G.A.HENTY 
 
2RSITY 
 
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 Science 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/boyknighttaleofcOOhent 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
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 4 V 1 
 
 A TALE OF THE CRUSADE, 
 
 By G. A. HENTY, 
 
 duiker of "Jack Archer,^ "The Young Buglers" "2%a¥&Wi& 
 Gobf/nubBi' etc., et 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS* 
 
 
 Nk*„ /i| #;£' 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HURST & COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS. 
 
HENTY SERIES FOR BOYS. 
 
 UNIFORM WITH 
 
 THIS VOLUME. 
 
 By G. A. 
 
 HENTY. 
 
 Among Malay Pirates. 
 
 Jack Archer. 
 
 Bonnie Prince Charlie. 
 
 Lion of St. Mark, The. 
 
 Boy Knight, The. 
 
 Lion of the North, Tha 
 
 Bravest of the Brave, The. 
 
 Lost Heir, The. 
 
 By England's Aid. 
 
 Maori and Settler. 
 
 By Pike and Dyke. 
 
 One of the 28th. 
 
 By Right of Conquest. 
 
 Orange and Green. 
 
 By Sheer Pluck. 
 
 Out on the Pampas. 
 St. George for England. 
 
 Captain Bayley's Heir. 
 
 Cat of Bubastes, The. 
 
 Sturdy and Strong. 
 
 Cornet of Horse, The. 
 
 Through the Fray. 
 True to the Old Flag. 
 
 Dragon and the Raven. 
 
 Facing Death. 
 
 Under Drake's Flag. 
 
 Final Reckoning, A. 
 For Name and Fame. 
 
 With Clive in India. 
 
 With Lee in Virginia. 
 With Wolfe in Canada. 
 
 For the Temple. 
 
 Friends, Though Divided. 
 
 Young Buglers, The. 
 
 Golden Canon, The. 
 
 Young Carthaginian, The. 
 
 In Freedom's Cause. 
 
 Young Colonists, The. 
 
 In the Reign of Terror.' 
 
 Young Franc-Tireurs, The. 
 
 In Times of Peril. 
 
 Young Midshipman, The. 
 
 Price Post-Paid, jjc 
 
 each, or any three 
 
 books fo 
 
 r $1.00. 
 
 HURST & 
 
 COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS, 
 
 New York. 
 
 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. am 
 
 The Outlaws ......••.•»», •«•••• 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 A Rescue ....... ••••«.•«•••••••• 13 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Capture of WorthamHold. «** , e . ••••••■ S3 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Crusades . *..*«.*• . s3 « 88 
 
 CHAPTER V, 
 Preparations. ......... . .....»».. ; =.«..».».<? * M 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 TheLissSo., ........ 68 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Revenge.. .,,«««»,»«». *.., i.... .••.>»•••«••••••••••• 67 
 
 CHAPTER Via 
 Th* Attack........ .....,........••••••. 78 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 The Princess Berengaria ....... .••<.•••«»«». 88 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Pirates. „..,.=,.. ,........,.,...,.101 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 In the Holy Land 112 
 
 CHAPTER X1L 
 The Accolade......... - 124 
 
 696728 
 
fr CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL mm 
 
 In the Hands of the Saracens ..••••••••»•••• 15J5 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 An Effort for Freedom ...«•. 141 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 A Hermit's Tale, ..».....„ „ 159 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 A Fight of Heroes...., 17C 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 An Alpine Storm, „.. . 183 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Sentenced to Death 196 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 Dresden 310 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Under the Greenwood. 223 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 The Attempt on the Convent 236 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 A Dastardly Stratagem 250 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 The False and Perjured Knight 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 The Siege of Evesham Castle 276 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 In Search of the King 290 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 King Richard's Return to England. ,....», .<,.».....,. 306 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT, 
 
 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 foaxon 
 blood. The boy looked anxiously as party after party 
 rode past toward 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 
 
2 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 newcomer 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 favor 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 council," 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 neighbors, 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 <J pond of not over savory 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 fall- 
 ing in force upon that evil-disposed and most treacher- 
 ous 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 3 
 
 have to be fonght out sooner or later, and the sooner the 
 belter, 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 leveling 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 further, 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 devour- 
 ing 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 un- 
 dulated 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 
 if. to be the abode of a Saxon franklin of some impor- 
 tance. It would not be called a castle, but was rather a 
 fortified house, with a few windows looking without, 
 
4 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Swii 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 con- 
 sidered 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 
 farmhouse. In many cases, of course, their lot was ren- 
 dered 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 5 
 
 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 in- 
 numerable wars in which our first Norman kings were 
 constantly involved. On entering the gates of Erstwood 
 Cutlibert 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 morn- 
 ing 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 favor 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 liege- 
 man'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 Konald my pony and ride to v^arn them 
 of the danger that threatens." 
 
 "You had best go on foot, my son, Doub^V-M men 
 
6 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 have been set to see that none from the Saxon home- 
 steads 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," lie said. "I have no 
 cause for offense 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 may be there to see." 
 
 A few minutes later, having changed his blue doublet 
 for one of more sober and less noticeable color, 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 m which landlords stand to theil 
 tenants, payment being made, for the most part, in pro- 
 duce. At the edge of the wood the trees grew compara- 
 tively far apart, but as Cuthbert proceeded further 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 
 
TEE BO 7 ENIQET. 7 
 
 space, probably cleared by a storm ages before, and over- 
 shadowed 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, while 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 long bow 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 dan- 
 ger. 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 
 
8 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 miles round are riding in, and at least five hundred 
 men-at-arms are likely to do chase to-day." 
 
 "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 serv- 
 ice indeed. With fair warning we can slip through the 
 fingers of ten times five hundred 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 mace3 
 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 neighbor 
 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 neighbors, he is content with a fail 
 tithe of the produce, and as between man and man is s 
 fair judge without favor. 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 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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, laugh- 
 ing. "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 neighbors 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 shouders of two of the 
 men. The drinking cups, some of which were of silver, 
 looking strangely out of place among the rough horn 
 implements aud 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 awhile motionless 
 intently listening. 
 
 In a quarter of an hour he heard the distant note of a 
 bugle. 
 
10 TEE BOT KNIGHT. 
 
 It was answered in three different directions, and Cuth- 
 berfc, who knew every path and glade of the forest, was 
 able pretty accurately to surmise those routes by which 
 the various bands were then commencing to enter the 
 wood. 
 
 Knowing that they were still a long way off, he ad- 
 vanced 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 favorite 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 11 
 
 group. The retainers were cut to the ground before 
 they had thought of drawing a sword in defense. 
 
 The nurse was slain by a blow with a battle-ax, and 
 Margaret, snatched from her palfrey, was thrown across 
 the saddlebow of one of the mounted men, who thea 
 with his comrades dashed off at full speed. 
 
18 THE BOY EMGHT. 
 
 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 horse- 
 men would travel would be far longer than the direct 
 line across the 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. 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT, 13 
 
 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. 
 
14 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 '"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 liorn 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, fol- 
 lowed by those assembled there, went off at a swinging 
 trot through the glades toward 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 con- 
 cluded 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. 
 
 "Eemember," 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 
 M r as seen through the trees. They were sr 3 thirty in 
 number, and, closely grouped as they were together, the 
 watchers behind the trees could not sec 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 15 
 
 their swords, endeavored to rush at their concealed foes, 
 while others dashed forward in the hope of riding 
 through the snare into which they had fallen. Cuth- 
 bert had leveled his croMbow, but had not fired; he was 
 watching with intense anxiety for a glimpse of the 
 bright-colored dress of the child. Soon he saw a horse« 
 man 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 leveled 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 leaped 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, rais- 
 ing 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 toward 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 damn- 
 ing for Evesham Forest." 
 
 A litter was speedily made with boughs; on this Mar- 
 garet was placed, and on the shoulders of two stout 
 foresters started for home,, Cnut and Cuthbert walking 
 
16 fEE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 beside, and a few of the band keeping at a short distance 
 behind, as a sort of rearguard should the baron attempt 
 to regain his prey. 
 
 There was now no cause for speed, and Cnthbert in 
 truth could scarce drag one foot before another, for he 
 had already traversed over twenty miles, the greater por- 
 tion 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 Outhbert'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 toward it, and it wag 
 clear that only now the party wera 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 rid- 
 ing 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 toward 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 dis- 
 mounted from his horse his daughter sprang out and 
 leaped into his arms. 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 17 
 
 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 rase 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 coun- 
 cil 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 consul- 
 tation and discussion between the outlaws as to the ex- 
 
18 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 pediency 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; 
 armorers were at work repairing headpieces and breast- 
 plates, 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 dis- 
 posal 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 volun- 
 teer, 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 bowshot of the castle wall. 
 
 It was a force of some four hundred strong that issued 
 from the wood early next morning to attack the strong- 
 hold at Wortham. The force consisted of some ten or 
 twelve knights and barons, some one hundred and fifty 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 19 
 
 or one hundred and sixty Norman men-at-arms, a mis- 
 cellaneous gathering of other retainers, two hundred 
 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 blood- 
 shed. The earl, then, could not have suffered these men 
 to fight under his flag until purged in some way of their 
 offenses. 
 
 This arrangement suited the foresters well. 
 
 Their strong point was shooting; and by taking up 
 their 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, stig- 
 matized 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 Eves- 
 ham, the representative of King Eichard. 
 
 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 be- 
 sieged 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 hostili- 
 ties would break out. 
 
 He had therefore been for some time quietly accumu- 
 lating 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 
 
20 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 Btroke 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, be- 
 seeching 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 dis- 
 tance might be expected to reply later to the appeal. 
 
 There were many among the barons who considered 
 the mildness of the Earl of Evesham toward 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 bu'u 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 oppo- 
 site to the drawbridge; while in the center of the castle 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 21 
 
 rose the keep from whose summit the archers, and the 
 machines for casting stones and darts, could command 
 the whole circuit of defense. 
 
 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 
 marveled much in what manner an attack upon so fair 
 a fortress would be commenced. 
 
 "It will be straightforward work to attack the out- 
 work," 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 use- 
 less 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 pre- 
 vented 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 speed- 
 ily 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 backward by the defenders, they finally 
 succeeded in getting a footing on the wall. 
 
22 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 Once there, the combat was virtually over. 
 
 The defenders were either cut down or taken pris- 
 oners, 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 t© 
 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 wail. And now that the out- 
 work 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 Guthbert returned to the farm. 
 
TEE BO 7 KNIGHT. 23 
 
 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 eastle 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 
 
84 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 of the secrets of the castle. He and some others had 
 been kept in the walls for many months, and were en- 
 gaged 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 be- 
 yond 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 clew 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. Ae 
 we neared the castle I saw my father and three other of 
 the workmen, together with the baron, coming down 
 from the castle toward 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 toward 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?" 
 
TEE BOT KNIGHT. 25 
 
 •'Because ray mother said that she thought some im- 
 portant 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 
 rumor 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 informa- 
 tion 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 with- 
 draw quietly and make his way here. I have an impor- 
 tant 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." 
 
26 -THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 w^re obliged to chop down dozens of 
 young saplings to make their way up from the water 
 toward the steeper ^art 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 tljink it would be like, Cnut?" Cuth- 
 bert 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, amid a 
 suppressed laugh from his comrades. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 27 
 
 "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 hillside, at the end of 
 which stood a low door. 
 
 "Here it is," said Onut, with triumph, "and the castle 
 is ours. Thanks, Cuthbert, for your thought and intel- 
 ligence. 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 further 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 pos- 
 session 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 favor. 
 However, sir, it can do no harm if you will wait till them, 
 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 
 
28 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 pretense of an attack." 
 
 Two or three hours before daylight Cuthbert accom- 
 panied 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 pried 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 BOY KNIGHT. 29 
 
 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 return- 
 ing, doubtless that of the man who had oiled the lock 
 the day before, the passage appeared to have been un- 
 used from the time that it left the hands of its builders. 
 
 Parsing 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 de- 
 fending 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 un- 
 fastened, 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. 
 
30 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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 me- 
 thinks 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 quarter- staff, 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 work- 
 ing machines casting javelins, stones, and other missiles 
 upon the besiegers, that they were unaware of the addi- 
 tion 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 Guth- 
 bert, 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 BO Y KNIGHT. 31 
 
 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 de- 
 fenders of the castle. The Baron of Wortham was in- 
 deed 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 com- 
 paratively few and ineffective. The besiegers scarcely 
 appeared to push forward their bridges with any vigor, 
 and it seemed to him that a coldness had fallen upon 
 them, and that some disagreement must have arisen be- 
 tween 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 be- 
 hind 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 unob- 
 served. 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 
 
32 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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, disheart- 
 ened 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 Nor- 
 man 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIQSX. 
 
 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 
 neighbors 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 them- 
 selves, 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 homeward. "It is to you that I am 
 
34 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Eichard 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 sepulcher from the infidels. 
 I douat whether the minds of the people are quite pre- 
 pared, 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 35 
 
 "I have heard much of these crusades," he said; 
 "canst tell me about them?" 
 
 "In truth I know not much, my son; but Father Fran- 
 cis, 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 con- 
 vent on his ambling nag, Outhbert 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 posses- 
 sion 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 sepulcher of the Lord from the hands of 
 these heathens. Pope Urban was the first to give author- 
 ity and strength to the movement, and at a vast meeting 
 at Claremont of thirty thousand clergy and four thou- 
 sand 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 sepulcher 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 dis~ 
 
36 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 cipline, 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 rav- 
 aged the fields, they came to Bulgaria. Here the peo- 
 ple, 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 num- 
 bers 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 
 two hundred and fifty thousand persons, only about one 
 hundred thousand 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 Nicsea. There they fell into 
 an ambuscade; and out of the whole of the undisciplined 
 masses who had followed Peter the Hermit, it is doubt- 
 ful whether ten thousand ever returned home. 
 
 "This first attempt to rescue the holy sepulcher was 
 followed by others equally wild, misguided, and unfor- 
 tunate. 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, noth- 
 ing to do with the question of the holy sepulcher. 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 t© the sword. 
 
