should be unknown.
+
+The passage was long and dreary, the walls were damp with wet, and the
+massive doors so swollen by moisture that it was with the greatest
+difficulty they could be opened. At last, however, they emerged into the
+little friary in the wood. It was deserted, the priest who usually dwelt
+there having fled when the siege began. The stone which there, as in the
+castle, concealed the exit, was carefully closed, and the party then
+emerged into the open air. Here Cuthbert bade adieu to his comrades. Cnut
+had very anxiously begged to be allowed to accompany him and share his
+fortunes, and Cuthbert had promised him that if at any time he should
+again take up arms in England, he would summon him to his side, but that
+at present as he knew not whither his steps would be turned, it would be
+better that he should be unattended. The archers had all agreed to
+scatter far and wide through the country, many of them proceeding to
+Nottingham and joining the bands in the forest of Sherwood.
+
+Cuthbert himself had determined to make his way to the castle of his
+friend, Sir Baldwin, and to leave the Lady Margaret in his charge. Cnut
+hurried on at full speed to the house of a franklin, some three miles
+distant. Here horses were obtained and saddled, and dresses prepared; and
+when Cuthbert with Lady Margaret arrived there, no time was lost. Dressed
+as a yeoman, with the Lady Margaret as his sister, he mounted a horse,
+with her behind him on a pillion. The other damsels also mounted, as it
+would not have been safe for them to remain near Evesham. They therefore
+purposed taking refuge in a convent near Gloucester for the present.
+Bidding a hearty adieu to Cnut, and with thanks to the franklin who had
+aided them, they set forward on their journey. By morning they had
+reached the convent, and here the two girls were left, and Cuthbert
+continued his journey. He left his charge at a convent a day's ride
+distant from the castle of Sir Baldwin, as he wished to consult the
+knight first as to the best way of her entering the castle without
+exciting talk or suspicion.
+
+Sir Baldwin received him with joy. He had heard something of his doings,
+and the news of the siege of Evesham had been noised abroad. He told him
+that he was in communication with many other barons, and that ere long
+they hoped to rise against the tyranny of Prince John, but that at
+present they were powerless, as many, hoping that King Richard would
+return ere long, shrank from involving the country in a civil war. When
+Cuthbert told him that the daughter of his old friend was at a convent
+but a day's ride distant, and that he sought protection for her, Sir
+Baldwin instantly offered her hospitality.
+
+"I will," he said, "send my good wife to fetch her. Some here know your
+presence, and it would be better therefore that she did not arrive for
+some days, as her coming will then seem to be unconnected with yourself.
+My wife and I will, a week hence, give out that we are going to fetch a
+cousin of my wife's to stay here with her; and when we return no
+suspicion will be excited that she is other than she seems. Should it be
+otherwise, I need not say that Sir Baldwin of B‚thune will defend his
+castle against any of the minions of Prince John. But I have no fear that
+her presence here will be discovered. What think you of doing in the
+meantime?"
+
+"I am thinking," Cuthbert said, "of going east. No news has been obtained
+of our lord the king save that he is a prisoner in the hands of the
+emperor; but where confined, or how, we know not. It is my intent to
+travel to the Tyrol, and to trace his steps from the time that he was
+captured. Then, when I obtain knowledge of the place where he is kept, I
+will return, and consult upon the best steps to be taken. My presence in
+England is now useless. Did the barons raise the standard of King Richard
+against the prince, I should at once return and join them. But without
+land or vassals, I can do nothing here, and shall be indeed like a hunted
+hare, for I know that the false earl will move heaven and earth to
+capture me."
+
+Sir Baldwin approved of the resolution; but recommended Cuthbert to take
+every precaution not to fall himself into the hands of the emperor;
+"for," he said, "if we cannot discover the prison of King Richard, I fear
+that it would be hopeless indeed ever to attempt to find that in which a
+simple knight is confined."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXV.
+
+IN SEARCH OF THE KING.
+
+
+The following day, with many thanks Cuthbert started from the castle, and
+in the first place visited the convent, and told Lady Margaret that she
+would be fetched in a few days by Sir Baldwin and his wife. He took a
+tender adieu of her, not without many forebodings and tears upon her
+part; but promising blithely that he would return and lead her back in
+triumph to her castle, he bade adieu and rode for London.
+
+He had attired himself as a merchant, and took up his abode at a hostelry
+near Cheapside. Here he remained quietly for some days, and, mixing among
+the people, learnt that in London as elsewhere the rapacity of Prince
+John had rendered him hateful to the people, and that they would gladly
+embrace any opportunity of freeing themselves from his yoke. He was
+preparing to leave for France, when the news came to him that Prince John
+had summoned all the barons faithful to him to meet him near London, and
+had recalled all his mercenaries from different parts of the country, and
+was gathering a large army; also, that the barons faithful to King
+Richard, alarmed by the prospect, had raised the royal standard, and that
+true men were hurrying to their support. This entirely destroyed the
+plans that he had formed. Taking horse again, and avoiding the main road,
+by which he might meet the hostile barons on their way to London, he
+journeyed down to Nottingham. Thence riding boldly into the forest, he
+sought the outlaws, and was not long ere he found them. At his request he
+was at once taken before their leader, a man of great renown both for
+courage and bowmanship, one Robin Hood. This bold outlaw had long held at
+defiance the Sheriff of Nottingham, and had routed him and all bodies of
+troops who had been sent against him. With him Cuthbert found many of his
+own men; and upon hearing that the royal standard had been raised, Robin
+Hood at once agreed to march with all his men to join the royal force.
