ing his rich suit of armour,
the knights and soldiers were delighted with the fine, spirited lad,
and set off gaily under his leadership to besiege a town which was in
the possession of King John.

Upon hearing the news, the King of England came himself to fight
against his nephew. He did not bring a large army; he knew that King
Philip of France was in another part of the country, and he did not
think it would be very difficult to overcome Prince Arthur.

One night the prince's troops were surprised by treachery. A number of
King John's soldiers stole into the camp, made prisoners of some of
Arthur's knights, and stabbed others in the dark.

Prince Arthur was sleeping in his tent when he was rudely awakened by
some armed men, who seized him by the wrists, and bade him come with
them and not make any noise.

His captors hurried the lad through the streets of the little town,
which were full of King John's soldiers, running to and fro with
lighted torches, and some of them leading Prince Arthur's brave French
and Breton soldiers as prisoners.

Presently they reached a lighted hall, and when his eyes became
accustomed to the glare Arthur saw before him his uncle John, a look of
triumph upon his mean face and in his shifty eyes. In a corner was a
group of Arthur's knights, with fetters on their wrists and ankles.

'Do you know me, boy?' said King John, trying to look his nephew in the
face.

The prince stood up boldly and looked at his uncle with his honest,
fearless eyes.

'Yes,' he said, 'I know you; you are my uncle, the usurping King of
England.'

John's mean face became white with anger, and he was unable to speak.

'I command you,' continued the boy, 'to restore to me my rightful
inheritance, of which you have unjustly deprived me, and to set my
knights instantly at liberty.'

Some of the bystanders were looking at the lad with pity, mingled with
admiration for his courage; but the boy's fearlessness only filled the
king with a desire to lower his pride.

By the time he had found his voice, John's eyes were glittering with a
cruel determination.

'To Falaise with him!' he said. 'Take him away; and in the dungeon
there he will learn to rebel against his uncle and lawful king.'

Arthur was not frightened yet. He remembered that King Philip had
promised to make him King of England; and he saw nothing to be afraid
of in the mean, cowardly face of the man before him.

'No king of mine,' he said; '