THE WOUNDED HERON 99 



was their pupil ; and, assisted sometimes by the 

 seneschal, and sometimes by a light-hearted 

 friar who, it was believed, knew more about 

 sport and war than about the strict obser- 

 vances of the Church, they, from his earliest 

 infancy, had guarded him, by day and by night, 

 and had taught him how to bend the dainty 

 long-bows they had shaped for him after the 

 pattern and the balance of their own stronger 

 weapons. The boy had grown adept in every 

 martial pastime. Riding his palfrey at the 

 miniature quintain that the seneschal had 

 erected for him in a grassy close beyond the 

 tower, he would rarely fail to point his slender 

 lance aright, and afterwards elude the swing- 

 ing sandbag. He could strike and ward with 

 sword and shield as deftly as could many a war- 

 trained squire. 



Among the Earl's horses was a certain destrier 

 that had often borne his master in the fray, but 

 later had settled down to end his days in peace. 

 The friar had taught the old horse to gallop, 

 at a signal, straight from end to end of the close ; 

 then, the charger's lessons being complete, he had 

 strapped a straw-stuffed dummy to the animal's 

 back, and sent the youthful warrior, with spear in 

 rest, full tilt against the effigy. Little Renoult 

 soon loved this exciting sport far more than to 

 ride against the quintain. The docile destrier 



