CHAPTER IX.
THE PRINCESS BERENGARIA.
One night it chanced that Cuthbert was late in his return to camp, andhis road took him through a portion of the French encampment; the nightwas dark, and Cuthbert presently completely lost all idea as to hisbearings. Presently he nearly ran against a tent; he made his way to theentrance in order to crave directions as to his way--for it was a wetnight; the rain was pouring in torrents, and few were about of whom hecould demand the way--and, as he was about to draw aside the hangings,he heard words said in a passionate voice which caused him to withdrawhis hand suddenly.
"I tell you," said a voice, "I would rather drive a dagger myself intoher heart than allow our own princess to be insulted by this hot-headedisland dog."
"It is sad indeed," said another, but in a calmer smoother tone, "thatthe success of a great expedition like this, which has for its objectthe recovery of the holy sepulcher from the infidels, should be wreckedby the headstrong fancies of one man. It is even, as is told by the oldGrecian poet, as when Helen caused a great war between people of thatnation."
"I know nothing," another voice said, "either of Helen or the Greeks, orof their poets. They are a shifty race, and I can believe aught that isbad of them. But touching this princess of Navarre, I agree with ourfriend, it would be a righteous deed to poniard her, and so to removethe cause of dispute between the two kings, and, indeed, the twonations. This insult laid upon our princess is more than we, as Frenchknights and gentlemen, can brook; and if the king says the word there isnot a gentleman in the army but will be ready to turn his sword againstthe islanders."
Then the smooth voice spoke again.
"It would, my brethren, be wrong and useless to shed blood; but methinksthat if this apple of discord could be removed a good work would be donenot, as our friend the count has suggested, by a stab of the dagger;that indeed would be worse than useless. But surely there are scores ofreligious houses, where this bird might be placed in a cage without asoul knowing where she was, and where she might pass her life in prayerthat she may be pardoned for having caused grave hazards of the failureof an enterprise in which all the Christian world is concerned."
The voices of the speakers now fell, and Cuthbert was straining his earto listen, when he heard footsteps approaching the tent, and he glidedaway into the darkness.
With great difficulty be recovered the road to the camp, and when hereached his tent he confided to the Earl of Evesham what he had heard.
"This is serious indeed," the earl said, "and bodes no little troubleand danger. It is true that the passion which King Richard has conceivedfor Berengaria bids fair to wreck the Crusade, by the anger which it hasexcited in the French king and his nobles; but the disappearance of theprincess would no less fatally interfere with it, for the king would belike a raging lion deprived of his whelps, and would certainly move nofoot eastward until he had exhausted all the means in his power oftracing his lost lady love. You could not, I suppose, Cuthbert, pointout the tent where this conversation took place?"
"I could not," Cuthbert answered; "in the darkness one tent is likeanother. I think I should recognize the voices of the speakers did Ihear them again; indeed, one voice I did recognize; it was that of theCount of Brabant, with whom we had trouble before."
"That is good," the earl said, "because we have at least an object towatch. It would never do to tell the king what you have heard. In thefirst place, his anger would be so great that it would burst all bounds,and would cause, likely enough, a battle at once between the two armies;nor would it have any good effect, for he of Brabant would of coursedeny the truth of your assertions, and would declare it was merely agot-up story to discredit him with the king, and so to wipe out the oldscore now standing between us. No, if we are to succeed, alike inpreventing harm happening to the princess, and an open break between thetwo monarchs, it must be done by keeping a guard over the princess,unsuspected by all, and ourselves frustrating any attempt which may bemade."
Cuthbert expressed his willingness to carry out the instructions whichthe earl might give him; and, much disturbed by the events of the day,both earl and page retired to rest, to think over what plan had best beadopted.
The princess was staying at the palace of the bishop of the town; thishe, having another residence a short distance outside the walls, hadplaced at the disposal of the Queen of Navarre and her suite; and thefirst step of Cuthbert in the morning was to go into the town, toreconnoiter the position and appearance of the building. It was a largeand irregular pile, and communicated with the two monasteries lyingalongside of it. It would therefore clearly be a most difficult thing tokeep up a complete watch on the exterior of so large a building. Therewere so many ways in which the princess might be captured and carriedoff by unscrupulous men that Cuthbert in vain thought over every plan bywhich it could be possible to safeguard her. She might be seized uponreturning from a tournament or entertainment; but this was improbable,as the queen would always have an escort of knights with her, and noattempt could be successful except at the cost of a public fracas andmuch loss of blood. Cuthbert regarded as out of the question that anoutrage of this kind would be attempted.
