Chapter Fourteen: The Combat on the Bridge
"Saladin will come," said Wulf the hopeful, and from the highplace where they stood he pointed to the plain beneath, acrosswhich a band of horsemen moved at full gallop. "Look; yonder goeshis embassy."
"Ay," answered Godwin, "he will come, but, I fear me, too late."
"Yes, brother, unless we go to meet him. Masouda has promised."
"Masouda," sighed Godwin. "Ah! to think that so much should hangupon the faithfulness of one woman."
"It does not hang on her," said Wulf; "it hangs on Fate, whowrites with her finger. Come, let us ride."
So, followed by their escort, they rode in the gardens, takingnote, without seeming to do so, of the position of the tall rock,and of how it could be approached from every side. Then they wentin again and waited for some sign or word of Rosamund, but invain. That night there was no feast, and their meal was broughtto them in the guest-house. While they sat at it Masouda appearedfor a moment to tell them that they had leave to ride the bridgein the moonlight, and that their escort would await them at acertain hour.
The brethren asked if their sister Rosamund was not coming todine with them. Masouda answered that as the queen-elect of theAl-je-bal it was not lawful that she should eat with any othermen, even her brothers. Then as she passed out, stumbling asthough by accident, she brushed against Godwin, and muttered:
"Remember, to-night," and was gone.
When the moon had been up an hour the officer of their escortappeared, and led them to their horses, which were waiting, andthey rode away to the castle bridge. As they approached it theysaw Lozelle departing on his great black stallion, which was in alather of foam. It seemed that he also had made trial of thatperilous path, for the people, of whom there were many gatheredthere, clapped their hands and shouted, "Well ridden, Frank! wellridden!"
Now, Godwin leading on Flame, they faced the bridge and walkedtheir horses over it. Nor did these hang back, although theysnorted a little at the black gulf on either side. Next theyreturned at a trot, then over again, and yet again at a canterand a gallop, sometimes together and sometimes singly. Lastly,Wulf made Godwin halt in the middle of the bridge and gallopeddown upon him at speed, till within a lance's length. Thensuddenly he checked his horse, and while his audience shouted,wheeled it around on its hind legs, its forehoofs beating theair, and galloped back again, followed by Godwin.
"All went well," Wulf said as they rode to the castle, "andnobler or more gentle horses were never crossed by men. I havegood hopes for to-morrow night."
"Ay, brother, but I had no sword in my hand. Be not overconfident, for Lozelle is desperate and a skilled fighter, as Iknow who have stood face to face with him. More over, his blackstallion is well trained, and has more weight than ours. Also,yonder is a fearsome place on which to ride a course, and one ofwhich none but that devil Sinan would have thought."
"I shall do my best," answered Wulf, "and if I fall, why, then,act upon your own counsel. At least, let him not kill both ofus."
Having stabled their horses the brethren wandered into thegarden, and, avoiding the cup-bearing women and the men theyplied with their drugged drink, drew by a roundabout road to thetall rock. Then, finding themselves alone, they unlocked thedoor, and slipping through it, locked it again on the furtherside and groped their way to the moonlit mouth of the cave. Herethey stood awhile studying the descent of the gulf as best theycould in that light, till suddenly Godwin, feeling a hand uponhis shoulder, started round to find himself face to face withMasouda.
"How did you come?" he asked.
"By a road in which is your only hope," she answered. "Now, SirGodwin, waste no words, for my time is short, but if you thinkthat you can trust me--and this is for you to judge--give me theSignet which hangs about your neck. If not, go back to the castleand do your best to save the lady Rosamund and yourselves."
Thrusting down his hand between his mail shirt and his breast,Godwin drew out the ancient ring, carved with the mysterioussigns and veined with the emblem of the dagger, and handed it toMasouda.
"You trust indeed," she said with a little laugh, as, afterscanning it closely by the light of the moon and touching herforehead with it, she hid it in her bosom.
"Yes, lady," he answered, "I trust you, though why you shouldrisk so much for us I do not know."
