THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD
And so the wild man was allowed to stay about the court of Sigmund,
though Osbert tried hard to get him away, and even set two of his own
men to slay him; but the stranger broke the skull of one and the leg
of the other and himself escaped without scath. Now one day it chanced
that the ladies of the court were out hunting in the forest of Sherwood,
which came down near to the town of Nottingham where they were staying,
and they had no escort save one or two pages and the stranger, who being
able to keep pace with a horse, so fleet was he, followed the party.
The day was bright and warm and the sun shone down through the branches
and made all the forest gay with its splendour. And so they rode on
deeper into the wood than was their wont, and they scattered themselves
through a glade where, the branches interlacing overhead, the earth was
streaked with soft sun and shadow. Then Torfrida stayed her palfrey—gold
caparisoned and round of limb—and it and its mistress sitting motionless,
lost in reverie, were so full of sweetness that a fairy vision come
hither on a sunbeam they seemed. But so merry were the others that none
saw the four rough men who lurked in the thicket close by. They were not
of a mind and one said—
“Nay, now, if we touch her ill will befall us, for either angel or
elf-wife is she.”
Then one who was the leader of them replied: “Ye foolish fellows, neither
elf nor angel is she—let not the woman bewitch thee with her brightness,
a rich booty she will be, for she is not less than king’s daughter.”
He stepped forth and the others followed him. Then the maids screamed and
the pages ran into the thicket, for their mistress was in the hands of
the outlaws of Sherwood, whose deeds were ruthless.
“What want ye?” said Torfrida, steadily, but turning pale as she spoke.
“My lady must away with us, and thy father must pay us ransom.”
“I am the daughter of King Sigmund and heavy hands will he lay on thee if
ill befall us. Thou mayst not hinder us.”
“That may and will we,” said the leader. “Whatsoever king thy father be,
I am king of Sherwood,” and he placed a hand on her bridle.
All this the wild man had seen as he lay in a bush hard by, armed with
Osbert’s sword of finest steel, but when the robber chief laid hand on
Torfrida’s bridle he quickly uprose, and bounding to the side of the
robber clove him to the chin. One of the others then lifted his horn
to call his companions, but the wild man dashed the horn from his hand
and crushed it underfoot, and then suddenly stooping, seized him by the
middle and hurled him strongly from him, so that he lighted on his head
and broke his neck and lay dead before them. The other twain, in sore
affright at so sudden an onslaught and so mighty a foe, turned to flee,
but quicker than thought was the sword of the wild man to bite the brain
of the third robber, and so strongly he smote him that his body was clove
in twain by the stroke, and so fleet of foot and long of stride was the
giant that he that remained had got but a score yards before his foe was
upon him and with a kick of the foot broke he his back. So there was none
left to call their companions, and Feargus returned to Torfrida, and the
pages came back also in great wonder, and the ladies opened their eyes
wide to see what manner of man it was that had come among them, who could
scatter their enemies in so brief a space.
“Great indeed is the pity and the loss,” said they, “that so mighty
and true a man should have so little wit. Surely much sorrow hath made
him mad. A king’s son at least will he be.” They rode homeward safely,
followed at running speed by their mad man. Then they went to tell the
king how he had slain four outlaws in the forest and saved Torfrida and
her maidens. So the king sent for the wild man, but he would not go until
only Torfrida bade him, when he followed and stood before the king; but
he saw none, nor heard nor heeded any, save only Torfrida, and on her his
gaze was ever fixed. When they saw this some of the maidens wept for very
pity and sorrow, and they all praised him, admiring his savage strength.
And no person had heard him speak or looked into his eyes, not even
Torfrida, for when she looked at him, so heavily hung his brow in great
knots under his matted hair that his eyes were hid. So the king thanked
him, and Torfrida put his thanks into the Gaelic that the wild man might
understand. And when she left the hall for her own bower he followed,
and instead of sitting at the door she bade him enter, and then made her
maidens bring water and a comb and shears. Then taking the towel she told
him to kneel, saying in Gaelic: “A mighty man of thy hands art thou;
surely never saw I mightier—save Penda or—; and if thou wilt, thou shalt
stay and be my watch-hound for as long as I live, for right valiant and
gentle withal hast thou shown thyself.”
And he remained kneeling as she had commanded, while she stood before
him, and she placed her hand upon his head and pushed back the matted
locks. Even as she touched him the great man wept, and she combed and
cut the locks, and washed with her own white hands his dust and sun and
blood-stained brow, while her maidens laughed and wondered; but ever she
combed and cut and smoothed his hair and beard, which now, freed from
their load of dust, shone out like dark gold, and ever the great drops
fell from his eyes. Then suddenly she pushed back his forehead with her
soft white palm and with the other hand plucked him by the beard, lifting
his chin therewith, and thus at length looked into the eyes of him. One
deep long look she gave as their eyes met, and then she uttered a wild
scream and fell back in a swoon. Her maidens ran forward to her, but
still the wild man knelt there gazing upon her. As he looked his brow
grew smooth, his face blanched, and his whole body shook as if palsied,
while great drops stood upon his brow, and he breathed a mighty sigh
that startled all who stood near, and then he arose and, lifting his
great head erect, shook his locks, and in a voice that made the roof ring
shouted, “Torfrida! Torfrida!”
Then he pushed them aside and knelt and lifted her, clasping her to him,
and kissed her again and again, laying her head upon his breast. And his
tears fell upon her like rain, till at length she awoke and looked and
knew that it was indeed he whom she loved.