Adventure Magazine Cover, August 18, 1921 — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

24 “Not too late, if I am to break a lance for him,” Gislac replied. ‘‘Within the week the banners of my enemies may flaunt be- low my walls.” “God forbid!” Becket exclaimed. Umfraville?”’ “Richard de Monrepaire. fraville too, and de Born. They all hate me. The slightest occasion might bind them together against me. The occasion has come.” Rapidly he told the story of Geoffrey’s proposal for Margaret’s hand and the treacherous attack on the boy. “He lies in my south chamber now,” he went on, “near to death. I have seen to it that the Rotten Reiver thinks his murder successful. But my interference will bring down his vengeance. He is shrewd enough to guess that I know of his guilt. It is “Not Possibly Um- because I fear an assault that I warned you not to share my roof with me too long. Monrepaire is Stephen’s man and would dearly love to lay hands on a servant of the archbishop’s.”’ ae BECKET’S smile again illumined his face. ‘‘It is for like reason that I ride with a guard.” ‘“‘A perilously small one,’ Gislac com- mented. “Why yes. But they are stout lads and fight well. Already we have had some blows. I gave a few myself.” “I can believe it,’ Sir Giles laughed shortly. “Tf the peril to High Tower is so great why do you not seek shelter elsewhere?” the clerk asked. “Where should I seek it? No man in England would dare shelter de Gislac from his enemies.” “Go to France, to Normandy, and join King Henry there. It were a deadly sin to expose this maid to the perils of a siege —to say nothing of the lad Geoffrey, whom you would not wish to fall again into his uncle’s hands.” Gislac frowned. “That is just my trouble,” he confessed. “The boy is too weak to be moved for some time to come. He would die. If I were alone, I should ask nothing better than to close my gates and defy all the fiends of hell to drag me out. But with my daughter and this wounded lad whom I love as a son, I would go if I could. I can Adventure not, lest Geoffrey’s wounds open. Now if the Reiver wins help from Umfraville or from King Stephen, I can hardly hope to hold out. Yet here I must make my stand, lest the boy, being moved, should die.”’ ‘“‘A hard case,” Becket observed. “I can only hope that Henry lands before your foes strike. Sir Richard will hunt cover once Stephen is overthrown. I knew some- thing was in the wind, from the bearing of your man who rode hither with us. But he was too close-mouthed to tell us any- © thing.” “He shall tell us forthwith,” Gislac answered. “Villard, bid Raimond report to me at once.” In a few minutes Raimond returned. He looked from his master to the guests. But Gislac reassured him— ‘Say on; these are friends.” “TI watched the London road as you ordered, my lord,” Raimond spoke. “A little after noon of the first day that ac- cursed black-robed friar of Monrepaire’s passed me on an ambling mule. His head was turned toward London. He recognized me and looked none too sweetly at me. “T left the road then and lay for two days in the thicket atop of Lightwood Knoll, where I could see all toward the Flamwell without being seen. That safne afternoon men-at-arms rode west toward Umfra- ville’s castle, and others galloped north toward de Born. That was all, until these gentlemen came by this morning.” “You have done well,’’ Gislac answered. “You may go.” Turning to Becket, he said: “It is even worse than I thought. The Rotten Reiver is calling both Umfraville and de Born to join him, and the friar has doubtless been sent with a letter to Stephen. I shall have to face a royal army as well as the combined hosts of my old enemies.’’ “There will not be much to that royal army,’ Becket assured him. “Stephen knows something of our plans against him and will fear to detach too many men. What numbers can your enemies muster?” “Umfraville has about three score, all well armed and mounted. De Born can raise perhaps as many more, or a little less. Sir Richard leads more than fifty spearmen —devils incarnate—and close to a hundred archers that he keeps in the Murkwood. “‘T have three score and ten men-at-arms, but a dozen professional archers and a COmiclbook CO