"I ride to seek adventures; and here meseemeth is one come to hand.
Or what will ye with the woman?"

Said the man who had the woman in tow: "Trouble not thine head therewith;
we lead her to her due doom. As for thee, be glad that thou art
not her fellow; since forsooth thou seemest not to be one of them;
so go thy ways in peace."

"No foot further will I go," said Ralph, "till ye loose the woman
and let her go; or else tell me what her worst deed is."

The man laughed, and said: "That were a long tale to tell; and it
is little like that thou shalt live to hear the ending thereof."

Therewith he wagged his head at the spearman, who suddenly let his spear
fall into the rest, and spurred, and drave on at Ralph all he might.
There and then had the tale ended, but Ralph, who was wary,
though he were young, and had Falcon well in hand, turned his wrist
and made the horse swerve, so that the man-at-arms missed his attaint,
but could not draw rein speedily enough to stay his horse;
and as he passed by all bowed over his horse's neck, Ralph gat his
sword two-handed and rose in his stirrups and smote his mightiest;
and the sword caught the foeman on the neck betwixt sallet and jack,
and nought held before it, neither leather nor ring-mail, so that the man's
head was nigh smitten off, and he fell clattering from his saddle:
yet his stirrups held him, so that his horse went dragging him on earth
as he gallopped over rough and smooth betwixt the trees of the forest.
Then Ralph turned about to deal with his fellow, and even through
the wrath and fury of the slaying saw him clear and bright against