"Why? Well, perhaps for hate's sake, for Sinan does not rule bylove; perhaps because, being of a wild blood, I am willing to setmy life at hazard, who care not if I win or die; perhaps becauseyou saved me from the lioness. What is it to you, Sir Godwin, whya certain woman-spy of the Assassins, whom in your own land youwould spit on, chooses to do this or that?"
She ceased and stood before him with heaving breast and flashingeyes, a mysterious white figure in the moonlight, most beautifulto see.
Godwin felt his heart stir and the blood flow to his brow, butbefore he could speak Wulf broke in, saying:
"You bade us spare words, lady Masouda, so tell us what we mustdo."
"This," she answered, becoming calm again. "Tomorrow night aboutthis hour you fight Lozelle upon the narrow way. That is certain,for all the city talks of it, and, whatever chances, Al-je-balwill not deprive them of the spectacle of this fray to the death.Well, you may fall, though that man at heart is a coward, whichyou are not, for here courage alone will avail nothing, butrather skill and horsemanship and trick of war. If so, then SirGodwin fights him, and of this business none can tell the end.Should both of you go down, then I will do my best to save yourlady and take her to Salah-ed-din, with whom she will be safe, orif I cannot save her I will find her a means to save herself bydeath."
"You swear that?" said Wulf.
"I have said it; it is enough," she answered impatiently.
"Then I face the bridge and the knave Lozelle with a lightheart," said Wulf again, and Masouda went on.
"Now if you conquer, Sir Wulf, or if your fall and your brotherconquers, both of you--or one of you, as it may happen--mustgallop back at full speed toward the stable gate that lies morethan a mile from the castle bridge. Mounted as you are, no horsecan keep pace with you, nor must you stop at the gate, but rideon, ride like the wind till you reach this place. The gardenswill be empty of feasters and of cup-bearers, who with every soulwithin the city will have gathered on the walls and on thehouse-tops to see the fray. There is but one fear--by then aguard may be set before this mound, seeing that Salah-ed-din hasdeclared war upon Al-je-bal, and though yonder road is known tofew, it is a road, and sentries may watch here. If so, you mustcut them down or be cut down, and bring your story to an end. SirGodwin, here is another key that you may use if you are alone.Take it."
He did so, and she continued:
"Now if both of you, or one of you, win through to this cave,enter with your horses, lock the door, bar it, and wait. It maybe I will join you here with the princess. But if I do not come bythe dawn and you are not discovered and overwhelmed--which shouldnot be, seeing that one man can hold that door against many--thenknow that the worst has happened, and fly to Salah-ed-din andtell him of this road, by which he may take vengeance upon hisfoe Sinan. Only then, I pray you, doubt not that I have done mybest, who if I fail must die--most horribly. Now, farewell, untilwe meet again or--do not meet again. Go; you know the road."
They turned to obey, but when they had gone a few paces Godwinlooked round and saw Masouda watching them. The moonlight shonefull upon her face, and by it he saw also that tears were runningfrom her dark and tender eyes. Back he came again, and with himWulf, for that sight drew them. Down he bent before her till hisknee touched the ground, and, taking her hand, he kissed it, andsaid in his gentle voice:
"Henceforth through life, through death, we serve two ladies,"and what he did Wulf did also.
"Mayhap," she answered sadly; "two ladies--but one love."
Then they went, and, creeping through the bushes to the path,wandered about awhile among the revellers and came to theguest-house safely.
Once mor
e it was night, and high above the mountain fortress ofMasyaf shone the full summer moon, lighting crag and tower aswith some vast silver lamp. Forth from the guest-house gate rodethe brethren, side by side upon their splendid steeds, and themoon-rays sparkled on their coats of mail, their polishedbucklers, blazoned with the cognizance of a grinning skull, theirclose-fitting helms, and the points of the long, tough lancesthat had been given them. Round them rode their escort, while infront and behind went a mob of people.
The nation of the Assassins had thrown off its gloom this night,for the while it was no longer oppressed even by the fear ofattack from Saladin, its mighty foe. To death it was accustomed;death was its watchword; death in many dreadful forms its dailybread. From the walls of Masyaf, day by day, fedais went out tomurder this great one, or that great one, at the bidding of theirlord Sinan.
