between two strong horses; to him he gave the sele of the day, and the
squire greeted him, but in somewhat surly wise. Then he said to him:
"Well, King Christopher, art thou ready for the road?"

"Yea, as thou seest," said the youngling smiling. For, indeed, he had
breeches now beneath his shirt, and a surcoat of green woollen over it;
boots of deerskin had he withal, and spurs thereon: he was girt with a
short sword, and had a quiver of arrows at his back, and bare a great
bow in his hand.

"Yea," quoth Simon, "thou deemest thee a gay swain belike; but thou
lookest likelier for a deerstealer than a rider, thou, hung up to thy
shooting-gear. Deemest thou we go a-hunting of the hind?"

Quoth Christopher: "I wot not, squire; but the great lord who lieth
sleeping yonder, hath told me that thou shouldest give me his errand;
and of some hunting or feat of wood-craft he spake. Moreover, this
crooked stick can drive a shaft through matters harder than a hind's
side."

Simon looked confused, and he reddened and stammered somewhat as he
answered: "Ah, yea: so it was; I mind me; I will tell thee anon."

Said Christopher: "Withal, squire, if we are wending into the wood, as
needs we must, unless we ride round about this dale in a ring all day,
dost thou deem we shall go at a gallop many a mile? Nay, fair sir; the
horses shall wend a foot's pace oftenest, and we shall go a-foot not
unseldom through the thickets."

Now was Simon come to himself again, and that self was surly, so he
said: "Ay, ay, little King, thou deemest thee exceeding wise in these
woods, dost thou not? and forsooth, thou mayst be. Yet have I tidings
for thee."

"Yea, and what be they?" said Christopher.

Simon grinned: "Even these," said he, "that Dr. Knowall was no man's
cousin while he lived, and that he died last week."

Therewith he swung himself into his saddle, and Christopher laughed
merrily at his poor gibe and mounted in like wise.

Wherewithal they rode their ways through the thorpe, and at the southern
end thereof Simon drew rein, and looked on Christopher as if he would
ask him something, but asked not. Then said Christopher: "Whither go we
now?"

Said Simon: "It is partly for thee to say: hearken, I am bidden first to
ride the Redwater Wood with thee: knowest thou that?"

"Yea," said the lad, "full well: but which way shall we ride it? Wilt
thou come out of it at Redwater Head, or Herne Moss, or the Long Pools?"

Said Simon: "We shall