The Outlaw of Torn

wild horde in reducing and sacking the castle of John de Grey, a royalist baron who had captured and hanged two of the outlaw's fighting men; a

ed knights. Norman sent Red Shandy to the outer walls to learn the mission of the party, for visitors seldom came to this inaccessible and unhospit

ontfort, oldest son of the Earl of Leicester, who had come unde

anded Norman of Torn, "I w

ushered into his presence it found itself

ed with haughty dignity

d he try to conceal the hatred and loathi

ght. "And what may bring a De Montfort aft

to waste words, and we cannot resort to arms, for you have us entirely in your power.

e, Henry de Montfort? Yo

the knights of John de Stutevill who were fetching her home from a visit upon the Baron's d

road, attacking women, in my absence? You were here and in charge durin

loyalty by this time and that never have I lied to you. No man of yours has done this thing, nor is it the first

y name, that I know full well, but no man may say that we unsheath our swords against women

rt. "Would to God I knew who had done this

was with difficulty that he hid the fierce anxiety of his heart or his rag

e passed the drawbridge ere the castle of Torn was filled with

riders beneath the portcullis of the grim pile, and Norman the Devil, riding a

trail from Torn's buttressed gates, pres

rmor of Milan. Gold and silver and precious stones set in plumed crest and breastplate and shield, and even in the steel spi

en were covered with gray leather and, in the upper right hand corner of each, was the black falcon's wing. The surcoats of the riders were also uniform, being of dark gray villosa faced with blac

pe, the great horde of Torn numbered in its ten companies serf and noble; Br

out his neck, rode shoulder to shoulder with the outlawed scion of a noble house. The only requisites for adm

ies of one hundred men, each company captai

the first three companies, the remaining seven being unde

st of the five cut-throats whom Norman of Torn had bested that day, six years before, in the hut of Father Claude, had b

o fill the gaps made in the companies, due to their constant encounters upon the highroad and their battles at

ong column. Above his gray steel armor, a falcon's wing rose from his crest. It was the insignia which always marked him to his m

old man, silent and taciturn; nursing his d

ins: Red Shandy; John Flory; Edwild the Serf; Emilio, Count d

t as they passed farther from the vicinity of Torn, where the black falcon wing was known more by the ferocity of its name than by the kindly deeds of

shadows of the forest a half mile from the castle, Norman of Torn rode forward with Shandy and some fifty men to a point

e castle, a light shone dimly from the windows of the great hall, but no other sign of life was apparent. To his i

its internal plan, and so he knew that through the scullery he could r

ped short in terror, for there before him stood a strange knight in armor, with lowered visor a

English, "unless you prefer to

ed, and drawing his sword, he attempted to back quickly toward the main doorway of the hal

t night had not John and Guy and another of his

l, as she saw the three knaves ru

ed his intentions, and running quickly to the entrance, she turned the great lock and threw the key with all her might to the far corner of the hall. In an instant she regretted her act,

ainers, and for an instant Bertrade de Montfort stood spell-

teadily back; his flashing blade seeming to weave a net of steel about them. Suddenly his sword stopped just for an instant, stopped in the h

he face of the horrified Baron; Peter of Colfax was moving-slowly and cautiously, he was cre

ry out; but only for an instant, and then, regaining control of her muscles, she s

to the floor just as the knight's sword pass

et within the chamber. In an instant, all was darkness. There was a rapid shuffling soun

dy Bertrade?" asked a grave Eng

ight," she rep

t where is our goo

and carried a thin long dagger in his hand. Have

p and made a light. As its feeble rays slowly penetrated the black gloom, the girl saw the bodies of the

nce at the same time, but he

far, My Lady Ber

may you be? I do not recognize your ar

d her from the hirelings of Peter of Colfax but a few short weeks since. Surely it was the same straight and mighty figure, and there was the marvelous sw

an of Torn," said the visore

f fierce cruelty, and mad hatred against her kind. Little children were frightened into obedience by the vague

whispered. "May God

d across the countenance of the outlaw, and a little shud

e of Leicester ere the sun marks noon. And you will be safer under the protection

rn," spoke the girl, "and I believe you, but

et hatred of Peter of Colfax, nor neither for any reward w

dge, to where they soon discovered a group of horsemen, and in answer

ive, Peter of Colfax, and My Lady's cloak and a palfrey-and Shandy, whe

een a weapon of Norman of Torn, while loot, if not always the prime

esitation of his faithful subalter

best but a vague generality. Tonight we ride to redress a wrong done to My Lady Bertrade de Montfort, and that, Sh

Shandy, and departed wi

ed with a dozen prisoner

ranean passage, had reached the quarters of some priests without the lines of Norman of Torn. By this time, he was several miles on his way to the coast and Fra

nly comment, when he had been fully

ozen places, the prisoners huddled together in terror and

rdered that the march be taken up, and the warriors filed down the roadway behind their leader a

ine. Occasionally it would clear away from the burning castle for an instant to show the black walls pierced by their hundreds of embrasures, each lit up by the red of the r

s breast; sad that he was a loathesome thing in her eyes. But that it was pure happiness just to be near her, sufficed him for the time; of the morrow, what use to think! The little, grim, gray, old man of Torn nursed the spleen he did not d

sworn especial hatred against her family, because of its relationship to the house of Plantagenet. She could not fathom it, a

about the shoulders of the girl, for the night air was chilly, and again he dismounted

yond that, no word passed between them, and they came, in silenc

large a party of armed men, so that, by the time they were in hailing d

e, and when he was beneath the castle

hat your mission

e service of a De Montfort," replied Shandy. "H

imon de Montfort-thinks he that I keep a ro

l in all England," boasted the red gian

t no knavery, now, we are a thousand m

Bertrade de Montfort clattered across the drawbridge beneath the portcullis o

ing, so that she rode beneath the eyes of her father's men without being recognized.

r mount, and, flinging aside the outlaw's

Montfort, "has the rascal of

honor that you did not hold my sister, and I, like a fool, believed." And wit

Montfort hurtling cross the courtyard; and then, before either could take another step, Bertrade de Montfort had sprung between them and placing a hand upo

nds of the De Montforts the best hospitality they can give, and not cold steel and insults." Then sh

he first to step forward with outstretched hand to thank Norman

eld up his open

reciate your present feelings of gratitude, but let them not blind you to the fact that I am still Norman the Devil, and that you have seen my mark upon the brows of

of Montfort, and ever during our lives you may command our favors. I admire your bravery and your candor, but while you

y, I have no quarrel with the House of Simon de Montfort, and that should you need my arms, they are at your servic

o my dying day, I must ever bless the name of Norman of

s mailed hand, and bending upon

f Torn bent the knee. If ever you need him, My Lady Bertr

tle of Leicester. Without a backward glance, and with his five hundred me

r believe more good than bad. Would that he were other than he be, for his arm would wie

might have won him to a better life. It seemed that in his speech wa