 "Thus, in these irregular expeditions no less than five 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 3 7 
 
 hundred thousand 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 Bald- 
 win, the Counts of Auault 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 Eobert, 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 seven hundred 
 thousand fighting men. Of these one hundred thousand 
 were knights clad in complete armor, 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 cru- 
 saders afterward defeated the Turks in a great battle 
 near the town of Doryleum. After these successes dis- 
 putes arose among the leaders, and Count Baldwin, 
 brother of Duke Godfrey, left the main body with about 
 fifteen hundred men, and founded a kingdom for him- 
 self in Mesopotamia. 
 
 "The main body, slowly and painfully, and suffering 
 from disease, famine, and the heat, made its way southc 
 
38 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 fooL that could be brought from the surrounding coun- 
 try 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 r 
 However, when in the last strait the Christian army sal- 
 lied out, and inspired with supernatural strength, 
 defeated the Turks and Persians, with a slaughter of one 
 hundred thousand men. Another slow movement to 
 the south brought them into the Holy Land, and press- 
 ing forward they came at last within sight of Jerusalem 
 itself. 
 
 "So fearful had been the losses of the crusaders that of 
 seven hundred thousand who crossed the Hellespont, not 
 more than forty thousand reached the end of the pil- 
 grimage. 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 Bouilloa 
 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 appear- 
 ance. They were provided with stores, and had skilled 
 workmen capable of making the machines for the siege. 
 On July 14, 1099, the attack was made, and after 
 resistance gallant and desperate as the assault, the crusa- 
 4ers burst into the city, massacred the whole of the 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 39 
 
 defenders and inhabitants, calculated at seventy thou- 
 sand in number, and so became masters of the holy 
 sepulcher. 
 
 "The Sultan of Egypt was meanwhile advancing to 
 the assistance of the Mohammedans of Syria; but God- 
 frey, with twenty thousand 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 Jeru- 
 salem, and the rest of his army — save three hundred 
 knights and two hundred soldiers, who agreed to remain 
 with him — returned to their homes. The news of the 
 victory led other armies of crusaders to follow the exam- 
 ple of that of Godfrey; but as these were almost as com- 
 pletely 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 one hundred 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 sepulcher against the infidel, our 
 held 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 sixty thousand men. 
 
4:0 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 The King of France, with his army, was also attacked 
 with fury, and a large portion of his force were slaugh- 
 tered. 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 extraor- 
 dinary 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 sepulcher, 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 sepulcher, 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 sepulcher from the hands of the infidels they 
 will be able to maintain it against all assaults. Doubt- 
 less 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 41 
 
 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 de- 
 spised — but I mean that they should lay aside all 
 thoughts of worldly glory and rivalry one against an- 
 other." 
 
 "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 praise- 
 worthy, 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 armor 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 Eng- 
 land?" 
 
 "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 quali- 
 ties 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 English- 
 
42 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 men. I intend to preach on the village green at Eves- 
 ham 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 labor. 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 foot- 
 men 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 ho 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 awhile 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, "n6 
 doubt your eloquence on the green will turn me mightily 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 43 
 
 to the project, for you must allow that tho 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." 
 
44 THE BO Y KNIGHT, j 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 PREPARATIONS. 
 
 Nest 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 sepulcher. 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 
 sepulcher 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 re- 
 turned from the East, and who could tell of the cruelties 
 which the Christians had suffered at the hands of the 
 Saracens. 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 45 
 
 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, 
 hanger and thirst must be dared, as well as the sword of 
 the mfidel. 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 
 naught to the enthusiasm which greeted the address of 
 the friar. 
 
 Meager 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 him- 
 self 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 Chris- 
 tianity because of the lukewarmness which had come 
 upon them. 
 
 "What profited it," he asked, "if the few knights who 
 
46 THE BO 7 KNIOHT. 
 
 remained to defend the holy sepulcher were heroes? A 
 few heroes cannot withstand an army. If Christendom 
 after making a mighty effort to capture the holy 
 sepulcher 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 fervor will avail; .ravery at first, endurance 
 afterward are needed. Many men must determine not 
 only to assist to wrest the holy sepulcher from the hands 
 of the intidels, 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 them- 
 selves to take and defend to death the holy sepulcher." 
 
 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 ills hearers. 
 
 Falling upon their knees, the crowd begged of him to 
 give them the sign of the cross, and to bestow his Mess- 
 ing 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. 
 
TEE BOT KNIGHT. 4? 
 
 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 
 Bichard is prepared to start, then will you be called upon 
 to fulfill 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 pro- 
 tectors 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 author- 
 ity 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 ban- 
 ner; 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 one hundred skillful 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 
 bis side; and between the influence of her confessor, and 
 
48 THE BOY KNIQHT* 
 
 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 enthu- 
 siastic 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 at- 
 tained 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. Re 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, 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 49 
 
 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 for- 
 tunes, at their various holds; to stand by and watch the 
 armorers 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 con- 
 tribute 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 fluting 
 out of this great enterprise. 
 
 The preparations were at last complete, and a gallant 
 band gathered at the castle ready for starting. It con- 
 sisted of some two hundred men-at-arms led by six 
 knights, and of one hundred bowmen dressed in Lincoln 
 green, with quiited jerkins to keep out the arrows of the 
 enemy. All the country from around gathered to see 
 
50 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 the start. Dame Editha was there, and by her side stood 
 the earl's little daughter. The earl himself was in 
 armor^ 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 Mar- 
 garet joined in her tears. The people who had gathered 
 round cheered lustily; the trumpets blew a gay fanfaron- 
 ade; and the squire threw to the wind the earl's colors. 
 
 It was no mere pleasure trip on which they were start- 
 ing, 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 pres- 
 ent 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 sepulcher 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGH1. 51 
 
 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 has- 
 tening 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 pur- 
 chase or pillage, as the case might be, from the surround- 
 ing 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 in- 
 habitants; 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 Cnthbert, "what 
 will it be after we have joined the French army? Me- 
 thinks whatever we may do if we reach the Holy Land, 
 that we have a fair chance of being starved before we 
 sail." 
 
52 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 one hundred thousand 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 colors of its owner, and side by side in the 
 center of the camp stood the royal pavilions of Philip 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 colors, the 
 gay dresses, the martial knights, and the air of disci- 
 pline 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 alto- 
 gether altered, and indeed destroyed, by modern arms. 
 
 In those days individual prowess and bravery went for 
 everything. A handful of armored 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. 
 
TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 53 
 
 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 armorers 
 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 country- 
 men and women came in to bring their presents of fowls 
 or cakes to their friends in camp; knights rode to and 
 fro on their gayly caparisoned horses through the crowd; 
 the newly raised levies, in many cases composed of wood- 
 men 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 neighborhood, 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 gayety, and loud shouts, and per- 
 haps 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 
 
54 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 con- 
 duct 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 exhorta- 
 tions 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 listen- 
 ing 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 Outhbert observed the beginnings of quarrels, 
 which were in each case only checked by the interven- 
 tion 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 Eichard'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 Outhbert, watching narrowly 
 what was going on, that there existed by no means a 
 
TEE BO 7 KNIGHT. 55 
 
 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 acknowl- 
 edged 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 neighbors, 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." 
 
56 TEE BOY KXIQH1; 
 
 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 enor- 
 mous 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 mus- 
 tache and pointed beard at that time in fashion; and 
 although his expression was generally that of frankness 
 and good humor, 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 suc- 
 cess 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, 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 57 
 
 •specially 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 per- 
 sonal 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 hiz 
 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 contradic- 
 tion, 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 
 
68 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 to all. It might be that ho had a special hostility to t'be 
 English. At any rate, his remarks were calculated to 
 fire the anger of the earl. 
 
 He began the conversation by wondering how a Nor- 
 man 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 grand- 
 fathers had entertained contempt. 
 
 He angrily repelled the attack upon them by the Bra- 
 bant 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 boast- 
 fulness 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 yoa in 
 my pocket for a little hop-of-my-thumb as you are." 
 
 "I think," said Sir Jacquelin — for the boys' voices 
 boih rose loud — to the earl, "you had better send that 
 brat home and order him ti* v .e 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." 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 59 
 
 Higher and higher the dispute rose, until some angry 
 word caught the ear of the king. 
 
 Amid the general buzz of voices King Philip rose,, and 
 speaking a word to King Bichard, moved from the table, 
 thus giving the sign for the breaking up of the feast. 
 
 Immediately afterward 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 Philip 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 sepulcher 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 sepulcher from the 
 infidel? No, sirs, you must lay aside your feuds, and 
 
60 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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." 
 
 "Tii^ 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 Kichard, "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 honor 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 
 Kichard. "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 fhat 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 Bichard 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 61 
 
 King Philip 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 Philip 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 direc- 
 tions. 
 
 "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 in nowise pledged yourself in the same fashion, and 
 as their majesties feel somewhat dull while waiting here, 
 it is determined that the quarrel between the count and 
 me, and between you and the count's page, shall be settled 
 by a fight between you two in the presence of the kings." 
 
 "Well, sir," Cuthbert said, "I am glad that it should 
 be, seeing the varlet insulted me without any 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," Cuth- 
 bert said. "As you know, sir, I have been well trained 
 
02 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 these 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 differ- 
 ence 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 armorer," 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 armor and a helmet which would press me 
 down and a visor through which I could scarce see. 
 The lighter "the better, for after all if my sword cannot 
 keep my head, sooner or later the armor would fail to 
 do so too." 
 
 The armorer 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 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 83 
 
 them in. 4! Will you want a light sword and battle-ax?" 
 
 "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 regu- 
 lar 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 Eichard'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. Eound the inclosure the 
 men-at-arms forced 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 Eichard was evidently in a state 
 of high good humor, 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 Eichard; 
 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. 
 
64 TEE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 He had reserved to himself the right of throwing down 
 the baton when the combat was to cease, and he deter- 
 mined 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 trum- 
 peters 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 armor— 
 of course without the gold spurs which were the distin- 
 guishing 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 
 armor, 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 cham- 
 pion, even though that champion were a boy. 
 
 "Brother Philip," he said, turning to the king, "I 
 will wager my gold chain against yours on yonder strip* 
 Lng." 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 65 
 
 "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 balk 
 your wish. My chaiu 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-ax. 
 
 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 
 a foot shorter. Constant exercise, however, had hard- 
 ened 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 diffi- 
 culty enabled to guard; but when the first paroxysm of 
 his adversary's attack had passed, he took to the offen- 
 sive, and drove his opponent back step by step. With 
 his sword, however, he was unable to cut through the 
 armor of the Frenchman, but in the course of the en- 
 counter, guarding a severe blow aimed at him, his sword 
 was struck from his hand, and he then, seizing his ax, 
 made such play with it that his foe dropped his osvn 
 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 
 
6 6 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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, bring- 
 ing him to the knee. In an instant he was up, and be- 
 fore his foe could be again on guard, he whirled his ax 
 round with all its force, and bringing it just at the point 
 of the visor which he had already weakened with re- 
 peated blows, the edge of the ax stove clean through 
 the armor, and the page was struck senseless to the 
 ground. 
 
 A great shout broke from the English portion of the 
 soldiery as Cuthbert leaned 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 Cuth- 
 bert to the royal inclosure. 
 
 "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 occa- 
 sion 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 honor of his country; and mark 
 me, if at any time you require a boon, bring or send me 
 that chain, and thou shalt 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 himseif. So soon as 
 thou thinkest him fit for the knightly Tank I myself will 
 administer the accolade," 
 
IHE BOY KNIGHT. 8? 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 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 honor 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 honor and gl#ry, and 
 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 cer- 
 tainly the will to injure us to the death. I marked the 
 eye of Count Jacqueline during the fight, and agaia 
 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 youngei 
 than himself. It will be well to keep upon your guard, 
 and not to go out at night unattended. Keep Cnut near 
 you; he is faithful as a watch-dog, and would give his 
 
68 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 neighborhood; 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 out- 
 lawed, 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 en- 
 camped 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 dis- 
 tricts 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 to 
 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 already quiet, for the inhabitants cared 
 not to show themselves in the streets now that such a 
 large army of fierce men were in the neighborhood- 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 69 
 
 The orders 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 peremptory 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 unmo- 
 lested 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 sud- 
 den 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 defense was hopeless, took to his heels and ran 2ov 
 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 and scabbard 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 
 
70 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 and armor, 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 
 ?arried up to a cell in the building where the leech of 
 ■jfoe monastery speedily examined his wound, and pro- 
 nounced that although his life was not in danger by it, 
 h© was greatly weakened by the loss of blood, that the 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 71 
 
 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 re- 
 stored 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 dispatched 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 twenty-five 
 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 lookout, 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 pro- 
 tection against them, and could even have the strangers 
 
72 TEE BOT KNIGHT. 
 
 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 lookout, and the dan- 
 ger 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 live 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 mayoi 
 would protect you from them when you have left the 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 73 
 
 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 differ- 
 ence. 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 wails 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, assur- 
 ing 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, 
 
74 THE B07 KNIGHT. 
 
 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 canuot 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 Cuth- 
 bert, the latter said, "Good Father, I have determined 
 not to endeavor to make off in disguise. I doubt 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 armor, 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 afterward 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: 
 
 "Pestel 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 know- 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 75 
 
 ing who he was, but finding that he still breathed, car- 
 ried 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 re- 
 mained 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 miss- 
 ing page were discovered, or if, he being killed, his 
 murderers were not brought to justice and punished, he 
 would assuredly on his retm*n 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 as not, he may never re- 
 turn. 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 clew. 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 honor. The earl left in my charge 
 
76 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 your horse, and the armor 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 locomo- 
 tion, the difficulties of the journey down to Marseilles 
 had borely puzzled him. But with his good horse be- 
 tween his knees, and his suit of Milan armor 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 assail- 
 ants 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 hang- 
 ing indeed to insure 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, intend- 
 ing 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGIIT. 77 
 
 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 with- 
 out 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 armor 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 armor 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. 
 
78 TEE BO Y KNIGHT, 
 
 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 dis- 
 missed 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 twenty-two or twenty-three, 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 voca- 
 tion, 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 traveling. As, how- 
 ever, he rode fast, and made long marches each day, he 
 hoped that he might succeed in distancing them. Un- 
 fortunately, 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 79 
 
 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 
 gnide did not present himself as usual. Making in- 
 quiries, he found that the young man had gone out the 
 evening before, and had not returned. Extremely un- 
 easy 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 midday by the southern road. 
 
