part I.
The sound of the trumpets soon recalled those spectators who had already begun to leave the field; and proclamation was made that Prince John, suddenly called by high and peremptory public duties, held himself obliged to discontinue the entertainments of to-morrow"s festival; nevertheless that, unwilling so many good yeomen should depart without a trial of skill, he was pleased to appoint them, before leaving the ground, presently to execute the competition of archery intended for the morrow. To the best archer a prize was to be awarded, being a bugle-horn mounted with silver, and a silken baldric richly ornamented with a medallion of Saint Hubert, the patron of sylvan sport.
More than thirty yeomen at first presented themselves as competitors, several of whom were rangers and underkeepers in the royal forests of Needwood and Charnwood. When, however, the archers understood with whom they were to be matched, upwards of twenty withdrew themselves from the contest, unwilling to encounter the dishonour of almostcertain defeat. For in those days the skill of each celebrated marksman was well known for many miles around.
The diminished list of competitors for sylvan fame still amounted to eight. Prince John stepped from his royal seat to view more closely the persons of these chosen yeomen, several of whom wore the royal livery. Having satisfied his curiosity by this investigation, he looked for the object of his resentment, whom he observed standing on the same spot, and with the same composed countenance which he had exhibited upon the preceding day.
"Fellow, " said Prince John, "I guessed by thy insolent babble thou wert no true lover of the long-bow, and I see thou darest not adventure thy skill among such merry men as stand yonder. "" Under favour, sir, " replied the yeoman, "I have another reason for refraining to shoot, besides fearing discomfiture and disgrace. ""And what is thy other reason ? " said Prince John, who, for some cause which perhaps he could not himself have explained, felt a painful curiosity respecting this individual.
"Because, " replied the woodsman, "I know not if these yeomen and I are used to shoot at the same marks; and because, moreover, I know not how your Grace might relish the winning of a third prize by one who has unwittingly fallen under your displeasure. "Prince John coloured as he put the question, " What is thyname, yeoman? ""Locksley, " answered the yeoman.
"Then, Locksley, "said Prince John, "thou shalt shoot in thy turn, when these yeomen have displayed their skill. If thou carriest the prize, I will add to it twenty nobles; but if thou losest it, thou shalt be stripped of thy Lincoln green, and scourged out of the lists with bow-strings, for a wordy and insolent braggart. ""And how if I refuse to shoot on such a wager? " said the yeoman. "Your Grace"s power, supported as it is by so many men-at-arms, may indeed easily strip and scourge me, but cannot compel me to bend or to draw my bow. ""If thou refusest my fair proffer, " said the prince, "the provost of the lists shall cut thy bow-string, break thy bow and arrows, and expel thee from the presence as a faint- hearted craven. ""This is no fair chance you put on me, proud prince, " said the yeoman, " to compel me to peril myself against the best archers of Leicester and Staffordshire, under the penalty of infamy if they should overshoot me. Nevertheless, I will obey your pleasure. "A target was placed at the upper end of the southern avenue which led to the lists. The contending archers took their station in turn at the bottom of the southern access; the distance between that station and the mark allowing full scope for what was called a shot at rovers. The archers, havingpreviously determined by lot their order of precedence, were to shoot each three shafts in succession.
Drawn by John Rowell
"Locksley stepped to the appointed place. "
part II.
One by one the archers, stepping forward, delivered their shafts yeoman-like and bravely. Of twenty-four arrows, shot in succession, ten were fixed in the target; and the others ranged so near it, that, considering the distance of the mark, it was accounted good archery. Of the ten shafts which hit the target, two within the inner ring were shot by Hubert, a forester in the service of Malvoisin; who was accordingly pronounced victorious.
" Now, Locksley, " said Prince John to the bold yeoman, with a bitter smile, "wilt thou try conclusions with Hubert, or wilt thou yield up bow, baldric, and quiver to the provost of the sports ? ""Sith it be no better, " said Locksley, "I am content to try my fortune, on condition that, when I have shot two shafts at yonder mark of Hubert"s, he shall be bound to shoot one at that which I shall propose. ""That is but fair, " answered Prince John, "and it shall not be refused thee. If thou dost beat this braggart, Hubert, I will fill the bugle with silver pennies for thee. ""A man can but do his best, " answered Hubert; " but my grandsire drew a good long-bow at Hastings, and I trust not to dishonour his memory. "The former target was now removed, and a fresh one of the same size placed in its room. Hubert, who, as victor inthe first trial of skill, had the right to shoot first, took his aim with great deliberation, long measuring the distance with his eye, while he held in his hand his bended bow, with the arrow placed on the string.
At length he made a step forward, and raising the bow at the full stretch of his left arm, till the centre or grasping-place was nigh level with his face, he drew his bow-string to his ear. The arrow whistled through the air and lighted within the inner ring of the target, but not exactly in the centre.
