In the morning the attackers met in the forest to divide the treasure they took from the castle. Locksley sat on his throne made of earth under the huge oak. He asked the Black Knight to sit at his right hand, and Cedric at his left.
Forgive my freedom, noble sirs, said Locksley, but in this forest I am the King.
Noble Cedric, he continued; half of this treasure belongs to you and your people.
Good yeoman, said Cedric, I am rich enough to reward them myself and I waited until now only to give my thanks to you and to your bold yeomen.
And to you, said Cedric, turning about and hugging his Jester, How can I reward you?
I ask you, said the Jester, to forgive my friend Gurth, who stole a week from your service only to serve your son.
Forgive him? exclaimed Cedric; I will both forgive and reward him. Kneel down, Gurth. You are now a free man, not a slave, and I will give you a piece of land.
No longer a slave, but a freeman and a landowner, Gurth stood on his feet, and twice jumped aloft to almost his own height from the ground.
I only have to say, said Cedric, that, during the funeral rites of the noble Athelstane, I will stay in his castle of Coningsburgh and it will be open to all who choose to come.
Brave knight, said Locksley to the Black Champion, what will you take from the treasure?
I ask permission, said the Knight, to deal with Sir Maurice de Bracy the way I like.
He is yours, said Locksley, and it is well for him!
De Bracy, said the Knight, you are freeleave. But beware in the future, Maurice de Bracy, beware!
De Bracy bowed low in silence, caught a horse and disappeared in the forest.
De Bracy bowed low in silence, caught a horse and disappeared in the forest.
Then Locksley took from his neck the rich horn and baldric which he had recently won at the tournament and said, Noble knight, keep this horn as a memorial and if at some point you need help somewhere in this forests, you will only need to blow it three times.
Locksley then distributed the treasure. A tenth part of the whole was set apart for the church; a portion was put in a sort of public treasury; a part was given to the widows and children of those who had died in battle. The rest was divided among the bandits. The Black Knight was surprised to find that men who lived without law had such good order among them.
The portion given to the church still lay there.
At this moment the Friar appeared.
Make room, my merry-men! he exclaimed; room for your godly father and his prisoner,And making his way through the ring, amid the laughter of all around, he appeared in majestic triumph, his huge partisan in one hand, and in the other a rope, one end of which was fastened to the neck of the unfortunate Isaac of York. The priest shouted, Where is Allan-a-Dale, to chronicle me in a ballad?
For the love of God! cried the poor Jew, will no one save me from this madI mean this holy man?
Think about your ransom, Jew said the Captain, while I examine a prisoner of another sort. Here he comes. At that moment two bandits brought before their captain Prior Aymer of Jorvaulx.
* * *The Abbots face showed a curious mixture of offended pride and terror.
Are you Christians, said the Prior, and treat a churchman in this way?
Unfortunately, reverend father, said Locksley, I know only one way in which you can escape our company. Pay us a ransom.
What ransom should I pay for walking on the road without fifty men behind my back?
Wouldnt it be good, said one of the bandits, if the Prior named the Jews ransom, and the Jew named the Priors?
This is a brilliant idea! said the Captain, Here, Jew, step forward, look at that holy Father Aymer, Prior of the rich Abbey of Jorvaulx, and tell us what ransom we should demand from him? I believe you know the income of his monastery.
O, yes, said Isaac. I have bought many things from the good fathers of Jorvaulx. It is a rich abbey.
Dog of a Jew! exclaimed the Prior, no one knows better than you, that our holy house of God is in debt for the finishing of our altar
And for buying many bottles of Gascon wine, interrupted the Jew; but thatthat is all small.
Isaac, said the leader, pronounce what he can pay.
Six hundred crowns, said Isaac, the good Prior can well pay to you.
Six hundred crowns, said the leader, gravely; you have well spoken, Isaacsix hundred crowns. It is a sentence, Sir Prior.
A sentence! a sentence! exclaimed the band.
We will keep you here, said the Captain, and send your followers to bring your ransom.
Or, if you like this, said Isaac, I can send to York for the six hundred crowns, if the most reverend Prior gives me a document that he will pay me back.
He will write whatever you say, Isaac, said the Captain, and you will pay for yourself and for Prior Aymer.
For myself! said the Jew, I am a broken and impoverished man.
The Prior will be your judge, replied the Captain. What do you say, Father Aymer? Can the Jew afford a good ransom?