 He felt sure now that he was overtaken, and deter- 
 mined 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 traveling 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 vigor. 
 
80 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 At the spot where the track branched a man in the 
 gnise 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 honor 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 two hundred 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,' 7 
 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 gantlet 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 81 
 
 midday, when he halted at a large village, at whioh 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. 
 
 Tnen 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 stand- 
 ing round. The man next to him sprang upon him, and 
 endeavored to drag him from the saddle. Cuthbert drew 
 the little dagger called a Misericorde from his belt, and 
 plunged it into his throat. Then seizing the short mace 
 which hung at the saddlebow, 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 traveled 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 toward 
 this without delay. As he entered a wild shout of joy 
 was heard, and Cnut ran forward with many gestures of 
 delight. 
 
82 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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, believ- 
 ing that I might have somehow done better, and have 
 saved you from the cutthroats 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 thin- 
 nest; 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, shak- 
 ing 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 B07 KNIGH1. 83 
 
 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 pre- 
 vious 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 accom- 
 panied the 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 aa 
 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 dis- 
 charged 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 ex- 
 pedition 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 
 
84 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 reunite. 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 car- 
 ried 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 againuc bul- 
 warks or other supports. In the cabins, where the 
 knights, their pages and squires, were placed, the crowd- 
 ing was of course less excessive, but even here the 
 amount of space, which a subaltern traveling to India 
 for the first time nowadays would grumble at, was con- 
 sidered amply sufficient for half a dozen knights of dis- 
 tinction. It was a week after sailing when Cnut touched 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 85 
 
 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 in- 
 tense 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 him- 
 self. 
 
 "It looks as if it was the mouth of purgatory," ex- 
 claimed 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, how- 
 ever, 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 remem- 
 ber, 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 consid- 
 erable 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. 
 
86 TEE B07 KNIGHT. 
 
 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 start- 
 ing, 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 Eichard 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 gayety of the camp was heightened by the arrival 
 ©f 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 marvelous beauty, and won- 
 dered greatly what mischief so fair a being could do. 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 87 
 
 *'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 oppo- 
 nents, and conspicuously laid the spoils of victory at the 
 feet of the princess, whom he selected as the Queen of 
 Beauty. 
 
 All sorts of rumors now became current in camp; vio- 
 lent quarrels between the kings, and bad feeling between 
 the French and English knights, broke out again in con- 
 sequence, and this more violently than before. 
 
88 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 THE PRINCESS BERENGARIA. 
 
 One night it chanced that Cuthbert was late in his 
 return to camp, and his road took him through a por- 
 tion 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 pour- 
 ing 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 prin- 
 cess 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 sepulcher 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT, 89 
 
 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 gentle- 
 men, 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 ap- 
 proaching 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 ex- 
 cited in the French king and his nobles; but the disap- 
 pearance 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 s ''' 
 
90 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 "I **ouid not/' Cuthbert answered; "in the darkness 
 one tent is iike 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 Bra- 
 bant, 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 asser- 
 tions, and would declare it was merely a got-up story to 
 discredit him with the king, and so to wipe out the old 
 ecore now standing between us. No, if we are to suc- 
 ceed, 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 dis- 
 tance 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 
 reconnoiter 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. 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 91 
 
 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 monas- 
 teries, 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 observ- 
 ations 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 clew 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 be- 
 tokened a plan completely formed and finally decided 
 upon. 
 
92 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 The great point he considered, therefore, was that the 
 tent of his old enemy should be carefully watched, and 
 that an endeavor should be made to hear something of 
 what passed within, which might give a clew to the plan 
 fixed upon. They did not, of course, know whether the 
 tent in which the conversation had been heard by Cuth- 
 bert 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 disover 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 a quarter-staff, or, if need 
 be, with the bill, against the best man in the troop. 1 
 warrant me that if you show him the tent he will keep 
 such sharp watch that no one shall enter or depart with- 
 out 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." 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 93 
 
 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. 
 
 Outhbert 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 per- 
 ceived, 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 sagac- 
 ity 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 Eichard, who had 
 heard from the earl of the attempt at the assassination 
 of Cuthbert, had laid a complaint before King Philip 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 
 
94 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 gained them by any means of 
 persuasion, but that they were either the followers of 
 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 ho 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 monas- 
 teries 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 en- 
 trances, 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 seashore, Cuthbert made an arrange- 
 ment with one of the owners of small craft lying there 
 that ten of his men should sleep on board every night, to- 
 gether with some fishermen accustomed to the use of the 
 oar. 
 
 Cuthbert himself determined to be always with this 
 party. 
 
THE BO J KNIGH1. 95 
 
 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 watchful- 
 ness 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, leaped 
 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, toward 
 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 pre- 
 pared to put oil 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 
 
96 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 further 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 Outhbert's men and six 
 sailors. They instantly put out, and rowed in the 
 direction in which the boat would have gone, the boat- 
 men 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 in- 
 tently. 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 get- 
 ting up sail. The boat's head was turned in that direc- 
 tion; 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 situ- 
 ation 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. 
 
TEE BO 7 KNIGHT. 97 
 
 As Cuthbert and his followers scrambled npon the 
 deck they were attacked by those of the crew and pas- 
 sengers 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 defense 
 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 mat- 
 ter. 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 gen- 
 erally leveled 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 stanchly 
 and well. "With a heavy two-handed sword he cleaved a 
 
98 TEE BO T KNIQET. 
 
 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 armor 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 him- 
 self 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-ax. 
 
 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 
 np 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 99 
 
 "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 Eichard. 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 adjoin- 
 ing. 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 toward the shore, 
 and I hope in a few minutes to have the honor of escort- 
 ing 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, 
 
 I 
 
100 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 forever 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 
 Eichard 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 ib would, I think, be doubtful whether 
 any clew 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 naught 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. 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. ftft 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PIRATES. 
 
 It was not possible that a matter of this sort conld be 
 entirely hushed up. Not many hours passed before 
 rumors were current of events which had taken place, 
 though none knew what those events were. 
 
 There were reports that the tire-woman of the Prin- 
 cess Berengaria had in the night discovered that her 
 mistress' couch was unocnpied, 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 rumor 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 hap- 
 pened there none could say, but there were rumors that 
 his voice had been heard in furious outbursts of passion. 
 He remained there until the afternoon, when he seat 
 for a number of his principal nobles. 
 
102 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 When these arrived they found him standing on a 
 dai'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 favorable 
 to the alliance with the French princess, were glad 
 to hear that this was broken off, and were well con- 
 tent 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 Philip, however, although much angered, was 
 politic enough to deprecate any open outbreak. He 
 knew that a dispute now begun 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 for- 
 midable opponent; and the king felt that private griev- 
 ances 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 com- 
 merce between the two forces. 
 
 As soon as the winter had broken the French mon- 
 arch 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 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 103 
 
 were high joustings and fetes in honor of iie princess, 
 but the marriage was delayed. A fortnight after the 
 French had sailed the English embarked in the two 
 hundred 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 Philip 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 recog- 
 nized as that of his enemy. The name of ycur majesty 
 being mentioned, he deemed it his duty to listen, and 
 thus discovered that a plot was on foot for carrying off 
 
104 THE BOY KNIGHT, 
 
 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 manage- 
 ment 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 un- 
 grateful. 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 infi- 
 dels. 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' 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 rumor 
 will give some notion." 
 
 Upon the following day, therefore, Cuthbert to his 
 confusion found himself the center 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 105 
 
 withdrew from the royal presence, the center of atten- 
 tion, 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 favor, and 
 distributed a heavy purse among the men who had fol- 
 lowed him. 
 
 When the British fleet, numbering two hundred ships, 
 set sail from Sicily, it was a grand and martial sight. 
 From the masts were the colors of England and those of 
 the nobles who commanded; while the pennons of the 
 knights, the bright plumes and mantles, the flash of 
 armor and arms, made the decks alive with light and 
 color. 
 
 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 halfway up tuu 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 
 
106 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 whose crews were slower or less skillful 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 con- 
 tingent, 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 pru- 
 dent 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 ves- 
 sels 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 fleets 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 107 
 
 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 Ehodes, 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." 
 
 "Pestel" the earl said. "That would indeed be a 
 speedy end to our Crusade. These Moors are pirates 
 and cutthroats 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 at 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. 
 
10& TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 moun- 
 tains 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 fal- 
 conets 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 metal. They will quickly 
 perceive that we are aground and defenseless, and will 
 be able to plump their shot 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 defense." 
 
 Cuthbert stood watching the corsairs, which were now 
 rowing toward them at all speed. 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 109 
 
 "Methinka, my lord," he said presently, "if I might 
 ?onture to give an opinion, that we might yet trick the 
 inn del." 
 
 "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 iiien 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 firing once or twice with the falconets. 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 ren- 
 der 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 appre- 
 hension at the thought of slavery among the infidels, 
 were now delighted at the prospect of a struggle ending 
 in escape. 
 
110 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 The archers prepared their bows and arrows, and stood 
 behind the portholes in readiness to ponr 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 defense, but in reality pre- 
 paring the grapnels and ropes. 
 
 One of the pirates was faster than the other, and soon 
 coming within reach, opened fire upon the Eose with 
 a heavy cannon, which she carried in her bow. 
 
 The crew of the Eose replied with their falconets 
 and sakers from the poop. 
 
 The corsair at first did not keep her course direct for 
 the ship, but rowed once or twice round her, firing as she 
 did so. Then, apparently satisfied that no great precau- 
 tion need be observed with a feebly-manned ship in so 
 great a strait as the Eose, they set up a wild cry of 
 "Allah!" and rowed toward her. 
 
 In two minutes the corsair was alongside of the 
 Eose, 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 Eose; and then a 
 loud 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 as- 
 sailants were thrown back into the galley, and a swarm 
 of heavily armed men leaped down from the ship upon 
 them. 
 
 Taken by surprise, and indeed outnumbered, the re- 
 sistance of the corsairs was but slight. In a close, fierce 
 melee like this the light-armed Moors had but little 
 chance with the mail-clad English, whose heavy swords 
 and axes clove their defenses 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. HI 
 
 piercing cries while this conflict had been raging. They 
 were unable to take any part in it, had they been dis- 
 posed 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 Eose, 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 Eose, her 
 head was turned north, and with sixty oars she was row- 
 ing at all speed for the mouth of the bay. 
 
112 THE BO Y KNIOHT. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 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 Eng- 
 lish 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 sepulcher to risk them unnecessarily. 
 
 Fortunately they had it in their hands to tight or 
 escape, as they chose; for doubly banked as the oars now 
 were, there was little chance of the enemy's galleys over- 
 taking them. Gradually as they rowed to sea the pursu- 
 ing 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 cap- 
 tain of the lost ship, it was determined to make for 
 Rhodes. This had been settled as a halting-point for th>3 
 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 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 113 
 
 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 mistak- 
 ing 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 wel- 
 come 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 ad- 
 ventures 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 a3 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 ex- 
 ception shall be made in your favor, and that you shall 
 at once be admitted to the honorable post. You will 
 miss your page, Sir Walter; but I am sure you will not 
 grudge him that." 
 
1 14 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "No, no, sire," said the earl. "The lad, as I have 
 told your majesty, is a connection 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 deliv- 
 ered a 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 toward the Holy Land," lie 
 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 115 
 
 toward that island, casting anchor off the harbor 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 harbor of Famagosta; the Eng- 
 lish 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 
 toward 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 leaped 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 suc- 
 cess he had gained, and was determined to punish this 
 insolent little king. Accordingly the English were set 
 
116 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Beren- 
 garia. 
 
 Popular as he was, there was yet some quiet grum- 
 bling 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 amid 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 Beren- 
 garia is admitted to have been one of the loveliest 
 maidens. 
 
 The air was rent with the acclamations of the as- 
 sembled 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; tourna- 
 ments, joustings, banquets succeeded each other day 
 after day, and the islanders, who were fond of pleasure, 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 117 
 
 and indeed very wealthy, vied with the English in the 
 entertainments which they gave in honor of the occa- 
 sion. 
 
 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 Ehodes, 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 broaght them within sight of the white 
 walls of Acre, and it was on June 8, 1191, that the fleet 
 sailed into the port of that town. Tremendous acclama- 
 tions greeted the arrival of the English army by the host 
 assembled on the shores. 
 
 Acre had been besieged for two years, bat in vain; and 
 even the arrival of the French army under Philip 
 Augustus had failed to turn the scale. The inhabitants 
 defended themselves with desperate bravery; every assault 
 upon the walls had been repulsed with immense slaugh- 
 ter; 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. 
 
 Philip 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 disap- 
 pointment of the French, however, he declared that he 
 would take no step in the general assault until the ar- 
 
118 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 rival of Kichard; 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 jeal- 
 ousies 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 backward; the towers were destroyed 
 by Greek fire; boiling oil was hurled down upon the men 
 who advanced under the shelter of machines to under- 
 mine 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 bet- 
 ter fortune would crown their own efforts. Such, how- 
 ever, 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 Eichard's army would have accom- 
 plished the task. 
 
 It was, however, too great for them, and with vast loss 
 the army fell back to its camp, King Kichard raging like 
 a wounded lion. Many of his barons had been killed in 
 the assault, and the pikemen and men-at-arms had suf- 
 fered heavily. The Earl of Evesham had been wounded; 
 
TEE BO 7 KNIGHT. 119 
 
 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 accom- 
 pany their lords on the battlefield, 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 Eves- 
 ham'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 col- 
 lected an army of two hundred thousand men, yet feared 
 to advance and give battle to the Crusaders in their own 
 lines — for they had thrown up round their camp strong 
 intrenchments, 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 increas- 
 ing 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 sub- 
 mitted upon the arrival of the French and English rein- 
 forcements. For the monarchs, annoyed by the defeat 
 of their forces and by the heavy losses they had sua- 
 
120 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 tained, 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 sur- 
 rendered; 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 two 
 hundred thousand 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 Christen- 
 dom 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 be- 
 tween the two kings, which had for awhile been allowed 
 to rest while the common work was to be done, broke 
 out again with renewed intensity. The jealousy of 
 Philip Augustus was raised to the highest point by the 
 general enthusiasm of the combined armies for the vali- 
 ant King of England, and by the authority which that 
 monarch exercised in the councils. He therefore sud- 
 denly announced his intention of returning to France. 
 
