s
caught again by furious gales, lost three ships out of the four he had,
and finally sought haven at Gazara, a little fishing village on that
empty shore. His intention was to travel home by way of Germany and the
Low Countries, and so land in England while his brother John was still
in France. Either he had forgotten, or did not care to remember, that
all this country was a fief of the Archduke Luitpold's. He knew, of
course, that Luitpold hated him, but not that he held him guilty of
Montferrat's murder. Suspecting no great difficulty, he sent up
messengers to the lord of Gazara for a safe-conduct for certain
merchants, pilgrims. This man was an Austrian knight called Gunther.

'Who are your pilgrims?' Gunther asked; and was told, Master Hugh, a
merchant of Alost, he and his servants.

'What manner of a merchant?' was Gunther's next question.

'My lord,' they said, who had seen him, 'a fine man, tall as a tree, and
strong and straight, having keen blue eyes, and a reddish beard on his
chin, as the men of Flanders do not use.'

Gunther said, 'Let me see this merchant,' and went down to the inn where
King Richard was.

Now Richard was sitting by the fire, warming himself. When Gunther came
in, furred and portly, he did not rise up; which was unfortunate in a
pretended merchant.

'Are you Master Hugh of Alost?' Gunther asked, looking him over.

'That is the name I bear,' said Richard. 'And who are you, my friend?'

The Austrian stammered. 'Hey, thou dear God, I am Lord Gunther of this
castle and town!' he said, raising his voice. Then the King got up to
make a reverence, and in so doing betrayed his stature.

'I should have guessed it, sir, by your gentleness in coming to visit me
here. I ask your pardon.' Thus the King, while Gunther wondered.

'You are a very tall merchant, Hugh,' says he. 'Do they make your sort
in Alost?' King Richard laughed.

'It is the only advantage I have of your lordship. For the rest, my
countrywomen make straight men, I think.'

'Were you bred in Alost, Master Hugh?' asked Gunther suspiciously; and
again Richard laughed as he said, 'Ah, you must ask my mother, Lord
Gunther.'

'Lightning!' was the Austrian's thought; 'here is a pretty easy
merchant.'

He raised some little difficulties, vexations of routine, which King
Richard persistently laughed at, while doing his best to fulfil them.
Gunther did not relish this. He named the Archduke as his overlord, hard
upon strangers.