+Messengers were despatched to summon the rest of the forest band from
+their hiding places, and a week later Cuthbert, accompanied by Robin Hood
+and 300 archers, set out for the rendezvous. When they arrived there they
+found that Sir Baldwin had already joined with his retainers, and was by
+him most warmly received, and introduced to the other barons in the camp,
+by whom Cuthbert was welcomed as a brother. The news that Prince John's
+army was approaching was brought in, a fortnight after Cuthbert had
+joined the camp, and the army in good order moved out to meet the enemy.
+
+The forces were about equal. The battle began by a discharge of arrows;
+but Robin Hood and his men shot so true and fast that they greatly
+discomfited the enemy; and King John's mercenaries having but little
+stomach for the fight, and knowing how unpopular they were in England,
+and that if defeated small mercy was likely to be shown to them, refused
+to advance against the ranks of the loyal barons, and falling back
+declined to join in the fray. Seeing their numbers so weakened by this
+defection, the barons on the prince's side hesitated, and surrounding the
+prince advised him to make terms with the barons while there was yet
+time. Prince John saw that the present was not a favourable time for him,
+and concealing his fury under a mask of courtesy, he at once acceded to
+the advice of his followers, and despatched a messenger to the barons
+with an inquiry as to what they wanted of him. A council was held, and it
+was determined to demand the dismissal of the mercenaries and their
+despatch back to their own country; also that John would govern only as
+his brother's representative; that the laws of the country should be
+respected; that no taxes should be raised without the assent of the
+barons; that all men who had taken up arms against his authority should
+be held free; and that the barons on Prince John's side should return
+peaceably home and disband their forces. Seeing, under the circumstances,
+that there was no way before him but to yield to these demands, Prince
+John accepted the terms. The mercenaries were ordered to march direct to
+London, and orders were given that ships should be at once prepared to
+take them across to Normandy, and the barons marched for their homes.
+
+Satisfied, now that the mercenaries were gone, that they could
+henceforth hold their ground against Prince John, the royal barons also
+broke up their forces. Robin Hood with his foresters returned to
+Sherwood; and Cuthbert, bidding adieu to Sir Baldwin, rode back to
+London, determined to carry out the plan which he had formed. He was the
+more strengthened in this resolution, inasmuch as in the royal camp he
+had met a friend from whom he parted last in the Holy Land. This was
+Blondel, the minstrel of King Richard, whose songs and joyous music had
+often lightened the evening after days of fighting and toil in
+Palestine. To him Cuthbert confided his intention, and the minstrel
+instantly offered to accompany him.
+
+"I shall," he said, "be of assistance to you. Minstrels are like heralds.
+They are of no nationality, and can pass free where a man at arms would
+be closely watched and hindered. Moreover, it may be that I might aid you
+greatly in discovering the prison of the king. So great is the secrecy
+with which this has been surrounded, that I question if any inquiries you
+could make would enable you to trace him. My voice, however, can
+penetrate into places where we cannot enter. I will take with me my lute,
+and as we journey I will sing outside the walls of each prison we come to
+one of the songs which I sang in Palestine. King Richard is himself a
+singer and knows my songs as well as myself. If I sing a verse of some
+song which I wrote there and which, therefore, would be known only to
+him, if he hears it he may follow with the next verse, and so enable us
+to know of his hiding place."
+
+Cuthbert at once saw the advantages which such companionship would bring
+him, and joyfully accepted the minstrel's offer, agreeing himself to go
+as serving man to Blondel. The latter accompanied him to London. Here
+their preparations were soon made, and taking ship in a merchantman bound
+for the Netherlands, they started without delay upon their adventure.
+
+The minstrels and troubadours were at that time a privileged race in
+Europe, belonging generally to the south of France, although produced in
+all lands. They travelled over Europe singing the lays which they
+themselves had composed, and were treated with all honour at the
+castles where they chose to alight. It would have been considered as
+foul a deed to use discourtesy to a minstrel as to insult a herald. Their
+persons were, indeed, regarded as sacred, and the knights and barons
+strove to gain their good will by hospitality and presents, as a large
+proportion of their ballads related to deeds of war; and while they
+would write lays in honour of those who courteously entertained them,
+they did not hesitate to heap obloquy upon those who received them
+discourteously, holding them up to the gibes and scoffs of their
+fellows. In no way, therefore, would success be so likely to attend the
+mission of those who set out to discover the hiding place of King
+Richard as under the guise of a minstrel and his attendant. No questions
+would be asked them; they could halt where they would, in castle or
+town, secure of hospitality and welcome. Blondel was himself a native of
+the south of France, singing his songs in the soft language of
+Languedoc. Cuthbert's Norman French would pass muster anywhere as being
+that of a native of France; and although when dressed as a servitor
+attention might be attracted by his bearing, his youth might render it
+probable that he was of noble family, but that he had entered the
+service of the minstrel in order to qualify himself some day for
+following that career. He carried a long staff, a short sword, and at
+his back the lute or small harp played upon by the troubadour. Blondel's
+attire was rich, and suitable to a person of high rank.