 This decision at first occasioned the greatest conster- 
 
THE BO Y ENIOHT. 121 
 
 flation 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 coun- 
 cilors were satisfied with the change. Although there 
 was a reduction of the total fighting force, yet the fact 
 thab it was now centered 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 
 Eichard sullied his reputation by causing all the de- 
 fenders 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, notwith- 
 standing these advantages, the toil and fatigue were ter- 
 rible. Koads 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 fiat sanely 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 armor and powerful 
 steeds were left behind as if standing still, by the fleet 
 Bedouins on their desert coursers; and the pursuers, ex- 
 hausted and worn out, were always glad to regain the 
 ranks of the army. 
 
122 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 These clouds of cavalry belonging to the enemy did 
 not content themselves with merely menacing and cut- 
 ting off stragglers. At times, when they thought they 
 saw an opening, they would dash in and attack the 
 column desperately, sometimes gaining temporary ad- 
 vantages, 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 ap- 
 proached within bowshot they should open upon them 
 with arrows; then, should the horsemen persist in charg- 
 ing, the archers were at once to take refuge behind the 
 lines of the knights. 
 
 Day after day passed in harassing conflicts. The dis- 
 tance passed over each day was very small, and the suf- 
 ferings 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 sun- 
 stroke. 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, two hundred thousand 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 leveled their lances and charged recklessly 
 into the mass of their enemies. But the king, riding 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 123 
 
 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. Eichard in- 
 sisted 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 ont again as the 
 Bedouins fell back from the steel wall of horsemen. 
 
 Cuthbert had now for the first time donned full armor 
 and rode behind the Barl of Evesham as his esquire, for 
 the former esquire had been left behind, ill with feverj at 
 Acre. 
 
124 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE A CCO LADE. 
 
 It was now a year since they had left England, and 
 Cuthbert had much grown and widened out in the inter- 
 val, and had never neglected an opportunity of practic- 
 ing 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 color rivaling that of the 
 Christian host. In banners and pennons the latter made 
 a braver show; but the floating robes of the infidels 
 showed a far brighter mass of color than the steel armor 
 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 
 cf 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 armor and scarlet 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 125 
 
 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 distin- 
 guished 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 thou- 
 sands of musical instruments — conches and horns, cymbals 
 and drums — arose in wild confusion. Shouts of defiance 
 in a dozen tongues and from two hundred thousand 
 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, me- 
 thinks, 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 V 
 
 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 valor of our knights and 
 footmen, I should feel shaken by this terrible introduc- 
 tion 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 
 
126 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Qerce 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 Eng- 
 lish bowmen fell fast as bands of the Bedouin horse 
 circled round them in the endeavor to draw the Chris- 
 tians 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 
 armor 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 en- 
 treaties 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 initia- 
 tive, 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 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 12? 
 
 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 leveled, and, brave as the Bedouin horse- 
 men were, they felt to break this massive line was impos- 
 sible. The front line, however, charged well up to the 
 points of the lances, against which they hewed with their 
 sharp scimiters, 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 Crusad- 
 ers at last broke out. With a shout they dashed after 
 the foe. King Kichard, knowing that his followers had 
 already shown a patience far beyond what he could have 
 expected, now headed the onslaught, performing prodi- 
 gies of valor with his single arm, and riding from point 
 to point to see that all was well. 
 
 The early resistance of the infidel host was compara- 
 tively slight. The heavy mass of the Christian cavalry, 
 with their leveled 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 Crusa- 
 
128 THE BOY KNIGBT. 
 
 ders' 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 ax and mace each fought for himself. 
 
 The Sari of Evesham was one of a group of knights 
 whom King Kichard had that day ordered to keep close 
 to his person, and around this grouj) the fight raged 
 most furiously. 
 
 Saladin, aware of the extreme personal valor and war- 
 like qualities of King "Richard, set the greatest value 
 upon his death or capture, and had ordered a large num- 
 ber 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 valor of King Rich- 
 ard, he with difficulty was able to keep at bay the hosts 
 that swept around him, 
 
 Now that the lance had been abandoned for battle- 
 ax, 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 ioes, 
 and rode from poin to point of the field, calling the 
 knights together, exhorting them to steadiness, and re- 
 storing 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 sur- 
 rounding him, and these, by order of their captain, allowed 
 him to pass through their ranks, and then threw them- 
 
THE BOY KMGHT. 129 
 
 selves together in his rear, to cut him off from the 
 knights who rode behind. The maneuver was success- 
 ful. 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 band-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 ax, and, followed by Cuth- 
 bert, dashed to the assistance of the king. The weight 
 of his horse and armor cleft through the crowd, and in a 
 brief space he penetrated to the side of King Eichard, 
 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 
 Eichard, and drove his scimiter 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 leaped from his 
 horse and with his broad triangular shield extended 
 sought to cover him from the press of enemies. Cuth- 
 bert 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 ax and Cuthbert's circling 
 3word kept back the foe, but this could not last. King 
 Eichard in vain strove to extricate his leg from beneath 
 
130 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Eichard, who drew his leg from under it, and 
 with his heavy battle-ax in hand, rose with a shout, and 
 stood by the side of the earl. 
 
 In vain did the Bedouins strive to cut down and over- 
 power the two champions; in vain did they urge their 
 horses to ride over them. With each sweep of his ax 
 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 scimiters. 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 Eich- 
 ard. 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 sep- 
 ulcher!" fell upon them. Once, indeed, the battle still 
 seemed doubtful, for a fresh band of the enemy a^ that 
 moment arrived and joined in the fray. The Crusaders 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 131 
 
 were now, however, inspired with such courage and con- 
 fidence 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, dreamed 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 infidei 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 
 bave 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 
 
1S2 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 honor 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 
 
TEE BOY ENIGET. 133 
 
 Cuthbert, who was a modest young fellow, felt almost 
 ashamed at the honors 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 armor at night, in seclusion and 
 religious services — were omitted when the accolade was 
 bestowed for bravery in the field. 
 
 The king ordered his armorer at once to make for Cuth- 
 bert a suit of the finest armor, 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 honor 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 v/ent 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 kind- 
 ness of manner and the gayety 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 honor of 
 knighthood, and the approval of the King of England, 
 expressed before all the great barons of the realm, was 
 indeed an honor 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 
 
~34 TEE B&Y KNIGBT. 
 
 tusrasl religions ceremonies, but he knelt in his tent a'ione, 
 and prayed that he might be made worthy of the honors 
 bestowed upon him; that he might fulfill the duties of a 
 Christian knight fearlessly and honorably; that his 
 sword might never be raised but for the right; that he 
 might devote himself to the protection of the oppressed, 
 and nhe honor 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 
 one hundred 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 no way relieved by the great 
 victory of Azotus, 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 135 
 
 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 Rich- 
 ard, with all his impetuosity, dared not venture to cut 
 adrift from the seashore, and to march direct upon Jeru- 
 salem; 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 con- 
 flicts with the Saracens, with varying success. On sev- 
 eral of these expeditions Cuthbert attended the earl, and 
 behaved with a bravery which showed him well worthy of 
 the honors which he had recceived. 
 
 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 
 
136 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 been surrounded and had taken refuge in a small town^ 
 whose gates they had battered in when they saw the ap- 
 proach 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 be- 
 sieged. 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 Kichard 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, 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 13? 
 
 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 valor. 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. 
 Outhbert, 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 impres- 
 sion upon his mind was the stillness which had suc- 
 ceeded 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 feast- 
 ing. Eaising 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 pris- 
 oner 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 
 Mkely so soon to be put to death. 
 
138 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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, leaped 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 infi- 
 del. 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 an- 
 nounced 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 sp'endidly-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 
 pretense of right invade my country, slaughter my peo- 
 ple, and defeat my armies. The murder of the prisoners 
 of Acre has closed my heart to all mercy. There, your 
 king put ten thousand 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 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 139 
 
 about with us; and although I could have had it brought 
 from Egypt, I did not think that so brave a monarch as 
 Eichard 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 reli- 
 gion and of ours. However, it is King Eichard 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 fol- 
 lowed his captors. There was a dull sound heard, and 
 one by one the heads of the knights rollea 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 Eichard himself made me a knight," Cuthbert 
 
140 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 bodyguard. 
 
 Those who had captured the Christians now stripped off 
 the armor of Cuthbert; then he was mounted on a bare- 
 backed steed, and with four Bedouins, with their long 
 lances, riding beside him, started for Jersaulem. After 
 a day of long and rapid riding the Arabs stopped sud- 
 denly, on the crest of a hill, with a shout of joy, and 
 throwing themselves from their horses, bent with their 
 
TEE BO T KNIGHT. 141 
 
 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 dreamed of arriving before it with his comrades, 
 proud and delighted at their success so far, and confi- 
 dent m 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 embattle- 
 ments, rising on the edge of a deep valley. Every build- 
 ing has its name and history. Here is the church built 
 by the first Crusaders; there the mighty mosque of Sulei- 
 man 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 
 Eoman walls; the Pool of Bethsaida lies in the hollow; 
 in the center are the cupolas of the Church of the Holy 
 Sepulcher. 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 re- 
 duced 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 larger number of inhabitants, irrespective of the 
 great garrison collected for its defense. 
 
 The place from which Cuthbert had his first sight of 
 Jerusalem is that from which the best view is to be ob- 
 tained — the crest of the Mount of Olives. After a 
 
142 TEE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 pro- 
 tect 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 center of an ovation instead of that of an out- 
 burst 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 gov- 
 ernor himself, a stern and grave-looking man, sitting 
 cross-legged on a divan surrounded by officers and at- 
 tendants. He heard in silence the account given him by 
 the escort, bowed his head at the commands ol Sulei- 
 man, and, without addressing a word to Cuthbert, indi» 
 cated 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 Mfiasself 
 alone with his thoughts. 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 143 
 
 jMo one cam9 near him that night, and he slept as 
 soundly as he v/ould 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 riok 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 
 Guthbert had seen in his native land. There were vari- 
 ous other slaves at work; and an Arab, who appeared to 
 be the head of the gardeners, at once appointed to Cuth- 
 bert 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 center 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 excep- 
 tionally favored existence. The governor himself was 
 absorbed in the cares of the city. The head gardener 
 
144 TEE BO 7 ENIOET. 
 
 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 scimiters. They passed without un- 
 veiling 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 skillful 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 toward 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 remind- 
 ing them that they were shut off for life from ever hear- 
 ing the laughter of the loved ones they had left behind. 
 
 For upward 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, Cuthbsrt was startled by hearing his door open. 
 "Rising to his feet* he saw a black slave and an old 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 145 
 
 woman oeside 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 bat a youth, 
 you are already a knight? How is it that you come to 
 be a slavo 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 in- 
 terest 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 ap- 
 peared, 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 re- 
 spect 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 
 
146 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 honor 
 of knighthood from the hand of that greatest of war- 
 riors, Richard of England. What is it, we would fain 
 learn from your lips, that stirs up the heart of the Chris- 
 tian 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 trans- 
 lated to him by the old woman who had hitherto acted as 
 his mistress* messenger. 
 
 Cuthbert reported the circumstances of the fight at 
 Azotus, and endeavored 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 interest- 
 ing even than the tale of his adventures to his hearers, 
 as to them the home-life of these fierce Christian war- 
 riors was entirely unknown. 
 
 After an audience of two hours Cuthbert was con- 
 ducted 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. 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. U? 
 
 CHAPTEK XIV. 
 
 AN EFFORT FOR FREEDOM. 
 
 Two or three nights afterward the old woman agals 
 came to Cuthbert, and asked him, in her mistress' name, 
 if in any way he could suggest a method of lightening 
 his captivity, as his extreme youth and bravery of 
 demeanor had greatly pleased her. 
 
 Cuthbert replied that nothing but freedom could sat- 
 isfy his longings; that he was comfortable and not over- 
 worked, but that he pined to be back again with hia 
 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 th© 
 garden, Cuthbert said that he could think of no plac 
 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 hia 
 escape from that would be altogether hopeless. "Only," 
 
148 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 favor his escape in the 
 way he had pointed out, and that she would in two or 
 three days aak 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 Cuth- 
 bert — 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 mis- 
 tress, and that they feared the anger of the governor 
 should Cuthbert make his escape, and should it be dis- 
 covered 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 tram- 
 pling 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 149 
 
 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 krabs, 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 southward. 
 
 It seemed to Cuthbert almost as a dream. A few 
 hours before he had been exalted with the hope of free- 
 dom; 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 
 traveled by camels in three days, but which occupied the 
 children of Israel forty years. 
 
1 50 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 At first the watch had been very sharply kept over the 
 captive; b«t 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 en- 
 deavored 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 marveled 
 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 
 Eichard'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, aud 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 ex- 
 tremely 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 Arab's 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 151 
 
 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 cov- 
 ered 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 ob- 
 served 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 minute3 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 steathily 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 
 
152 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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, strik- 
 ing 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 Cuth- 
 bert, 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 sunburnt 
 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 with 
 out stopping. He doubted not that he would have at 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 153 
 
 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 with- 
 out attracting attention. 
 
 A solitary x\rab when traveling 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 gc on for three or four days with scarcely a halt; 
 and there wag no fear of that on which he rode breaking 
 down from fatigue, for the journeys hitherto hau been 
 comparatively short. 
 
 By midday 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 
 
154 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 that a passer-by would have any suspicion whatever as to 
 his being other than an Arab bent upon some rapid jour- 
 ney. He soon found that his hopes were justified. Sev- 
 eral times he oame 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 ho 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 dis- 
 guise, and without more ado or questioning, they tied 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 155 
 
 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 Jeru- 
 salem, which was to the north of the line they were fol- 
 lowing'. A long day's journey, 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, gen- 
 erally 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 labors 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 appar- 
 ently from curiosity, for but very few Arabs were able to 
 swim; indeed, as a people they object so utterly to 
 
^56 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 water that tne idea of any one bathing for his amuse- 
 toent 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 posi- 
 tion 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 buoy- 
 ancy 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 BOY KNIGHT. 157 
 
 The Arabs soon wrapped themselves in their bur- 
 nouses, and feeling confident that their captive would not 
 attempt to escape from them in a place where subsist- 
 ence 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 car- 
 ried 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 
 twenty thousand 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 
 
158 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 dimen- 
 sions. Far in the corner, when his eyes became accus- 
 tomed 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT, 159 
 
 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 re- 
 duced 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 
 
160 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 him. 
 self 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 discom- 
 fort 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 liv- 
 ing beiug 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT 161 
 
 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 altar, 
 yet had no objection to Cuthbert making himself as 
 comfortable as he could under the circumstances. 
 
