"Hold Cedric," I cried, "beware lest he stab thee."

But my comrade had already advanced into the darkened room. He sprang beneath the table, like a boar-hound on his prey, and in an instant emerged at deathly grips with a man as broad and heavy as himself who fought with tooth and nail and heel and with the fierceness of a cornered wolf. E'en in that moment I noted the iron collar on his neck, and knew we had to do with Egbert, the Gilroy thrall.

Round and round they whirled in desperate wrestling, the while I tried in vain to be of help. In a moment they were out of the room where the villein had lain hidden and fighting full madly in the lodge, the thrall striving to throw his captor from him and make his way out the door and into the woods beyond.

Finding this impossible, he made a mighty effort, and lifted Cedric fairly from his feet, and flung him on his side upon the floor. For an instant it seemed he would win away unless I drove a quarrel through him; but Cedric twisted instantly and rolled the other on his back. Then in a flash he had pinned him down and had his knee on his breast.

"Now yield thee," Cedric panted. "Thou seest I can slay thee if I will."

"Slay me then," gasped the other. "'Tis better than Lord Gilroy's branding iron or hanging noose."

"Ah then, thou'rt Egbert that murdered the dogmaster?"

"No murderer am I; but that will serve me not. Lord Gilroy will have me flayed alive with ne'er a chance to tell my tale."

For a moment Cedric gazed into the bloodshot eyes beneath him. Then he questioned, slowly:

"Hark thee, my man. If I let thee up, wilt thou sit quiet and tell to us thy tale of this day's doings?"

"Aye," replied the thrall, "though to me 'tis all one. Thou'rt a knight and landlord, and wilt have no ear for the words of a thrall that wears the iron collar and is hunted by his master like a sheep-killing hound."

"Of that we shall see," replied Cedric, and, springing up, he released his prisoner and pointed to one of the benches that he might sit before us. "Now tell us," he commanded, "why thou did'st beat the dogmaster till he lies near to death."

Egbert, the thrall, took seat as he was bidden, loosed the garment that had tightened about his throat in the struggle and began:

"Simon, the dogmaster, had ever a grudge toward me,-for what I know not.

And when I went to him three days ago to say that one huge hound of his pack had come a roaring at me as I worked in the field, and forced me to climb on a hay rick to 'scape his jaws, he only laughed and said that thrall-meat would be cheaper far for such a valued beast than beef or mutton. This morn, at nine o' the clock, I crossed the hay field at the back of the kennels, and out leaped this same hound with frightful growls and roars and widely opened jaws as if he would devour me forthwith. No tree or hay-rick was at hand that I could climb; and I seized me a stone the size of my right fist, and with it felled the beast so that he lay still enough upon the gra.s.s. This was no sooner done than I heard behind me the running feet of Simon, the dogmaster. He had his dog-whip in his hand; and when he came in reach, he struck at me with all his might. The lash curled about my face, and made the weals you still may plainly see. Such despite was more than I could bear. I seized the whip from his hand, and although I knew full well it meant the branding iron or the gallows, I struck him thrice o'er the head with the loaded b.u.t.t he keeps for the savage and unruly ones among his pack.

Simon fell down in a heap. And then I saw Lord Gilroy riding toward me from a hilltop a furlong off, and made for the woods where his horse could not follow. They hunted me all morning, but I would have won away had'st thou not found me."

When the thrall had ceased speaking it was very still in the lodge.

Cedric looked at me with a painful question in his eyes. What my own looks answered I know not save from his words that quickly followed.

"Egbert," he cried, "thy act may have been lawless; but we will not judge thee; and thou shalt not be sent back to the lash or the branding iron by act of ours. Neither shalt thou longer wear that badge of slavery about thy neck. Here's that which will sever it."

Striding to the darkened corner he took from among the armorer's tools a stout, long-bladed file; then, springing back to Egbert's side, seized the iron ring with one hand and set to work upon it with l.u.s.ty strokes.

Soon the band was half cut through; then Cedric dropped the file, and, taking the collar in both his sinewy hands, gave a mighty twist, broke it apart utterly and flung it as an accursed thing into the blackness beneath the armorer bench.

