The Armourer's Apprentice — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

S tee Pe oe ae VY eo 7! Ve - - Lt re > re paws # ther r ee ney: ‘the noble Hubert de = at Look to it, my lord, that you do not - you ent the Vengeance of the yhurch on ads.” ri olowed, by his men, the good bisho aft the hall, and soon was heard riding o 1 his retinue Vainly did Sir | Bidulph call upon his | oy ‘other to marry the young couple. The ‘curse which the bishop had pronounced a ost anyone who should dare disobey ‘commands was too awful for any priest sak, and not one of them would hear rd on the subject. Indeed, even De ey refused to risk the curse. . Bidulph and his nephew “wald 3) consultation, at the end of which the alice was once more taken down to : ‘the 27 Aver and placed on board the ship, which, reading its sails in a favouring > wine at soon speeding down towards the i ee t. ae ers 4 ¥ T, : t x Pag t oA] . hy Cig 10 | Dp ME oe Ww ar Yad ire So § IU al "CHAPTER VI. : / STEPHEN ‘STERNHOLD GAINED HIS 7 a _SPURS—THE STHANGH CHAL- LE INGE AOCKPTED—THE KING PERMITS me TE LE | DUEL | TO THE DEATH. , a + “ bY ; ey ) LDEN Tu CRILY for our hero, mi he. "yee fy arrested in the 8 name the guar a ge him to ae camp, where the alian | Richard with his barons were con- sulti ee as to the embarkation of the y; ti ii D oF learing this, our hero at once bethought him of the ri which in years gone by the king 1g—then Prince Richard—had given him, and. atter some little trouble he persuaded he ‘captain of the guard to carry. it to the k ng , and tell him that one Stephen Stern- hol fhe owner of the ring, wished to have zat Too i e surprise of all, the king no sooner than he commanded that the | uid be brought before him. ei a yes Master Sternhold?” ex- ee the king, as he smiled kindly on Stephen. ‘Hast thou already got into , tre uk le? Bit thy dignities so easily upon ee. ‘me, most gracious sire,” said ephen, “that I should thus have been s0 soon. | compelled to use the ring that thou didst ¢ ive me. But I would have thee hear the true account of this most unfortunate alfal ‘ot that I would crave thy mercy. f thou dost deem me guilty, then J will nu Ost y willi sly receive the’punishment that | iit an ult award me, But I would save 7 ee ‘ag pure as the dew of heaven— AA ig - HOW ‘STEPHEN Gs AINED HIS GOLDEN SPURS. “Who is that?” i” ; ¥ 17 one who hath fallen into the hands of base miscreants, J fear, sire, that even now it. ig too late to save her, still Wwe may avenge.” “Speak!” cried the king. “If what thou sayest be true, fear not but that I will see that thou art righted.” — fn plain and simple words Stephen told the adventures of the night, conclud- ing by accusing George ynyard, Sir Bidulph de Boischene, and Lord de Courcy of carrying off the fair Alice. He also stated his behef that they had caused him to be frequently attacked. Richard’s brow grew dark as thunder when he heard this. and he roared forth— “Now by my knightly word, if this be true they shall answer for it. The base cur, George Wynyard, hath already paid for his termority. Let the Lord de Courcy and Sir Bidulph be ordered to attend me” = “My lord, they cannot come,” said a buge knight, who had listened with ill- concealed impatience to all that had been said by Stephen. “But I will take their quarrel on my shoulders. this fellow a recreant, for Sir Bidulph, my yalisnt kinsman, and the Lord de Coure cy sailed to-day inthe Leopard from London.” “The Leopard!” exclaimed a rough voice; “then that proves Master Stephen’s words are true; for I saw the Leopard sail past the tower when tbe hour glass made it hear upon ten. To that I pledge my word.” demanded the king, “Let him step forward.” Pulse oer , Willo’ the Bow pushed his way t ough the crowd, and, bowing to the king, said— “Tam but a humbie soldier, my Liege, but a faithful and true one. The Leopard did not sail until the hour of which I speak. Therefore these noble gentlemen all on board ‘proves what Master being | Stephen says is true.” “How say you, Ralph Je Gros?” de- manded the king, as he turned towards the knight who 1ad defended Sir Bidulph and his nephev. ‘““T say, my liege, that I declare these statements false, and am ready to prove them so with my sword, lance, or battle- axe, at any time, in any place, where it may please your sire to appoint.” “ And I, sire, am also ready to prove that my accusations are tr ue, and here declare that the Lord de Courcy ‘and. Sir Bidulri de Boischene are villains, and have fov.nd a most worthy defender in this bragg art, Six Bal h le Gros !” ow!” thundered the knight, “darest ee use such language to me, a_ belted knight? I willhaye Meg dragged through Z <S EORMIC OOO! <Se(Co (G I here declare