The fact that one of the speakers in the tent had used the words "mysons," showed that one priest or monk, at least, was connected with theplot. It was possible that this man might have power in one of themonasteries, or he might be an agent of the bishop himself; and Cuthbertsaw that it would be easy enough in the night for a party from one orother of the monasteries to enter by the door of communication with thepalace, and carry off the princess without the slightest alarm beinggiven. Once within the walls of the convent she could be either hiddenin the dungeons or secret places, which buildings of that kind were sureto possess, or could be at once carried out by some quiet entrance, andtaken into the country, or transferred to some other building in thetown.
When Cuthbert joined the earl he told him the observations that he hadmade, and Sir Walter praised the judgment which he had shown in hisconclusions. The earl was of opinion that it would be absolutelynecessary to get some clew as to the course which the abductors purposedto take; indeed it was possible that on after-consideration they mightdrop their plan altogether, for the words which Cuthbert had overheardscarcely betokened a plan completely formed and finally decided upon.
The great point he considered, therefore, was that the tent of his oldenemy should be carefully watched, and that an endeavor should be madeto hear something of what passed within, which might give a clew to theplan fixed upon. They did not, of course, know whether the tent in whichthe conversation had been heard by Cuthbert was that of Sir de JacquelinBarras, or of one of the other persons who had spoken; and Cuthbertsuggested that the first thing would be to find out whether the count,after nightfall, was in the habit of going to some other tent, orwhether, on the other hand, he remained within and was visited byothers.
It was easy, of course, to discover which was his tent; and Cuthbertsoon got its position, and then took Cnut into his counsels.
"The matter is difficult," Cnut said, "and I see no way by which a watchcan be kept up by day; but after dark--I have several men in my band whocan track a deer, and surely could manage to follow the steps of thisbaron without being observed. There is little Jack, who is no biggerthan a boy of twelve, although he can shoot, and run, and play with thequarterstaff, or, if need be, with the bill, against the best man in thetroop. I warrant me that if you show him the tent he will keep suchsharp watch that no one shall enter or depart without his knowing wherethey go to. On a dark night he will be able to slip among the tents, andto move here and there without being seen. He can creep on his stomachwithout moving a leaf, and trust me the eyes of these Frenchmen-at-arms will look in vain for a glimpse of him."
"You understand, Cnut, all that I want to know is whether the otherconspirators in this matter visit his tent, or whether he goes totheirs."
"I understand," Cnut said. "That is the first point to be arrived at."
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Three days later Cnut brought news that each night after dark a party offive men met in the tent that was watched; that one of the five alwayscame out when all had assembled, and took his station before theentrance of the tent, so as to be sure that no eavesdropper was near.
Cuthbert smiled.
"It is a case of locking the door after the horse has gone."
"What is to be done now?" Cnut asked.
"I will talk with the earl before I tell you, Cnut. This matter is tooserious for me to take a step without consulting Sir Walter."
That night there was a long talk between the earl and his page as to thebest course to be pursued. It was clear that their old enemy was theleading person in the plot, and that the only plan to baffle it with anyfair chances of success was to keep a constant eye upon his movements,and also to have three or four of the sturdiest men of the band told offto watch, without being perceived, each time that the princess was inher palace.
The Earl of Evesham left the arrangements entirely in the hands of hispage, of whose good sense and sagacity he had a very high opinion.
His own first impulse had been to go before the king and denounce theCount of Brabant. But the ill-will between them was already well known;for not only was there the original dispute at the banquet, but when thetwo armies had joined at Sicily, King Richard, who had heard from theearl of the attempt at the assassination of Cuthbert, had laid acomplaint before King Philip of the conduct of his subject.
Sir de Jacquelin Barras, however, had denied that he had any finger inthe matter.
"He had," he said, "discharged his page after the encounter withCuthbert, and knew nothing further whatever of his movements."
Although it was morally certain that the page could not have purchasedthe services of the men who assisted him, from his own purse, or gainthem by any means of persuasion, but that they were either the followersof the Count of Brabant, or ruffians hired with his money, as no proofcould be obtained the matter was allowed to drop.
The earl felt, however, that an accusation against the count by him ofan intention to commit a high crime, and this merely on the evidence ofhis page, would appear like an attempt to injure the fame of his rival.
Feeling, therefore, that nothing could be done save to watch, he leftthe matter entirely in the hands of his page, telling him that he couldtake as many men-at-arms or archers as he might choose and use them inhis name.
