before him with a white road winding up to the top of them.
Just before the slopes began to rise was a little thorp beside
a stream, and thereby a fair church and a little house of Canons:
so Ralph rode toward the church to see if therein were
an altar of St. Nicholas, who was his good lord and patron,
that he might ask of him a blessing on his journey.
But as he came up to the churchyard-gate he saw a great black
horse tied thereto as if abiding some one; and as he lighted
down from his saddle he saw a man coming hastily from out
the church-door and striding swiftly toward the said gate.
He was a big man, and armed; for he had a bright steel
sallet on his head, which covered his face all save the end
of his chin; and plates he had on his legs and arms.
He wore a green coat over his armour, and thereon was wrought
in gold an image of a tree leafless: he had a little steel
axe about his neck, and a great sword hung by his side.
Ralph stood looking on him with his hand on the latch of the gate,
but when the man came thereto he tore it open roughly and shoved
through at once, driving Ralph back, so that he well-nigh
overset him, and so sprang to his horse and swung himself
into the saddle, just as Ralph steadied himself and ruffled up
to him, half drawing his sword from the scabbard the while.
But the man-at-arms cried out, "Put it back, put it back!
If thou must needs deal with every man that shoveth thee
in his haste, thy life is like to be but short."

He was settling himself in his saddle as he spoke, and now
he shook his rein, and rode off speedily toward the hill-road.
But when he was so far off that Ralph might but see his face but
as a piece of reddish colour, he reined up for a moment of time,