 At the end of the fourth day Cnthbert 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 Ox 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 
 
162 THE BO Y KNIGH1. 
 
 have resided here. I was a favorite of the king's, and 
 he loaded me with wealth and honor. 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 fhose around me; that 
 I thought little of God, and feared neither Him nor 
 man. 
 
 "It chanced that one of the nobles — I need not men- 
 tion 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 cousidered 
 one of the best matches in France, and reports of her ex- 
 ceeding beauty had reached the court. Although my 
 allowance from my father, and from the estates which 
 the king had given 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 restor- 
 ing 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 idea 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 con- 
 sent 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 t?kmg with me only a trusty servant, started for 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 163 
 
 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 occu- 
 pants. 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 can- 
 not be accused of vanity now in saying nature had been 
 bountiful to me — won my way to her heart. Trouba- 
 dours were licensed folk, and even in her father's pres- 
 ence there was naught unseemly in my singing songs of 
 love. While he took them as the mere compliments of 
 a troubadour, the lady, 1 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 en- 
 tertained 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. 
 
164 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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 mak- 
 ing. I purchased a fleet horse in addition to my own, 
 and ordered my servant to bring it to a point a short dis- 
 tance 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, after waiting 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 backward 
 and forward as she went down. By what chance it was 
 I know not — for I had examined the rope and found it 
 socure — tout methinks in swaying backward and forward 
 
TEE BOY XNIGBT. 165 
 
 it may have caught a sharp stone, maybe it was a pun- 
 ishment from Heaven upon me for robbing a father of 
 his child — but suddenly I felt there was no longer a 
 weight on my arras. 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 be- 
 lieve 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 coun- 
 try. 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 re- 
 mained, 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 
 
166 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 awhile, under another name, I joined the army of the 
 Crusaders, to expiate my sin by warring for the holy 
 sepuicher. 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 forever from the world, and to 
 devote my life to prayer and penance; and so casting 
 aside my armor 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 com- 
 munity 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 trus-t 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 warn- 
 ing 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 tha\, Ms 
 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 
 
TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 167 
 
 we made our arrangements for your return to the Chris- 
 tian 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 Kichard." 
 
 "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 
 neighbors, 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 ap- 
 proach the flat country where the armies are maneuver- 
 ing 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 even- 
 ing, 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 
 
1 68 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 liv- 
 ing 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 con- 
 ducted 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 per- 
 sonage 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 169 
 
 It was, he said, exposed to constant attacks by the Sar- 
 acens, 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 diffi- 
 culties 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 dis- 
 posal 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 scimiter; a bag of dates was hung at the 
 saddlebow; and with the sincerest thanks to his protec- 
 tor, 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. 
 
170 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 CHAPTEK XVI. 
 
 A FIGHT OF HEROES. 
 
 The horse was a good and spirited one, and when he 
 had once descended to the plains, Cuthbert rode gayly 
 along, exulting in his freedom, and in once again pos- 
 sessing arms to defend himself should it be needed. His 
 appearanoe 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 ar- 
 rived, 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 leages 
 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 
 remounted, and rode briskly on as before. He passed un- 
 challenged, attracting no more notice than a person nowa- 
 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 direc- 
 tion of the Christian camp. As it was doubtless supposed 
 that he was on his way to join some band that had gone 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 171 
 
 on in advance, the passage of the solitary horseman ex- 
 cited 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 lookout 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 
 two hundred 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 pur- 
 suers gained much upon him, riding as they had done 
 sideways. They had now gathered in his rear, and the 
 nearest was some one hundred and fifty yards behind 
 him. A quarter of a mile further he again looked 
 around, and found that two of the Arabs, far better 
 mounted than the others, had come within half the dis- 
 tance 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 pre- 
 pared himself for a desperate fight should his pursuers 
 •vertake 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 betaken themselves to 
 their bows. 
 
 Half a mile ahead he saw riding toward 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 oi 
 
172 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 the Arabs was fully two hundred yards behind — a short 
 distance when going at a gallop — which left him but 
 little time to shake off the pursuit of the two immedi- 
 ately 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 practiced in the hurling of this 
 weapon — which formed part of the education of a good 
 knight — he cast it witli 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 
 ir,ace; 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 Cuth- 
 bert 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 pur- 
 suers were scarcely fifty yards away; but Cuthbert now 
 continued his flight toward the knights, who were gal- 
 loping forward at full speed; and a moment afterward 
 glancing back, he saw that his pursuers had turned an^ 
 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 aston- 
 
THE BOY KNIGRT. 173 
 
 ishment, and drew his sword as the supposed enemy 
 galloped toward him. 
 
 "My lord, my lord!" Cuthbert said. "Thank Heaven 
 I am safe with you agdn." 
 
 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 inci- 
 dents of his adventures, and he was heartily congratu- 
 lated by the assambled 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 Eves- 
 ham, inquired of him what had taken place during his 
 absence. 
 
174 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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?" Cuthberfc 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 forti- 
 fying the place. King Eichard 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 laboring. 
 
 " 'Why do you not make a show of helping?' King 
 Eichard said, going up to him. 'It would encourage the 
 men, and show that the labor 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 tho 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 Kijg Richard 
 himself could have scattered half the Austrians, and 
 these, knowing that against his impetuous valor 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 Montferrat. 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 Moun- 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 175 
 
 tain. 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 valor of 
 our king, ascribed it to his orders. This monstrous 
 accusation coming to the ears of King Eichard, 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 Eichard 
 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, ascend- 
 ing the hill in front, saw Jerusalem. But even then it 
 was certain that we must again retrace our steps; and 
 when we asked King Eichard 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 
 
176 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 war- 
 rior 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 car- 
 ried out our purpose. See how ably he maneuvered the 
 army at the fight of Azotus. Never was a more com- 
 plete 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, Eichard will plunge into the 
 midst. There are brave men in all the three armies; but 
 the strongest and bravest are as children to King Eich- 
 ard. 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-ax and dashed into the fray with- 
 out helm or cuirass, performing such prodigies of valor 
 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 1 77 
 
 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 demeanor, 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 embarkation of the troops. Just as they 
 were preparing to enter the ships a small vessel was seen 
 entering the harbor. It drew up to the shore, and a 
 knight leaped from it, and, inquiring where King Rich- 
 ard was to be found, made his way to the king, who was 
 standing superintending the embarkation 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. 
 
178 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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 Eichard, "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 Sara- 
 cens 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 three thousand, fled before him, and all wh^ 
 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 
 Eichard found that in all, including the garrison, he 
 could muster two thousand combatants. The enemy 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 179 
 
 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 marvelous 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 center, 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, see- 
 ing 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 succor, followed only 
 by two knights and a few archers, the rest being so worn 
 by their exertions as to be unable to move. The Mam- 
 
180 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 elukes, 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-ax. 
 This narration would appear almost fabulous, were it 
 not that it is attested in the chronicles of several eye- 
 witnesses, and for centuries afterward 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 sev- 
 eral 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 armor, hurried to his tent. 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 181 
 
 "The glory of this day is marred indeed," he said to 
 the wounded knight, "if I am to lose yon, 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 closo 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 happi- 
 ness, methinks, to both, as well as strength and protec- 
 tion to her; and further, if it might be, I would fain that 
 yon 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 Eves- 
 ham, 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 
 
182 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 king; although, even then, a thought of future happi- 
 ness in the care of the fair young lady Marguerite 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 afterward breathed his last. 
 
THE BOY KNIQHT. 183 
 
 CHAPTEK XVII. 
 
 AN ALPINE STORM. 
 
 The tremendous exertions which King Eichard 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 Eichard 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 title. 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, miracu- 
 lous power of King Eichard'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 Eichard hoped to 
 return again and to recommence the struggle. 
 
 Between the sultan and King Eichard a feeling ap- 
 proaching 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 
 
184 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 rival, and the two valiant leaders recognized the great 
 qualities of each other. Several times during the cam- 
 paign 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 valor alone was not suffi- 
 cient 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 October 11, 1193, that Richard Cceur deLion 
 left Palestine. Soon after they started a storm sud- 
 denly 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 Bethune, and Cuth- 
 oert 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. 
 
TEE B07 KNIGHT. 185 
 
 "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 mat- 
 ters 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 
 
186 THE BO T KNIGHT, 
 
 would hesitate to lay hands upon the king; but these 
 petty German princelings have no idea of the observ- 
 ances of true chivalry. They are coarse and brutal in 
 their ways; and though in outward form following the 
 usage of knighthood, they have never been penetrated 
 with its spirit. If the friends of Conrad of Montferat 
 lay hands upon King Eichard 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 mad- 
 ness 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 Outhbert," 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 your- 
 self, 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 mesenger 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 187 
 
 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 faith- 
 ful 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 naught where- 
 with 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 mak- 
 ing their way north from Zara will spread rapidly, and 
 may cause the enemies of Richard to be on the lookout 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. Cuth- 
 bert 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 
 
188 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 armor 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 diffi- 
 culty would be with his attendants; but he saw no way 
 of avoiding this. 
 
 Cuthbert's object, when with his little party he sepa- 
 rated 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 of the color of the cross upon their jerkins; and, 
 as Cnut said, would have been willing to run greater 
 perils under their true colors than to affect to belong to 
 any other nationality. On their way they passed through 
 Fadua, and there stopped a few days. Cuthbert could 
 but feel, in looking at the splendor 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 splendors of 
 the city. Here they experienced no trouble or annoy- 
 ance whatever, for to the cities of Italy knights of all 
 
THE BO? KNIGHT. 189 
 
 nations resorted, learned men came to study, philoso- 
 phers 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, marveling 
 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 amphitheater, 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 traveled 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. 
 
190 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Cufchbert. "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 traveler leaves the path he is lost." 
 
 "But I suppose," Cuthbert said, "that even in winter 
 travelers 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 
 
TEE BO T KNIGHT. 191 
 
 your lives. Much has been done to render the road safe, 
 At the distance of every league stone houses have been 
 erected, where travelers 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 yon 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 goatskin 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 disincumbered him- 
 self 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 Ian- 
 
192 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 guage. His actions, however, as he looked toward thv- 
 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 specters. 
 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 toward Germany." 
 
 All day the men kept steadily on. The guide from 
 time to time looked apprehensively at the sky; and al- 
 though in the earlier part of the day Cuthbert's inexpe- 
 rienced eye saw nothing to cause the slightest uneasiness, 
 toward 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 v/ind 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNMHT. 193 
 
 light specks of snow, so small as to be scarcely percepti- 
 ble, 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 cov- 
 ered; 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 cau- 
 tion 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 over- 
 powers the traveler, 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 Cuthber J " eagerly looked out for the next refuge. 
 
194 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 
 lignt some brands which had been left by previous trav- 
 elers. Cuthbert gave directions to Cnutand the archers; 
 aud 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 unloos- 
 ened, 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 un- 
 derstand. 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.'" 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 195 
 
 "Pooh!" Ormt 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 travelers; 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." 
 
196 THE BO Y ENIQRT, 
 
 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 Sara- 
 cens 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 cov- 
 ered 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 travelers 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.'' 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 com- 
 rades and torn to pieces; and this mark of savageness 
 added to the horror which those within felt of the fero- 
 cious 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 afterward a 
 loud shout for help was heard, followed by the renewed 
 howling and yelping of the wolves. 
 
 "Good heavens!" Cuthbert exclaimed. '"Some trav- 
 eler 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 was 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 en- 
 couragement 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 toward 
 him. In a minute they had cleared their way to the 
 figure, which was that of a knight in complete armor. 
 
198 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 He leaned 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 animal's 
 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 innu- 
 merable, 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 valor 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. 
 
TEE BO Y KmGHT. 199 
 
 "What sound can this be?" Cnut exclaimed in an 
 awe-struck 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 afterward, 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 deep- 
 est thanks to those who had come so opportunely to his 
 aid. 
 
 "I was well-nigh exhausted," he said, "and it was only 
 my armor 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 armor 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, 
 
200 TBB B0 r KNIGHT. 
 
 and thoroughly awe-struck by the tremendous phenom. 
 enon 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 upward, 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 hillside, 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 afterward 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 hia 
 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 cer- 
 tain 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 
 Sed to their fastnesses in the woods. 
 
 The knight now removed his helmet, and discovered a 
 handsome young man of some twenty-four or twenty-five 
 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 
 
THE EOT ENI0E2'. 201 
 
 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 armor 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 honor 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 Eich- 
 ard, and to have received the knighthood from his 
 sword." 
 
 "None more worthy," said the young knight, "for al- 
 though King Richard may be tierce 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 be- 
 cause 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, wrap- 
 ping themselves in their fur cloaks, were soon asleep. 
 
 For four days the gale continued, keeping the party 
 
202 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 it3 surface. With great difficulty and 
 labor they cleared a wry out, and then the guide again 
 piacing 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; bnt 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 north- 
 ern slope of the mountains, having slept at refuges by 
 the road. 
 
 "What are your plans?" the knight asked Sir Cuth- 
 bert 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 Kichard had ap- 
 pointed him King of Jerusalem; and, though he liked 
 him not, thought him the fittest of those there to exer- 
 cise sovereignty. He was the last man who would have 
 had an enemy assassinated; for so open is he of disposi- 
 tion 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 dis- 
 
TEE BO T KNIGHT. 203 
 
 guise as a French knight while passing through this 
 neighborhood. 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 in- 
 troduce you as a French knight, so that no suspicion is 
 likely to lie upon you, and will, farther, 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 gayly 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 ar- 
 rived at Fussen, a strong city, with well-built walls and 
 defenses. 
 