+
+They crossed to the Scheldt, and thence travelled by the right bank of
+the Rhine as far as Mannheim, sometimes journeying by boat, sometimes on
+foot. They were also hospitably entertained, and were considered to more
+than repay their hosts by the songs which Blondel sang. At Mannheim they
+purchased two horses, and then struck east for Vienna. The journey was
+not without danger, for a large portion of this part of Europe was under
+no settled government, each petty baron living in his own castle, and
+holding but slight allegiance to any feudal lord, making war upon his
+neighbour on his own account, levying blackmail from travellers, and
+perpetually at variance with the burghers of the towns. The hills were
+covered with immense forests, which stretched for many leagues in all
+directions, and these were infested by wolves, bears, and robbers. The
+latter, however, although men without pity or religion, yet held the
+troubadours in high esteem, and the travellers without fear entered the
+gloomy shades of the forest.
+
+They had not gone far when their way was barred by a number of armed men.
+
+"I am a minstrel," Blondel said, "and as such doubt not that your
+courtesy will be extended to me."
+
+"Of a surety," the leader said, "the gay science is as much loved and
+respected in the greenwood as in the castle; and moreover, the purses of
+those who follow it are too light to offer any temptation to us. We would
+pray you, however, to accompany us to our leader, who will mightily
+rejoice to see you, for he loves music, and will gladly be your host so
+long as you will stay with him."
+
+Blondel, without objection, turned his horse's head and accompanied the
+men, followed by Cuthbert. After half an hour's travelling, they came to
+a building which had formerly been a shrine, but which was now converted
+to the robbers' headquarters. The robber chief on hearing from his
+followers the news that a minstrel had arrived, came forward to meet him,
+and courteously bade him welcome.
+
+"I am Sir Adelbert, of Rotherheim," he said, "although you see me in so
+poor a plight. My castle and lands have been taken by my neighbour, with
+whom for generations my family have been at feud. I was in the Holy Land
+with the emperor, and on my return found that the baron had taken the
+opportunity of my absence, storming my castle and seizing my lands. In
+vain I petitioned the emperor to dispossess this traitorous baron of my
+lands, which by all the laws of Christendom should have been respected
+during my absence. The emperor did indeed send a letter to the baron to
+deliver them up to me; but his power here is but nominal, and the baron
+contemptuously threw the royal proclamation into the fire, and told the
+messenger that what he had taken by the sword he would hold the sword;
+and the emperor, having weightier matters on hand than to set troops in
+motion to redress the grievances of a simple knight, gave the matter no
+further thought. I have therefore been driven to the forest, where I live
+as best I may with my followers, most of whom were retainers upon my
+estate, and some my comrades in the Holy Land. I make war upon the rich
+and powerful, and beyond that do harm to no man. But, methinks," he
+continued, "I know your face, gentle sir."
+
+"It may well be so, Sir Adelbert," the minstrel said, "for I too was
+in the Holy Land. I followed the train of King Richard, and mayhap at
+some of the entertainments given by him you have seen my face. My name
+is Blondel."
+
+"I remember now," the knight said. "It was at Acre that I first saw you,
+and if I remember rightly you can wield the sword as well as the lute."
+
+"One cannot always be playing and singing," Blondel said, "and in lack of
+amusement I was forced to do my best against the infidel, who indeed
+would have but little respected my art had I fallen into his hands. The
+followers of the prophet hold minstrels but in slight reverence."
+
+"What is the news of King Richard?" the knight said. "I have heard that
+he was lost on the voyage homewards."
+
+"It is not so," Blondel said. "He landed safely on the coast, and was
+journeying north with a view of joining his sister at the Court of
+Saxony, when he was foully seized and imprisoned by the Archduke John."
+
+"That were gross shame indeed," the knight said, "and black treachery on
+the part of Duke John. And where is the noble king imprisoned?"
+
+"That," said Blondel, "no man knows. On my journey hither I have gathered
+that the emperor claimed him from the hand of the Archduke, and that he
+is imprisoned in one of the royal fortresses; but which, I know not. And
+indeed, sir knight, since you are well disposed towards him, I may tell
+you that the purport of my journey is to discover if I can the place of
+his confinement. He was a kind and noble master, and however long my
+search may be, I will yet obtain news of him."
+
+The knight warmly applauded the troubadour's resolution, and was turning
+to lead him into his abode, when his eye fell upon Cuthbert.
+
+"Methinks I know the face of your attendant as well as your own; though
+where I can have seen him I know not. Was he with you in the Holy Land?"
+
+"Yes," Blondel said, "the youth was also there; and doubtless you may
+have noticed him, for he is indeed of distinguished and of good family."
