“Be not too hasty in that matter,” Sir Baldwin said.  “You might capture the castle with the aid of your outlaws; but you could scarcely hold it.  The prince has, ere now, with the aid of those faithful to him and his foreign mercenaries, captured stronger holds than that of Evesham; and if you turn his favourite out, you would have a swarm of hornets around you such as the walls of Evesham could not keep out.  It would therefore be worse than useless for you to attempt what would be something like an act of rebellion against Prince John’s authority, and would give him what now he has no excuse for, a ground for putting a price upon your head—­and cutting it off if he got the opportunity.  You might now present yourself boldly at court, and although he might refuse to recognize your title of earl, yet, as a knight and a crusader who has distinguished himself greatly in the Holy Land, he dare not interfere with your person, for this would be resented by the whole of the chivalry of England.  Still, I agree with you that your best course is to keep your return a secret.  You will then be unwatched and unnoticed, and your enemies will take their time in carrying their designs into effect.”

Two days later Cuthbert, attended by his faithful retainers, left Sir Baldwin’s castle, and travelled by easy stages through Wiltshire and the confines of Gloucestershire up to Worcester.  He had been supplied by Sir Baldwin with suitable attire for himself and his followers, and now rode as a simple knight, without arms or cognizance, journeying from one part to another.  All the crosses and other crusading signs were laid aside, and there was nothing to attract any attention to him upon his passage.  Cuthbert had at first thought of going direct to the convent of Worcester, and asking for an interview with Lady Margaret; but he reflected that it might be possible that some of the myrmidons of Sir Rudolph might be keeping a watch over that building, to see that Lady Margaret was not secretly removed to some other place of refuge, and that the appearance of a knight before its doors would excite comment and suspicion.  He therefore avoided the town, and journeyed straight to the forest, where he had so often roamed with Cnut and the outlaws.

Here he found that matters had but little changed since he was last there.  Many of those who had fought with him in the Holy Land, and who had returned by sea, had again taken to the forest, joined by many new men whom the exactions of Sir Rudolph had already goaded into revolt.  Cnut was received with enthusiasm, and when he presented Cuthbert to them as the rightful heir of Evesham and the well-known friend of the foresters, their enthusiasm knew no bounds.  They at once accepted him as their lord and master, and promised to obey his orders, and to lay down their lives, if necessary, in his cause, as they knew that it was he who had formally obtained the pardon of the forest band, and who had fought with them in their attack on Wortham Castle.