commanded them, and brought them the best the house could provide.

When the sheriff near by heard of all this beating and wounding, he
determined to take Gamelyn and to make him pay the penalty. He sent
to Gamelyn's castle four-and-twenty young men, who were only too glad
to have the opportunity of showing their valour. They demanded
admission to the house, but the porter would not let them in. He
rushed to Gamelyn and told him that the sheriff's men were outside.
Gamelyn and Adam slipped out by a side door and, before anyone knew
what was happening, Adam had felled two and Gamelyn three of them.
The rest were too frightened to resist, and took to their heels.

Soon, however, the sheriff gathered a great number of men, and
himself set out to take Gamelyn. "My counsel is this," said Adam.
"Let us go to the forest before they come. It is better to be
homeless in the woods than to be shut up in prison." They agreed to
go together and, having pledged each other in a cup of wine, they
took good horses and rode away as fast as they might.

Gamelyn and Adam went all day through the forest until they began to
grow hungry and weary with pushing through the thick bushes, which
scratched them and tore their clothes, when suddenly they heard a
noise as of many men talking. They went nearer to it and, peering
through the leaves, Gamelyn perceived a great company of men, about
seven score in number, who were sitting down to a feast. "Here's good
luck," he whispered, "for I think I see meat and drink." "God grant
we get some of it," said Adam, "for I am famished and in need of a
good meal." As he said this the chief of the men saw them as they
stood among the bushes, and cried out, "By the rood, here are some
guests to our feast! Yonder are two young men, and perhaps more