Knight with Armour by Alfred Duggan

Author:Alfred Duggan [Duggan, Alfred]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2012-09-26T23:00:00+00:00

VI. Christian Antioch 1098.

On the 27th of June the defenders of Cemetery Castle looked in vain for their dinner. Every day the meals had grown smaller, but up to now they had at least been fed twice a day. In mid-afternoon hope was revived when they saw a man cautiously picking his way across the rubbish-strewn Bridge, keeping a sharp look-out for stray arrows. At last he entered the southern door, amid ironical cheers from the hungry onlookers, and was seen to be one of the Duke’s clerks. He conferred with the commander of the castle, and then mounted to the safest part of the southern fighting-stage; a trumpet blew for silence, and the discontented, idle, bored, and hungry men gathered in a crowd below him. They were muttering angrily, but after he had given the preliminary cough of the experienced preacher, and made the sign of the Cross as though he were in a pulpit, his first words caught their attention.

“Pilgrims of Normandy, I bring important news. To-morrow we shall all march out of the city, to deliver battle on the plain north of the river. Every knight who can get hold of a horse of any kind must come mounted; the others will serve with the foot, wherever the leaders direct. To-night this castle will be handed over to the followers of the Count of Toulouse, who is unable through sickness to take part in the battle, and therefore is undertaking the defence of the town.” This brought an outburst of groans, for though the Count of Toulouse was an elderly man, and seldom in good health, his sickness did seem to incapacitate him whenever danger was to be faced. The clerk continued:

“The dismounted knights will be arrayed among the common foot. The Turks will attack us as soon as we cross the Bridge, therefore we must cross it in good order, formed up to fight. For this reason the Duke commands that all fighting-men come back into the city as soon as they are relieved by the Provençals; then the army can be arrayed by the leaders before daybreak, in the street. I know you have had no dinner to-day, the food just isn’t there, but the Duke has arranged a good supper for you to-night; in fact, all the food that is left. The Holy Lance will lead us, and God will defend the right. Now get what sleep you can, and don’t warn the enemy by cheering and shouting.”

As a matter of fact his speech was received in dead silence, for the tired and hungry men were in no mood to cheer; but they revived at the prospect of action. Roger, like most of the others, was glad to get into his blankets and rest on the shady side of the courtyard. His last thought before he fell asleep was that in another day it would all be over, and that by to-morrow night he would indeed be at rest; either victorious or with the jackals mauling his carcass.

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