登陆注册
14922300000037

第37章

"At least he hath no weak voice," the Prince remarked, as Nigel's answer to Chandos came to their ears. "By our lady, he booms like a bittern."As Chandos rode back again to the King, Nigel exchanged the old ash spear which had been his father's for one of the blunted tournament lances which he took from the hands of a stout archer in attendance. He then rode down to the end of the bridge where a hundred-yard stretch of greensward lay in front of him. At the same moment the Squire of Sir Walter Manny, who had been hastily armed by his comrades, spurred forward and took up his position.

The King raised his hand; there was a clang from the falconer's horn, and the two riders, with a thrust of their heels and a shake of their bridles, dashed furiously at each other. In the center the green strip of marshy meadowland, with the water squirting from the galloping hoofs, and the two crouching men, gleaming bright in the evening sun, on one side the half circle of motionless horsemen, some in steel, some in velvet, silent and attentive, dogs, hawks, and horses all turned to stone; on the other the old peaked bridge, the blue lazy river, the group of openmouthed rustics, and the dark old manor-house with one grim face which peered from the upper window.

A good man was John Widdicombe, but he had met a better that day.

Before that yellow whirlwind of a horse and that rider who was welded and riveted to his saddle his knees could not hold their grip. Nigel and Pommers were one flying missile, with all their weight and strength and energy centered on the steady end of the lance. Had Widdicombe been struck by a thunderbolt he could not have flown faster or farther from his saddle. Two full somersaults did he make, his plates clanging like cymbals, ere he lay prone upon his back.

For a moment the King looked grave at that prodigious fall. Then smiling once more as Widdicombe staggered to his feet, he clapped his hands loudly in applause. "A fair course and fairly run!" he cried. "The five scarlet roses bear themselves in peace even as Ihave seen them in war. How now, my good Walter? Have you another Squire or will you clear a path for us yourself?"Manny's choleric face had turned darker as he observed the mischance of his representative. He beckoned now to a tall knight, whose gaunt and savage face looked out from his open bassinet as an eagle might from a cage of steel.

"Sir Hubert," said he, "I bear in mind the day when you overbore the Frenchman at Caen. Will you not be our champion now?""When I fought the Frenchman, Walter, it was with naked weapons,"said the knight sternly. "I am a soldier and I love a soldier's work, but I care not for these tiltyard tricks which were invented for nothing but to tickle the fancies of foolish women.""Oh, most ungallant speech!" cried the King. "Had my good-consort heard you she would have arraigned you to appear at a Court of Love with a jury of virgins to answer for your sins. But I pray you to take a tilting spear, good Sir Hubert!""I had as soon take a peacock's feather, my fair lord; but I will do it, if you ask me. Here, page, hand me one of those sticks, and let me see what I can do."But Sir Hubert de Burgh was not destined to test either his skill or his luck. The great bay horse which he rode was as unused to this warlike play as was its master, and had none of its master's stoutness of heart; so that when it saw the leveled lance, the gleaming figure and the frenzied yellow horse rushing down upon it, it swerved, turned and galloped furiously down the river-bank.

Amid roars of laughter from the rustics on the one side and from the courtiers on the other, Sir Hubert was seen, tugging vainly at his bridle, and bounding onward, clearing gorse-bushes and heather-clumps, until he was but a shimmering, quivering gleam upon the dark hillside. Nigel, who had pulled Pommers on to his very haunches at the instant that his opponent turned, saluted with his lance and trotted back to the bridge-head, where he awaited his next assailant.

"The ladies would say that a judgment hath fallen upon our good Sir Hubert for his impious words," said the King.

"Let us hope that his charger may be broken in ere they venture to ride out between two armies," remarked the Prince. "They might mistake the hardness of his horse's mouth for a softness of the rider's heart. See where he rides, still clearing every bush upon his path.""By the rood!" said the King, "if the bold Hubert has not increased his repute as a jouster he has gained great honor as a horseman. But the bridge is still closed, Walter. How say you now? Is this young Squire never to be unhorsed, or is your King himself to lay lance in rest ere his way can be cleared? By the head of Saint Thomas! I am in the very mood to run a course with this gentle youth.""Nay, nay, sire, too much honor hath already been done him!" said Manny, looking angrily at the motionless horseman. "That this untried boy should be able to say that in one evening he has unhorsed my Squire, and seen the back of one of the bravest knights in England is surely enough to turn his foolish head.