Cnut entered warmly into Cuthbert's plans; and finally it was arrangedbetween them that six of the archers should nightly keep watch oppositethe various entrances of the bishop's palace and of the two monasteriesjoining. Of course, they could not patrol up and down without attractingattention, but they were to take up posts where they could closelyobserve the entrances, and were either to lie down and feign drunkensleep, or to conceal themselves within the shadow of an arch or otherhiding-place.
Down on the seashore Cuthbert made an arrangement with one of the ownersof small craft lying there that ten of his men should sleep on boardevery night, together with some fishermen accustomed to the use of theoar.
Cuthbert himself determined to be always with this party.
Night after night passed, and so long a time went by that Cuthbert beganto think the design must have been given up.
However, he resolved to relax none of his watchfulness during theremaining time that the expedition might stop in Sicily.
It was in January, three weeks after the first watch had been set, whenone of the men who had been placed to watch the entrance to one of themonasteries leaped on board the craft and shook Cuthbert by theshoulder.
"A party of some five men," he said, "have just issued out from themonastery. They are bearing a burden--what, I cannot see. They weremaking in the direction of the water. I whistled to Dion who was next tome in the lane. He is following them, and I came on to tell you toprepare."
The night was pitch-dark, and it was difficult in the extreme to see anyone moving at a short distance off.
There were two or three streets that led from the monastery, which stoodat the top of the town, toward the sea; and a party coming down mighttake any of these, according to the position in which the boat they wereseeking was placed.
Cuthbert now instantly sent five or six of his men with instructions toavoid all noise, along the line of the port, with orders to bring inword should anyone come down and take boat, or should they hear anynoise in the town. He himself with the sailors loosed the ropes whichfastened the boat to shore, got out the oars, and prepared to put off ata moment's notice.
He was of course ignorant whether the abductor would try to carry theprincess off by water, or would hide her in one of the convents of thetown; but he was inclined to think that the former would be the courseadopted; for the king in his wrath would be ready to lay the town inflames, and to search every convent from top to bottom for the princess.Besides, there would be too many aware of the secret.
Cuthbert was not wrong in his supposition.
Soon the man he had sent to the extreme right came running up with thenews that a boat had embarked at the further end with a party of someten men on board. As he came along he had warned the others, and in fiveminutes the whole party were collected in the craft, numbering in alltwelve of Cuthbert's men and six sailors. They instantly put out, androwed in the direction in which the boat would have gone, the boatmenexpressing their opinion that probably the party would make for a vesselwhich was lying anchored at some little distance from shore. Thebearings of the position of this ship was known to the boatmen, but thenight was so dark that they were quite unable to find it. Orders hadbeen given that no sound or whisper was to be heard on board the boat;and after rowing as far as they could the boatmen said they were in thedirection of the ship.
The boatmen all lay on their oars, and all listened intently. Presentlythe creaking of a pulley was heard in the still night, at a distance ofa few hundred yards. This was enough. It was clear that the vessel wasgetting up sail. The boat's head was turned in that direction; the crewrowed steadily but noiselessly, and in a few minutes the tall mast of avessel could be seen faintly against the sky. Just as they perceived thesituation, a hail from on board showed that their approach was nowobserved.
"Stretch to your oars," Cuthbert said, "we must make a dash for it now."
The rowers bent to their work and in a minute the boat ran alongside thecraft.
As Cuthbert and his followers scrambled upon the deck they were attackedby those of the crew and passengers who were standing near; but it wasevident at once that the chiefs of the expedition had not heard thehail, and that there was no general plan of defense against them.
It was not until the last of them had gained a footing and werebeginning to fight their way along the vessel that from below three orfour men-at-arms ran up, and one in a tone of authority demanded whatwas the matter. When he heard the clash of swords and the shouts of thecombatants he put himself at once at the head of the party and a fierceand obstinate fight now took place.
The assailants had, however, the advantage.
Cuthbert and his men were all lightly clad, and this on the deck of aship lumbered with ropes and gear, and in the dark, was a greatadvantage, for the mailed men-at-arms frequently stumbled and fell. Thefight lasted for several minutes. Cnut, who was armed with a heavy mace,did great service, for with each of his sweeping blows he broke down theguard of an opponent, and generally leveled him to the deck.
The numbers at the beginning of the fight were not unequal, but the mento whom the vessel belonged made but a faint resistance when theyperceived that the day was going against them. The men-at-arms, however,consisting of three, who appeared to be the leaders, and of eightpikemen fought stubbornly and well.
Cuthbert was not long in detecting in the tones of the man who wasclearly at the head of affairs the voice of Sir de Jacquelin Barras. Todo him justice he fought with extreme bravery, and when almost all hisfollowers were cut down or beaten overboard, he resisted stanchly and
well. With a heavy two-handed sword he cleaved a space at the end of theboat, and kept the whole of Cuthbert's party at bay.