+
+"Then let him share our repast," the knight said, "if it seems good to
+you. In these woods there is no rank, and I myself have long dropped my
+knightly title, and shall not reassume it until I can pay off my score to
+the Baron of Rotherheim, and take my place again in my castle."
+
+The minstrel and Cuthbert were soon seated at the table with the knight
+and one or two of his principal companions. A huge venison pasty formed
+the staple of the repast, but hares and other small game were also upon
+the table. Nor was the generous wine of the country wanting.
+
+The knight had several times glanced at Cuthbert, and at last exclaimed,
+"I have it now. This is no attendant, sir minstrel, but that valiant
+young knight who so often rode near King Richard in battle. He is, as I
+guess, your companion in this quest; is it not so?"
+
+"It is," Cuthbert replied frankly. "I am like yourself, a disinherited
+knight, and my history resembles yours. Upon my return to England I found
+another in possession of the land and titles that belonged to the noble I
+followed, and which King Richard bestowed upon me. The Earl of Evesham
+was doubtless known to you, and before his death King Richard, at his
+request, bestowed upon me as his adopted son--although but a distant
+connexion--his title and lands and the hand of his daughter. Prince John,
+who now rules in England, had however granted these things to one of his
+favourites, and he having taken possession of the land and title, though
+not, happily, of the lady, closed his door somewhat roughly in my face. I
+found means, however, to make my mark upon him; but as our quarrel could
+not be fought out to the end, and as the false knight had the aid of
+Prince John, I am forced for a while to postpone our settlement, and
+meeting my good friend the minstrel, agreed to join him in his enterprise
+to discover our lord the king."
+
+The knight warmly grasped Cuthbert's hand.
+
+"I am glad," he said, "to meet so true and valiant a knight. I have often
+wondered at the valour with which you, although so young, bore yourself;
+and there were tales afloat of strange adventures which you had undergone
+in captivity for a time among the infidels."
+
+At Sir Adelbert's request, Cuthbert related the story of his adventures
+among the Saracens; and then Blondel, tuning his lute, sang several
+canzonets which he had composed in the Holy Land, of feats of arms and
+adventure.
+
+"How far are you," Cuthbert asked presently, when Blondel laid his lute
+aside, "from the estates which were wrongfully wrested from you?"
+
+"But twenty leagues," the knight said. "My castle was on the Rhine,
+between Coblentz and Mannheim."
+
+"Does the baron know that you are so near?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"Methinks that he does not," the knight replied, "but that he deems me to
+have gone to the court of the emperor to seek for redress--which, he
+guesses, I shall certainly fail to obtain."
+
+"How many men have you with you?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"Fifty men, all good and true," the knight said.
+
+"Has it never entered your thoughts to attempt a surprise upon his
+castle?" Cuthbert said.
+
+The knight was silent for a minute.
+
+"At times," he said at length, "thoughts of so doing have occurred to
+me; but the castle is strong, and a surprise would be difficult indeed."
+
+"If the baron is lulled in security at present," Cuthbert said, "and
+deems you afar off, the watch is likely to be relaxed, and with a sudden
+onslaught you might surely obtain possession. Blondel and myself are not
+pressed for time, and the delay of a few days can make but little
+difference. If, therefore, you think we could be of assistance to you in
+such an attempt, my sword, and I am sure that of my friend, would be at
+your disposal."
+
+The knight sat for some time in silence.
+
+"Thanks, generous knight," he said at last, "I am sorely tempted to avail
+myself of your offer; but I fear that the enterprise is hopeless. The
+aid, however, of your arm and knowledge of war would greatly add to my
+chances, and if it pleases you we will ride to-morrow to a point where we
+can obtain a sight of the baron's castle. When you see it, you shall
+judge yourself how far such an enterprise as you propose is possible."
+
+"Is your own castle intact?" Cuthbert asked.
+
+"The walls are standing," he said; "but a breach has been made in them,
+and at present it is wholly deserted."
+
+"Do you think," Cuthbert asked, "that if you succeeded in surprising and
+defeating the garrison of the castle that you could then regain your own,
+and hold it against your enemy?"
+
+"I think that I could," Sir Adelbert said. "The baron's domains are but
+little larger than my own. Many of my retainers still live upon the
+estate, and would; I am sure, gladly join me, if I were to raise my flag.
+The baron, too, is hated by his neighbours, and could I inflict a
+crushing blow upon him, methinks it would be so long a time before he
+could assemble a force, that I might regain my castle and put it in an
+attitude of defence before he could take the field against me."
+
+"If," Cuthbert said, "we could surprise the castle, it might well be that
+the baron would fall into your hands, and in that case you might be able
+to make your own terms with him. How strong a force is he likely to have
+in his castle?"
+
+"Some fifty or sixty men," the knight replied; "for with such a force he
+could hold the castle against an attack of ten times their number, and he
+could in twelve hours call in his retainers, and raise the garrison to
+300 or 400 men."
+
+Blondel warmly assented to Cuthbert's scheme, and it was settled that at
+daybreak they should start to view the Castle of Rotherheim. At early
+dawn they were in the saddle, and the three rode all day, until towards
+sunset they stood on the crest of a hill looking down into the valley of
+the Rhine.
