Page:History of Valentine and Orson (5).pdf/4



OW was Valentine grown a lusty young man, and by the King as greatly beloved as if he had been his own child; commanding him to be taught the use of arms, in which he soon became so expert, that few in the court dared to encounter him; which made Hufray and Henry, the king's bastard sons, exceedingly envy him--At this juncture great complaints were made against the Wild Man, from whom no Knight had escaped with his life that had encountered him; which made the King promise a thousand merks to any one that should bring him dead or alive; which offer none dared to except; but Hufray and Henry desired King Pepin to send Valentine, with a view of getting rid of so powerful a rival in the King's favour; but his Majesty seeing their malice, was very angry; telling them, he had rather lose the best baron in the land.

However, Valentine desired leave of his Majesty to go to the forest, resolving either to conquer the Wild Man, or die in the attempt. Accordingly, having furnished himself with a good horse and arms, he set forward on his journey, and after hard travelling, he arrived in the forest; in the evening he tied his horse to a large spreading oak; and got up into a tree himself, for his security, where he rested for that night.

Next morning he beheld the Wild Man traversing the forest in search of his prey; at length he came to the tree where Valentine's horse stood, from whom he pulled many hairs, upon which the horse