For the most part they came not back again; they waited week byweek, month by month, year by year, till the moment was ripe,then gave the poisoned cup or drove home the dagger, and escapedor were slain. Death waited them abroad, and if they failed,death waited them at home. Their dreadful caliph was himself asword of death. At his will they hurled themselves from towers orfrom precipices; to satisfy his policy they sacrificed theirwives and children. And their reward--in life, the drugged cupand voluptuous dreams; after it, as they believed, a still morevoluptuous paradise.
All forms of human agony and doom were known to this people; butnow they were promised an unfamiliar sight, that of Frankishknights slaying each other in single combat beneath the silentmoon, tilting at full gallop upon a narrow place where many mighthesitate to walk, and--oh, joy!--falling perchance, horse andrider together, into the depths below. So they were happy, for tothem this was a night of festival, to be followed by a morrow ofstill greater festival, when their sultan and their god took tohimself this stranger beauty as a wife. Doubtless, too, he wouldsoon weary of her, and they would be called together to see hercast from some topmost tower and hear her frail bones break onthe cruel rocks below, or--as had happened to the last queen--towatch her writhe out her life in the pangs of poison upon acharge of sorcery. It was indeed a night of festival, a nightfilled full of promise of rich joys to come.
On rode the brethren, with stern, impassive faces, but wonderingin their hearts whether they would live to see another dawn. Theshouting crowd surged round them, breaking through the circle oftheir guards. A hand was thrust up to Godwin; in it was a letter,which he took and read by the bright moonlight. It was written inEnglish, and brief:
"I cannot speak with you. God be with you both, my brothers, Godand the spirit of my father. Strike home, Wulf, strike home,Godwin, and fear not for me who will guard myself. Conquer ordie, and in life or death, await me. To-morrow, in the flesh, orin the spirit, we will talk--Rosamund."
Godwin handed the paper to Wulf, and, as he did so, saw that theguards had caught its bearer, a withered, grey-haired woman. Theyasked her some questions, but she shook her head. Then they casther down, trampled the life out of her beneath their horses'hoofs, and went on laughing. The mob laughed also.
"Tear that paper up," said Godwin. Wulf did so, saying:
"Our Rosamund has a brave heart. Well, we are of the same blood,and will not fail her."
Now they were come to the open space in front of the narrowbridge, where, tier on tier, the multitude were ranged, kept backfrom its centre by lines of guards. On the flat roofed housesalso they were crowded thick as swarming bees, on the circlingwalls, and on the battlements that protected the far end of thebridge, and the houses of the outer city. Before the bridge was alow gateway, and upon its roof sat the Al-je-bal, clad in hisscarlet robe of festival, and by his side, the moonlight gleamingon her jewels, Rosamund. In front, draped in a rich garment, adagger of gems in her dark hair, stood the interpreter or "mouth"Masouda, and behind were dais and guards.
The brethren rode to the space before the arch and halted,saluting with their pennoned spears. Then from the further sideadvanced another procession, which, opening, revealed the knightLozelle riding on his great black horse, and a huge man and afierce he seemed in his armour.
"What!" he shouted, glowering at them. "Am I to fight one againsttwo? Is this your chivalry?"
"Nay, nay, Sir Traitor," answered Wulf. "Nay, nay betrayer ofChristian maids to the power of the heathen dog; you have foughtGodwin, now it is the turn of Wulf. Kill Wulf and Godwin remains.Kill Godwin and God remains. Knave, you look your last upon themoon."
Lozelle heard, and seemed to go mad with rage, or fear, or both.
"Lord Sinan," he shouted in Arabic, "this is murder. Am I, whohave done you so much service, to be butchered for your pleasureby the lovers of that woman, whom you would honour with the nameof wife?"
Sinan heard, and stared at him with dull, angry eyes.
"Ay, you may stare," went on the maddened Lozelle, "but it istrue--they are her lovers, not her brothers. Would men take somuch pains for a sister's sake, think you? Would they swim intothis net of yours for a sister's sake?"
Sinan held up his hand for silence.
"Let the lots be cast," he said, "for whatever these men are,this fight must go on, and it shall be fair."
