make against sleepiness, and presently his hands relaxed, his head fell
aside, and he slept quietly. When he woke up in a little space of
time, he knew at once that something had awaked him and that he had not
had his sleep out; for in his ears was the trampling of horse-hoofs and
the clashing of weapons and loud speech of men. So he leapt up
hastily, and while he was yet scarce awake, took to whistling on his
horse; but even therewith those men were upon him, and two came up to
him and laid hold of him; and when he asked them what they would, they
bade him hold his peace.

Now his eyes cleared, and he saw that those men were in goodly
war-gear, and bore coats of plate, and cuir-bouilly, or of bright
steel; they held long spears and were girt with good swords; there was
a pennon with them, green, whereon was done a golden tower, embattled,
amidst of four white ways; and the same token bore many of the men on
their coats and sleeves. Unto this same pennon he was brought by the
two men who had taken him, and under it, on a white horse, sat a Knight
bravely armed at all points with the Tower and Four Ways on his green
surcoat; and beside him was an ancient man-at-arms, with nought but an
oak wreath on his bare head, and his white beard falling low over his
coat: but behind these twain a tall young man, also on a white horse
and very gaily clad, upheld the pennon. On one side of these three
were five men, unarmed, clad in green coats, with a leafless tree done
on them in gold: they were stout carles, bearded and fierce-faced:
their hands were bound behind their backs and their feet tied together
under their horses' bellies. The company of those about the Knight,
Ralph deemed, would number ten score men.

So when those twain stayed Ralph before the Knight, he turned to the
old man and said:

"It is of no avail asking this lither lad if he be of them or no: for
no will be his answer. But what sayest thou, Oliver?"

The ancient man drew closer to Ralph and looked at him up and down and
all about; for those two turned him about as if he had been a joint of
flesh on the roasting-jack; and at last he said:

"His beard is sprouting, else might ye have taken him for a maid of
theirs, one of those of whom we wot. But to say sooth I seem to know
the fashion of his gear, even as Duke Jacob knew Joseph's tabard. So
ask him whence he is, lord, and if he lie, then I bid bind him and lead
him away, that we may have a true