left thy horse without the bushes, and he is whinnying"
(which indeed he was), "there is now no time to lose.
To horse straightway, for certainly there are folk at hand,
and they may be foemen, and are most like to be."

Therewith they both arose and hastened to where Falcon stood just
outside the alder bushes, and Ralph leapt a-horseback without more ado,
and the carle waited no bidding to leap up behind him, and pointing
to a glade of the wood which led toward the highway, cried out,
"Spur that way, thither! they of the Dry Tree are abroad this morning.
Spur! 'tis for life or death!"

Ralph shook the rein and Falcon leapt away without waiting for the spur,
while the carle looked over his shoulder and said, "Yonder they come! they
are three; and ever they ride well horsed. Nay, nay! They are four,"
quoth he, as a shout sounded behind them. "Spur, young lord! spur!
And thine horse is a mettlesome beast. Yea, it will do, it will do."

Therewith came to Ralph's ears the sound of their horse-hoofs beating
the turf, and he spurred indeed, and Falcon flew forth.

"Ah," cried the carle! "but take heed, for they see that thy horse is good,
and one of them, the last, hath a bent Turk bow in his hand, and is laying an
arrow on it; as ever their wont is to shoot a-horseback: a turn of thy rein,
as if thine horse were shying at a weasel on the road!"

Ralph stooped his head and made Falcon swerve, and heard therewith
the twang of the bowstring and straightway the shaft flew
past his ears. Falcon galloped on, and the carle cried out:
"There is the highway toward the Burg! Do thy best, do thy best!