So a dai, standing by himself, cast lots upon the ground, andhaving read them, announced that Lozelle must run the firstcourse from the further side of the bridge. Then one took hisbridle to lead him across. As he passed the brethren he grinnedin their faces and said:
"At least this is sure, you also look your last upon the moon. Iam avenged already. The bait that hooked me is a meal for yonderpike, and he will kill you both before her eyes to whet hisappetite."
But the brethren answered nothing.
The black horse of Lozelle grew dim in the distance of themoonlit bridge, and vanished beneath the farther archway that ledto the outer city. Then a herald cried, Masouda translating hiswords, which another herald echoed from beyond the gulf.
"Thrice will the trumpets blow. At the third blast of thetrumpets the knights shall charge and meet in the centre of thebridge. Thenceforward they may fight as it pleases them, ahorse,or afoot, with lance, with sword, or with dagger, but to thevanquished no mercy will be shown. If he be brought living fromthe bridge, living he shall be cast into the gulf. Hear thedecree of the Al-je-bal!"
Then Wulf's horse was led forward to the entrance of the bridge,and from the further side was led forward the horse of Lozelle.
"Good luck, brother," said Godwin, as he passed him. "Would thatI rode this course instead of you."
"Your turn may come, brother," answered the grim Wulf, as he sethis lance in rest.
Now from some neighbouring tower pealed out the first long blastof trumpets, and dead silence fell on all the multitude. Groomscame forward to look to girth and bridle and stirrup strap, butWulf waved them back.
"I mind my own harness," he said.
The second blast blew, and he loosened the great sword in itsscabbard, that sword which had flamed in his forbear's hand uponthe turrets of Jerusalem.
"Your gift," he cried back to Rosamund, and her answer came clearand sweet:
"Bear it like your fathers, Wulf. Bear it as it was last borne inthe hall at Steeple."
Then there was another silence--a silence long and deep. Wulflooked at the white and narrow ribbon of the bridge, looked atthe black gulf on either side, looked at the blue sky above, inwhich floated the great globe of the golden moon. Then he leantforward and patted Smoke upon the neck.
For the third time the trumpets blew, and from either end of thatbridge, two hundred paces long, the knights flashed towards eachother like living bolts of steel. The multitude rose to watch;even Sinan rose. Only Rosamund sat still, gripping the cushionswith her hands. Hollow rang the hoofs of the horses upon thestonework, swifter and swifter they flew, lower and lower bentthe knights upon their saddles. Now they were near, and now theymet. The spears seemed to shiver, the horses to hustle togetheron the narrow way and overhang its edge, then on came the blackhorse towards the i
nner city, and on sped Smoke towards thefurther gulf.
"They have passed! They have passed!" roared the multitude.
Look! Lozelle approached, reeling in his saddle, as well hemight, for the helm was torn from his head and blood ran from hisskull where the lance had grazed it.
"Too high, Wulf; too high," said Godwin sadly. "But oh! if thoselaces had but held!"
Soldiers caught the horse and turned it.
"Another helm!" cried Lozelle.
"Nay," answered Sinan; "yonder knight has lost his shield. Newlances--that is all."
So they gave him a fresh lance, and, presently, at the blast ofthe trumpets again the horses were seen speeding together overthe narrow way. They met, and lo! Lozelle, torn from his saddle,but still clinging to the reins, was flung backwards, farbackwards, to fall on the stonework of the bridge. Down, too,beneath the mighty shock went his black horse, a huddled heap,and lay there struggling.
"Wulf will fall over him!" cried Rosamund. But Smoke did notfall; the stallion gathered itself together--the moonlight shoneso clear that every watcher saw it--and since stop it could not,leapt straight over the fallen black horse--ay, and over therider beyond--and sped on in its stride. Then the black found itsfeet again and galloped forward to the further gate, and Lozellealso found his feet and turned to run.
"Stand! Stand, coward!" yelled ten thousand voices, and, hearingthem, he drew his sword and stood.
Within three great strides Wulf dragged his charger to itshaunches, then wheeled it round.
"Charge him!" shouted the multitude; but Wulf remained seated, asthough unwilling to attack a horseless man. Next he sprang fromhis saddle, and accompanied by the horse Smoke, which followedhim as a dog follows its master, walked slowly towards Lozelle,as he walked casting away his lance and drawing the great,cross-hilted sword.
