heek. His noisy captors stood around
him in a circle, eying him hungrily like dogs who have been beaten
from their quarry. There were Gascons and English, knights, squires and
archers, all pushing and straining.

"I pray you, fair Prince, to get rid of these rude fellows," said King
John, "for indeed they have plagued me sorely. By Saint Denis! my arm
has been well-nigh pulled from its socket."

"What wish you then?" asked the Prince, turning angrily upon the noisy
swarm of his followers.

"We took him, fair lord. He is ours!" cried a score of voices. They
closed in, all yelping together like a pack of wolves. "It was I, fair
lord!"--"Nay, it was I!"--"You lie, you rascal, it was I!" Again their
fierce eyes glared and their blood-stained hands sought the hilts of
their weapons.

"Nay, this must be settled here and now!" said the Prince. "I crave your
patience, fair and honored sir, for a few brief minutes, since indeed
much ill-will may spring from this if it be not set at rest. Who is this
tall knight who can scarce keep his hands from the King's shoulder?"

"It is Denis de Morbecque, my lord, a knight of St. Omer, who is in our
service, being an outlaw from France."

"I call him to mind. How then, Sir Denis? What say you in this matter?"

"He gave himself to me, fair lord. He had fallen in the press, and
I came upon him and seized him. I told him that I was a knight from
Artois, and he gave me his glove. See here, I bear it in my hand."

"It is true, fair lord! It is true!" cried a dozen French voices.

"Nay, sir, judge not too soon!" shouted an English squire, pushing
his way to the front. "It was I who had him at my mercy, and he is my
prisoner, for he spoke to this man only because he could tell by his
tongue that he was his own countryman. I took him, and here are a score
to prove it."

"It is true, fair lord. We saw it and it was even so," cried a chorus of
Englishmen.

At all times there was growling and snapping betwixt the English and
their allies of France. The Prince saw how easily this might set a light
to such a flame as could not readily be quenched. It must be stamped out
now ere it had time to mount.

"Fair and honored lord," he said to the King, "again I pray you for a
moment of patience. It is your word and only yours which can tell us
what is just and right. To whom were you graciously pleased to commit
your royal person?"

King John looked up from the flagon which had been brought to