three days, and three hours, and then, disregarding his oath that he
would not leave the Holy Land while he had a horse left to feed on, he
set sail in haste for home. He had need to, for his brother John was
intriguing to seize the throne.

On his way home, finding that he must land and proceed part of the way
overland, he dismissed all his suite but a few attendants, fearing to be
recognized and detained. The single vessel which he now possessed was
attacked by pirates, but the fight, singularly enough, ended in a truce,
and was followed by so close a friendship between Richard and the
pirate captain that he left his vessel for theirs, and was borne by them
to Yara.

The ruler of Yara was a relative of the marquis of Montferrat, whose
death in Palestine had without warrant been imputed to Richard's
influence. The king had, therefore, unwittingly revealed himself to an
enemy and was in imminent danger of arrest. On receiving the message
sent him he set out at once, not caring to linger in so doubtful a
neighborhood. No attempt was made to stop him. The lord of Yara was in
so far faithful to his word. But he had not promised to keep the king's
secret, and at once sent a message to his brother, lord of a neighboring
town, that King Richard of England was in the country, and would
probably pass through his town.

There was a chance that he might pass undiscovered; pilgrims from
Palestine were numerous; Richard reached the town, where no one knew
him, and obtained lodging with one of its householders as Hugh, a
merchant from the East.

As it happened, the lord of the town had in his service a Norman named