'Hallo, Master Duellist, are you trying to escape me?'

'I gave my word,' replied Roland, 'touching that matter. But I am
not experienced in such travel as this.'

'No,' sneered the robber, 'you great heroes of the city and level
field are mighty as travellers only upon the open road.'

'Your opinion as to that gives me no concern,' our hero replied.
'But I have eaten nothing since yesterday save some beech-nuts and a
few rowan-berries. Besides I have lost much blood.'

'Are you wounded?'

'Yes.'

'Where?' Roland informed him.

'Is it bleeding still?' He likewise informed him upon that point.

'I see you are not such a calf after all;' and then Roland heard him
mutter something about 'an acquisition to the band.' The words made
the matter clear enough now to our hero. This ruffian had not saved
him because he had shot Ham, but because he wanted an addition to his
force. Knowing that there was a price upon Roland's head, he believed
that he would find little difficulty in bending him to his infamous
ends.

'Here; let us take your hand. We shall never reach home at this