Fear came into his heart therewith, so he arose and strode down over
the meadow hastily bearing his new spear, and girt with his sword.
Now there was a grove of chestnuts betwixt him and the river,
but on the other side of them naught but the green grass down to
the water's edge.
Sure enough as he came under the trees he heard a shrill cry, and knew
that it could be naught save Ursula; so he ran thitherward whence came
the cry, shouting as he ran, and was scarce come out of the trees ere
he saw Ursula indeed, mother-naked, held in chase by a huge bear as big
as a bullock: he shouted again and ran the faster; but even therewith,
whether she heard and saw him, and hoped for timely help, or whether she
felt her legs failing her, she turned on the bear, and Ralph saw that she
had a little axe in her hand wherewith she smote hardily at the beast;
but he, after the fashion of his kind, having risen to his hind legs,
fenced with his great paws like a boxer, and smote the axe out of her hand,
and she cried out bitterly and swerved from him and fell a running again;
but the bear tarried not, and would have caught her in a few turns;
but even therewith was Ralph come up, who thrust the beast into the side
with his long-headed spear, and not waiting to pull it out again,
drew sword in a twinkling, and smote a fore-paw off him and then drave
the sword in over the shoulder so happily that it reached his heart,
and he fell over dead with a mighty thump.
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