and saw the river in flood, with black waves spuming and
raving, like wood beasts, and driving before them great logs
and broken trees. Thus the river hurled and hammered at the
mill-dam so that it trembled, and the logs leaped as they
would spring over it, and the voice of Flumen shouted hoarsely
and hungrily, "Yet will I mar the Mill and have the Maid!"

Then Martimor ran with the miller out upon the dam, and
they laboured at the gates that held the river back, and
thrust away the logs that were heaped over them, and cut with
axes, and fought with the river. So at last two of the gates
were lifted and one was broken, and the flood ran down
ramping and roaring in great raundon, and as it ran the black
face of Flumen sprang above it, crying, "Yet will I mar both
Mill and Maid."

"That shalt thou never do," cried Martimor, "by foul or
fair, while the life beats in my body."

So he came back with the miller into the Mill, and there
was meat ready for them and they ate strongly and with good
heart. "Now," said the miller, "must I mend the gate. But
how it may be done, I know not, for surely this will be great
travail for a man alone."

"Why alone?" said Martimor.

"Thou wilt stay, then?" said Lirette.

"Yea," said he.