同类推荐
  • 平番始末

    平番始末

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 重阳分梨十化集

    重阳分梨十化集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大方等无想经

    大方等无想经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大乘百法明门论疏

    大乘百法明门论疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • battle of the books et al

    battle of the books et al

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 今生武路

    今生武路

    前世、今生,为了追寻所爱之人宁可粉身碎骨,但我所爱之人却不会归来。纵使出卖灵魂我也要与你一战,为的就是心中的那份执念,
  • 审判系列:霸道王爷疯小姐

    审判系列:霸道王爷疯小姐

    她是天界九星女神。。。穿进异界成了痴傻六小姐。。。她本是逃婚而来,不解内情的她在异界第二天就被披上大红嫁袍................
  • 来自神界的网店系统

    来自神界的网店系统

    生死存亡的一瞬间,楚江流得到了一个网店系统,生命得以延续的同时也预示着他的别样人生即将开始。从此他被恶人蛀虫所惧怕,被良民善人所尊崇!重塑人间正义,唤醒沉睡的真情。
  • 毁灭游戏:来自地狱的信件

    毁灭游戏:来自地狱的信件

    烟花虽繁华,但转瞬即逝。萤火虽晶莹,却终究抵不过一个夏天。曾经之所以成为曾经,是因为它永远只存在与回忆。而回忆……是每个人都无法回到的原点。——他们,等了她三个夏初。她,亦等了他们三个夏初。这个夏初再见,却早已物是人非。
  • 越境奇缘

    越境奇缘

    司梦被迫送到外国读书,这一次意外中,她遇到了他,他们的命运会如何
  • 通灵师

    通灵师

    你相不相信这个世界上有鬼?信。亦或者不信。不过无论你信不信。一提到鬼魂,人们往往都会汗毛瑟立,心惊胆战。可是,这个世界上还有这么一类人——他们并不害怕鬼,鬼倒反过来惧怕他们。他们就是通灵师,一个独一无二的群体。他们行事低调,神秘且谨慎。他们不问世事,一直致力于通灵术的研究与修炼。那么,究竟是何种力量,让他们敢于挑战那些凶恶的厉鬼呢?且看年轻的通灵师赵辉,以超乎寻常的通灵能力,带你解决一个个不可思议的灵异事件。---------------------------------------------------------通灵师QQ群482856690欢迎大家加
  • 青春偶像:啸草来了

    青春偶像:啸草来了

    不是冤家不聚头,他们两个绝对是一对儿天造地设的冤家。“喂,你离我远一点,薇薇看见了,该不要我了!”“呵,谁愿意挨着你啊?”这对水火不容的冤家,几年后却变成了另一番模样,“老婆,你去哪,带上我嘛”“别叫的这么亲,我们熟吗”
  • 初夏季节走

    初夏季节走

    一场宿命的对决.他们注定毫无缘分。她们是亲姐妹,为一个男人决裂。她们是好闺蜜,为彼此受伤。她们是敌人,为一件小事看重对方。他说”初夏,让你承认你爱我就那么难吗?“她说“要我如何说?我的妹夫?”
  • 迷乱

    迷乱

    这是一部言情小说,是沦陷在情感边缘的灵魂战争。王文君昔日的好友乔雪梅,爱上了王文君的丈夫李剑,离婚后的王文君,网恋了李剑失踪多年的亲生父亲李文辉,当李剑的母亲马文英突然出现在昔日丈夫李文辉面前使一切都真相大白时,故事错综复杂起来。情人转位妻子的角色会怎么样?儿媳妇和公公的爱情能否冲破旧传统的风俗?担当了借腹生子工具的乔雪梅有什么样的选择?被爱情游戏的王文君又会选择了什么?真爱被当作报复的靶子发射出去以后又有什么样的结果?本书围绕了主人公的系列情感纠葛,使在线的每一个人,无一不在良心的呐喊、道德的挣扎、伦理的裂变、理念的缝合中游离在情感的边缘,使情的报怨、爱的徘徊、心的撕裂被纠缠起来,用不舍身就要受骗、不报复就要遭陷、不消失就无法消痛的故事,制造出许多的误解和曲意的情节,使本来简单的生活变得扑朔迷离,以剪不断理还乱的情景,把故事推到极致,推向了高潮,有了栩栩如生的人物再现,有了历历在目的重雾登场,所有的步骤夹进了悲、喜、闹剧的节奏,有待于读者走进去,细细品味,慢慢分解。很抱歉,为了保护作品的版权,小说申请了VIP,如果愿意阅读收费章节,请按照以下步骤获取红袖币:1、注册成为红袖用户,如果已是红袖注册用户跳过此步骤,;2、进入个人管理中心;3、找到功能栏目里的VIP管理,点击,在出现的选项里点VIP读者;4、然后在出现的选项里点VIP会员申请,申请成功后,会出现冲值页面,一次性冲值20元就可以成为会员。人民币1元相当于100点红袖币。
  • 女王:EXO之杀手女王

    女王:EXO之杀手女王

    夏夜兰在小时候被NightKiller的人带走当杀手,被边伯贤一手带到三年级,就开始执行任务,但执行任务之前消掉了她的一些记忆。。。。