The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15

they proposed to hang forthwith from the battements.
 Friar Tuck. refusing to take the ven- ture, Wamba disguised himself in u
 monks robe and entered tho castle, promising to bring back word of the
 strength of the garrison. Once in the presence of Cedric, the faithful fool ia-
 sisted that his master change clothes
 with him and escape, a sacrifice to which Cedric at last consented. s Cedric was leaving the castle he was waylaid by Ulrlca, who. penetrating his disguise said: When you shall see rcd flag wave from the dungeon-keep press hard. Front-de- -Boeufs real object in sending for a priest was to get a messenger vino
 should carry through the enemy's lines demand for help. So, dismissing the sup posed monk by a postern he gave him scroll which he charged him 10 deliver at York on peril of his life. Cedric, freq of the castle, sought at once, of course, the place where Robin Hood and the Black Knight were waiting, and great
 was their surprise to see Cedric instead | of Wamba.
 | Now the assault upon the castle began | in earnest The officers of the garrison 1 were too busy defending the walls to car l ry out their threats regarding their pris- l oners or to guard them closely. Glried l called Rebecca to the care of the wound
 
 business of which she had hinted to Ced- 1 ric.
 Ivanhoe in his prison chamber chafed | like a wounded tiger at the injuries and | captivity which prevented him from talk | ing part In the struggle, the tumultuous | sounds of which he could hear surging l about the castle wall.
 Look from the window, good maiden
 said he to Rebecca. "and tell how the 1 ha kPttlPdrunlS | sounded and the war cries of both par 1 ties augmented the fearful din, the as- sailants crying Saint George for Merry l Englandi" and the besiegers, "En aVant | de Bracy" "Beau-seant.' Front-de-
 Boeuf la Rescousse''
 1 And I must lie here like a bedridden 1 monk" exclaimed 1Yanhoe, while tde .. game that gives me life or death is I played out by the heads of others l The clouds of arrows fly so thick as to
 dazzle my eyes and hide the bowmen who
 shoot them," said Rebecca. They press | forward to the assault!''
 l Look for the Black Knight said l Ivanroe.
 .'[ see him not" replied the maiden.
 Foul craven! Does he blench from | the encounter when the fight Is the thick 1 est?"
 He blenohes not, He blenches not" l cried the Jewess His high black plume | floats abroad over the throng like raven | over the field of the slain.' | By this time the besiegers had gained | the barbcan and paused for a final as- | saut on the main structure. Just then a | red flag was seen floating from the keep | and flames began to lick out below the | turrets. Taking advantage of the diver | sion caused by the danger in the rear | the besiegers. by desperate effort, broke | into the castle
 | The Tempar and a few followers cut l their way out and escaped to the neigh
 boring Preceptory of Templestowe. Bois- | Guilbert bearing off with him Rebecca the | Jewess As the castle burned with falling | and crushing walls. far up on the don- | geou-l1eep the form of 9lrica was seen | amid the flames. wildly waving her dis
 taff and shouting Saxon war song: | "Wnet the bright steel. sons Of the White | dragon
 With the exception of the Jewess. all l the prisoners were rescued in safety, 1 though Athelstane was so badly injured | in attempting to prevent the escape or | the Templar that he was at first thought | to be dead. In fact, he was taken Tor a | dead man to his castle of Coningsbursh' | where he revived in time. however. to in- | terrtpt his funeral rites and change them | into q feast. De Braey had yielded him. | self to the Black Knight. who, taking | him aside and whispering that in hls ear l which made him start said: 'l give thee l thy life. Put the seas between thee and l England Maurice de Bracy l say unto 1 thee: Beware"'
 1 Grateful for the services rendered him | by the Black Knight, Cedric said What ! eyer Cedric of Rotherwood can do in re- 1 turn, Sir Knight. 1t is but thine 10 ask 1 it."
 1 q will put thee to the proof" replied
 the knight; and few days later. accom- panied by lVanhoe, he sought the castle | of Conngsburgh where Cedric was stay ] ing. and demanded of him that he be l reconciled to his son. The Saxon at First | demurred. but the promptings of his | heart his plighted word. and the declara- | tion of Athelstane that he would have no l more to do with political plots Induced | him at last to take his son to hls arnls. i Meantime Brian de Bois-Gulbert had reached the Preceptory Of Templestowe 1 only to find that the stern and ascetic | I,ucas Beaumanoir Grand Master of the 1 order. had arrived before him. Beau | nanoIr would have slain the Templar and 1 the Jewess, too, out of hand had not AL 1 bert de Malvoisin, the preceptor, who or | dinarflv would have connived willingly 1 at Bois-C;uIlbert's amours. suggested that. | perhaps, the Templar was under q spell ] of enchantment cast by Rebecca l If was a suggestion that appealed at | once to the fascination of the Grand Mas | ter. and the Jewess was placed on trial ! for her life before judges already deter mined upon q verdict of guilty. The l Templar made one last appeal to her. T 1 will renounce present fame and futGro | rank for thee" he said. "Fly with me. 1 Europe is not the world In Palestine will erect throne for thee built by my I valor. and Europe shall hear the loud | step of him she has driven from her | shores
 l "A dream" replied the Jewess. "Fare- | well-and I forgive thee as freely as ever victim forgave her executloner. As the Jewess stood before the judge | to receive sentence, Bois-Gullbert sudden | ly called out: "The scroll, The scroll Rebecca glanced at paper that nal | been thrust into her hand, and read l thereon: "Demand a champion! Qulch- l ly catching the significance of the words 1 the Jewess demanded that her cause ha | put to the arbitrament of battle, trusting | that the God of Abraham would raise up | a champion for her.
 It had been the design of Bols-GuilbeTt, who had sent the scroll. to break all re-