over the river and up the slope.

But even as he came up to that pleasant place he saw all in a moment of time;
that there stood Silverfax anigh the Cave's mouth, and the Lady lying on
the earth anigh the horse; and betwixt her and him the Knight of the Sun
stood up stark, his shining helm on his head, the last rays of the setting
sun flashing in the broidered image of his armouries.

He turned at once upon Ralph, shaking his sword in the air
(and there was blood upon the blade) and he cried out in
terrible voice: "The witch is dead, the whore is dead!
And thou, thief, who hast stolen her from me, and lain by her
in the wilderness, now shalt thou die, thou!"

Scarce had he spoken than Ralph drew his bow to the arrow-head and loosed;
there was but some twenty paces betwixt them, and the shaft, sped by
that fell archer, smote the huge man through the eye into the brain,
and he fell down along clattering, dead without a word more.

But Ralph gave forth a great wail of woe, and ran forward
and knelt by the Lady, who lay all huddled up face down upon
the grass, and he lifted her up and laid her gently on her back.
The blood was flowing fast from a great wound in her breast,
and he tore off a piece of his shirt to staunch it, but she
without knowledge of him breathed forth her last breath
ere he could touch the hurt, and he still knelt by her,
staring on her as if he knew not what was toward.

She had dight her what she could to welcome his return from the hunting,
and had set a wreath of meadow-sweet on her red hair, and a garland