Part 3 (2/2)
At this he lost all caution and rushed upon me as a bear upon his foe, getting within my guard by some ill chance, and seizing me about the neck and arms. Both our swords were dropped in the struggle; and we wrestled and fought, not like knights and gentlemen, but like drunken lackeys who have fallen out over their games of dice. Now, indeed, did Carleton's weight and strength befriend him. I strove for my life to topple him beneath me, but all to no purpose. In an instant I was whirled through the air, and came down with a crash on my back, with Carleton's knee firmly planted on my breast bone.
At once he drew his poniard and pressed the point against my throat.
”Now yield thee, Whelp of Mountjoy,” he panted, ”quick, ere thou diest.”
”Thou hast won,” I answered, ”but, fighting thus, 'twere more to thy honor to have been overcome.”
”None of thy insolence,” he snarled, ”yield thee now as my prisoner and va.s.sal, and say that thou'lt ever yield obedience to the Carleton as thy liege lord.”
At this my gorge rose and the world turned black about me. ”Never,” I groaned, ”better far to die than suffer such disgrace.”
”Die then,” he shouted, hideously, and drew back his poniard for the thrust.
I closed my eyes, yet blood-red figures swam across my vision. In an instant the steel would pierce my throat. Then of a sudden the grip of my enemy relaxed, and his body rolled heavily from me.
I started up, and saw the Carleton lying face up on the oak leaves, his forehead pierced by a cross-bolt. Running toward me through the undergrowth was a figure in Lincoln green which my staring eyes soon told me was the young forester who had defied me in the glen but half an hour gone. His cross-bow was in his hand, and he panted for breath as he approached and called:
”Art thou hurt, Master? Has he stabbed thee?”
”Not a whit,” I answered dazedly, examining my limbs and body the while, ”I have to thank thee then for my life. Thou camest in the nick of time.”
”The Saints be thanked,” he answered joyfully. ”The Carleton there has what he well deserves. I heard the sword-play from the glen yonder, and soon knew the voice of that black caitiff. I was coming softly through the woods, wis.h.i.+ng but to see close at hand a gallant pa.s.sage at arms, when he overthrew thee and would have foully murdered thee, his prisoner. 'Twas well my bolt already lay in groove.”
”Son of Elbert,” I answered, offering him my right hand, ”thou'rt a ready man and a true, and willing I am to call thee friend. But what other name hast thou?”
He took my hand in a mighty grip and smiled most winsomely. ”Cedric,” he replied, ”a goodly Saxon name, borne by my grandfather before me.”
”Well then, Cedric, we must bethink us what shall be done in this juncture. Yonder horse of the Carleton's is ours by lawful spoil. Mount therefore, and let us betake ourselves from here as soon as may be.” I took up my sword and my cap from the oak leaves.
He turned toward the horse, and in so doing his glance carried far down the pathway which there for a quarter mile was straight beneath the oak-trees. Then he turned back to me with a cry of alarm.
”Mount and quickly. There be a half dozen of the Carleton men-at-arms.
An they catch us here by the body of their master, they will have our blood. Come! For our lives!”
With one bound he vaulted to the saddle of the war horse. Scarcely knowing what I did, I found myself on the mare's back and spurring away up the forest path. Cedric had no spurs, but he quickly urged his mount to a gallop by blows of his heels; and we raced away at full speed. The Carletonians raised a shout as they caught sight of us, and spurred their horses in pursuit. Over our shoulders we saw them pause for a moment by the body of Lionel; then resume the chase with a fury that boded ill for us. I knew full well the fate in store should they overtake us; and pressed the little mare for all the speed she had.
Cedric, on the tall war horse, quickly drew ahead, then, seeing me losing ground, drew rein till I overtook him. Our pursuers were well mounted, and were spurring and las.h.i.+ng their horses without mercy. The thunder of hoofs along the forest road was like that at a tourney or a great race-course.
If I had had but a better mount, we could soon have drawn away from them, for the tall steed which Cedric bestrode was the best of the Carleton stables, and our horses were more lightly burdened than those of our pursuers. As it was, we had gone scarce half a mile when 'twas plainly to be seen that my little mare was no match for the long-limbed steeds of the Carletons. Yard by yard we lost ground; and now we could hear the clas.h.i.+ng of stirrups and scabbards as our enemies panted close upon our trail.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _WE HAD GONE SCARCE HALF A MILE WHEN 'TWAS PLAINLY TO BE SEEN THAT MY LITTLE MARE WAS NO MATCH FOR THE LONG-LIMBED STEEDS OF THE CARLETONS_]
We were going up a slope where the path ran between groups of boulders and great rocks. Suddenly Cedric drew rein and turned aside behind a sheltering ledge. Clothilde was panting hard, and I gladly followed him, though knowing naught of what he intended.
Throwing himself from the saddle, the forester quickly braced his cross-bow and placed a bolt in groove. Resting the weapon on the corner of the rock, he took quick aim, and let drive at the leading horseman.
Instantly the rider fell headlong to the ground, and his companions drew rein in confusion. With a wondrous deftness, my companion loaded again and let fly. This time one of the horses, struck in the breast by the bolt, reared up and threw his rider.
Like a flash Cedric leaped again on his horse's back, and signaling me to follow rode straight away into the forest. The branches were so low and the undergrowth so thick that it would seem that no rider could make his way; but we were riding for our lives, and knew that the limbs would hold back our enemies even more than ourselves. For five minutes we tore wildly through the woods, half the time with our faces hidden in our horses' manes to save our eyes from being plucked out by the branches.
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