So, very slowly, Rahere the King's jester
straddled the edge of the planks, and looked down on us, rubbing his
chin. Loose-knit, with cropped hair, and a sad priest's face, under his
cockscomb cap, that he could twist like a strip of wet leather. His eyes
were hollow-set.

'"Nay, nay, Brother," said he. "If I suffer you to keep your fool, you
must e'en suffer me to keep mine."

'This he delivered slowly into the King's angry face! My faith, a King's
jester must be bolder than lions!

'"Now we will judge the matter," said Rahere. "Let these two brave
knights go hang my fool because he warned King Henry against running
after Saxon deer through woods full of Saxons. 'Faith, Brother, if thy
Brother, Red William, now among the Saints as we hope, had been timely
warned against a certain arrow in New Forest, one fool of us four would
not be crowned fool of England this morning. Therefore, hang the fool's
fool, knights!" 'Mark the fool's cunning! Rahere had himself given us
order to hang the man. No King dare confirm a fool's command to such a
great baron as De Aquila; and the helpless King knew it.

'"What? No hanging?" said Rahere, after a silence. "A' God's Gracious
Name, kill something, then! Go forward with the hunt!"

'He splits his face ear to ear in a yawn like a fish-pond. "Henry," says
he, "the next time I sleep, do not pester me with thy fooleries." Then
he throws himself out of sight behind the back of the stand.

'I have seen courage with mirth in De Aquila and Hugh, but stark mad
courage of Rahere's sort I had never even guessed at.'

'What did the King say?' cried Dan.

'He had opened his mouth to speak, when young Fulke, who had come into
the stand with us, laughed, and, boy-like, once begun, could not check
himself. He kneeled on the instant for pardon, but fell sideways,
crying: "His legs! Oh, his long, waving red legs as he went backward!"

'Like a storm breaking, our grave King laughed,--stamped and reeled
with laughter till the stand shook. So, like a storm, this strange thing
passed!

'He wiped his eyes, and signed to De Aquila to let the drive come on.

'When the deer broke, we were pleased that the King shot from the
shelter of the stand, and did not ride out after the hurt beasts as Red
William would have done. Most vilely his knights and barons shot!

'De Aquila kept me beside him, and I saw no more of Hugh till evening.
We two had a little hut of boughs by the camp, where I went to wash m