Читать «Айвенго / Ivanhoe» онлайн - страница 17

“Well done!” shouted the robbers, “Old England forever! The Saxon has saved both his purse and his head, and the Miller has met his match.”

“You can go, my friend,” said the Captain, “and I will give you two men to guide you to your master’s tent. Only remember that you have refused to tell his name—don’t ask about ours, and don’t try to discover who we are.”

Gurth thanked the Captain, and promised to follow his recommendation. Two of the bandits took him to the open place from which he could see the lists and the tents. Here the thieves stopped.

“Good night to you, kind sirs,” said Gurth and he went to the tent of his master, where he told the knight about his adventures.

The Disinherited Knight was filled with astonishment, no less at the generosity of Rebecca, than that of the robbers.

* * *

Next morning was dedicated to the general tournament. The Disinherited Knight was the leader of one group of knights and Brian de Bois-Guilbert was the first champion of the other band. Many knights who were not prepared to challenge a single opponent of high reputation wanted to show themselves in the general combat. On the present occasion, there were about fifty knights on each side.

Simple people and nobles all came to watch the fight, including Cedric the Saxon with the Lady Rowena. Athelstane, however, put on his armour and, to Cedric’s surprise, joined the part of the Templar. His only reason for doing so was to punish the champion of the preceding day for choosing Rowena (whom Athelstane considered to be his bride) as the Queen of Love and Beauty.

As soon as Prince John saw that the Queen of the day had arrived upon the field, he rode forward to meet her, dismounted and helped the Lady Rowena to get down from her horse.

“This is,” said Prince John, “how we set the example of loyalty to the Queen of Love and Beauty.” Then the Prince led Rowena to the seat of honour opposite his own.

The knights, entering at either end of the lists in long procession, arranged themselves in two lines on each side. The leader of each party took the place in the centre of the first line.

The trumpets sounded, the knights lowered their spears, and the first line of each party rushed forward. They met in the middle of the lists with a terrible noise. The second line of each party advanced more slowly to replace the defeated.

The results of the clash were not immediately seen, because of the dust raised by so many horses. When the fight became visible, half the knights on each side were dismounted. Some had already jumped to their feet and were attacking those of their antagonists who were in the same situation. The mounted knights, whose lances had been almost all broken, were now closely engaged with their swords, shouting their war-cries.

The leaders of each party tried to find each other on the field, but again and again had to fight some brave knight from the opposite band. When many knights were defeated, the Templar and the Disinherited Knight met hand to hand. Their strokes were so furious, that the spectators all began to shout in admiration.