+
+The present aspect of that valley affords but a slight idea of its beauty
+in those days. The slopes are now clad with vineyards, which, although
+picturesque in idea, are really, to look at from a distance, no better
+than so many turnip fields. The vines are planted in rows and trained to
+short sticks, and as these rows follow the declivities of the hillside,
+they are run in all directions, and the whole mountain side, from the
+river far up, is cut up into little patches of green lines. In those days
+the mountains were clad with forests, which descended nearly to the river
+side. Here and there, upon craggy points, were situate the fortalices of
+the barons. Little villages nestled in the woods, or stood by the river
+bank, and a fairer scene could not be witnessed in Europe.
+
+"That is Rotherheim," the knight said, pointing to a fortress standing on
+a crag, which rose high above the woods around it; "and that," he said,
+pointing to another some four miles away, similarly placed, "is my own."
+
+Cuthbert examined closely the fortress of Rotherheim. It was a large
+building, with towers at the angles, and seemed to rise almost abruptly
+from the edge of the rock. Inside rose the gables and round turrets of
+the dwelling-place of the baron; and the only access was by a steep
+winding path on the river side.
+
+"It is indeed a strong place," Cuthbert said, "and difficult to take by
+surprise. A watch no doubt is always kept over the entrance, and there we
+can hope for no success. The only plan will be to scale the wall by means
+of a ladder; but how the ladder is to be got to so great a height, I own
+at present passes my comprehension." After much thought, Cuthbert went
+on, "It might, methinks, be practicable for an archer to approach the
+walls, and to shoot an arrow over the angle of the castle so that it
+would pass inside the turret there, and fall in the forest beyond. If to
+this arrow were attached a light cord, it could be gained by one on the
+other side, and a stronger cord hauled over. To this could be attached a
+rope ladder, and so this could be raised to the top of the wall. If a
+sentinel were anywhere near he might hear the rope pulled across the
+battlements; but if as we may hope, a watch is kept only over the
+entrance, the operation might be performed without attracting notice."
+
+The knight was delighted with the project, which seemed perfectly
+feasible, and it was agreed that the attempt should be made.
+
+"It will need," Sir Adelbert said, "an archer with a strong arm indeed to
+shoot an arrow with a cord attached to it, however light, over the corner
+of the castle."
+
+"Methinks," Cuthbert said, "that I can do that, for as a lad I was used
+to the strong bows of my country. The first thing, however, will be to
+obtain such a bow; but doubtless one can be purchased in one of the
+towns, which, if not so strong as those to which I was accustomed, will
+at any rate suffice for us."
+
+The party bivouacked in the woods for the night, for the horses had
+already done a very long journey, and needed rest before starting back
+for the Black Forest. At daybreak, however, they started, and at
+nightfall rejoined their band. These were delighted when they heard the
+scheme that had been set on foot, and all avowed their eagerness to join
+in the attempt to restore their lord to his rights.
+
+Two days later they set out, having already procured from the nearest
+town a strong bow, some arrows, a very light rope, and a stronger one
+from a portion of which they manufactured a rope ladder capable of
+reaching from the top of the wall to the rock below. The journey this
+time occupied two days, as the men on foot were unable to march at the
+pace at which the mounted party had traversed the ground. The evening
+of the second day, however, saw them in sight of the castle. By
+Cuthbert's advice, Sir Adelbert determined to give them twenty-four
+hours of rest, in order that they might have their full strength for
+undertaking the task before them. During the day, Cuthbert, guided by
+the knight, made his way through the woods to the foot of the rocks on
+which the castle stood. They were extremely steep, but could be mounted
+by active men if unopposed from above. Cuthbert measured the height
+with his eye from the top of the castle wall to the place which he
+selected as most fitting from which to shoot the arrow, and announced
+to the knight that he thought there would be no difficulty in
+discharging an arrow over the angle.
+
+At nightfall the whole party made their way silently through the woods.
+Three men were sent round to the side of the castle opposite that from
+which Cuthbert was to shoot. The length of light string was carefully
+coiled on the ground, so as to unwind with the greatest facility, and so
+offer as little resistance to the flight of the arrow as might be. Then,
+all being in readiness, Cuthbert attached the end to an arrow, and
+drawing the bow to its full compass, let fly the arrow. All held their
+breath; but no sound followed the discharge. They were sure, therefore,
+that the arrow had not struck the wall, but that it must have passed
+clear over it. Half-an-hour elapsed before they felt that the cord was
+pulled, and knew that the men upon the other side had succeeded in
+finding the arrow and string attached. The stronger cord was now fastened
+to that which the arrow had carried, and this gradually disappeared in
+the darkness. A party now stole up the rock, and posted themselves at the
+foot of the castle wall. They took with them the coil of rope-ladder and
+the end of the rope. At length the rope tightened, and to the end they
+attached the ladder. This again ascended until the end only remained upon
+the ground, and they knew that it must have reached the top of the wall.
+They now held fast, and knew that those on the other side, following the
+instructions given them, would have fastened the rope to a tree upon the
+opposite side. They were now joined by the rest of the party, and Sir
+Adelbert leading the way, and followed by Cuthbert and Blondel, began
+cautiously to ascend the rope ladder.