 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 
 
204 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 unintel- 
 ligible; 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 a 
 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 
 honor 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; masks and pageants 
 of various kinds manufactured; and the whole towns- 
 people, 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 represen- 
 tations. 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. 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 205 
 
 This representation of the dishonor of England at the 
 hands of Austria elicited great acclamations from the 
 crowd. Cuthbert clinched his teeth and grasped his 
 sword angrily, but had the sense to see the folly of tak- 
 ing 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 for- 
 ward. 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 fol- 
 lowers 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 toward the English would now be height- 
 ened 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 be- 
 
206 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 fore 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 Eng- 
 land," Cuthbert said fearlessly, "and am traveling 
 homeward from the Holy Land. My garb as a Crusader 
 should protect me from all interruption; and the heed- 
 less 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 lam 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 Eichard 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 honorable fight. 
 This is a follower of the murderer of my good cousin of 
 Montferat, who died under the hands of assassins set uimn 
 him by Eichard 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 connection with Eichard 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." 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 20? 
 
 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 
 cacritice their own lives in doing so, without the possi- 
 bility 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 center. 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 
 
208 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 chal- 
 lenged 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 cobles 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 armor 
 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 th'ose 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 
 mto the courtyard. The confusion wi\ich reigned there 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT, 209 
 
 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 clos- 
 ing 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, one hundred yards fur- 
 ther, he came to a staircase by which access to the bat- 
 tlements was obtained. Eunning 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, tb.B 
 six men slid one after another down the rope and mads 
 their way at full speed across the country. 
 
210 TEE BO 7 ENIQHT. 
 
 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 toward 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 them- 
 selves with their shields, for they had learned the force 
 with which an English clothyard shaft drawn by a strong 
 hand flies. Many had been killed by these missiles pass- 
 ing 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 ax 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 aL 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 
 
TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 211 
 
 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 toward 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 throw- 
 ing himself on his knees before Sir Cuthbert, and im- 
 ploring 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 un- 
 derstand 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 moun- 
 tain, 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 traveled 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 
 
212 THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 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 upon 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 sus- 
 picion 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 cart- 
 ers for fastening their loads to the wagons. "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 porffly baron, their 
 lord, at their head. We saw the block and the heads- 
 man 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 dis- 
 tance of one hundred yards, would be great indeed, we 
 iudged that you might be able to slip away unobserved, 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 21 i 
 
 and were sure that your quick wit would seize any oppor- 
 tunity 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 Ger- 
 mans how five Englishmen, when brought to bay, can sell 
 t>heir 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 diffi- 
 cult 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 Eng- 
 land, 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 learned 
 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' traveling, they 
 arrived safely. Asking for the residence of the burgo- 
 master, 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 beeu killed in a fray by his followers; 
 
214 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 neighbors. 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 traveler." 
 
 The burgomaster was himself able to speak French, 
 and summoning several of the councilors of the town, 
 he requested Cuthbert to give a narrative of his adven- 
 tures; which he did. The councilors 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 quarreling 
 with a powerful neighbor. He therefore said to the 
 burgomaster: 
 
 "I have no intention, honorable 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 Kichard 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 honorable 
 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 Bhine, 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 courte- 
 ously the burgomaster and council for their kindness, 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 215 
 
 started with his followers on his journey north. These 
 latter had been provided with doublets and other gar- 
 ments suitable to the retinue of a knight, and made a 
 better show than they had done since they first left 
 England. 
 
 Leaving Basle, they traveled 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 occupa- 
 tion 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 reachea a 
 small inn standing in a lonely position near the foot of 
 the mountains. 
 
 "I like not the look of this place," Cuthbcrt 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 fawn- 
 ing civility, which by no means raised him in the estima- 
 tion 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 unkaown. 
 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. 
 
 "Methirrks," 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." 
 
S16 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 Toward morning the archer on guard reported that ia 
 could hear the sound of many approaching footsteps. 
 All at once cprang 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 be- 
 tokened 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 immedi- 
 ately. 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. "Bat 
 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 througn the Crusades also," 
 Cuthbert said, "and our persons are sacred. The sin of 
 slitting our weazands, which you speak of, would there- 
 fore 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 
 
TEE BO 7 KNIGHT. 217 
 
 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 Rich- 
 ard," Cuthbert said, "and am known as Sir Outhbert of 
 Evesham. As I was the youngest among the knights 
 who fought for the holy sepulcher, 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 Cuth- 
 bert, that you are here?" 
 
 "The fleet was scattered on its return," Cuthbert re- 
 plied, "and I landed with my followers, well-nigh penni- 
 less, 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 defense 
 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 
 
218 THE BOY KNIGXT. 
 
 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 toward England. King Rich- 
 ard 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 Philip of 
 France, and was therefore well disposed toward the Eng- 
 lish. 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 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 219 
 
 not sorry to lay hand upon the King of England, were it 
 only to do pleasure to Philip of France. Assuredly, 
 however, the anger and indignation of all Christendom 
 will be aroused should the king's passage be inter- 
 rupted, for it were indeed a gross breach of hospitality 
 k> seize upon a man who has the double claim of being a 
 champion of Christendom and a shipwrecked man. 
 However, it is early yet to be uneasy, and it may be that 
 in a fev days we may have news of the arrival of the 
 king in Saxony. He may have encountered difficulties 
 similar to those which you yourself have met with. The 
 country is everywhere disturbed, and it is not only in 
 my forests that bands of outlawed men are to be met 
 with. At present there is peace in Europe. It may last 
 indeed but a short time. But so long as it continues, so 
 long must the mountains and woods be full of desperate 
 men. Were war declared between any two princes these 
 would flock to the banners of him who would pay them 
 highest, and a war which could end in the entire de- 
 struction of the armies of both combatants would be a 
 blessing to Europe." 
 
 After entertaining Cuthbert courteously for three 
 days, the Duke of Lorraine bade him adieu, and gave 
 him an escort of men-at-arms to the borders of the 
 Khine, where he would find the way open to the domains 
 of the Duke of Saxony. Without adventure Cuthbert 
 and his followers arrived at Dresden, and he immediately 
 presented himself at the castle of the duke. The instant 
 that he sent in his name as Sir Cuthbert of Evesham, a 
 knight of King Richard, he was conducted to the pres- 
 ence of the duke and of his wife, the sister of King 
 Richard. 
 
 "Are you bearer of news of my brother Richard ?" the 
 duke said, advancing a step to meet the young knight as 
 he entered the hall. 
 
220 TEE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 "Alas! my lord duke, I am not," Cuthbert said; "but 
 had hoped to gain tidings from yon." 
 
 "From me?" the duke said in surprise. "What 
 should lead you to believe that I have any news of King 
 Eichard later than that which others have received? 
 The last I heard of him was upon the day of his depar- 
 ture from the Holy Land, before the storm arose which 
 scattered his fleet, and I am ignorant whether he has 
 foundered at sea, or whether, as some suppose, his vessel 
 may have been taken captive by the Moors." 
 
 "I bear you later tidings," Cuthbert said, "than those 
 you have received. I was on board the ship with King 
 Eichard. We were wrecked upon the Island of Corfu, 
 and there hiring a small ship, we proceeded to Zara. 
 King Eichard determined to make his way across the 
 Tyrol to this place; but he thought that it would attract 
 attention to him were he accompanied by so large a 
 party. Therefore he, with Sir Baldwin of Bethune, and 
 a few followers, started north, while I with my men kept 
 west through the north of Italy, and then crossed by the 
 pass over Trent." 
 
 "How long is it since you left my brother?" the 
 duchess asked anxiously. 
 
 "It is now over a month since I bade him adieu," 
 Cuthbert answered. 
 
 "Then he should have been heard of long since," the 
 duchess said. "What fate can have befallen him?" 
 
 "Judging from my own experience,'" Cuthbert said, 
 "I fear that he may have come to harm at the hands of 
 the friends of Conrad of Montferat, who falsely allege 
 that the death of their kinsman was caused by King Eich- 
 ard. The Archduke John, too, owes him no good-wilf 
 and even the emperor is evilly disposed toward him. 
 The king traveled under an assumed name; but it might 
 well be that he would be recognized upon the way. His 
 
TUB BOY KNIGHT. 221 
 
 face "was known to all who fought in the Bast; and his 
 lordly manner and majestic stature could ill be con- 
 cealed 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, i;he duke and 
 duchess were greatly alarmed at the news of King Rich- 
 ard'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 Cuthberfc the story of what 
 had befallen him since he left the king; and this he 
 related at some length. The duke was greatly inter- 
 ested, 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 honor. 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 adven- 
 ture in the Holy Land rendered them as popular among 
 the retainers of the duke as their master became with 
 the duke and duchess. 
 
222 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 UNDER THE GREENWOOD. 
 
 At the end of a month, news came from England that 
 Sir Baldwin of Bethune 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 Eichard to death should 
 he fall into their hands, the Archduke John would not 
 dare to bring upon himself the indignation of Europe by 
 luch 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 Eichard 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 Ehine, he journeyed through the ter- 
 ritories of the Dukes of Cleves and Brabant, and reached 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 223 
 
 the mouth of Scheldt without interruption. There tak- 
 ing ship, he sailed for London. 
 
 It was a long and stormy passage between the mouth 
 of the Scheldt and London. The vessel in which Cuth- 
 bert 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 embarka- 
 tion. 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, de- 
 lighted 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 tbose 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 Bethune 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 Cuth- 
 bert did not wish his coming home to be known to John 
 until he had learned something of the position of affairs, 
 he dispatched Cnut to the Tower to inquire privately of 
 some of the officials about the place whether Sir Baldwin 
 
224 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 atZara, and he feared 
 that a fate similar to that which had befallen King EicL 
 ard 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 learned 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 pur- 
 sue 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 learned, 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 whiuii 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 225 
 
 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 sup- 
 pose 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 heid it for King Eichard. He was a loyal 
 servant of the king, but an exacting and rapacious prel- 
 ate. 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 
 Philip of France for their support for his seizing the 
 crown. He will throw every obstacle in the way, as, we 
 may be sure, will Philip of France, Eichard'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 
 Eichard's instructions, draw up the patent conferring 
 
226 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Flem- 
 ing, 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 mar- 
 riageable 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 pre- 
 viously. 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 re- 
 fused 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 estab- 
 lishment, 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 con- 
 vent 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 22? 
 
 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 Eichard's return be 
 prevented, you may be sure that John will not be per- 
 mitted 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 pretense 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 Philip 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 
 
228 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 flavor 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! 'A. 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 lan- 
 guage 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 Eichard 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?" 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 229 
 
 "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 Eudolph 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 Eng- 
 land now," Sir Baldwin said; "and Worcester is peril- 
 ously near to Evesham. With a clump of twenty spears, 
 Sir Eudolph 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 Eichard's 
 return. Assuredly Sir Eudolph would not tarry until 
 she attained the age of seventeen, and it may well be 
 that two years may yet pass before King Eichard 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 recover- 
 ing 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 
 
230 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 v.ith 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 dan- 
 gers that await her, and ask if she be willing to fulfill the 
 promise of her father and King Richard's will, in accept- 
 ing 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 
 
TEE BOY EKIQET. 23 1 
 
 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 out- 
 laws; 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 favorite 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 beunwatched 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 traveled by easy 
 stages through Wiltshire and the confines of Gloucester- 
 shire up to Worcester. He had been supplied by Sir 
 Baldwin with suitable attire for himself and his follow- 
 ers, 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 
 
232 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 sus- 
 picion. 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 for- 
 esters, 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 
 formerly 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 sup- 
 posed 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 
 dispatched Cnut to see her, and break the news to her 
 cautiously, and to request her to arrange for a time when 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 233 
 
 she would either see Cuthbert at some place at a dis- 
 tance from the house, or would so arrange that the domes- 
 tics should be absent and that he would have an inter- 
 view 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 
 neighborhood 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 in- 
 cautious 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 fol- 
 lowing 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 
 
234 TEE BO Y KNIQET. 
 
 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, Cuth- 
 bert 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 him- 
 self 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 seveial 
 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 favorite 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 235 
 
 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 mes- 
 sage 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 f be 
 admitted at once. 
 
236 TJTJZ BOY ENIQET. 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 THE ATTEMPT ON THE CONVENT. 
 
 Upon the following evening Cuthbert proceeded to 
 Worcester. He left his horse some little distance out- 
 side the town, and entered on foot. Having no appre- 
 hension of an attack, he had left all his pieces of armor 
 behind, and was in the quiet garb of a citizen. Cnut at- 
 tended him — for that worthy follower considered himself 
 as responsibla 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 deter- 
 mined 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 
 parlor 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 237 
 
 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 can- 
 not 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 Eichard been killed upon his way home, or so long 
 as nothing was heard of him, Sir Kudolph 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 free- 
 dom 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 honors. 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 sb.8 should for the present be committed to the 
 
238 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 outbide 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 judg- 
 ment, be quite time to think about such worldly mat- 
 ters; that at the present the Lady Margaret was receiv- 
 ing 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 Lis 
 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 in- 
 deed for a young lady of rank to be concealed from such 
 
TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 239 
 
 sharp searchers as Sir Rudolph would be certain to place 
 upon her track. Your proposal that she should take ref- 
 uge 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 seclu- 
 sion 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 honor 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 
 icenee of danger in which I have been placed; and al- 
 
240 THE B0 Y SJSflQET. 
 
 though 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 inclina- 
 tions mdeed, 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 overhang- 
 ing 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 Eichard 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 at- 
 tempt 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, tak- 
 ing a respectful adieu of his young mistress, and receiv- 
 ing 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? 5 * 
 Cuthbert asked. 
 
 "Yes," Cnut said, "the place is undoubtedly watched. 
 
THE BO Y KNIQHT. 241 
 
 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 ax 
 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 one excited 
 in the mind of his employer. At present he can have no 
 ground for any report which may make the knight un- 
 easy, 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 indi- 
 cated, when a man came up rapily behind them and 
 almost brushed them as he passed, half-turning round 
 and trying to gaze into their faces. Onut at once 
 assumed the aspect of an intoxicated person, and stretch- 
 ing 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 wiii 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 
 
242 TEE BO 7 KNIGHT. 
 
 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 be- 
 tween 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 impor- 
 tance. The feeling between the outlaws in the forest and 
 the retainers of the false Earl of Evesham was becoming 
 much imbittered. 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 Eudolph was openly defied. 
 
