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footer and a swifter flyer。 An Eastern bird in yarak has no
peer。〃
〃I had one once from the Holy Land；〃 said de Manny。 〃It was
fierce and keen and swift as the Saracens themselves。 They say of
old Saladin that in his day his breed of birds； of hounds and of
horses had no equal on earth。〃
〃I trust； dear father； that the day may come when we shall lay our
hands on all three；〃 said the Prince； looking with shining eyes
upon the King。 〃Is the Holy Land to lie forever in the grasp of
these unbelieving savages； or the Holy Temple to be defiled by
their foul presence？ Ah！ my dear and most sweet lord； give to me
a thousand lances with ten thousand bowmen like those I led at
Crecy； and I swear to you by God's soul that within a year I will
have done homage to you for the Kingdom of Jerusalem！〃
The King laughed as he turned to Walter Manny。 〃Boys will still
be boys；〃 said he。
〃The French do not count me such！〃 cried the young Prince；
flushing with anger。
〃Nay； fair son； there is no one sets you at a higher rate than
your father。 But you have the nimble mind and quick fancy of
youth； turning over from the thing that is half done to a further
task beyond。 How would we fare in Brittany and Normandy while my
young paladin with his lances and his bowmen was besieging Ascalon
or battering at Jerusalem？〃
〃Heaven would help in Heaven's work。〃
〃From what I have heard of the past；〃 said the King dryly； 〃I
cannot see that Heaven has counted for much as an ally in these
wars of the East。 I speak with reverence； and yet it is but sooth
to say that Richard of the Lion Heart or Louis of France might
have found the smallest earthly principality of greater service to
him than all the celestial hosts。 How say you to that； my Lord
Bishop？〃
A stout churchman who had ridden behind the King on a solid bay
cob； well…suited to his weight and dignity； jogged up to the
monarch's elbow。 〃How say you； sire？ I was watching the goshawk
on the partridge and heard you not。〃
〃Had I said that I would add two manors to the See of Chichester；
I warrant that you would have heard me； my Lord Bishop。〃
〃Nay； fair lord； test the matter by saying so；〃 cried the jovial
Bishop。
The King laughed aloud。 〃A fair counter； your reverence。 By the
rood！ you broke your lance that passage。 But the question I
debated was this： How is it that since the Crusades have
manifestly been fought in God's quarrel； we Christians have had so
little comfort or support in fighting them。 After all our efforts
and the loss of more men than could be counted； we are at last
driven from the country； and even the military orders which were
formed only for that one purpose can scarce hold a footing in the
islands of the Greek sea。 There is not one seaport nor one
fortress in Palestine over which the flag of the Cross still
waves。 Where then was our ally？〃
〃Nay； sire； you open a great debate which extends far beyond this
question of the Holy Land； though that may indeed be chosen as a
fair example。 It is the question of all sin； of all suffering； of
all injustice … why it should pass without the rain of fire and
the lightnings of Sinai。 The wisdom of God is beyond our
understanding。〃
The King shrugged his shoulders。 〃This is an easy answer； my Lord
Bishop。 You are a prince of the Church。 It would fare ill with
an earthly prince who could give no better answer to the affairs
which concerned his realm。〃
〃There are other considerations which might be urged； most
gracious sire。 It is true that the Crusades were a holy
enterprise which might well expect the immediate blessing of God；
but the Crusaders … is it certain that they deserved such a
blessing？ Have I not heard that their camp was the most dissolute
ever seen？〃
〃Camps are camps all the world over； and you cannot in a moment
change a bowman into a saint。 But the holy Louis was a crusader
after your own heart。 Yet his men perished at Mansurah and he
himself at Tunis。〃
〃Bethink you also that this world is but the antechamber of the
next；〃 said the prelate。 〃By suffering and tribulation the soul
is cleansed； and the true victor may be he who by the patient
endurance of misfortune merits the happiness to come。〃
〃If that be the true meaning of the Church's blessing； then I hope
that it will be long before it rests upon our banners in France；〃
said the King。 〃But methinks that when one is out with a brave
horse and a good hawk one might find some other subject than
theology。 Back to the birds； Bishop； or Raoul the falconer will
