creature gave one yell and rolled over in its death agony. But that cry
seemed to pierce the heart of the mother wolf, and suddenly, with almost
preternatural strength and activity, she bounded clean over the forms of
men and dogs, and dashed straight at Raoul with all the ferocity of an
animal at bay, and of a mother robbed of her young.

The young man saw the attack; but his weapon was buried in the body of
the cub, and he had no time to disengage it. Turning with a sharp cry of
terror, he attempted to fly up the rocky path; but the beast was upon
him. She made a wild dash and fastened upon his back, her fangs crushing
one shoulder and her hot breath seeming to scorch his cheek. With a wild
yell of agony and terror Raoul threw himself face downwards upon the
ground, whilst his cry was shrilly echoed by the girls -- all but
Arthyn, who stood rigidly as if turned to stone, a strange, fierce light
blazing in her eyes.

But help was close at hand. Wendot had seen the spring, and had followed
close upon the charge of the maddened brute. Flinging himself fearlessly
upon the struggling pair, he plunged his knife into the neck of the
wolf, causing her to relax her hold of her first foe and turn upon him.
Had he stabbed her to the heart she might have inflicted worse injury
upon Raoul in her mortal struggle; as it was, there was fierce fight
left in her still. But Wendot was kneeling upon the wildly struggling
body with all his strength, and had locked his hands fast round her throat.

"Quick, Llewelyn -- the knife!" he cried, and his brother was beside him
in an instant.

The merciful death stroke was given, and the three youths rose from
their crouching posture and looked each other in the eyes, whilst the
wolf lay still and dead by the side of her cub.

"Methinks we have had something too much of Welsh wolves," was the only
comment of Raoul, as he joined the royal party without a word to the
brothers who had saved his life.

CHAPTER VII. THE KING'S JUDGMENT.

The great King Edward had been sitting enthroned in the state apartment
of the castle, receiving the homage of those amongst the Welsh lords and
chieftains who had been summoned to pay their homage to him and had
obeyed this summons.

It was an imposing sight, and one not likely to be forgotten by any who
witnessed it for the first time. The courageous but gentle Queen
Eleanor, who was seldom absent from her lord's side be the times
peaceful or warli