hat moment Sir
Fidelis cried aloud:

"My lord, my lord! alas, my poor horse is death-smitten!" Glancing
round. Beltane beheld Sir Fidelis slip to earth as his charger, rearing
high, crashed over, his throat transfixed by a cloth-yard shaft. Now
did their many pursuers shout amain, fierce and joyful, goading their
horses to swifter pace what time Beltane frowned from them to Sir
Fidelis, who stood, mailed hands tight-clasped, watching Beltane eager
and great-eyed.

"Ah!" cried Beltane, smiting hand to thigh in bitter anger, "now is my
hope of ambush and surprise like to be marred by reason of thee, sir
knight, for one horse may never carry us twain!"

"Why then, I can die here, my lord, an it be so thy will!" spake Sir
Fidelis, his pale lips a tremble, "yet is thy horse strong and--O in
sooth I did yearn--for life. But, an thou wilt give me death--"

"Come!" cried Beltane hoarsely. "Come, wherefore tarry ye?"

Now leapt Sir Fidelis to the saddle of his fallen steed and snatched
thence a wallet, whereat Beltane fell a-fuming, for bolts and arrows
began to whirr and hum thick and fast. "Come--mount, sir knight--mount
ye up behind me. Thy hand--quick! thy foot on my foot--so! Now set thy
two arms fast about me and see thou loose me not, for now must we ride
for the wild--brush and thicket, stock and stone, nought must let or
stay us--so loose me not, sir knight!"

"Ah--not while life remain, messire Beltane!" said the young knight
quick-breathing, and speaking, took Beltane within two mailed arms that
clasped and clung full close. Then, wheeling sharp about, Beltane
stooping low, struck sudden spurs and they plunged, crashing, into the
denser green.

CHAPTER XLI

HOW THEY RODE INTO THE WILDERNESS

Fast galloped the good horse, bursting through underbrush and thicket
with the roar of the pursuit following ever distant and more distant;
and ever Beltane spurred deeper into those trackless wilds where few
dare adventure them by reason of evil spirits that do haunt these
solitudes (as they do say) and, moreover, of ravening beasts.

Strongly and well the good horse bore them, what time the sun waxed
fierce and hot, filling the woods with a stifling heat, a close,
windless air dank and heavy with the scent of leaves and bracken. The
hue and cry had sunk long since, lost in distance, and nought broke the
brooding silence but the stir of their going, as, checking their
headlong pace, Beltane brought the powerful