Arnold, which had now become a necessary part of Goda's life, and it
made the frequent visits and meetings in the hawking season seem quite
natural to the unsuspecting Sir Raymond. In hunting with Sir Arnold, he
had more than one narrow escape. Once, when almost at close quarters
with an old boar, he was stooping down to meet the tusker with a low
thrust. His wife and Sir Arnold were some twenty paces behind him, and
all three had become separated from the huntsmen. Seeing the position
and the solitude, the Lady Goda turned her meaning eyes to her
companion. An instant later Sir Arnold's boar-spear flew like a cloth-
yard arrow, straight at Sir Raymond's back. But in that very instant,
too, as the boar rushed upon him, Warde sprang to one side, and, almost
dropping to his knee, ran the wild beast through with his hunting
sword. The spear flew harmless over his head, unseen and unheard, and
lost itself in the dead leaves twenty yards beyond him. On another day,
Raymond, riding along, hawk on wrist, ten lengths before the others, as
was his wont, did not notice that they gradually fell behind, until he
halted in a narrow path of the forest, looked round, and found himself
alone. He turned his horse's head and rode back a few yards, when
suddenly three masked men, whom he took for robbers, sprang up in his
path and fell upon him with long knives. But they had misreckoned their
distance by a single yard, and their time by one second, and when they
were near enough to strike, his sword was already in his hand. The
first man fell dead; the second turned and fled, with a deep flesh
wound in his shoulder; the third followed without striking a blow; and
Sir Raymond rode on unhurt, meditating upon the uncertainty of the
times. When he rejoined his wife and friend, he found them dismounted
and sitting side by side on a fallen tree, talking low and earnestly,
while the footmen and falconers were gathered together in a little knot
at some distance. As they heard his voice, Goda started with a little
cry, and Arnold's dark face turned white; but by the time he was beside