So Horn went and told all to Athelbrus, who sought the King forthwith,
and said, "To-morrow is a festival; I counsel thee to admit Horn to
knighthood." And the King was pleased, and said, "Good! Horn is well
worthy of it. I will create him a knight to-morrow, and he himself shall
confer it on his twelve companions."

The next day the newly knighted one went to Riminild's bower, and told
her that now he was her own true knight, and must go forth to do brave
deeds in her name, and she said she would trust him evermore, and she
gave him a gold ring with her name graven on it, which would preserve
him from all evil. "Let this remind thee of me early and late," she
said, "and thou canst never fall by treachery." And then they kissed
each other, and she closed the door behind him, with tears.

The other knights were feasting and shouting in the King's hall, but
Horn went to the stable, armed from head to foot. He stroked his
coal-black steed, then sprang upon his back and rode off, his armour
ringing as he went. Down to the seashore he galloped, singing joyously
and praying God soon to send him the chance to do some deed of knightly
daring, and there he met a band of pagen marauders, who had just landed
from their pirate-ship. Horn asked them civilly what they wanted there,
and one of the pagans answered insolently, "To conquer the land and slay
all that dwell in it, as we did to King Altof, whose son now serves a
foreign lord."

Horn, on hearing this, drew his sword and struck off the fellow's head;
then he thought of his dead father and of his mother in her lonely cave;
he looked on his ring and thought of Riminild, and dashed among the
pirates, laying about him right and left, till, I warrant you, there
were few of them left to tell the tale. "This," he cried, "is but the