be the deed for thee to do, or to hide thee in some hole, as
I said afore, from the vengeance of the Lord of Oakenrealm.
But as for thy sword, thou mayst put it up, for I will not
fight with thee, but rather let thee go with a string to thy
leg, if thou wilt not be wise and do as thy lords ordain for
thee."

Christopher sheathed his sword, and a smile came into his
face, as if some new thought were stirring in him, and he
said: "Well, since thou wilt not fight with me, and I but a
lad, I will e'en do thy will and thine errand to Jack of the
Tofts. Maybe he is not so black as he is painted, and not
all tales told of him are true. But some of them I will
tell thee as we ride along."

"And some thereof I know already, O woodland knight," said
Simon, as they rode down the bent, and Christopher led on
toward the green causeway betwixt the waters. "Tell me,"
quoth he, when they had ridden awhile, "is this one of thy
tales, how Jack of the Tofts went to the Yule feast of a
great baron in the guise of a minstrel, and, even as they
bore in the boar's head, smote the said baron on the neck,
so that his head lay by the head of the swine on the
Christmas board?"

"Yea," said Christopher, "and how Jack cried out: 'Two
heads of swine, one good to eat, one good to burn.' But, my
master, thou shalt know that this manslaying was not for
nought: whereas the Baron of Greenlake had erewhile slain
Jack's father in felon wise, where he could strike no stroke