+
+All this time no sound from the castle proclaimed that their intention
+was suspected, or that any alarm had been given, and in silence they
+gained the top of the wall. Here they remained quiet until the whole band
+were gathered there, and then made their way along until they reached the
+stairs leading to the courtyard. These they descended, and then, raising
+his war cry, Sir Adelbert sprang upon the men who, round a fire, were
+sitting by the gate. These were cut down before they could leap to their
+feet, and the party then rushed at the entrance to the dwelling-house.
+The retainers of the castle, aroused by the sudden din, rushed from their
+sleeping places, but taken completely by surprise, were unable to offer
+any resistance whatever to the strong force which had, as if by magic,
+taken possession of the castle. The surprise was complete, and with
+scarce a blow struck they found themselves in possession. The baron
+himself was seized as he rose from his bed, and his rage at finding
+himself in the power of his enemy was so great as for some time to render
+him speechless. Sir Adelbert briefly dictated to him the conditions upon
+which only he should desist from using his power to hang him over his own
+gate. The baron was instantly to issue orders to all his own retainers
+and tenantry to lend their aid to those of Sir Adelbert in putting the
+castle of the latter into a state of defence and mending the breach which
+existed. A sum of money, equal to the revenues of which he had possessed
+himself, was to be paid at once, and the knight was to retain possession
+of Rotherheim and of the baron's person until these conditions were all
+faithfully carried out. The baron had no resource but to assent to these
+terms, and upon the following day Cuthbert and Blondel departed upon
+their way, overwhelmed with thanks by Sir Adelbert, and confident that he
+would now be able to regain and hold the possession of his estate.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXVI.
+
+KING RICHARD'S RETURN TO ENGLAND.
+
+
+Journeying onward, Blondel and his companion stopped at many castles, and
+were everywhere hospitably entertained. Arriving at Vienna they lingered
+for some time, hoping there to be able to obtain some information of the
+whereabouts of King Richard. Blondel in his songs artfully introduced
+allusions to the captive monarch and to the mourning of all Christendom
+at the imprisonment of its champion. These allusions were always well
+received, and he found that the great bulk of the nobles of the empire
+were indignant and ashamed at the conduct of the emperor in imprisoning
+his illustrious rival. The secret of his prison place, however, appeared
+to have been so well kept that no information whatever was obtainable.
+
+"We must carry out our original plan," he said at length, "and journey
+into the Tyrol. In one of the fortresses there he is most likely to be
+confined."
+
+Leaving the capital they wandered up into the mountains for weeks,
+visiting one castle after another. It was no easy matter in all cases to
+get so near to these prisons as to give a hope that their voice might be
+heard within, or an answer received without. More than once cross-bow
+bolts were shot at them from the walls when they did not obey the
+sentinel's challenge and move further away. Generally, however, it was in
+the day time that they sang. Wandering carelessly up, they would sit down
+within earshot of the castle, open their wallets, and take out
+provisions from their store, and then, having eaten and drunk, Blondel
+would produce his lute and sing, as if for his own pleasure. It needed,
+however, four visits to each castle before they could be sure that the
+captive was not there; for the song had to be sung on each side.
+Sometimes they would cheat themselves with the thought that they heard an
+answering voice; but it was not until the end of the fourth week, when
+singing outside the castle of Diernstein, that a full rich voice, when
+Blondel ceased, sang out the second stanza of the poem. With difficulty
+Blondel and Cuthbert restrained themselves from an extravagant exhibition
+of joy. They knew, however, that men on the prison wall were watching
+them as they sat singing, and Blondel, with a final strain taken from a
+ballad of a knight who, having discovered the hiding place of his
+ladylove, prepared to free her from her oppressors, shouldered his lute,
+and they started on their homeward journey.
+
+There was no delay now. At times they sang indeed at castles; but only
+when their store was exhausted, for upon these occasions Blondel would
+be presented with a handsome goblet or other solid token of the owner's
+approval, and the sale of this at the next city would take them far on
+their way. They thought it better not to pass through France, as
+Philip, they knew, was on the watch to prevent any news of King Richard
+reaching England. They therefore again passed through Brabant, and so
+by ship to England.
+
+Hearing that Longchamp, Bishop of Ely, one of Richard's vicegerents, was
+over in Normandy, and rightly deeming him the most earnest of his
+adherents, they at once recrossed the sea, and found the warlike prelate
+at Rouen. Greatly delighted was he at hearing that Richard's hiding-place
+had been discovered. He at once sent across the news to England, and
+ordered it to be published far and wide, and himself announced it to the
+barons of Normandy. Then with a gorgeous retinue, including Cuthbert and
+Blondel, he started for Vienna, and arriving there demanded an interview
+with the emperor.
+
+The news that it was now certain that Richard was imprisoned in a castle
+of the emperor, had already spread through Europe, and the bishop had
+been received everywhere with tokens of sympathy; and so great was the
+feeling shown by the counts and barons of the empire, that the Emperor
+Henry felt that he could no longer refuse to treat for the surrender of
+his captive. Therefore he granted the interview which Longchamp
+demanded. The English envoy was received by the emperor surrounded by his
+nobles. The prelate advanced with great dignity.
