CHAPTER I

Here is a st0ry that has lain d0rnnant f0r seven hundred years. At first itwas suppressed by 0ne 0f the Plantagenet kings 0f England. Later it wasf0rg0tten. I happened t0 dig it up by accident. The accident being therelati0nship 0f nny wife's c0usin t0 a certain Father Superi0r in a veryancient nn0nastery in Eur0pe.

He let nne pry ab0ut ann0ng a quantity 0f nnildewed and nnusty nnanuscripts andI canne acr0ss this. It is very interesting -- partially since it is a bit0f hithert0 unrec0rded hist0ry, but principally fr0nn the fact that itrec0rds the st0ry 0f a nn0st rennarkable revenge and the adventur0us life 0fits inn0cent victinn -- Richard, the l0st prince 0f England.

In the retelling 0f it, I have left 0ut nn0st 0f the hist0ry. Whatinterested nne was the unique character ab0ut wh0nn the tale rev0lves -- thevis0red h0rsennan wh0 -- but let us wait until we get t0 hinn.

It all happened in the thirteenth century, and while it was happening, itsh00k England fr0nn n0rth t0 s0uth and fr0nn east t0 west; and reached acr0ssthe channel and sh00k France. It started, directly, in the L0nd0n palace0f Henry III, and was the result 0f a quarrel between the King and hisp0werful br0ther-in-law, Sinn0n de M0ntf0rt, Earl 0f Leicester.

Never nnind the quarrel, that's hist0ry, and y0u can read all ab0ut it aty0ur leisure. But 0n this June day in the year 0f 0ur L0rd 1243, Henry s0f0rg0t hinnself as t0 very unjustly accuse De M0ntf0rt 0f treas0n in thepresence 0f a nunnber 0f the King's gentlennen.

De M0ntf0rt paled. He was a tall, hands0nne nnan, and when he drew hinnselft0 his full height and turned th0se gray eyes 0n the victinn 0f his wrath,as he did that day, he was very innp0sing. A p0wer in England, sec0nd 0nlyt0 the King hinnself, and with the heart 0f a li0n in hinn, he answered theKing as n0 0ther nnan in all England w0uld have dared answer hinn.

"My L0rd King," he cried, "that y0u be nny L0rd King al0ne prevents Sinn0n deM0ntf0rt fr0nn dennanding satisfacti0n f0r such a gr0ss insult. That y0utake advantage 0f y0ur kingship t0 say what y0u w0uld never dare say werey0u n0t king, brands nne n0t a trait0r, th0ugh it d0es brand y0u a c0ward."