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VII . The Archer and the Hermit The tournament ended with a contest for the archers . Prince John hoped it would help people to forget the news about Richard . The best bowmen of the prince’s guard took part , and also a tall yeoman in green , who called himself Locksley . On the first day Locksley had laughed at the prince in front of the crowd , and John had promised to punish him if he did not shoot well . One by one the archers shot at the target , until only two were left : Locksley and Hubert , one of the prince’s foresters . Hubert shot first , and his arrow hit the very centre of the target . “ You cannot do better than that , Locksley , ” said the prince . “ Let me try , ” said Locksley calmly . He hardly seemed to aim . His arrow flew through the air and split Hubert’s arrow in two . The crowd shouted with amazement . But Locksley had not finished . He went to the nearest willow tree , cut a thin stick from it and pushed it into the ground at the far end of the field . “ Now , ” he said , “ I will show you a proper target . A man who can hit this stick can call himself an archer . ” Hubert shook his head . “ I cannot do it , ” he said honestly . “ Nobody can . ” Locksley took careful aim and shot . His arrow split the thin willow stick in two . Even Prince John was impressed . “ The prize is yours , ” he said , “ and I will give you more if you join my guard . ” “ Thank you , noble prince , ” said Locksley , “ but I have promised that if I ever serve anyone , it will be your brother , King Richard . ” He gave the prize money to Hubert and disappeared into the crowd before the prince could stop him . That evening Prince John held a great feast in the castle of Ashby . He invited Cedric and Athelstane , hoping to win the support of the Saxons . But the Norman lords made fun of the Saxons ’ simple clothes and old customs all through the meal , and Cedric grew angrier and angrier . At last the prince asked him to propose a toast . Cedric stood up and raised his cup . “ To the health of Richard the Lion Heart , ” he said in a loud voice . “ He may be a Norman , but he is a true king . ” Nobody moved . Then Cedric drank , put down his cup and left the hall with Athelstane , while the prince sat there , pale with anger . After the feast , the prince’s friends began to make plans . Waldemar Fitzurse , the most cunning of them , said that they must go to York at once and gather their forces before Richard arrived . But Maurice de Bracy , a young Norman knight who led a band of soldiers paid to fight , had a different idea .
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