a little way into the country.' As they, too, thought it
would be very pleasant to have a canter in the sunshine, they all rode
out of the town together in a gay little troop. When they came to a fine
level piece of turf, the Prince fell to comparing their horses one with
another, and offering bets that one was faster than another; and the
attendants, suspecting no harm, rode galloping matches until their horses
were quite tired. The Prince rode no matches himself, but looked on from
his saddle, and staked his money. Thus they passed the whole merry
afternoon. Now, the sun was setting, and they were all going slowly up a
hill, the Prince's horse very fresh and all the other horses very weary,
when a strange rider mounted on a grey steed appeared at the top of the
hill, and waved his hat. 'What does the fellow mean?' said the
attendants one to another. The Prince answered on the instant by setting
spurs to his horse, dashing away at his utmost speed, joining the man,
riding into the midst of a little crowd of horsemen who were then seen
waiting under some trees, and who closed around him; and so he departed
in a cloud of dust, leaving the road empty of all but the baffled
attendants, who sat looking at one another, while their horses drooped
their ears and panted.

The Prince joined the Earl of Gloucester at Ludlow. The Earl of
Leicester, with a part of the army and the stupid old King, was at
Hereford. One of the Earl of Leicester's sons, Simon de Montfort, with
another part of the army, was in Sussex. To prevent these two parts from
uniting was the Prince's first object. He attacked Simon de Montfort by
night, defeated him, seized his banners and treasure, and forced him into
Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, which belonged to his family.

His father, the Earl of Leicester, in the meanwhile, not knowing what had
happened, marched out of Hereford, with his part of the army and the
King, to meet him. He came, on a bright morning in August, to Evesham,
which is watered by the pleasant river Avon. Looking rather anxiously
across the prospect towards Kenilworth, he saw his own banners advancing;
and his face brightened with joy. But, it clouded darkly when he
presently perceived that the banners were captured, and in the enemy's
hands; and he said, 'It is over. The Lord have mercy on our souls, for
our bodies are Prince Edward's!'

He fought like a true Knight, nevertheless. When his horse was killed
und