Part 18 (2/2)
”And the wretches would neither let any come to visit us nor yet permit us to go into the hall that we might speak with our gossips.”
”How should we be responsible with our lives for the la.s.ses if we had let them gad about?” said Andro, preparing to salute and take himself off.
At this moment the little maid and her elder companion came forward meekly and kneeled down before Sholto.
”We are your humble prisoners,” said Maud Lindesay, ”and we know that our offences against your highness are most heinous; but why should you starve us to death? Burn us or hang us,--we will bear the extreme penalty of the law gladly,--but torture is not for women. For dear pity's sake, a bite of bread. We have had nothing to eat all day, except two lace kerchiefs and a neck riband.”
”Lord of Heaven,” cried Sholto, swinging on his heel and darting down towards the kitchen, ”what a fool unutterable I am!”
CHAPTER XXI
THE BAILIES OF DUMFRIES
The combat of the third day was, by the will of the Earl, to be of a peculiar kind. It was the custom at that time for the _melee_ to be fought between an equal number of knights in open lists, each being at liberty to carry a.s.sistance to his friends as soon as he had disposed of his own man. On this occasion, however, the fight was to be between three knights with their several squires on the one side, and an equal number of knights and squires on the other.
As the combat of the previous day had decided, young James Douglas of Avondale was to lead one party, being the successful tilter of the day of single combat, while the Earl himself was to head the other.
The chances of battle must be borne, and whatever happened in the shock of fight was to be endured without complaint. But no blow was to be struck at either knight or squire in any way disabled by wound.
To Sholto's great and manifest joy the Earl, his master, chose the new captain of his guard to support him in the fray, and told him to make choice of the best battle-axe and sword he could find, as well as to provide himself with the s.h.i.+eld which most suited the strength of his left arm.
”By your permission I will ask my father,” said Sholto.
”He also fights on our side as the squire of Alan Fleming,” said the Earl; ”if Laurence had not been a monk, he might have made a third MacKim.”
Then was Sholto's heart high and uplifted within him, to think of the victory he would achieve over his brother less than two days after they had parted, and he hastened off to choose his arms under the direction of his father.
The party of James of Avondale consisted of his brother William and young John Lauder, called Lauder of the Ba.s.s. These three had already entered their pavilion to accoutre themselves for the combat when a trumpet announced the arrival from the castle of the amba.s.sador of France, who, being recovered from his sickness, had come in haste to see the fighting of the last and greatest day of the tourney.
As soon as he heard the wager of battle the marshal cried: ”I also will strike a blow this day for the honour of France. My quinsy has altogether left me, and my blood flows strong after the rest. I will take part with James of Avondale.”
And, without waiting to be asked, he went off followed by his servant Poitou towards the pavilion of the Avondale trio.
Now as the Marshal de Retz was the chief guest, it was impossible for James of Avondale to refuse his offer. But there was anger and blasphemy in his heart, for he knew not what the Frenchman could do, and though he had undoubtedly been a gallant knight in his day, yet in these matters (as James Douglas whispered to his brother) a week's steady practice is worth a lifetime of theory. Still there was nothing for the brothers from Douglasdale but to make the best of their bargain. The person most deserving of pity, however, was the young laird of the Ba.s.s, who, being thus dispossessed, went out to the back of the lists and actually shed tears, being little more than a boy, and none looking on to see him.
Then he came back hastily, and besought James of Douglas to let him fight as his squire, saying that as he had never taken up the knighthood which had been bestowed on him by the Earl for his journey to France, there could be nothing irregular in his fighting once more as a simple esquire. And thus, after an appeal to the Earl himself, it was arranged, much to John Lauder's content.
For his third knight the Douglas had made choice of his cousin Hugh, younger brother of his two opponents, and at that William and James of Avondale shook their heads.
”He pushes a good tree, our Hughie,” said James. ”If he comes at you, Will, mind that trick of swerving that he hath. Aim at his right gauntlet, and you will hit his s.h.i.+eld.”
The conflict on the Boat Croft differed much from the chivalrous encounters of an earlier time and a richer country. And of this more anon.
It chanced that on the borders of the crowd which that day begirt the great enclosure of the lists two burgesses of Dumfries stood on tiptoe,--to wit, Robert Semple, merchant dealing in cloth and wool, and Ninian Halliburton, the brother of Barbara, wife of Malise MacKim, master armourer, whose trade was only conditioned by the amount of capital he could find to lay out and the probability he had of disposing of his purchase within a reasonable time.
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