32 DRAGONS 



ground the brave Knight, who was already sufficiently 

 wearied with the strife, and half poisoned besides by the 

 dragon's noisome breath. The servants, however, seeing 

 the dragon fall, rushed down from the neighbouring 

 heights, and thinking they could discern some faint 

 signs of life in their master, filled their caps with water 

 from the stream hard by, and dashed it over him. He 

 soon recovered sufficiently to be able to mount his horse 

 and ride back to the city, where he told the Grand Master 

 of his splendid exploit, thinking, not unnaturally, that 

 honour, reward and glory would be his — who had freed 

 the country from such a dire pest. But, alas ! the Grand 

 Master set the duty of obedience before even such deeds 

 as De Gozon's. The Knight had disobeyed the edict, 

 had been altogether far too foolhardy and presumptuous, 

 and must take the consequences; he was accordingly 

 degraded and imprisoned. Not for very long, however, 

 we are happy to think, for the tidings soon spread over 

 the whole island, and people were so strong in his favour, 

 that the Grand Master was induced to relent. De Gozon 

 was liberated from prison and reinstated. Shortly after- 

 wards all the people in the city assembled to do him 

 honour in a procession ; nor were the brave dogs for- 

 gotten, for had it not been for their furious onslaught it is 

 not likely that the Knight would have lived to tell the tale. 

 They were led at the head of the procession, with the 

 dragon's skin borne before them, heralds proclaiming as 

 they went : ' These are the brave English dogs, the pre- 

 servers of the Knight, the conquerors of the dragon.' 

 Four years afterwards the Grand Master, Elio de Villa- 

 nova, died ; and Deodatus de Gozon was unanimously 

 elected as his successor— in the year 1349. 





