Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 115 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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—— per er ee ee — ee oe ee have their musty houses in the city; we are bet- ter off in the fields.” It was now the turn of Gaston to relate the misfortunes that had befallen him m the town ef Orleans, and Denis listened attentively to them, When his master had done, the squire sail, reflectively: “Tt serves us both right for going apart. Had I been there they never would have fooled ou and Robert the seneschaJ, and had you eon ‘here, St. Pol would never have let that madman loose on me. We must go together in ‘ future, as of yore.” ‘** But suppose this maniac should set on thee again?’ suggested the Master, dubiously. enis grew ashy pale and shuddered in every limb at the recollection, for it was evident that ke was completely unnerved by the attack; but his strong will rallied presently, and he said: ‘J shall be ready for him, and so will my men. ‘They were surprised last time, the as- sault was so quick: but next time they will kill him. Is my lord going to the tourney, to-day? Ali the town is full of it.” Gaston looked out of the door of the tent at the encampment spread around him. What, in two parts, was by ho means a formidable troop, overslaughed by many another noble’s train, was, When united, a body of two hundred and fifty fully equipped lances, each man-at-arms rovided with an archer, a groom, and a coute- ier, or cutlass-man, thus making a total muster as large as a strong modern regiment, ““T am hall-minded to go and show these pop- injay counts and dukes that the Master of Coucy is the peer of all,” he said; ‘‘ but I feel as if my right hand were’cut off without thee, Denis.” ‘Nay, then, I will make shift togo with m master,” answered the squire, raising himse on his elbow with a grimace of pain. ‘ These wounds are large and some of them hurt badly, but none are deep, arid I am as strong as ever.” Gaston did not make any objection to his squire’s sacrificing himself in his master’s cause, for in fact he felt very much like a ship without a rudder, when deprived of the coun- sels of Denis. Gaston, in spite of his bully and bluster, was really a weak man, not overbur- dened even with physical courage; though of that he had enough to make him pass muster re a crowd of ordinary soldiers. A few hours later, the imposing cortege of Gaston de Coucy, headed by the crimson ban- ner of the gold chevron, and followed bya band of men-at-arms, in complete steel from top to toe, swept through the city of Orleans on its way to the “Field of Honor,” where the tour- mey had begun an hour before. CHAPTER XII THE LISTS. Tux train of the Master of Coucy, now fully assembled, was the pl oe of any in town, not even excepting that of Louis of Orleans, and it attracted much attention as it passed. Denis kept his visor down, to hide the long seams and furrows made in his face by the maniac’s talons, but although very sore from his numerous surface wounds he was not so weak “se that he could sit his horse and carry a ce. - When they arrived at the lists, which were itched in the meadows east of Orleans, they ouud a gay and animated scene. The open ex- panse kept for the combats, about a quarter of a mile long, and half as much across, was of oval shape, surrounded with a high palisade, behind which rose several tiers of seats capable of accommodating over thirty thousand people. It scemed as if every seat was full, for the whole population had turned out in force, while ell round the inclosure stretched the encamp- ments of knights who were unable to obtain lodgings in the town. Gaston saw that he was by no means alone in his misfortune of exclu- sion from Orleans. Within the lists were many nobles and knights en horseback, and just as Gaston came to the entrance, a cloud of dust in the center of the i: closure told that a combat was guing on. The Master of Coucy and his squire were met at the gates by a grave and splendidly armed knight, the golden lilies on whose white surcoat announced him asan Officer of the royal family. It was, in fact, Jacques d’Avesmes, Constable ef France, and Lord Marshal of the lists. The Constable bowed courteously to the Mas- ter of Coucy, whom he recognized by his bear- ings, and informed him that he must leave his train outside, no one being allowed to bring riore than a squire and page into the lists with “Do you wish to tilt to-day, Master?” he added. ‘‘ The roll is nearly full, but you can be let in by special favor of the Count of St. Pol, who left your name with his own.” “T ask no favors of St. Pol,” replied Gaston, hanghtily. ‘I will break a lance on him if he wishes, but it must be a sharp one, for our quar- rel is to the uttermost.” **So saith the count himself,” was the reply of the