Читать «Айвенго / Ivanhoe» онлайн - страница 21

“Do not forget about the wind, Hubert,” said Locksley, bending his bow.

So saying, and without stopping to aim, Locksley shot his arrow. The arrow hit the target two inches nearer to the white spot which marked the centre than that of Hubert.

“A man can only do his best,” said Hubert; “but my grandfather bent a good long bow at Hastings, and I will not dishonour his memory.”

He then resumed his place, and paid attention to a very light wind, which had just arisen, and shot so successfully that his arrow hit the very centre of the target.

“You cannot be better, Locksley,” said the Prince.

“I will hit his arrow, however,” replied Locksley and sent his arrow with a little more precaution than before. It hit the arrow of Hubert and split it to pieces. The people who stood around were so astonished, that they could not even shout. “This must be the devil, and no man of flesh and blood,” whispered the yeomen to each other.

Locksley won. He said, “These twenty coins I leave to Hubert, who has this day bent as good a bow as his grandfather did at Hastings.”

Then he mixed with the crowd and disappeared.

* * *

Waldemar Fitzurse worked hard to reunite the members of Prince John’s Party, who were frightened by the rumours of Richard’s freedom.

“If Richard returns,” Fitzurse said to them, “he returns to enrich his needy and impoverished crusaders at the expense of those who did not follow him to the Holy Land. He returns to punish as a rebel every follower of his brother Prince John. Are you afraid of his power? We know that he is a strong and brave knight, but he is alone”.

A meeting was appointed at York to make general preparations for placing the crown upon the head of Prince John.

It was late at night, when Fitzurse returned to the Castle of Ashby tired but satisfied. In the hall he met with De Bracy, who wore a short green cloak and had a short sword, a horn, a long bow and a bundle of arrows with him. He looked exactly like an English yeoman.

“What is this, De Bracy?” Fitzurse said angrily, “is this time the for Christmas games? What on Earth are you going to do dressed like that?”

“To get me a wife,” answered De Bracy, “I will attack the Saxons who have this night left the castle and carry off from them the lovely Rowena.”

“Are you mad, De Bracy?” said Fitzurse. “This is no time for crazy adventures.”

“Everybody will think that the Yorkshire robbers are responsible for that. Don’t I look like a yeoman?”

“If I cannot stop you,” said Fitzurse, “at least waste as little time as possible.”

“I’m telling you,” answered De Bracy, “all will be done in a few hours, and I will be back at York—ready to support you in anything. – Farewell. – I go, like a true knight, to win the smiles of beauty.”

“Like a true knight?” repeated Fitzurse, looking after him; “like a child, I would say, who leaves the most serious business to run after a butterfly. – But it is with such tools that I have to work.”