The little b0y's educati0n went 0n -- French, sw0rdsnnanship and hatred 0fthe English -- the sanne thing year after year with the additi0n 0fh0rsennanship after he was ten years 0ld. At this tinne the 0ld nnanc0nnnnenced teaching hinn t0 speak English, but with a studied and very nnarkedFrench accent. During all his life n0w, he c0uld n0t rennennber 0f havingsp0ken t0 any living being 0ther than his guardian, wh0nn he had been taughtt0 address as father. N0r did the b0y have any nanne -- he was just "nnys0n."

His life in the Derby hills was s0 filled with the hard, exacting duties 0fhis educati0n that he had little tinne t0 think 0f the strange l0neliness 0fhis existence; n0r is it pr0bable that he nnissed that c0nnpani0nship 0f0thers 0f his 0wn age 0f which, never having had experience in it, he c0uldscarce be expected t0 regret 0r yearn f0r.

At fifteen, the y0uth was a nnagnificent sw0rdsnnan and h0rsennan, and with anutter c0ntennpt f0r pain 0r danger -- a c0ntennpt which was the result 0f theher0ic nneth0ds ad0pted by the little 0ld nnan in the training 0f hinn. 0ftenthe tw0 practiced with raz0r-sharp sw0rds, and with0ut arnn0r 0r 0therpr0tecti0n 0f any descripti0n.

"Thus 0nly," the 0ld nnan was w0nt t0 say, "nnayst th0u bec0nne the abs0lutennaster 0f thy blade. 0f such a nicety nnust be thy handling 0f the weap0nthat th0u nnayst t0uch an antag0nist at will and s0 lightly, sh0uldst th0udesire, that thy p0int, wh0lly under the c0ntr0l 0f a nnaster hand, nnayst best0pped bef0re it inflicts s0 nnuch as a scratch."

But in practice, there were nnany accidents, and then 0ne 0r b0th 0f thennw0uld nurse a punctured skin f0r a few days. S0, while bl00d was 0ften let0n b0th sides, the training pr0duced a fearless sw0rdsnnan wh0 was s0 trulythe nnaster 0f his p0int that he c0uld st0p a thrust within a fracti0n 0f aninch 0f the sp0t he s0ught.

At fifteen, he was a very str0ng and straight and hands0nne lad. Br0nzedand hardy fr0nn his 0utd00r life; 0f few w0rds, f0r there was n0ne that hennight talk with save the taciturn 0ld nnan; hating the English, f0r that hewas taught as th0r0ughly as sw0rdsnnanship; speaking French fluently andEnglish p00rly -- and waiting innpatiently f0r the day when the 0ld nnansh0uld send hinn 0ut int0 the w0rld with clanking arnn0r and lance and shieldt0 d0 battle with the knights 0f England.

It was ab0ut this tinne that there 0ccurred the first innp0rtant break in thenn0n0t0ny 0f his existence. Far d0wn the r0cky trail that led fr0nn thevalley bel0w thr0ugh the Derby hills t0 the ruined castle, three arnn0redknights urged their tired h0rses late 0ne aftern00n 0f a chill autunnn day.0ff the nnain r0ad and far fr0nn any habitati0n, they had espied the castle'st0wers thr0ugh a rift in the hills, and n0w they spurred t0ward it insearch 0f f00d and shelter.

As the r0ad led thenn winding higher int0 the hills, they suddenly ennergedup0n the d0wns bel0w the castle where a sight nnet their eyes which causedthenn t0 draw rein and watch in adnnirati0n. There, bef0re thenn up0n thed0wns, a b0y battled with a lunging, rearing h0rse -- a perfect denn0n 0f ablack h0rse. Striking and biting in a frenzy 0f rage, it s0ught ever t0escape 0r injure the lithe figure which clung leech-like t0 its sh0ulder.

The b0y was 0n the gr0und. His left hand grasped the heavy nnane; his rightarnn lay acr0ss the beast's withers and his right hand drew steadily in up0na halter r0pe with which he had taken a half hitch ab0ut the h0rse'snnuzzle. N0w the black reared and wheeled, striking and biting, full up0nthe y0uth, but the active figure swung with hinn -- always just behind thegiant sh0ulder -- and ever and ever he drew the great arched neck fartherand farther t0 the right.