Constable. ‘‘If you choose him for an eutagonist, you are the next in order.” “Good!” said Gaston, eagerly; for he was a good lance and felt confidence ia the excellerce - & The Severed Head. of his horse, which he felt certain was superior to that of St. Pol. Then he gave his train in charge to one of his followers, and rode into the lists with Denis, just as the trumpet announced the conclusion of a contest. He was courteously received by several of his Provencal friends who condolead with him on his late arrival in the lists and asked about the accident to his squire the day before. The Mas- ter impatiently answered the queries, which vexed him sorely, and asked in turn who had arrived. He learned that the Count of Toulouse was the only person of all his neighbors not present, and that St. Pol had brought the Lady Adeline to the lists in great state. The lady was now installed, according to his information, on the grand stand with the Duchess of Orleans and all the great ladies of the court, having met witha distinguished reception. —_-— much that it was his neighbor Toulouse, as on account of the accusation conveyed in the allu- sion to the death of Guy de Coucy. He had not heard a word of this matter in Provence or Languedoc since the end of the Crusade, and now it seemed as if if were cropping up on all sides to annoy hin. He rode out into the lists, not thinking of what he did, and shouted back: “The man who says Guy de Coucy died by treason lies, and here stand I to prove it on his | body.” Instantly there was a hush in the lists, where the accents of passion were out of place, and the Lord Marshal rode forward and rebuked Gaston for his speech, saying: “This is a Field of Honor, set for gallant knights before the royalty of France, and_no private ee must mar the festivities. Re- tire, sir knight, and if thou desirest a battle with the Count of Toulouse, it can only be in Gaston ground his teeth as he heard this and | the next week, if so be he fight and vanquish a looked around him. He saw the faces of many | champion.” nobles whom he had met at Jerusalem, and he was fain to remember the sneers that had been openly made about him after the storming, Gaston would have remonstrated in his anger, but a strong party of Orleanist knights sw ~ ig down on him and escorted him from the lists, when he saw the cold glances which met him | where Toulouse’s herald was still calling out the every where. He saw the grand stand surrounded with bril- liant armed figures, and realized that a great part of the hostility to himself was aided by the admiration and sympathy given to Adeline and her misfortunes. But he had not time to think much about all this, when he heard the trumpets blowing again and saw the glittering figure of the Lord Mar- shal riding toward him. ‘‘Tt is the turn of the Count of St. Pol and the Master of Coucy,” said the Constable, in a loud voice. ‘*Take your places, gallant knights, and God give you fair fortune!” Then Gaston moved off to his place in the lists and saw the tall figure of St. Pol in plain black armor towering opposite to him at the other end of the inclosure. He heard a man say as he took his place: ‘* A hundred nobles on the black knight. sits his horse like a soldier.” Gaston straightened up in his saddle, where he had been slouching somewhat carelessly, and turned to the crowd behind him. ‘“‘T take that wager and make it a thousand,” he cried, in an angry tone, and then he heard Denis whispering through the bars of his hel- met: ** Keep your temper for St. Pol, my lord. He is a stout lance.” The trumpets sounded their second blast at that moment, and Gaston savagely struck his spurs into the black Norman charger he rode, thinderts over the lists to meet St. Pol. Both met fairly in full career in the center of the inclosure, and both spears went all to shivers on the shields of the knights, while the horses reared and plunged to recover themselves from the shock. Instantly Gaston caught up the battle-ax from bis saddle-bow, a movement imitated by St. Pol, and the two closed in fierce strife. They were very evenly matched in hight and weight, and it was hard to tell which would have been the victor, had not St. Pol’s charger been the weaker of the two horses. Gaston, realizing this fact, pressed his enemy Close, spurring hard, and finally the black horse rose with a savage squeal, pawing the air, and com- lled St. Pol to slip off his cwn horse to escape Seine crushed, The contest with axes was very brief and was ended by the Lord Marshal and a number of knights, who galloped in, parting the foes, to tell them that the combat a l’outrance was re- served for the last nig 6 St. Pol, however, having been dismounted was judged unsuccessful, and the Master o Coucy had the proud satisfaction of hearing his name cried through the lists as victor. The angry count, ee