Can he afford a ransom? answered the Prior. Is he not Isaac of York? I tell you openly that he should pay one thousand crowns.
A sentence! a sentence! exclaimed the robbers.
The God of my fathers help me! said the Jew; will you make me a beggar? Is it not enough that I have lost my child today? O Rebecca! If each leaf on that tree were a coin, all that money I would give to know that you are alive!
Was not your daughter dark-haired and in an Eastern dress? said one of the robbers.
She was! said the old man, trembling. What can you tell me about her?
She was carried off by the proud Templar, when he broke through our band yesterday, said the yeoman.
Friends, said the Chief, looking round, the old man is a Jew, but his grief touches me. Tell us the truth, Isaacwill paying this ransom of a thousand crowns leave you without money?
The Jew grew pale but could not deny there might be some small sum left.
Well, we will not take too much from you, said Locksley, Without money you cannot hope to buy the freedom of your child. We will take the same ransom from you as from Prior Aymer, or rather at one hundred crowns lower, which hundred crowns shall be mine own peculiar loss, and you will have six hundred crowns remaining. Templars love the glitter of silver shekels as well as the sparkle of black eyes. Did I say well, my friends?
The yeomen expressed their support for their leaders decision.
Prior Aymer, said the Captain, come apart with me under this tree. I have heard, that you love expensive good wines and hunting. So perhaps you need money. This Jew Isaac will give you a hundred silver coins, if your communication with your friend the Templar shall avail to procure the freedom of his daughter. What say you to this, Prior Aymer?
When Isaac returns successful through your mediation, continued the Outlaw, I swear I will see that he pays you the money in good silver.
The Prior agreed and wrote a letter to Brian de Bois-Guilbert, saying, This can help you, if you add some money.
It remained that the Jew should produce some security for the ransom which he was to pay on the Priors account, as well as upon his own. He wrote a letter to a brother of his tribe at York, requiring him to pay to the sum of a thousand crowns.
Then the Jew hurried in the direction of Templestowe.
Prince John had invited the members of his party to the Castle of York and entertained them with feasts. But open declaration of his intentions was delayed by the absence of three important members of his party.
It was on the morning after the fall of Torquilstone, that De Bracy came to his Prince. His armour carried all the signs of battle, it was broken and stained with blood in many places. He took off his helmet and stood for a moment as if to collect himself before he told his news.
De Bracy, said Prince John, what does this mean? Are the Saxons in rebellion?
Speak, De Bracy, said Waldemar Fitzurse, Where is the Templar? where is Front-de-Boeuf?
The Templar has run, said De Bracy; and Front-de-Boeuf is dead. But the worst news is not yet said, Richard is in EnglandI have seen him and spoken with him.
Prince John turned pale, tottered, and caught at the back of an oaken bench to support himself.
You have gone mad, De Bracy, said Fitzurse, it cannot be true.
It is as true as the truth itself, said De Bracy; I was his prisoner, and spoke with him.
And you were his prisoner? said Waldemar; he is then at the head of an army?
Noonly a few yeomen were around him, and to these his person is unknown. I heard him say he was about to depart from them. He joined them only to assist at the storming of Torquilstone.
Yes, said Fitzurse, such is the fashion of Richard. What do you propose to do, De Bracy?
I? I offered Richard the service of my Free Lances, and he refused themI will lead them to Hull, find some ships, and sail to Flanders. A man of action will always find employment in these times.
Prince John had gradually awakened from the stupor into which he had been thrown by the unexpected information. They are deserting me, he said to himself.
My good lords, I thought you were wise men, yet you throw away money, honour, pleasure at the moment when our game can be won with one stroke!
I dont understand you, said De Bracy. As soon as Richards return is declared, he will be at the head of an army and our game will be lost.
There is only one way to win, said the Prince, this object of our terror travels alone. He must be met on his way.
Not by me, said De Bracy hastily, I was his prisoner, and he showed me mercy. I will not harm a feather on his helmet.
Who spoke of harming him? said Prince John, with a hardened laugh, you will say next that I meant he should kill him! No, a prison would be better. Our uncle Robert lived and died in the castle of Cardiffe.
Prison or tomb, said De Bracy, I wash my hands of the whole matter. He gave me my life. I will not lift hand against him. I will serve you as a knight, but this highway task is not for me.
I will take on me, said Waldemar Fitzurse; this dangerous task. He left the apartment. He goes to make my brother prisoner, said Prince John to De Bracy. I believe he will follow our orders, and pay respect to our dear Richard.