of his hounds
giving tongue, and the woodways were packed with his knights in armour
riding down into the water-mists--all his own Magic, of course. Behind
them you could see great castles lifting slow and splendid on arches
of moonshine, with maidens waving their hands at the windows, which all
turned into roaring rivers; and then would come the darkness of his
own young heart wiping out the whole slateful. But boy's Magic doesn't
trouble me--or Merlin's either for that matter. I followed the Boy by
the flashes and the whirling wildfire of his discontent, and oh, but I
grieved for him! Oh, but I grieved for him! He pounded back and
forth like a bullock in a strange pasture--sometimes alone--sometimes
waist-deep among his shadow-hounds--sometimes leading his shadow-knights
on a hawk-winged horse to rescue his shadow-girls. I never guessed he
had such Magic at his command; but it's often that way with boys.

'Just when the owl comes home for the second time, I saw Sir Huon and
the Lady ride down my Hill, where there's not much Magic allowed except
mine. They were very pleased at the Boy's Magic--the valley flared with
it--and I heard them settling his splendid fortune when they should
find it in their hearts to let him go to act and influence among folk in
housen. Sir Huon was for making him a great King somewhere or other, and
the Lady was for making him a marvellous wise man whom all should praise
for his skill and kindness. She was very kind-hearted.

'Of a sudden we saw the flashes of his discontents turned back on the
clouds, and his shadow-hounds stopped baying.

'"There's Magic fighting Magic over yonder," the Lady Esclairmonde
cried, reigning up. "Who is against him?"

'I could have told her, but I did not count it any of my business to
speak of Asa Thor's comings and goings.

'How did you know?'said Una.

'A slow North-East wind blew up, sawing and fretting through the oaks in
a way I remembered. The wildfire roared up, one last time in one sheet,
and snuffed out like a rushlight, and a bucketful of stinging hail fell.
We heard the Boy walking in the Long Slip--where I first met you.

'"Here, oh, come here!" said the Lady Esclairmonde, and stretched out
her arms in the dark.

'He was coming slowly, but he stumbled in the footpath, being, of
course, mortal man.

'"Why, what's this?" he said to himself. We three heard him.

'"Hold, lad, hold! 'Ware Cold Iron!" said Sir Huon, and they two swept
down li