a shaft out of thee."

Said Ralph: "I did but jest; I deem myself not so near my death to-day
as I have been twice this summer or oftener." Said the sergeant, "It is
ill jesting in matters wherein my Lord hath to do. Now thou hast heard
my word: do after it."

Therewith he departed, and Ralph laughed and shook the spear aloft, and
deemed it not over strong; but he said to himself that the spears of
the others would be much the same.

Now the horn blew up thrice, and at the latest blast Ralph pricked
forth, as one well used to the tilt, but held his horse well in hand;
and he saw a man come driving against him with his spear in the rest,
and deemed him right big; but this withal he saw, that the man was ill
arrayed, and was pulling on his horse as one not willing to trust him
to the rush; and indeed he came on so ill that it was clear that he
would never strike Ralph's shield fairly. So he swerved as they met,
so that his spear-point was never near to Ralph, who turned his horse
toward him a little, and caught his foeman by the gear about his neck,
and spurred on, so that he dragged him clean out of his saddle, and let
him drop, and rode back quietly to his place, and got off his horse to
see to his girths; and he heard great laughter rising up from the ring
of men, and from the women also. But the Lord of Utterbol cried out:
"Bring forth some one who doth not eat my meat for nothing: and set
that wretch and dastard aside till the tilting be over, and then he
shall pay a little for his wasted meat and drink."

Ralph got into his saddle again, and saw a very big man come forth at
the other end of the lists, and wondered if he should be overthrown of
him; but noted that his horse seemed not over good. Then the horn blew
up and he spurred on, and his foeman met him fairly in the midmost of
the lists: yet he laid his spear but ill, and as one who would thrust
and foin with it rather than letting it drive all it might, so that
Ralph turned the point with his shield that it glanced off, but he
himself smote the other full on the shoulder, and the shaft brake, but
the point had pierced the man's armour, and the truncheon stuck in the
wound: yet since the spear was broken he kept his saddle. The Lord
cried out, "Well, Black Anselm, this is better done; yet art thou a big
man and a well-skilled to be beaten by a stripling."

So the man was helped away and Ralph went back to his place again.

Then another man was gotte