, however,
were too nimble for him, and again secured both the bag and the trusty
Gurth.

"Knave!" said the Captain, getting up, "thou hast broken my head;
and with other men of our sort thou wouldst fare the worse for thy
insolence. But thou shalt know thy fate instantly. First let us speak of
thy master; the knight's matters must go before the squire's, according
to the due order of chivalry. Stand thou fast in the meantime--if
thou stir again, thou shalt have that will make thee quiet for thy
life--Comrades!" he then said, addressing his gang, "this purse is
embroidered with Hebrew characters, and I well believe the yeoman's tale
is true. The errant knight, his master, must needs pass us toll-free. He
is too like ourselves for us to make booty of him, since dogs should not
worry dogs where wolves and foxes are to be found in abundance."

"Like us?" answered one of the gang; "I should like to hear how that is
made good."

"Why, thou fool," answered the Captain, "is he not poor and disinherited
as we are?--Doth he not win his substance at the sword's point as we
do?--Hath he not beaten Front-de-Boeuf and Malvoisin, even as we would
beat them if we could? Is he not the enemy to life and death of Brian
de Bois-Guilbert, whom we have so much reason to fear? And were all
this otherwise, wouldst thou have us show a worse conscience than an
unbeliever, a Hebrew Jew?"

"Nay, that were a shame," muttered the other fellow; "and yet, when I
served in the band of stout old Gandelyn, we had no such scruples of
conscience. And this insolent peasant,--he too, I warrant me, is to be
dismissed scatheless?"

"Not if THOU canst scathe him," replied the Captain.--"Here, fellow,"
continued he, addressing Gurth, "canst thou use the staff, that thou
starts to it so readily?"

"I think," said Gurth, "thou shouldst be best able to reply to that
question."

"Nay, by my troth, thou gavest me a round knock," replied the Captain;
"do as much for this fellow, and thou shalt pass scot-free; and if thou
dost not--why, by my faith, as thou art such a sturdy knave, I think
I must pay thy ransom myself.--Take thy staff, Miller," he added, "and
keep thy head; and do you others let the fellow go, and give him a
staff--there is light enough to lay on load by."

The two champions being alike armed with quarter-staves, stepped forward
into the centre of the open space, in order to have the full benefit of
the moonlight; the thieves in the meantim