Again the silence fell, and through it rang the cry of Godwin:
"A D'Arcy! A D'Arcy!"
"A D'Arcy! A D'Arcy!" came back Wulf's answer from the bridge,and his voice echoed thin and hollow in the spaces of the gulf.Yet they rejoiced to hear it, for it told them that he was soundand strong.
Wulf had no shield and Lozelle had no helm--the fight was even.They crouched opposite each other, the swords flashed aloft inthe moonlight; from far away came the distant clank of steel, asoft, continual clamour of iron on iron. A blow fell on Wulf'smail, who had nought wherewith to guard himself, and he staggeredback. Another blow, another, and another, and back, still back hereeled--back to the edge of the bridge, back till he struckagainst the horse that stood behind him, and, resting there amoment, as it seemed, regained his balance.
Then there was a change. Look, he rushed forward, wielding thegreat blade in both hands. The stroke lit upon Lozelle's shieldand seemed to shear it in two, for in that stillness all couldhear the clang of its upper half as it fell upon the stones.Beneath the weight of it he staggered, sank to his knee, gainedhis feet again, and in his turn gave back. Yes, now it wasLozelle who rocked and reeled. Ay, by St. Chad! Lozelle who wentdown beneath that mighty blow which missed the head but fell uponhis shoulder, and lay there like a log, till presently themoonlight shone upon his mailed hand stretched upward in a prayerfor mercy. From house-top and terrace wall, from soaring gatesand battlements, the multitude of the people of the Assassinsgathered on either side the gulf broke into a roar that beat upthe mountain sides like a voice of thunder. And the roar shapeditself to these words:
"Kill him! kill him! kill him!"
Sinan held up his hand, and a sudden silence fell. Then he, too,screamed in his thin voice:
"Kill him! He is conquered!"
But the great Wulf only leaned upon the cross-handle of hisbrand, and looked at the fallen foe. Presently he seemed to speakwith him; then Lozelle lifted the blade that lay beside him andgave it to him in token of surrender. Wulf handled it awhile,shook it on high in triumph, and whirled it about his head tillit shone in the moonlight. Next, with a shout he cast it from himfar into the gulf, where it was seen for a moment, an arc ofgleaming light, and the next was gone.
Now, taking no more heed of the conquered knight, Wulf turned andbegan to walk towards his horse.
Scarcely was his back towards him when Lozelle was on his feetagain, a dagger in his hand.
"Look behind you!" yelled Godwin; but the spectators, pleasedthat the fight was not yet done, broke into a roar of cheers.Wulf heard and swung round. As he faced Lozelle the dagger struckhim on the breast, and well must it have been for him that hismail was good. To use his sword he had neither space nor time,but ere the next stroke could fall Wulf's arms were aboutLozelle, and the fight for life begun.
To and fro they reeled and staggered, whirling round and round,till none could tell which of them was Wulf or which his foe. Nowthey were on the edge of the abyss, and, in that last dreadstrain for mastery, seemed to stand there still as stone. Thenone man began to bend down. See! his head hung over. Further andfurther he bent, but his arms could not be loosened.
"They will both go!" cried the multitude in their joy.
Look! A dagger flashed. Once, twice, thrice it gleamed, and thosewrestlers fell apart, while from deep down in the gulf came thethud of a fallen body.
"Which--oh, which?" cried Rosamund from her battlement.
"Sir Hugh Lozelle," answered Godwin in a solemn voice.
Then the head of Rosamund fell forward on her breast, and for awhile she seemed to sleep.
Wulf went to his horse, turned it about on the bridge, andthrowing his arm around its neck, rested for a space. Then hemounted and walked slowly towards the inner gate. Pushing throughthe guard and officers, Godwin rode out to meet him.
"Bravely done, brother," he said, when they came face to face."Say, are you hurt?"
"Bruised and shaken--no more," answered Wulf.
"A good beginning, truly. Now for the rest," said Godwin. Then heglanced over his shoulder, and added, "See, they are leadingRosamund away, but Sinan remains, to speak with you doubtless,for Masouda beckons."
"What shall we do?" asked Wulf. "Make a plan, brother, for myhead swims."
