in
person for your brave defence of her."

Ever keen to see the humor of a situation, Norman of Torn wheeled his
horse and rode back with the Queen's messenger.

As he faced Her Majesty, the Outlaw of Torn bent low over his pommel.

"You be a strange knight that thinks so lightly on saving a queen's life
that you ride on without turning your head, as though you had but driven
a pack of curs from annoying a stray cat," said the Queen.

"I drew in the service of a woman, Your Majesty, not in the service of a
queen."

"What now! Wouldst even belittle the act which we all witnessed? The
King, my husband, shall reward thee, Sir Knight, if you but tell me your
name."

"If I told my name, methinks the King would be more apt to hang me,"
laughed the outlaw. "I be Norman of Torn."

The entire party looked with startled astonishment upon him, for none of
them had ever seen this bold raider whom all the nobility and gentry of
England feared and hated.

"For lesser acts than that which thou hast just performed, the King
has pardoned men before," replied Her Majesty. "But raise your visor,
I would look upon the face of so notorious a criminal who can yet be a
gentleman and a loyal protector of his queen."

"They who have looked upon my face, other than my friends," replied
Norman of Torn quietly, "have never lived to tell what they saw beneath
this visor, and as for you, Madame, I have learned within the year to
fear it might mean unhappiness to you to see the visor of the Devil of
Torn lifted from his face." Without another word he wheeled and galloped
back to his little army.

"The puppy, the insolent puppy," cried Eleanor of England, in a rage.

And so the Outlaw of Torn and his mother met and parted after a period
of twenty years.

Two days later, Norman of Torn directed Red Shandy to lead the forces of
Torn from their Essex camp back to Derby. The numerous raiding parties
which had been constantly upon the road during the days they had spent
in this rich district had loaded the extra sumpter beasts with rich
and valuable booty and the men, for the time satiated with fighting and
loot, turned their faces toward Torn with evident satisfaction.

The outlaw was speaking to his captains in council; at his side the old
man of Torn.

"Ride by easy stages, Shandy, and I will overtake you by tomorrow
morning. I but ride for a moment to the castle of De Tany on an errand,
and, as I shall stop there but a few moments, I