thet he had been foul- ly treated, and offering to fight the Master on foot or on horseback, at any time and place, was persuaded to leave the lists, smarting with anger and mortification; while Gaston, waving his battle-ax in a pe was escorted to the front of the grand stand, where his eyes, for the first time since the interview at the castle, met those of Adeline de Coucy. He was sorely tempted to address her, but the brilliant company in which he saw her restrain- ed him from insult, and he contented himself with a frown of ominous import, to which the lady responded by a slight smile of scorn. Then he heard the blast of a trumpet and into the lists rode a herald crying: “Here comes the good knight, Walter, Count of Toulouse, whose lady is the peerless Adeline de Coucy, widow of Guy de Coucy, slain by foul treason, and will do battle on any knight who denies the lady to be the beauty of all France.” " Gaston turned to look, and into the lists rode another knight in the armor of Toulouse. CHAPTER XIIT. TOULOUSE. GASTON Dk Coucy looked at the new-comer in the lits with a sense of stupefaction, not so He — —— Sop - i ———_——— COC Nee ee i a ee TE Ts a a a aa TY . bold challenge, to which Gaston was not per- mitted to respond, savein regular form through the heralds. Full of anger, he retired to a place among the privileged mounted spectators within the lists avd found himself in the very midst of some of hisold Jerusalem comrades, who had spread the worst stories about bim. Had it not been for Denis, the Master of Coucy would have felt very lonely at that mo- ment, but the faithful squire rode up beside him and whispered caution and encouragement in his ear, **'You have beaten St. Pol, and this Toulouse is not so good a lance as the other,” suggested Denis. ‘If be beats an opponent, he ean pick him for your foe next week, but if you fought him now, after one battle already, the poorest lance in the land might do you a hurt. ould I were a knight, for now would I go to the lists against him myself, and I count myself able to turn him out of his saddle at any time.” This counsel comforted Gaston, even though none of his neighbors exchanged a word with him, and though all drew away, leaving a circle round him, but he soon became interested in the fortunes of Toulouse on whom he longed to take vengeance. The challenge of the herald was not long in meeting a response, which came from a young knight called Roland de Rohan, who sent in his herald to proclaim that the Lady Matilda de Vere was as much more beautiful than Ade- ne splendor, and that be wculd prove it on Tou- louse or any one else. This sort of challenge was one sure to be re- ceived with favor, as it suited the fantastic no- tions of the times, and young Roland was soon in his place opposite the armed figure of Tou- louse, while the trumpets blew the signal for the assault. ° Denis watched the strange knight very keenly as he sat on his horse waiting, and surprised Gas- ton with the muttered observation: . ‘** By my soul, yonder knight is nct Toulouse, or I am a fool.” Gaston started. * Why not?” ; “Toulouse is fatter and not so tall. That man’s armor does not fit him well.” Gaston looked dcubtfully at the figures of the warriors and replied: ‘We shall soon see. Toulouse always shakes his bridle-hand like a sieve ere he staris. ‘Tisa bad trick he learned from those Saracens.” ‘* Let them go!” shouted the Marshal of the lists at this moment; the trumpets clanged, and away went the two knights. The strange Toulouse, if indeed it were a stranger in his armor, tilted better than any one had ever seen Toulouse ride before. Straightas an arrow, he flew across the lists, caught the young champion of Matilda de Vergy with his san (Se full in the middle of the breast, and sent him reeling over the croup of his horse in complete defeat. Loud blew the trumpeters, and the heralés proclaimed aloud that the Lady Aceline de Coney was justified by her knight as the beauty of France, till a better knight should bring his lady’s colors into the field. Then the Constable d’Avesmes rode into the middle of the lists and tossed his truncheon high in tho air toward the setting sun asa token that the contests were over fer the day, while the crowd began to disperse, , **T tell you,” said Denis to his master, as they crowded through the gate with the press of knights riding home, “ Walter de Toulouse is not here, and that fellow hath stolen his ermor. Let us go and seek him, now that we are out of the lists with their cursed rules and etiquette. any.” ta fact, the great array of followers of the Master of Coucy was enough to inepire respect for his person as soon as he was out of the lists, and he began to make himself felts by ridinz: e Coucy as the sun exceeded the moon in | Here are our own men, and we ere as good as (E(0) Eomicbooks —————— ——- —