Page 212 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

them like snow beneath the springtide sun.’
‘Thou wrongest me, Robin,’ said the Knight, ‘for listen:
I have a son but twenty winters old, nevertheless he has
won his spurs as knight. Last year, on a certain evil day, the
jousts were held at Chester, and thither my son went, as did
I and my lady wife. I wot it was a proud time for us, for he
unhorsed each knight that he tilted against. At last he ran a
course with a certain great knight, Sir Walter of Lancaster,
yet, though my son was so youthful, he kept his seat, al-
beit both spears were shivered to the heft; but it happened
that a splinter of my boy’s lance ran through the visor of
Sir Walter’s helmet and pierced through his eye into his
brain, so that he died ere his esquire could unlace his helm.
Now, Robin, Sir Walter had great friends at court, therefore
his kinsmen stirred up things against my son so that, to
save him from prison, I had to pay a ransom of six hundred
pounds in gold. All might have gone well even yet, only that,
by ins and outs and crookedness of laws, I was shorn like
a sheep that is clipped to the quick. So it came that I had
to pawn my lands to the Priory of Emmet for more money,
and a hard bargain they drove with me in my hour of need.
Yet I would have thee understand I grieve so for my lands
only because of my dear lady wife.’
‘But where is thy son now?’ asked Robin, who had lis-
tened closely to all the Knight had said.
‘In Palestine,’ said Sir Richard, ‘battling like a brave
Christian soldier for the cross and the holy sepulcher. Tru-
ly, England was an ill place for him because of Sir Walter’s
death and the hate of the Lancastrian’s kinsmen.’

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