So on he rode, and soon passed that waste, which was dry and parched,
and the afternoon sun was hot on it; so he deemed it good to come
under the shadow of the thick trees (which at the first were
wholly beech trees), for it was now the hottest of the day.
There was still a beaten way between the tree-boles, though
not overwide, albeit, a highway, since it pierced the wood.
So thereby he went at a soft pace for the saving of his horse,
and thought but little of all he had been told of the perils
of the way, and not a little of the fair maid whom he had left
behind at the Thorp.

After a while the thick beech-wood gave out, and he came into a place
where great oaks grew, fair and stately, as though some lord's
wood-reeve had taken care that they should not grow over close together,
and betwixt them the greensward was fine, unbroken, and flowery.
Thereby as he rode he beheld deer, both buck and hart and roe,
and other wild things, but for a long while no man.

The afternoon wore and still he rode the oak wood,
and deemed it a goodly forest for the greatest king on earth.
At last he came to where another road crossed the way he followed,
and about the crossway was the ground clearer of trees,
while beyond it the trees grew thicker, and there was some
underwood of holly and thorn as the ground fell off as towards
a little dale.

There Ralph drew rein, because he doubted in his mind which was
his right road toward the Burg of the Four Friths; so he got off
his horse and abode a little, if perchance any might come by;
he looked about him, and noted on the road that crossed his,