come to interrupt thee in thy cathedral。〃
Straightway the conversation came back to the mystery of the woods
and the mystery of the rivers； to the dark…eyed hawks and the
yellow…eyed； to hawks of the lure and hawks of the fist。 The
Bishop was as steeped in the lore of falconry as the King； and the
others smiled as the two wrangled hard over disputed and technical
questions： if an eyas trained in the mews can ever emulate the
passage hawk taken wild； or how long the young hawks should be
placed at hack； and how long weathered before they are fully
reclaimed。
Monarch and prelate were still deep in this learned discussion；
the Bishop speaking with a freedom and assurance which he would
never have dared to use in affairs of Church and State； for in all
ages there is no such leveler as sport。 Suddenly； however； the
Prince； whose keen eyes had swept from time to time over the great
blue heaven； uttered a peculiar call and reined up his palfrey；
pointing at the same time into the air。
〃A heron！〃 he cried。 〃A heron on passage！〃
To gain the full sport of hawking a heron must not be put up from
its feeding…ground； where it is heavy with its meal； and has no
time to get its pace on before it is pounced upon by the more
active hawk； but it must be aloft； traveling from point to point；
probably from the fish…stream to the heronry。 Thus to catch the
bird on passage was the prelude of all good sport。 The object to
which the Prince had pointed was but a black dot in the southern
sky； but his strained eyes had not deceived him； and both Bishop
and King agreed that it was indeed a heron； which grew larger
every instant as it flew in their direction。
〃Whistle him off； sire！ Whistle off the gerfalcon！〃 cried the
Bishop。
〃Nay； nay； he is overfar。 She would fly at check。〃
〃Now； sire； now！〃 cried the Prince； as the great bird with the
breeze behind him came sweeping down the sky。
The King gave the shrill whistle； and the well…trained hawk raked
out to the right and to the left to make sure which quarry she was
to follow。 Then； spying the heron； she shot up in a swift
ascending curve to meet him。
〃Well flown； Margot！ Good bird！〃 cried the King； clapping his
hands to encourage the hawk； while the falconers broke into the
shrill whoop peculiar to the sport。
Going on her curve； the hawk would soon have crossed the path of
the heron； but the latter； seeing the danger in his front and
confident in his own great strength of wing and lightness of body；
proceeded to mount higher in the air； flying in such small rings
that to the spectators it almost seemed as if the bird was going
perpendicularly upward。
〃He takes the air！〃 cried the King。 〃But strong as he flies； he
cannot out fly Margot。 Bishop； I lay you ten gold pieces to one
that the heron is mine。〃
〃I cover your wager； sire；〃 said the Bishop。 〃I may not take gold
so won； and yet I warrant that there is an altar…cloth somewhere
in need of repairs。〃
〃You have good store of altar…cloths； Bishop； if all the gold I
have seen you win at tables goes to the mending of them；〃 said the
King。 〃Ah！ by the rood； rascal； rascal！ See how she flies at
check！〃
The quick eyes of the Bishop had perceived a drift of rooks when
on their evening flight to the rookery were passing along the very
line which divided the hawk from the heron。 A rook is a hard
temptation for a hawk to resist。 In an instant the inconstant
bird had forgotten all about the great heron above her and was
circling over the rooks； flying westward with them as she singled
out the plumpest for her stoop。
〃There is yet time； sire！ Shall I cast off her mate？〃 cried the
falconer。
〃Or shall I show you； sire； how a peregrine may win where a
gerfalcon fails？〃 said the Bishop。 〃Ten golden pieces to one upon
my bird。〃
〃Done with you； Bishop！〃 cried the King； his brow dark with
vexation。 〃By the rood！ if you were as learned in the fathers as
you are in hawks you would win to the throne of Saint Peter！ Cast
off your peregrine and make your boasting good。〃
Smaller than the royal gerfalcon； the Bishop's bird was none the
less a swift and beautiful creature。 From her perch upon his
wrist she had watched with fierce； keen eyes the birds in the
heaven； mantling herself from time to time in her eagerness。 Now
when the button was undone and the leash uncast the peregrine
dashed off with a whir of her sharp…pointed wings； whizzing round
in a great ascending circle which mounted swiftly upward； growing
ever smaller as she approached that lofty point where； a mere
speck in the sky； the heron sought escape from its enemies