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!
Lo you again!"
For the second shaft flew from the Turkish bow, and the noise of
the chase was loud behind them. Once again twanged the bow-string,
but this time the arrow fell short, and the woodland man,
turning himself about as well as he might, shook his clenched
fist at the chase, crying out in a voice broken by the gallop:
"Ha, thieves! I am Roger of the Rope-walk, I go to twist a rope
for the necks of you!"
Then he spake to Ralph: "They are turning back: they are beaten,
and withal they love not the open road: yet slacken not yet,
young knight, unless thou lovest thine horse more than thy life;
for they will follow on through the thicket on the way-side to see
whether thou wert born a fool and hast learned nothing later.
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