" You have not allowed for the wind, Hubert, " said his antagonist, bending his bow, " or that had been a better shot. "So saying, and without showing the least anxiety to pause upon his aim, Locksley stepped to the appointed station, and shot his arrow as carelessly, in appearance, as if he had not even looked at the mark. He was speaking almost at the instant that the shaft left the bow-string, yet it alighted in the target two inches nearer to the white spot which marked the centre than that of Hubert.
Hubert resumed his place, and, not neglecting the caution which he had received from his adversary, he made the necessary allowance for a very light air of wind which had just arisen, and shot so successfully that his arrow alighted in the very centre of the target.
"A Hubert! a Hubert ! "shouted the populace, more interested in a known person than in a stranger. "In the clout ! in the clout!-a Hubert for ever. ""Thou canst not mend that shot, Locksley, " said the prince, with an insulting smile.
"I will notch his shaft for him, however, " replied Locksley. And letting fly his arrow with little more precaution than before, it lighted right upon that of his competitor, which it split to shivers! The people who stood around were so astonished at his wonderful dexterity that they could not even give vent to their surprise in their usual clamour.
"And now, " said Locksley, "I will crave your Grace"s permission to plant such a mark as is used in the North Country, and welcome every brave yeoman who shall try a shot at it. "He then turned to leave the lists. "Let your guards attend me, " he said, "if you please-I go but to cut a rod from the next willow bush. "Prince John made a signal that some attendants should follow him in case of his escape; but the cry of "Shame ! shame!" which burst from the multitude, induced him to alter his ungenerous purpose.
Locksley returned almost instantly with a willow wand about six feet in length, perfectly straight, and rather thicker than a man"s thumb. He began to peel this with great composure, observing, at the same time, that to ask a good woodsman to shoot at a target so broad as had hitherto been used was to put shame upon his skill.
For his own part, he said, and in the land where he wasbred, men would as soon take for their mark King Arthur"s round-table, which held sixty knights around it. "A child of seven years old, " said he, " might hit yonder target with a headless shaft; but, " he added, walking deliberately to the other end of the lists. and sticking the willow wand upright in the ground, "he that hits that rod at five-score yards, I call him an archer fit to bear both bow and quiver before a king, though it were the stout King Richard himself. ""My grandsire, " said Hubert, " drew a good bow at the Battle of Hastings, and never shot at such a mark in his life- and neither will I. If this yeoman can cleave that rod, I give him the bucklers,-or rather, I yield to the Evil One that is in him, and not to any human skill: a man can but do his best, and I will not shoot where I am sure to miss. I might as well shoot at the edge of our parson"s whittle, or at a wheat straw, or at a sunbeam, as at a twinkling white streak which I can hardly see."" Cowardly dog ! " said Prince John. " Sirrah Locksley, do thou shoot; but if thou hittest such a mark, I will say thou art the first man that ever did so. Howe"er it be, thou shalt not crow over us with a mere show of superior skill. ""I will do my best, as Hubert says, " answered Locksley; " no man can do more. "So saying, he again bent his bow, but on the present occasion looked with attention to his weapon, and changed the string, which he thought was no longer truly round,Drawn by John Rowell"He took his aim with some deliberation. "
having been a little frayed by the two former shots. He then took his aim with some deliberation, and the multitude awaited the event in breathless silence. The archer vindicated their opinion of his skill-his arrow split the willow rod against which it was aimed! A jubilee of acclamations followed; and even Prince John, in admiration of Locksley"s skill, lost for an instant his dislike to his person.
"These twenty nobles, " he said, " which, with the bugle, thou hast fairly won, are thine own; we will make them fifty, if thou wilt take livery and service with us as a yeoman of our bodyguard, and be near to our person. For never did so strong a hand bend a bow, or so true an eye direct a shaft. ""Pardon me, noble prince, " said Locksley; " but I have vowed that if I ever took service it should be with your royal brother, King Richard. These twenty nobles I leave to Hubert,who has this day drawn as brave a bow as his grandsire did at Hastings. Had his modesty not refused the trial, he would have hit the wand as well as I. "Hubert shook his head as he received with reluctance the bounty of the stranger; and Locksley, anxious to escape further observation, mixed with the crowd, and was seen no more.
Sir Walter Scott, in Ivanhoe.
Author.-Scott (see "Rosabelle ").
General Notes.-This is an excerpt from lvanhoe; it pictures a supposed incident in the reign of King Richard the First, whose kingdom was for the time being ruled by Prince John. Find, if you can, pictures showing the costume of the period. Gunpowder had not yet come into use, and the arrow was the most deadly missile. Make a list of the characters, giving to each a brief description. Locksley was, of course, Robin Hood, one of the world"s most picturesque robbers. Find, in your dictionary, meanings for baldric, yeoman, prevost, clout noble(coin). Discuss the reference to the more or less mythical King Arthur. Write a similar account of a " Rifle-shooting Contest. "
