Part 8 (1/2)
The news that a fight was to take place between an English and a Brabant page, by the permission of the Kings of England and France, that their Majesties were to be present, and that all was to be conducted on regular rules, caused a stir of excitement and novelty in the camp.
Nowhere is life duller than among a large body of men kept together for any time under canvas, and the thought of a combat of this novel kind excited general interest.
In a meadow at a short distance from the camp, a body of King Richard's men-at-arms marked off an oval s.p.a.ce of about an acre. Upon one side of this a tent was pitched for the kings, and a small tent was placed at each end for the combatants. Round the enclosure the men-at-arms formed the ring, and behind them a dense body of spectators gathered, a place being set aside for n.o.bles, and others of gentle blood.
At the hour fixed the Kings of England and France arrived together. King Richard was evidently in a state of high good humour, for he preferred the clash of arms and the sight of combat to any other pleasure.
The King of France, on the other hand, looked grave. He was a far wiser and more politic king than Richard; and although he had consented to the sudden proposal, yet he felt in his heart that the contest was a foolish one, and that it might create bad feeling among the men of the two nationalities whichever way it went. He had reserved to himself the right of throwing down the baton when the combat was to cease, and he determined to avail himself of this right, to put a stop to the conflict before either party was likely to sustain any deadly injury.
When the monarchs had taken their places the trumpeters sounded their trumpets, and the two combatants advanced on foot from their ends of the lists. A murmur of surprise and dissatisfaction broke from the crowd.
”My Lord of Evesham,” the king said angrily to the earl, who with Count Jacquelin was standing by the royal party, ”thou shouldst have said that the difference between the two was too great to allow the combat to be possible. The Frenchman appears to be big enough to take your page under his arm and walk off with him.”
The difference was indeed very striking. The French champion was arrayed in a full suit of knightly armour--of course without the gold spurs which were the distinguis.h.i.+ng mark of that rank--and with his helmet and lofty plume of feathers he appeared to tower above Cuthbert, who, in his close-fitting steel cap and link armour, seemed a very dwarf by the side of a giant.
”It is not size, sire, but muscle and pluck will win in a combat like this. Your Majesty need not be afraid that my page will disgrace me. He is of my blood, though the kins.h.i.+p is not close. He is of mixed Saxon and Norman strain, and will, believe me, do no discredit to either.”
The king's brow cleared, for in truth he was very proud of his English nationality, and would have been sorely vexed to see the discomfiture of an English champion, even though that champion were a boy.
”Brother Phillip,” he said, turning to the king, ”I will wager my gold chain against yours on yonder stripling.”
”Methinks that it were robbery to take your wager,” the King of France said. ”The difference between their bulk is disproportionate. However, I will not baulk your wish. My chain against yours.”
The rule of the fight was that they were to commence with Swords, but that either could, if he chose, use his battle-axe.
The fight need scarcely be described at length, for the advantage was all one way. Cuthbert was fully a match in strength for his antagonist, although standing nigh a foot shorter. Constant exercise, however, had hardened his muscles into something like steel, while the teaching that he had received had embraced all that was then known of the use of arms.
Science in those days there was but little of; it was a case rather of hard, heavy hitting, than of what we now call swordsmans.h.i.+p.
With the sword Cuthbert gained but slight advantage over his adversary, whose superior height enabled him to rain blows down upon the lad, which he was with difficulty enabled to guard; but when the first paroxysm of his adversary's attack had pa.s.sed, he took to the offensive, and drove his opponent back step by step. With his sword, however, he was unable to cut through the armour of the Frenchman, but in the course of the encounter, guarding a severe blow aimed at him, his sword was struck from his hand, and he then, seizing his axe, made such play with it that his foe dropped his own sword and took to the same weapon.
In this the superior height and weight of his opponent gave him even a greater advantage than with the sword, and Cuthbert knowing this, used his utmost dexterity and speed to avoid the sweeping blows showered upon him. He himself had been enabled to strike one or two sweeping strokes, always aiming at the same place, the juncture of the visor with the helmet. At last the Frenchman struck him so heavy a blow that it beat down his guard and struck his steel cap from his head, bringing him to the knee. In an instant he was up, and before his foe could be again on guard, he whirled his axe round with all its force, and bringing it just at the point of the visor which he had already weakened with repeated blows, the edge of the axe stove clean through the armour, and the page was struck senseless to the ground.
A great shout broke from the English portion of the soldiery as Cuthbert leant over his prostrate foe, and receiving no answer to the question ”Do you yield?” rose to his feet, and signified to the squire who had kept near that his opponent was insensible.
King Richard ordered the pursuivant to lead Cuthbert to the royal enclosure.
”Thou art a brave lad and a l.u.s.ty,” the king said, ”and hast borne thee in the fight as well as many a knight would have done. Wert thou older, I would myself dub thee knight; and I doubt not that the occasion will yet come when thou wilt do as good deeds upon the bodies of the Saracens as thou hast upon that long-shanked opponent of thine. Here is a gold chain; take it as a proof that the King of England holds that you have sustained well the honour of his country; and mark me, if at any time you require a boon, bring or send me that chain, and thou shall have it freely. Sir Walter,” he said, turning to the earl, ”in this lad thou hast a worthy champion, and I trust me that thou wilt give him every chance of distinguis.h.i.+ng himself. So soon as thou thinkst him fit for the knightly rank I myself will administer the accolade.”
CHAPTER VIII.
REVENGE.
After his interview with the king, Cuthbert was led to his tent amid the hearty plaudits of the English troops.
His own comrades flocked round him; the men of the greenwood headed by c.n.u.t, were especially jubilant over his victory.
”Who would have thought,” said the tall forester, ”that the lad who but a short time ago was a child, should now have sustained the honour of the country? We feel proud of you, Cuthbert; and trust us some day or other to follow wherever you may lead, and to do some deed which will attain for you honour and glory, and to show that the men of Evesham are as doughty as any under King Richard's rule.”