At last Cnut, who had been engaged elsewhere, came to the front, and atough fight ensued between them.
It might have ended badly for the brave forester, for his lack of armorgave an enormous advantage to his opponent. Soon, however, the count'sfoot slipped on the boards of the deck, and before he could recoverhimself the mace of Cnut descended with tremendous force upon his head,which was unprotected, as he had taken off his casque on arriving at theship. Without a word or a cry the count fell forward on the deck, killedas a bullock by a blow of a poleax.
While this conflict had been going on, occasionally the loud screams ofa woman had been heard below.
Cuthbert, attended by Cnut and two of his followers, now descended.
At the bottom of the steps they found a man-at-arms placed at the doorof a cabin. He challenged as they approached, but being speedilyconvinced that the vessel was in their hands, and that his employer andparty were all conquered, he made a virtue of necessity, and laid downhis arms.
"You had better go in alone," Cnut said, "Master Cuthbert. The lady isless likely to be frightened by your appearance than by us, for she mustwonder indeed what is going on."
On entering the cabin, which had evidently been fitted up for the use ofa lady, Cuthbert saw standing at the other end the princess, whom ofcourse he knew well by sight. A lamp was burning in the cabin, and byits light he could see that her face was deadly pale. Her robes weretorn and disarranged, and she wore a look at once of grave alarm andsurprise upon seeing a handsomely dressed page enter with a deepreverence.
"What means this outrage, young sir? Whoever you be, I warn you that theKing of England will revenge this indignity."
"Your highness," Cuthbert said, "you have no further reason for alarm;the knaves who carried you off from the bishop's palace and conveyed youto this ship are all either killed or in our power. I am the page of theEarl of Evesham, a devoted follower of King Richard. Some of the designsof the bold men came to the ears of my lord, and he ordered me and aband of his followers to keep good guard over the palace and buildingsadjoining. We were unable to gather our strength in time to prevent yourbeing taken on board, but we lost no time in putting forth when we foundthat your abductors had taken boat, and by good fortune arrived here intime; a few minutes later, and the knaves would have succeeded in theirobject, for the sails were already being hoisted, and the vessel makingway, when we arrived. Your abductors are all either killed or thrownoverboard, and the vessel's head is now turned toward the shore, and Ihope in a few minutes to have the honor of escorting you to the palace."
The princess, with a sigh of much satisfaction and relief, sank on to acouch.
"I am indeed indebted to you, young sir," she said. "Believe me, thePrincess Berengaria is not ungrateful, and should it be ever in herpower to do aught for your lord, or for yourself, or for those who haveaccompanied you to rescue her, believe me that she will do it."
"May I be so bold as to ask a boon?" Cuthbert said, dropping on one kneebefore her.
"It is granted at once, whatever it be, if in my power."
"My boon is, lady," he said, "that you will do your best to assuage thenatural anger which the King of England will feel at this bold and mostviolent attempt. That he should be told, is of course necessary; but,lady, much depends upon the telling, and I am sure that at your requestthe king would restrain his anger. Were it not for that, I fear thatsuch quarrels and disputes might arise as would bring the two armies toblows, and destroy forever all hope of the successful termination ofour joint enterprise."
"You are a wise and good youth," the princess said, holding out her handto Cuthbert, which, as duty bound, he placed to his lips. "Your requestis wise and most thoughtful. I will use any poor influence which I maypossess"--and Cuthbert could see that the blood came back now to thewhite face--"to induce King Richard to allow the matter to pass over.There is no reason why he should take up the case. I am no more underhis protection than under that of the King of France, and it is to thelatter I should appeal, for as I believe the men who abducted me werehis subjects."
"The leader of them, madam, was a certain Sir de Jacquelin Barras, aCount of Brabant, with whom my master has had an old feud, and who hasbeen just killed by the leader of our men-at-arms. The others, who havehad the most active hand in the matter, have also perished; and itwould, I think be doubtful whether any clew could be obtained of thosewho were in league with them. The only man in the party who is alive wasplaced as a sentry at your door, and as he is but a man-at-arms we maybe sure that he knows naught of the enterprise, but has merely carriedout the orders of his master."
The vessel had by this time brought up close to the port. The princessdetermined to wait on board until the first dawn was seen in the skies,and then under the escort of her deliverers to go back to the palace,before the town was moving. This plan was carried out, and soon afterdawn the princess was safe in the palace from which she had been carrieda few hours previously.