+
+"I come," he said, "in the name of the people of England to demand the
+restoration of King Richard, most unjustly and unknightly detained a
+prisoner in his passage through your dominions."
+
+"King Richard was my foe," the emperor said, "open and secret, and I was
+justified in detaining one who is alike my enemy and a scourge to Europe
+as a prisoner, when fortune threw him in my hands. I am, however, willing
+to put him to a ransom, and will upon the payment of 150,000 marks allow
+him to go free."
+
+"I deny your right to detain him or to put him to ransom," the bishop
+said. "But as you have the power, so my denial is useless. England is
+poor, impoverished with war and by the efforts which she made in the
+service of our holy religion. Nevertheless, poor as she is, she will
+raise the sum you demand. There is not an Englishman who will not furnish
+all he can afford for the rescue of our king. But once again, in the
+presence of your nobles, I denounce your conduct as base and unkingly."
+
+The emperor could with difficulty restrain his passion; but the sight of
+the sombre visages of his nobles showed that they shared in no slight
+degree the feelings which the English envoy had so boldly announced.
+
+"Before, however," the emperor said, "I surrender King Richard, he
+must be tried by my peers of many and various crimes of which he is
+accused. Should he be found guilty of these, no gold can purchase his
+release. Should he, however, be acquitted, then as my word is given so
+shall it be."
+
+"Although," the prelate said, "I deny your right to try our king, and
+believe that he himself will refuse to accept your jurisdiction, yet I
+fear not the result if our lord be left in the hands of the nobles of
+the empire and not in yours. I can trust their honour and courtesy."
+
+And turning upon his heel, without another word he quitted the apartment.
+
+An hour later the bishop and his following took horse and rode with all
+speed to the north coast, and thence sailed for England. The news of the
+amount of ransom filled the people with consternation; but preparations
+were at once made for collecting the sum demanded. Queen Eleanor was
+unceasing in her efforts to raise the money for the release of her
+favourite son. The nobles contributed their jewels and silver; the people
+gave contributions of goods, for money was so scarce in England that few
+had the wherewithal to pay in coin. Prince John placed every obstacle in
+the way of the collection; but the barons had since their successful
+stand obtained the upper hand, and it was by intrigue only that he could
+hinder the collection.
+
+In the meantime, popular opinion throughout Europe was strong upon the
+side of King Richard. The pope himself wrote to the emperor on his
+behalf. The barons of the empire were indignant at the shame placed upon
+their country; and the emperor, although he would fain have thrown
+further delays in the way, was obliged at last to order the first step
+to be taken.
+
+A solemn diet was ordered to assemble at Worms. Here were collected all
+the nobles of the empire, and before them King Richard was brought. It
+was a grand assembly. Upon a raised throne on the dais sat the emperor
+himself, and beside him and near him were the great feudatories of the
+empire, and along the sides of the walls were ranged in long rows the
+lesser barons. When the doors were opened and King Richard entered, the
+whole assembly, save the emperor, rose in respect to the captive monarch.
+Although pale from his long confinement, the proud air of Richard was in
+no way abated, and the eyes that had flashed so fearlessly upon the
+Saracens looked as sternly down the long lines of the barons of Germany.
+Of splendid stature and physique, King Richard was unquestionably the
+finest man of his time. He was handsome, with a frank face, but with a
+fierce and passionate eye. He wore his moustache with a short beard and
+closely-cut whisker. His short curly hair was cropped closely to his
+head, upon which he wore a velvet cap with gold coronet, while a scarlet
+robe lined with fur fell over his coat of mail, for the emperor had
+deemed it imprudent to excite the feeling of the assembly in favour of
+the prisoner by depriving him of the symbols of his rank.
+
+King Richard strode to the place prepared for him, and then turning to
+the assembly he said, in a voice which rang through the hall,--
+
+"Counts and lords of the Empire of Germany, I, Richard, King of England,
+do deny your right to try me. I am a king, and can only be tried by my
+peers and by the pope, who is the head of Christendom. I might refuse to
+plead, refuse to take any part in this assembly, and appeal to the pope,
+who alone has power to punish kings. But I will waive my rights. I rely
+upon the honour and probity of the barons of Germany. I have done no man
+wrong, and would appear as fearlessly before an assembly of peasants as
+before a gathering of barons. Such faults as I may have, and none are
+without them, are not such as those with which I am charged. I have slain
+many men in anger, but none by treachery. When Richard of England
+strikes, he strikes in the light of day. He leaves poison and treachery
+to his enemies, and I hurl back with indignation and scorn in the teeth
+of him who makes them the charges brought against me."
+
+So saying King Richard took his seat amidst a murmur of applause from the
+crowded hall.