 Gradually it came to his ears that the outlaws were 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 343 
 
 commanded by a man who bad 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 awak- 
 ened grave uneasiness on the part of Sir Eudolph. The 
 knight caused inquiries to be made, and ascertained that 
 Cnut had been especially attached to the young Cuth- 
 bert, and that he had fought under the Earl of Eves- 
 ham's banner. It seemed possible then that with him 
 had returned the claimant for the earldom; and in that 
 case Sir Eudolph 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 con- 
 tempt, 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 supersti- 
 tion 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 
 neighborhood possessed him than he determined that 
 one of two things must be carried out: either Sir Cuth- 
 bert must be killed, or the Lady Margaret must be car- 
 ried off and forced to accept him as her husband. First 
 he endeavored 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. 
 
244 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Rudolph. 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 chal- 
 lenges him to appear, saying that he will himself, griev- 
 ously although he would demean himself by so doing, 
 yet condescend to meet him in the lists with sword and 
 battle-ax, and to prove upon his body the falseness of 
 his averments. Men marvel much," the burgess con- 
 tinued, "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 honor 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 de- 
 scended 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 naught that I should like better," he said, 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 245 
 
 "'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 
 ci Sir Kudolph. He reckons that if I appear he will kill 
 me; that if I do net 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 
 neighborhood. Some rumors 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 happi- 
 ness 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, 
 Onut, a free Saxon and a leader of bowmen under King 
 Richard in the Holy Land, do hereby pronounce and 
 declare the statements of Sir Kudolph, 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 Cuth- 
 bert, King Richard's true and faithful follower. "When 
 the time shall come Sir Cuthbert will doubtless be ready 
 
246 THE EOT KNIQHT. 
 
 to prove his rights. But at present right has no force in 
 England, and until the coming of our good King Rich- 
 ard 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 Eves- 
 ham, 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 confirma- 
 tion 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, enter- 
 ing 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 Hie 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 accom- 
 modated there. Cuthbert himself was with them, Cnnt 
 remaining at the grange with the ten men originally sent 
 there. 
 
 On the third day Sir Rudolph, with a number of 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. m°k 
 
 knights and men-at-arms, arrived in the town, giving out 
 that he was passing northward, 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 sur- 
 prised 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, reas- 
 sured in the evening by a message brought by a boy, to 
 the effect that succor would be near, whatsoever hap- 
 pened. 
 
 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 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 override the rights of the holy church; and should yon 
 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 naught 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 througn 
 the brain. Very many of the common men, undefended 
 by harness, fell shot through and through; and an arrow 
 piercing the joint of the armor of Sir Rudolph wounded 
 him in the shoulder. In vain the knight stormeu 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 scat- 
 tered through the city, making for the gate, which had 
 already been seized by Sir Rudolph's men. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 249 
 
 Finding himself alone with only a few of his knights 
 and principal men-at-arms remaining, while the storm of 
 arrows continued unabated, Sir Eudolph was forced to 
 order his men to retreat with many fierce threats of the 
 vengeance which he would hereafter take. 
 
250 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 solu- 
 tion to this singular circumstance, but satisfied that Sir 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 251 
 
 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 councilors repaired to the 
 convent, where they asked for an interview with the lady 
 abbess. Mightily indignant were they at hearing that 
 Sir Eudolph 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 afterward 
 the whole of the party in front hastily retired. 
 
 That Sir Eudolph 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 un- 
 answered, the door was broken in, and the premises were 
 found in confusion. No goods of any kind were discov- 
 ered 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 car- 
 ried 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 Eudolph must have been hidden in 
 the draper's house. The singularity of this incident gave 
 rise to great excitement; but the indignation against 
 
252 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 Sir Rudolph was in no way lessened by the fact that his 
 attempt had been defeated, not by the townsmen them- 
 selves, 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 councilors, 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, inas- 
 much 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 con- 
 tumacious 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 pres- 
 ence 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 toward Evesham, 
 to sack the town, as a punishment for its rebellion. As, 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 253 
 
 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 toward the city, and 
 will merely inflict a fine of three thousand golden marks 
 upon it." 
 
 The mayor attempted humbly to explain and to en- 
 treat; 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 crest- 
 fallen at the result of their mission, the mayor and coun- 
 cilors returned to Worcester, where their report caused 
 great consternation. This was heightened by the fact 
 that upon the following day Sir Charles Everest, with 
 five hundred mercenaries of the prince, together with Sir 
 Eudolph and his following, and several other barons 
 favorable to the cause of the prince, were heard to be 
 approaching the town. 
 
 Worcester was capable of making a stout defense, 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 delibera- 
 tion, 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 un- 
 just demands of Prince John, to enter the town with one 
 hundred and fifty archers to take part in its defense. 
 With this force, as the more ardent spirits urged, the 
 defeat of any attempt to carry it by storm would be as- 
 sured. 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 Kichard would not return for 
 a long time, and that Prince John might become sover- 
 eign of England, sooner or later the town must be taken, 
 
254 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 and, in any case, its trade would for a long time be de- 
 stroyed, 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 coun- 
 cil 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 sup- 
 ported 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 
 five hundred mercenaries at his back, Sir Eudolph 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 even- 
 ing. She was attended by two of the sisters, both of 
 whom, as well as herself, were dressed as country women. 
 Mules were in readiness outside the city gates, and here 
 Sir Cuthbert, with .an escort of archers, was ready to at- 
 tend them. They traveled 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 let her and returned to the forest. 
 
 The band there assembled varied considerably in num- 
 bers, for provisions could not be found continually for a 
 large body of men. The forest was indeed very exten- 
 sive, and the number of deer therein large. Still, for 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 255 
 
 the feeding :>f one hundred and fifty men many animals 
 are required, and other food. The franklins in the 
 neighborhood 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 re- 
 sources, 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 towns- 
 people were in nowise concerned in the attack made upon 
 him. To this he pretended disbelief. The fine de- 
 manded 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." 
 
256 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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 one hundred of Sir Charles Everest's mer' 
 cenaries, returned to his castle. 
 
 Three days afterward, 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!" ex- 
 claimed 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 harboring 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 war- 
 fare. 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 imple- 
 ments 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 commu*\ 
 nication from within or from without. If attacked by 
 large forces, we will retire upon the wood, returning to 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 25? 
 
 our posts without the walls as soon as the force is with- 
 drawn. 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 de- 
 manded. 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 toward Cuthbert, who, now in his full knightly 
 armor, 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 
 offense 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." 
 
258 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 mouth- 
 piece 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. Never- 
 theless, 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, aud 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, un- 
 provided 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 259 
 
 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 backward and forward 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 com- 
 rades 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 one hundred and fifty 
 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 
 
260 THE BOY KNIGHT, 
 
 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 irom 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 Cuth- 
 bert of Evesham, do denounce you as foresworn and dis- 
 honored, 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-ax." 
 
 Sir Rudolph leaned 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 be- 
 fore 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 for- 
 ward 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. II 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 261 
 
 had from the first, wild and reckless as they were, pro- 
 tested 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 honor as a 
 knight, to desist from this endeavor. If this lady be 
 guilty, as she well may be of aiding her son in his as- 
 saults 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 \,<o the 
 brave young knight yonder of all hand in this foul busi- 
 ness." 
 
 A murmur of agreement from several of those stand- 
 ing round showed that their sentiments were in accord- 
 ance with those of Sir Hubert. 
 
 "I refuse," said Rudolph passionately. "Go, if you 
 will. I am master of my actions, and of this castle." 
 
262 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Outhbert shouted to the archers. 
 ''They are going to attempt a sortie.'' And hastily he 
 retired to the main body of his men. 
 
TEE BO T KNIGHT. 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE FALSE AND PERJUEED KNIGHT. 
 
 As the band of knights and their retainers issued from 
 the gate a trumpeter blew a parley, and the three 
 knights advanced alone toward the group of archers. 
 
 "Sir Cuthbert de Lance," Sir Hubert said, "in ihe 
 name of myself and my two friends here we ask jour 
 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 busi- 
 ness; 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 oi 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 ia 
 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 ad- 
 vanced to the castle gate. 
 
264 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "Sir Kudolph," 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 Kudolph 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 arch- 
 ers, 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 toward 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, Avith 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 Kudolph 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 265 
 
 You are a traitor to him; you have attacked and slaugh- 
 tered many of my friends; you are an outlaw defying the 
 law; and for each of these offenses 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 rigntful 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 my- 
 self, I could pardon you; but for the outrage to my 
 mother — " and with a sudden movement he struck Sir 
 Eudolph in the face with all his strength with his mailed 
 hand. 
 
 With the blood gushing from his nostrils, the knight 
 fell backward, and Sir Cuthbert, with a bound, before 
 the assembly could recover from their astonishnitnt 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 battle- 
 ments 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 miser- 
 ably, for in his heavy armor he was of course unable to 
 
266 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 center 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 assist- 
 ing 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 Eudolph been stunned by the blow dealt 
 him by Cuthbert he would himself have headed the pur- 
 suit, 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 
 
TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 267 
 
 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 center 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 frank- 
 lin, 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 country people 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 
 
268 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 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 im- 
 possible 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 discov- 
 ered 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 BOY KNIGHT. 269 
 
 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 await- 
 ing the giving way of the gate. 
 
 "Where is the Lady Margaret?" the leader of the 
 party, TFho were dressed in rough garb, and had the 
 seeming of a band of outlaws, demanded. 
 
 "I will say nothing,'* she said, "nor do 1 own that she 
 is here.' 5 
 
 "We will soon take means to find out," the man ex- 
 claimed. "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 com- 
 menced, 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 wa3 over, led the way to 
 the courtyard,- 
 
2?0 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "Farewell, my child," the abbess exclaimed. "God 
 will deliver you from the power of these wicxed 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 lit- 
 ter 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 toward 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 shout- 
 ing 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 dis- 
 mounted. 
 
 "I am happy indeed, Lady Margaret," he said, ap- 
 proaching the litter, "to have been able to save you xrom 
 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 dese- 
 crate the walls of the convent. Assembling my men-at- 
 arms, I at once rode to your rescue, and am doubly 
 happy to haves aved you, first, as a gentleman, secondly, 
 as being the man to whom our gracious prince has 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 271 
 
 assigned you as a wife. I am Sir Eudolph, Earl of Eves- 
 ham." 
 
 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 Eudolph," she said, 
 "or not, Qod 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 Eudolph 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 good-will, 
 which above all things I wish to obtain, yet my duty 
 toward the prince commands me to utilize the advantage 
 which fate has thrown in my hands." 
 
 "You must do as you will, Sir Eudolph," the girl said 
 with dignity. "I believe not your tale. You sought be- 
 fore, 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 dishonored 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, 
 
272 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 learned that the convent had been 
 broken open by men disguised as archers, and the Lady 
 Margaret carried off. 
 
 Four days elapsed before Sir Kudolph presented him- 
 self 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 unfavorable 
 circumstances, and the captive passed the day gazing 
 from her casement in one of the rooms in the upper part 
 of the keep, toward 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 three hundred more 
 mercenaries had marched in from Worcester, so that the 
 garrison was now raised to five hundred 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 besides the earl himself knew of. It is ap- 
 proached 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 2?3 
 
 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 con- 
 trived 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 loose* from below 
 save with great labor 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 Eudolph had collected was 
 not intended merely for the defense 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." 
 
274 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 "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, grad- 
 ually 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 
 
THE BO T KNIGHT. 275 
 
 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 favor. 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." 
 
376 TMM BQr &NJ&MT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE SIEGE OP EVESHAM CASTLE. 
 
 Upon the day before starting out to head the expedi- 
 tion against the outlaws, Sir Eudolph 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 merce- 
 naries were encamped in tents outside the walls, for, 
 spacious as it was, Evesham could hardly contain four 
 hundred 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 blow- 
 ing high, Sir Eudolph 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT 277 
 
 these, the knight hoped, would do good service in track* 
 ing 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 incumbrance, 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 armor of the foot soldiers, although the 
 finer armor of the knights kept out the shafts which 
 struck against it. Sir Eudolph and his knights leading 
 the way, they entered the forest and gradually pressed 
 their invisible foe backward 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 im- 
 pressed 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 Eudolph declaring that 
 he would not cease until he had leveled 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 fagots was seen approach- 
 ing its gates. The garrison., who had not the least fear 
 
278 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 of any attack, paid no attention to it until it reached the 
 edge of the moat. Then the warder, seeing that it con- 
 tained fagots, lowered the drawbridge without ques- 
 tion, 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 woodhouse at the other end of the 
 court." 
 
 The heavy wagon crossed the drawbridge, but as it was 
 entering the gate it came suddenly to a stop. With a 
 blow of his ox goad Onut leveled 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 fag- 
 ots fell asunder, and twelve men armed with bow and 
 pike leaped out. The men-at-arms standing near, loung- 
 ing in the courtyard, gave a shout of alarm, and the gar- 
 rison, 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 pas- 
 sage 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 backward. In vain the assistant-warder tried 
 to lower the portcullis, or to close the gates. The former 
 fell on to the top of the wagon, and was there retained. 
 The gates also were barred by the obstacle. The chains 
 of the drawbridge had at once been cut. Cnut encour- 
 aged his followers by his shouts, and armed with a heavy 
 ax, did good service upon the assailants. But four of 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 273 
 
 his party had fallen, and the rest were giving way, when 
 a shout was heard, and over the drawbridge poured Cuth- 
 bert and one hundred and fifty 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 thd castle, disheartened and taken by surprise, were 
 either cut down or, throwing down their arms, cried for 
 quarter. 
 
 Ten minutes after the wagon had crossed the draw- 
 bridge the castle was safely in possession of Sir Cuth- 
 bert. The bridge was raised, the wagon 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 de- 
 liverance 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 cogni- 
 zance 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 unob- 
 served from the castle at the time of its capture bore the 
 news to him in the forest. All opposition there had 
 
280 THE BO Y ENIOET. 
 
 ceased, and the whole of the troops were engaged in aid- 
 ing the peasants in cutting wide roads through the trees 
 across the forest, so as to make it penetrable by horse- 
 men in every direction. It was supposed that the out- 
 laws 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 thunder- 
 clap. 
 