"Hear what he has to say. Then, as your horse is not woundedeither, ride for it when I give the signal as Masouda bade us.There is no other way. Pretend that you are wounded."
So, Godwin leading, while the multitude roared a welcome to theconquering Wulf who had borne himself so bravely for theirpleasure, they rode to the mouth of the bridge and halted in thelittle space before the archway. There Al-je-bal spoke byMasouda.
"A noble fray," he said. "I did not think that Franks could fightso well; Say, Sir Knight, will you feast with me in my palace?"
"I thank you, lord," answered Wulf, "but I must rest while mybrother tends my hurts," and he pointed to blood upon his mail."To-morrow, if it pleases you."
Sinan stared at them and stroked his beard, while they trembled,waiting for the word of fate.
It came.
"Good. So be it. To-morrow I wed the lady Rose of Roses, and youtwo--her brothers--shall give her to me, as is fitting," and hesneered. "Then also you shall receive the reward of valour--agreat reward, I promise you."
While he spoke Godwin, staring upward, had noted a littlewandering cloud floating across the moon. Slowly it covered it,and the place grew dim.
"Now," he whispered, and bowing to the Al-je-bal, they pushedtheir horses through the open gate where the mob closed in onthem, thus for a little while holding back the escort fromfollowing on their heels. They spoke to Flame and Smoke, and thegood horses plunged onward side by side, separating the crowd asthe prows of boats separate the water. In ten paces it grew thin,in thirty it was behind them, for all folk were gathered aboutthe archway where they could see, and none beyond. Forward theycantered, till the broad road turned to the left, and in thatfaint light they were hidden.
"Away!" said Godwin, shaking his reins.
Forward leapt the horses at speed. Again Godwin turned, takingthat road which ran round the city wall and through the garde
ns,leaving the guest-castle to the left, whereas their escortfollowed that whereby they had come, which passed along the mainstreet of the inner town, thinking that they were ahead of them.Three minutes more and they were in the lonely gardens, in whichthat night no women wandered and no neophytes dreamed in thepavilions.
"Wulf," said Godwin, as they swept forward, skimming the turflike swallows, "draw your sword and be ready. Remember the secretcave may be guarded, and, if so, we must kill or be killed."
Wulf nodded, and next instant two long blades flashed in themoonlight, for the little cloud had passed away. Within ahundred paces of them rose the tall rock, but between it and themound were two mounted guards. These heard the beating of horses'hoofs, and wheeling about, stared to see two armed knightssweeping down upon them like a whirlwind. They called to them tostop, hesitating, then rode forward a few paces, as thoughwondering whether this were not a vision.
In a moment the brethren were on them. The soldiers lifted theirlances, but ere they could thrust the sword of Godwin had caughtone between neck and shoulder and sunk to his breast bone, whilethe sword of Wulf, used as a spear, had pierced the other throughand through, so that those men fell dead by the door of themound, never knowing who had slain them.
The brethren pulled upon their bridles and spoke to Flame andSmoke, halting them within a score of yards. Then they wheeledround and sprang from their saddles. One of the dead guards stillheld his horses's reins, and the other beast stood by snorting.Godwin caught it before it stirred, then, holding all four ofthem, threw the key to Wulf and bade him unlock the door. Soon itwas done, although he staggered at the task; then he held thehorses, while one by one Godwin led them in, and that withouttrouble, for the beasts thought that this was but a cave-hewnstable of a kind to which they were accustomed.
"What of the dead men?" said Wulf.
"They had best keep us company," answered Godwin, and, runningout, he carried in first one and then the other.
"Swift!" he said, as he threw down the second corpse. "Shut thedoor. I caught sight of horsemen riding through the trees. Nay,they saw nothing."
So they locked the massive door and barred it, and with beatinghearts waited in the dark, expecting every moment to hearsoldiers battering at its timbers. But no sound came; thesearchers, if such they were, had passed on to seek elsewhere.
Now while Wulf made shift to fasten up the horses near the mouthof the cave, Godwin gathered stones as large as he could lift,and piled them up against the door, till they knew that it wouldtake many men an hour or more to break through.
For this door was banded with iron and set fast in the livingrock.