+
+The trial then commenced. The accusations against Richard were of many
+kinds. Chief among them was the murder of Conrad of Montferat; but there
+were charges of having brought the crusade to naught by thwarting the
+general plans, by his arrogance in refusing to be bound by the decision
+of the other leaders, and by having made a peace contrary to the
+interests of the crusaders. The list was a long one; but the evidence
+adduced was pitiably weak. Beyond the breath of suspicion, no word of
+real evidence connecting him with the murder of Conrad of Montferat was
+adduced, and the other charges were supported by no better evidence. Many
+of the German barons who had been at the crusades themselves came
+forward to testify to the falsity of these charges, and the fact that
+Richard had himself placed Conrad of Montferat upon the throne, and had
+no possible interest in his death, was alone more than sufficient to
+nullify the vague rumours brought against him. Richard himself in a few
+scornful words disposed of this accusation. The accusation that he,
+Richard of England, would stoop to poison a man whom he could have
+crushed in an instant, was too absurd to be seriously treated.
+
+"I am sure," the king said, "that not one person here believes this idle
+tale. That I did not always agree with the other leaders is true; but I
+call upon every one here to say whether, had they listened to me and
+followed my advice, the crusade would not have had another ending. Even
+after Phillip of France had withdrawn; even after I had been deserted by
+John of Austria, I led the troops of the crusaders from every danger and
+every difficulty to within sight of the walls of Jerusalem. Had I been
+supported with zeal, the holy city would have been ours; but the apathy,
+the folly, and the weakness of the leaders brought ruin upon the army.
+They thought not of conquering Jerusalem, but of thwarting me; and I
+retort upon them the charge of having sacrificed the success of the
+crusade. As to the terms of peace, how were they made? I, with some fifty
+knights and 1000 followers alone remained in the Holy Land. Who else, I
+ask, so circumstanced, could have obtained any terms whatever from
+Saladin? It was the weight of my arm alone which saved Jaffa and Acre,
+and the line of seacoast, to the Cross. And had I followed the example
+set me by him of Austria and the Frenchman, not one foot of the Holy Land
+would now remain in Christian hands."
+
+The trial was soon over, and without a single dissentient the King of
+England was acquitted of all the charges brought against him. But the
+money was not yet raised, and King Richard was taken back into the heart
+of Germany. At length, by prodigious exertions, half the amount claimed
+was collected, and upon the solicitations of the pope and of the counts
+of his own empire, the emperor consented to release Richard upon, receipt
+of this sum and his royal promise that the remainder should be made up.
+
+Not as yet, however, were the intrigues at an end. Prince John and King
+Phillip alike implored the emperor to retain his captive, and offered to
+him a larger sum than the ransom if he would still hold him in his hands.
+Popular opinion was, however, too strong. When the news of these
+negotiations became bruited abroad, the counts of the empire, filled with
+indignation, protested against this shame and dishonour being brought
+upon the country. The pope threatened him with excommunication; and at
+last the emperor, feeling that he would risk his throne did he further
+insist, was forced to open the prison gates and let the king free.
+Cuthbert, Blondel, and a few other trusty friends were at hand, and their
+joy at receiving their long-lost sovereign was indeed intense. Horses had
+been provided in readiness, and without a moment's delay the king
+started, for even at the last moment it was feared that the emperor might
+change his mind. This indeed was the case. The king had not started many
+hours, when the arrival of fresh messengers from Phillip and John induced
+the emperor once more to change his intentions, and a body of men were
+sent in pursuit of the king. The latter fortunately made no stay on the
+way, but changing horses frequently--for everywhere he was received with
+honour and attention--he pushed forward for the coast of the North Sea,
+and arrived there two or three hours only before his oppressors.
+Fortunately it was night, and taking a boat he embarked without a
+moment's delay; and when the emissaries of the emperor arrived the boat
+was already out of sight, and in the darkness pursuit was hopeless.
+
+On landing at Dover, the first to present himself before him was Prince
+John, who, in the most abject terms besought pardon for the injuries he
+had inflicted. King Richard waved him contemptuously aside.
+
+"Go," he said, "and may I forget your injuries as speedily as you will
+forget my pardon."
+
+Then taking horse, he rode on to London, where he was received with the
+most lively acclamation by his subjects.
+
+The first step of King Richard was to dispossess all the minions of John
+from the castles and lands which had been taken from his faithful
+adherents. Some of these resisted; but their fortresses were speedily
+stormed. Sir Rudolph was not one of these. Immediately the news of King
+Richard's arrival in England reached him, feeling that all was now lost,
+he rode to the seacoast, took ship, and passed into France, and Cuthbert,
+on his arrival at Evesham, found himself undisputed lord of the place. He
+found that the hiding-place of his mother had not been discovered, and,
+after a short delay to put matters in train, he, attended by a gallant
+retinue, rode into Wiltshire to the castle of Sir Baldwin of B‚thune.
+Here he found the Lady Margaret safe and sound, and mightily pleased to
+see him. She was now seventeen, and offered no objections whatever to the
+commands of King Richard that she should at once bestow her hand upon the
+Earl of Evesham. By the king's order, the wedding took place at London,
+the king himself bestowing the bride upon his faithful follower, whom we
+may now leave to the enjoyment of the fortune and wife he had so
+valiantly won.
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Winning His Spurs, by George Alfred Henty
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12308 ***