By _THOMAS A. H. MAWHINNEY_ THE SWORD OF THE HOUSE OF DE MARILLAC ENGLISH OAK AND SPANISH GOLD [Illustration: The Lance Was Almost Torn From His Grasp] THE MESSENGER OF THE BLACK PRINCE By THOMAS A. H. MAWHINNEY Illustrated by Manning deV. Lee THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 1928 COPYRIGHT 1928 BY THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY Made in the U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. The King’s Fool 7 II. I Am Attacked in the Woods 22 III. A Visitor in the Night 31 IV. A Trickster 36 V. What I Learned in the Woods 48 VI. We Hunt the Wild Boar 59 VII. The Black Prince 69 VIII. The Silver-Hafted Dagger 82 IX. A Solitary House in the Woods 91 X. The Highwayman of Tours 107 XI. I Find a Companion 117 XII. The Three Crows Inn 123 XIII. The Silver-Hafted Dagger 133 XIV. Pursued 141 XV. The Scrivener Disappears 150 XVI. The Scrivener Turns Traitor 162 XVII. On the Highway 172 XVIII. Escape! 183 XIX. On the Island 190 XX. No Man’s Land 198 XXI. The Defense of the Cave 206 XXII. Trapped! 227 XXIII. The Fight in the Inn 239 XXIV. Besieged 247 XXV. Friends and Enemies 257 XXVI. The Abbot of Chalonnes 270 XXVII. The Black Prince Again 283 XXVIII. Victory ... and Home 292 ILLUSTRATIONS