ght. Therefore am I glad that the good fate
hath led thee here. Now go thee and hide, until Sir Dewin and his two
evil sons come. And when they would make a fire whereon to burn me, do
thou cut them down and burn them, for so shall all their evil power be
stayed.'

Much as Sir Owen wished to ask how his countess had fared through the
time of his absence, he stole away, after he had stamped out his fire.

Towards midnight there came a great roaring wind, and a shower of
hailstones, and thunder and lightning, and he saw three great black
shapes descend from the sky. And he knew that these were the evil
wizard knights, Sir Dewin and his two sons. They alighted upon the hill
near the Tower of Stone, and took the shapes of men.

Instantly they began to gather wood and to make a huge heap. And Sir
Dewin made witchfire, and began to light the pile.

Then Sir Owen crept up in the dark, and the bear went with him. And as
the wizard bent to light the fire, Sir Owen raised his sword and
chopped off the wizard's head, so that it hopped into the fire.

The bear had gone behind the two sons and now clawed them together, and
though they struggled fiercely to get loose, the bear hugged them so
tightly that they could not move. And Sir Owen slew them both with his
sword.

Then together they heaped the three evil warlocks on the fire and saw
them burn. And when the last of them was consumed in the fierce heat of
the fire, Sir Owen felt a hand seize his, and, turning, he marvelled to
see Decet the Moundman smiling into his face.

'Good luck hath been thy guide, sir knight,' said the troll, 'and thou
hath released me from the evil dumb shape into which this wizard did
change me. But all the happiness that hath been thine and shall be
thine again, thou owest to thy constancy and thy devotion to the lady
thou lovest best.'

'Glad am I, good troll, to see thee again,' said Sir Owen, 'and glad
shall I be to see my dear lady again. Now let us release her faithful
handmaiden, thy sister.'

With the master words which move the living rock, the troll caused the
stone to open, and Elined stepped forth, exceeding glad to see Sir Owen
and her brother again, and to feel the free air upon her cheeks.

When it was morning they went on their way with great gladness. And
when they reached the City of the Fountain, the countess could not
speak for joy, and all her sadness fled, and in an hour her happiness
was greater than her misery had been f