 Sir Kudolph's first impulse was to call his men together 
 and to march toward 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 attack- 
 ing the stronghold without the proper machines and 
 appliances. Foaming with rage, Sir Kudolph took pos- 
 session of a cottage near, camped his men around and 
 prepared for a siege. 
 
 There were among the mercenaries many men accus- 
 tomed 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 conse- 
 quently more often captued by famine than by other 
 means. Of provisions, as Sir Eudolph 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 stewed; and with a groan Sir 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 281 
 
 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 wagons; the wagons 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 wagons pushed backward to 
 obtain a fresh supply. This operation was of course an 
 exceedingly slow one, a whole day being occupied with 
 each trip of the wagons. 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 thick- 
 ness, 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 sol- 
 diers working below it. Upon both sides every device 
 was tried. The crossbowmen 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' labor 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 pre- 
 pared great numbers of strong ladders, and these were 
 brought up under shelter of the screens. Then, all being 
 
282 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 ready, the trumpets sounded for the assault, and the 
 troops moved forward in a close body, covering them- 
 selves 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 
 twelve hundred years which had elapsed between the 
 siege of Jerusalem and the days of the Crusades there 
 had been but little change in arms or armor, 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 neigh- 
 bor's castle. 
 
 Within Evesham Castle all was contentment and mer- 
 riment 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, caldrons 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 learned 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 learned in full all the details of Cuthbert's ad- 
 ventures 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 BO Y KNIGHT. 283 
 
 The courage of the garrison was high, for although 
 they believed that sooner or later the castle might be car- 
 ried by the besiegers, they had already been told by Cnut 
 that there was a means of egress unknown to the be- 
 siegers, 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 
 toward the castle, the machines upon the walls — cata- 
 pults, 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, al- 
 though 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, cov- 
 ering 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 armor and caused intol- 
 erable torment. Great stones were toppled over from 
 the battlements upon them; and sometimes the ladders, 
 seized by the poles with hooks, were cast backward, with 
 all upon them, on the throng below. For half an hour, 
 encouraged by the shouts of Sir Eudolph and their 
 leaders, the soldiers strove gallantly; but were at last 
 compelled to draw off, having lost nigh one hundred 
 men, without one gaining a footing upon the walls. 
 
284 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 That evening another council of war was held without. 
 Already some large machines for which Sir Eudolph 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-iormed ground across the moat. Upon the upper 
 part of each tower were armed men who worked ma- 
 chines 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 backward and forward, 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 one hundred 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 facil- 
 itated fcy the feet 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 vigor; but for a long time the besieged main- 
 tained 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, asd gave orders to his men 
 to fall back upon the inner keep. 
 
THE BOY KNIQBT. 285 
 
 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 vic- 
 tory. 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 court- 
 yard. It was upon the door, solid and studded with 
 iron, that the attempt had to be made. 
 
 Several efforts were made by Sir Eudolph, 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. Fagots were col- 
 lected 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 \i 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 to-night it will be well for us to leave the 
 place." 
 
55bii 
 
 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 through- 
 out 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 Kudolph 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 attend- 
 ants; 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 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 2S7 
 
 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 com- 
 rades. 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 Not- 
 tingham 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 dis- 
 tant. Here horses were obtained and saddled, and 
 dresses prepared; and when Cuthbert with Lady Mar- 
 garet arrived there, no time was lost. Dressed as a yeo- 
 man, 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 pur- 
 posed 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 bet for- 
 ward on their journey. By morning they had reached 
 the convent, and here the two girls were left, and Cuth- 
 bert continued his journey. He left his charge at a con- 
 vent 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. 
 
288 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 Cuth- 
 bert 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 other- 
 wise, I need not say that Sir Baldwin of Bethune 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 mean- 
 time?" 
 
 "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 whero con- 
 fined, 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 289 
 
 joiB them. But without land or vassals, I can do noth- 
 ing 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 recom- 
 mended 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." 
 
290 3BSBOrXMtm t * i 
 
 CHAPTEK XXV. 
 
 IN SEARCH OF THE KING. 
 
 The following day, with many thanks, Cuthbert started 
 from the castle, and in the first place visited the con- 
 vent, 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, 
 learned 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 merce- 
 naries from different parts of the country, and was gath- 
 ering a large army; also, that the barons faithful to King 
 Eichard, alarmed by the prospect, had raised the royal 
 standard, and that true men were hurrying to thei* sup- 
 port. 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. 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 291 
 
 Thence riding boldly into the forest, he sought the out- 
 laws, 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 
 Eobin 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 dispatched to summon 
 the rest of the forest band from their hiding-places, and 
 a week later Cuthbert, accompanied by Eobin Hood and 
 three hundred 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 ap- 
 proaching 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 Eobin 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 favorable time for him, and 
 
292 TME BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 concealing his fury under a mask of courtesy, he at once 
 acceded to the advice of his followers, and dispatched a 
 messenger to the barons with an inquiry as to what they 
 wanted of him. A council was held, and it was deter- 
 mined to demand the dismissal of the mercenaries and 
 their dispatch back to their own country; also that John 
 woulu 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. Eobin 
 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 resolu- 
 tion, inasmuch as in the royal camp he had met a friend 
 from whom he parted last in the Holy Land. This TTas 
 Blondel^ the minstrel of King Eichard, whose songs and 
 joyous music had often lightened the evening after days 
 of fighting and toil in Palestine. To him Cuthbert con- 
 fided 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 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 293 
 
 pass free where a man-at-arms would be closely watched 
 and hindered. Moreover, it may be that I might aid 
 yon 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 pene- 
 trate 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 
 gome 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 com- 
 panionship 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 
 traveled over Europe singing the lays which they them- 
 selves had composed, and were treated with all honor at 
 the castles where they chose to alight. It wonici have 
 been considered as foul a deed to use discourtesy to a 
 minstrel as to insult a herald. Their persons were, in- 
 deed, regarded as sacred, and the knights and barons 
 strove to gain their good-will by hospitality and pres- 
 ents, as a large proportion of their ballads related to 
 deeds of Avar; and while they would write lays in honor 
 of those who courteously entertained them, they did not 
 
294 THE BO Y KNIGET. 
 
 hesitate io 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 oe 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. BlondePs attire was rich, and suit- 
 able to a person of high rank. 
 
 They crossed to the Scheldt, and thence traveled by 
 the right bank of the Rhine as far as Mannheim, some- 
 times 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 
 
 At Mannheim they purchased two horses, and then 
 struck east for Vienna. 
 
 The journey was not without danger, for a large por- 
 tion of this part of Europe was under no settled govern- 
 ment, each petty baron living in his own castle, and 
 holding but slight allegiance to any feudal lord, making 
 war upon his neighbor on his own account, levying 
 blackmail from travelers, and perpetually at variance 
 with the burghers of the towns. 
 
1WJS BO 7 KNIGHT. 295 
 
 Tlie hills wsi"e 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 travelers without fear entered the gloomy shades of 
 t.he 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 Cuthhert. After 
 half an hour's traveling they came to a building which 
 had formerly been a shrine, but which was now converted 
 to the robbers' headquarters. The robber chief, on hear- 
 ing 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 Eotherheim," he said, "al- 
 though you see me in so poor a plight. My castle and 
 lands have been taken by my neighbor, 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 
 
296 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 Lave 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 by the sword; and the emperor, 
 Laving 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/ 
 jour 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 entertain- 
 ments 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 fol- 
 lowers 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 
 homeward." 
 
 "It is not so," Blondel said. "He landed safely on 
 the coast, and was journeying north with a view of join- 
 ing his sister at the court of Saxony, when he was foully 
 seized and imprisoned by the Archduke John." 
 
TEE BOY KNIGHT. 297 
 
 "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 jour- 
 ney hither I have gathered that the emperor claimed 
 him from the hand of the archduke, and that he is im- 
 prisoned in one of the royal fortresses, but which I know 
 not. And indeed, sir knight, since you are well disposed 
 toward him, I may tell you that the purport of my jour- 
 ney 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 resolu- 
 tion, 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 Eotherheim, and take my place again in my 
 castle." 
 
 The minstrel and Cuthbert were soon seated &u 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 
 it last exclaimed, "I have it now. This is no attendant, 
 
298 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 your- 
 self, 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 Eichard 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 connection — 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 favorites, 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 awhile to postpone 
 our settlement, and meeting my good friend the min- 
 strel, 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 valor with which 
 you, although so young, bore yourself; and there were 
 tales afloat of strange adventures which you had under- 
 gone in captivity for a time among the infidels." 
 
 At Sir Adalbert'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 adven- 
 ture. 
 
 "How far are you," Cuthbert asked presently, when 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 299 
 
 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 Ehine, between Coblentz and Mannheim." 
 
 "Does the baron know that you are so near?" Cuth- 
 bert 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 sur- 
 prise 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 sur- 
 prise would be difficult indeed." 
 
 "If the baron is lulled in security at present," Cuth- 
 bert said, "and deems you afar off, the watch is likely to 
 be relaxed, aud 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. 
 
300 THE BO T KNIGHT. 
 
 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 suc- 
 ceeded 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 neighbors, 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 defense 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; "fol 
 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 three 
 hundred or four hundred 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 toward sun- 
 set 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 
 
TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 301 
 
 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 ihe 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 riverside. 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 Eotherheim," 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 Eotherheim. 
 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 riverside. 
 
 "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 comprehen- 
 sion." After much thought, Cuthbert went on, "It 
 might, methinks, be practicable for an archer to ap- 
 proach 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 at- 
 
302 TEE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 tached 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 any- 
 where near he might hear the rope pulled across the bat- 
 tlements; but if, as we may hope, a watch is kept only 
 over tne 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 
 etrong 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 accus- 
 tomed, 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 jour- 
 ney this time occupied two days, as the men on foot were 
 unable to march at the pace at which the mounted party 
 
THE BOT KNIGHT. 303 
 
 had traversed the ground. The evening of the second 
 day, however, saw them in sight of the castle. By Cuth- 
 bert'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 an- 
 nounced 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 at- 
 tached 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 car- 
 ried, 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 
 
304 THE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 ladder. This again ascended until the end only re- 
 mained 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 thu rest of the party, and Sir Adelbert leading the 
 way, and followed by Outhbert and Blondel, began cau- 
 tiously 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 eiiemy 
 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 defense and mending 
 
THE BO 7 KNIGHT. 305 
 
 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 con- 
 ditions 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. 
 
30b THE BOY KNIQMZ 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 KING RICHARD'S RETURN TO ENGLAND. 
 
 Journeying onward, Blondel and his companion 
 stopped at many castles, and were everywhere hospita- 
 bly entertained. Arriving at Vienna they lingered for 
 some time, hoping there to be able to obtain some infor- 
 mation 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 illus- 
 trious 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 for- 
 tresses there he is most likely to be confined." 
 
 Leaving the capital they wandered up into the moun- 
 tains 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 crossbow 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 daytime that they sang. Wandering carelessly up, 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 307 
 
 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 pro- 
 duce 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 
 bong 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 Diem- 
 stein, 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 lady love, 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 Bra- 
 bant, 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 
 
308 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 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 ret- 
 inue, 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 im- 
 prisoned in a castle of the emperor had already spread 
 through Europe, and the bishop had been received every- 
 where 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. There- 
 fore he granted the interview which Longchamp de- 
 manded. The English envoy was received by the 
 emperor surrounded by his nobles. The prelate ad- 
 vanced with great dignity. 
 
 "I come," he said, "in the name of the people of Eng- 
 land to demand the restoration of King Richard, most 
 unjustly and unknightly detained a prisoner in his pas- 
 sage 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 pay- 
 ment of one hundred and fifty thousand marka 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 serv- 
 ice of our holy religion. Nevertheless, poor as she is, 
 she will raise the sum you demand. There is not an 
 
THE BOY KNIGHT. 309 
 
 Englishman who will not furnish all he can afford for 
 the rescue of our king. But once again, in the pres- 
 ence of your nobles, I denounce your conduct as base 
 and unkingly." 
 
 The emperor could with difficulty restrain his passion: 
 but the sight of the somber 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 Eichard, 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 honor 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 favorite son. The nobles 
 contributed their jewels and silver; the people gave con- 
 tributions 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. 
 
310 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 In the meantime, popular opinion throughout Europe 
 was strong upon the side of King Eichard. The pope 
 himself wrote to the emperor on his behalf. The barons 
 of the empire were indignant at the shame placed upon 
 their county; 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 be- 
 fore them King Eichard was brought. It was a grand 
 assembly. Upon a raised throne on the dai's 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 Eichard entered, 
 the whole assembly, save the emperor, rose in respect to 
 the captive monarch. Although pale from his long con- 
 finement, the proud air of Eichard 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 Eichard 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 mustache 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 assem- 
 bly in favor of the prisoner by depriving him of the sym- 
 bols 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, 
 
TEE BOT KNIGHT. 311 
 
 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 che honor and probity of the barons of Germany. 
 I have done no man wrong, and would appear as fear 
 lessly 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 amid a mur- 
 mur 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 sus- 
 picion, 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 possi- 
 
312 TEE BO Y KNIGHT. 
 
 ble interest in his death, was alone more than sufficient 
 to nullify the vague rumors brought against him. 
 Eichard himself in a few a scornful words disposed of 
 this accusation. The accusation that he, Eichard 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 fol- 
 lowed my advice, the Crusade would not have had 
 another ending. Even after Philip of France had with- 
 drawn; even after I had been deserted by John of 
 Austria, I led the troops of the Crusaders from every 
 danger and ev:ry 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 one thousand 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. Anu 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 dissen- 
 tient the King of England was acquitted of all the 
 charges brought against him. But the money was not 
 yet raised^ and King Eichard was taken back into the 
 
THE BO Y KNIGHT. 313 
 
 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 Eichard upon 
 receipt of this snm, and his royal promise that the re^ 
 mainder should be made up. 
 
 Not as yet, however, were the intrigues at an end. 
 Prince John and King Philip 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 dishonor being brought upon the 
 country. The pope threatened him with excommunica- 
 tion; 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 Philip 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 fre- 
 quently — for everywhere he was received with honor 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- 
 
314 THE BOY KNIGHT. 
 
 On landing at Dover, the first to present himself be- 
 fore 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 Bethune. 
 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 bestow- 
 ing 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. 
 
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