The Lord of Dynevor: A Tale of the Times of Edward the First

the maid

my son. I thought

anywhere. I have be

e the oth

ve seen none since I rose thi

oard. "Methought she would be with thee. She is a veritable sprite for flitting hither and thither after thee. Doubtless she is

d it seemed probable that his brothers and little Lady Gertrude had accompanied him; for whilst he had been discussing with the falconer the best place for making the proposed trial, Llewelyn had been to the stables an

im with a hearty appetite. "She always loves to go with us when there is anything to see

tural that so sublunary a matter as breakfast should be forgotten. The servants had finished their meal, and had left the table before there was any sign of the

would thou hadst been there

ing to eat," said Wendot. "And where is Gertrud

een her. I would not have wearied her wi

yn led it away ere it was well l

for when I sought them to ask if they would come, they were nowhere to be found.

mation of dismay, and glanced at his mother to see if by any chance she sh

ey have taken her on some expedition in secret, but non

was no sinecure; whilst Wendot stood in the midst of the great hall with a strange shadow

?" he said at length; "t

s no one by to hear, he approached Griffeth with hasty steps and sat down beside him, speaking in a lo

ing to his harp in his own

, I rose and stole to his room to ask him to forbear, yet so wild and strange was the song he

now not;

in the absence of the father bird; not the mother bird, but the father -- and carried away to the eagle's nest b

u fearest? Where are Llewelyn and Howell and what have

ve been talking of late of the eagle's nest on the crag halfway thither, and if they had named it to Gertrude she would have been wild to go and see it. We know when Wenwynwyn sings his songs how h

ot have dreamed of such a thing as this. Yet, Griffeth, if the thing is so, there is no time to lose. I am off for the crag this very minute. Thou must quietly collect and arm a few of our stanchest men, together with the English servants left here with their young mistre

er back to him, I would not for very shame live to see the day when I mu

lt to summon some dozen of the armed men on the place to accompany him quietly and secretly. They would follow upon Wendot's fleet steps with

im respecting some plot against the life of an innocent child, before he had armed himself, and unleashed two of the fleetest, strongest, fiercest of the hounds, and w

raight onward and upward, whilst they with their charge would have to keep to the winding mule track, which trebled the dista

down upon his head, and his breath came in deep, laboured gasps, he felt neither heat nor f

and righteous purpose. He might be going to danger, he might be going to his death; for if he came into open collision with the wild and savage retainers of Maelgon, intent upon obtaining their prey, he knew that they would think little of stabbing him to the heart rather than be balked. There was no feud so far between Llanymddyvri and Dynevor, but Wendot k

r care were treacherously given up to the foes of the English, the boy felt that he should never lift up his head again. He must sav

he heat of the sun was tempered by the cold of the upper air. It was

ite palfrey standing precariously on a ledge of rock, and looking pitifully about him, unable to move either up or down. The creature had plainly been turned loose and abandoned, and in

ous, he contrived to get the horse up the steep bank and on to better ground, and then tethered him

ers would have taken, and the hard rocks gave no indications which he could follow. But the dogs were well used to their work, and with their nos

ir having made the ascent in a marvellously short space of time. Wendot had beaten that record today, he knew; but his eyes were full of anxiety instead of triumph. He was scanning every track and every inch of dis

at was

one could scale it on that face. The path from the upper valley wound round circuitously towards it; and along this path, in the brilliant sunshine, Wendot saw distinctly the approach of a small band of armed men. Yes: they were approachi

rothers or the child, but the hounds led right on to the very verge of the precipice, and for a moment the boy's heart stood still. Wh

urst of passion with Gertrude, so quickly followed by a strange appearance of friendship. Wendot knew his countrymen and his nation's characteristics, and knew that fierce acts of treachery

t, there came an answering call; but the voice was not

. I know I shall fall. I know I shall be killed. Do come to

he boy, his heart giving a sudden bou

ee the eagle's nest, and they have been such a long time going after it. They said they would bring the nest and the young eagles up to me, but they have never c

ay, and a little lower down than the apex of the crag. It was long since Wendot had visited this spot, his brothers knew it better than he; but when he got to the place indicated by the dogs, he saw that there was a little precipitous path along the face of the cliff, which, although very narrow and n

hing. From their quickened pace he fancied that his own movements had been observed. Certainly there was not a moment to lo

he path, and immediately behind the arch there was a small plateau which gave space to stand and move with some freedom, although a step over the edge would plunge the unwary victim into the deep gulf beneath. Th

ss and at her own fears for the safety of her companions, and so overwrought by the tension of nerve she had undergone, that when Wendot did stand beside her she could only cling to him s

rought her safely along the narrow ledge till she had got to this place. But the nest could not be seen even from there, and they had left her to see where it really was. They said they would soon be back, but they had not come, and she had got first anxious and then terrified about them, and then fearful for her own safety. At last when faintness and giddiness had com

re? Would he take care of her

n his way with plenty of help. He will be here soon. Do you think you could walk along the

k back and put her

ark! I'm sure I hear voices. They are coming already. Oh, I am so glad! I do want to get home.

No: do not be frightened; I will save you from them if I can. There is help coming for us, and I think I can hold this path against them for some time to come. You must try and keep up heart and not be frightened. You may see some hard blows struck, but you can sh

ed with horror. She ca

not have you killed for me. I would r

like that of another person. "Your father placed you in my hands; to him I must answer for your safety. What is life to a man wi

t flashed into her eyes. Something of the soldier spirit awoke within her, and she snatched at a

e will both fight, and both di

new; he had no fear that it would play him false. He had not the headpiece of mail; he had started in too great a hurry to arm himself completely, and speed was too much an object for him to willingly encumber himself needlessly. But as he skirted the narrow ledg

s best fitted for the task of traversing the dangerous ledge to bring back the captive who was to be found there. The wild Welsh was unintelligible to Gertrude, or she would have known at once what dark treachery had been planned and c

d. The red light of battle was in his eyes, and the moment he caught sight of the form of the stalwart soldier thr

uch an attack, and his sharp cry of terror

the pair upon the ledge -- and then it became plain that some course of action had been determined upon, and Wendot heard the cautious approach of another foe. This man crept on his way much more cautiously, and the youth held himself ready for a yet more determined spring. Luc

r; but a sharp thrill of pain ran through Wendot's frame, and a barbed arrow, wel

ine, following each other in rapid succession. As his face became vi

is one of the sons o

are here at the instigation of thine own kindred. Give us

us. I will answer for the safety of the maid with mine own life. Of my hand her father will demand her when he comes again. Shall we men of Wales give right cause to the Eng

o countryman of ours! Spare him not! He is worthy of death! Down with ever

ve lad himself, he had plucked the arrow from his neck, and now stood boldly on guard, resolved to husband his

at the use of arms: as his third foe fell upon him with heavy blows of his weighted axe, he stepped backwards a pace, and let the blows descend harmlessly upon the solid rock of the arch; until the man, disgusted at the non-succ

d had time to recover himself, he had received a deep gash in his sword arm from the foe who pres

the arch after him; and then, hurling himself upon him as he passed through, p

wounded by several arrows, spent by blows, and growing faint from loss of blood, but dauntless and resolute as ever, determined to sell his life dearly, and hold out as l

il, and then the familiar call of the Dyn

ha-b

t the foe had heard, and had paused; for if they were menaced

of fierce voices and the clashing of weapons overhead on the summit of the cliff; and in quick, urgent ac

y foe should be following them. But he had no wish to do that. He was spent and exhausted and maimed. He turned backwards towa