Next he took his cross-bow from the table and thrust it into Egbert's hands.

"Take this for thy safer journeying," he cried, "thou'lt need to travel fast and far for some few days. Then thou may'st take service under some true lord as a plowman or a soldier as thou wilt. From this day forth thou art a freeman."

Egbert gazed at Cedric with tears streaming down his face. Then he fell on his knees before him; but my comrade raised him almost roughly.

"Up with thee, Egbert! Thou'rt a freeman now, and should do utter homage to none but G.o.d. And there's work to do if thou wilt keep thy freedom.

Thou must be far away from Gilroy before another morn."

Egbert, among his sobs of joy, could say no word. I found in my pouch a little purse of gold and gave it him.

"Thou'lt need to buy thy food and lodging as a traveler," I said, "and not be taken as a prowling varlet. Look to it now."

Then he that had been our prisoner found voice at last and began to murmur broken words of thanks and to enc.u.mber his new found liberty with oaths of lifelong fealty to ourselves. But Cedric again checked him with uplifted hand.

"Hark!" he whispered, "what was that sound?"

For a moment all three of us stood silent and breathless, listening to the wind in the branches without and the faint snapping of coals on the hearth. Then came the noise again,-a long drawn, baying howl of a hound on a scent.

"Some of our neighbors hunt the deer," I said.

"Nay," answered Cedric quickly, "'tis no deer-hound. 'Tis a far deeper note."

Meanwhile the face of Egbert had turned an ashen gray, and now his limbs shook with very terror.

"'Tis the bloodhounds of Gilroy," he gasped. "My lord ever keeps two or three for just such use as this. They follow on my track."

Then from a window we saw, a furlong off in the open wood, two huge brown hounds that ran with noses close to earth and upon a path that led straight toward the lodge.

Cedric seized his cross-bow again from Egbert's hands.

"Get thee back within," he commanded, "I will soon stop the coursing of these blood beasts."

Egbert leaped through the door again to the inner room; and Cedric, throwing wide the shutter, was taking aim at the foremost of the hounds when I cried out from behind him:

"Hold! Hold! It is too late. There come the hors.e.m.e.n."

From another point in the wood, not far from where the dogs had emerged, there were now riding toward us half a dozen mounted men. Cedric withdrew his weapon; and we gazed upon them in utter dismay. Lord Gilroy and Sir Philip Carrington were in the lead, and after them came three or four stout foresters and last of all, upon an ambling palfrey, none other than Simon, the dogmaster, with his head bound round and round with a great white cloth.

Cedric put away his bow, and, unbarring the door of the lodge, stood on the step without, spurning away the hounds that sought to enter.

"Good morrow, gentlemen!" he called, full jovially.

"Good morrow, gentlemen _both_," answered Lord Gilroy with a most wicked laugh.

"Your hunting does not prosper," said Cedric, paying no heed to the affront conveyed in Gilroy's sneering words.

"How not?"

"Why, it would seem that your hounds have picked up our trail to the lodge here in place of that of their proper quarry, as the best of dogs will do at times."

"Aye," answered Lord Gilroy, still with the evil smile on his face. "The best of dogs and men do err at times. And yet, 'tis pa.s.sing strange they are so set upon it. See! They course about and about thy little lodge and will not leave it."

Cedric cast a careless glance at the hounds. Then he said:

"Come messieurs, can ye not alight for a moment and rest within? I cannot offer meat and drink for here we have none; but you may sit upon a bench by a fire while your men aid the hounds at finding the track again."

Lord Gilroy threw his bridle rein to one of the foresters, leaped down from his horse, and strode toward the door; and his nephew did likewise.

Simon and the others withdrew to a little distance and dismounted by the brook where they called the hounds to them.

When our most unwelcome guests were within the lodge, Cedric made haste to place for them the benches before the fireplace and again lamented that the place afforded nothing of refreshment. I made such talk as I might with both Lord Gilroy and Sir Philip, asking them of the tourney at Winchester where they had lately ridden, the deer on Gilroy lands and other like matters of no import.