"Yea," replied the other, "thou art the king!"
"Then down on thy knees, traitor! " roared Henry; "down all of ye, and
sue for mercy."
"For mercy--ha! ha!" rejoined the other; "it is thy turn to sue for mercy,
tyrant! We acknowledge no other ruler than Herne the Hunter."
"Then seek him in hell! " cried Henry, dealing the speaker a tremendous
blow on the head with his staff, which brought him senseless to the
ground.
The others immediately closed round him, and endeavoured to seize
the king.
"Ha! dogs -ha! traitors!" vociferated Henry, plying his staff with great
activity, and bringing down an assailant at each stroke; "do you dare to
lay hands upon our sacred person? Back! back!"
The determined resistance offered by the king, supported as he was by
Suffolk, paralysed his assailants, who seemed more bent upon securing
his person than doing him injury. But Suffolk's attention was presently
diverted by the attack of a fierce black hound, set upon him by a stout
fellow in a bearded mask. After a hard struggle, and not before he had
been severely bitten in the arm, the duke contrived to despatch his
assailant.
"This to avenge poor Bawsey!" cried the man who had set on the
hound, stabbing at Suffolk with his knife.
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