aken in a trap,
and began to stir with great confusion; so lest they should get quite
waked and armed, I left Hugh at the gates with ten men, and myself led
the rest into that house. There while we slew all those that yielded
not, came Arnald with the others, bringing our horses with them; then
all the enemy threw their arms down. And we counted our prisoners and
found them over fourscore; therefore, not knowing what to do with them
(for they were too many to guard, and it seemed unknightly to slay
them all), we sent up some bowmen to the walls, and turning our
prisoners out of gates, bid them run for their lives, which they did
fast enough, not knowing our numbers, and our men sent a few flights
of arrows among them that they might not be undeceived.

Then the one or two prisoners that we had left, told us, when we had
crossed our axes over their heads, that the people of the good town
would not willingly fight us, in that they hated the queen; that she
was guarded at the palace by some fifty knights, and that beside,
there were no others to oppose us in the town; so we set out for the
palace, spear in hand.

We had not gone far, before we heard some knights coming, and soon, in
a turn of the long street, we saw them riding towards us; when they
caught sight of us they seemed astonished, drew rein, and stood in
some confusion.

We did not slacken our pace for an instant, but rode right at them
with a yell, to which I lent myself with all my heart.

After all they did not run away, but waited for us with their spears
held out; I missed the man I had marked, or hit him rather just on the
top of the helm; he bent back, and the spear slipped over his head,
but my horse still kept on, and I felt presently such a crash that I
reeled in my saddle, and felt mad. He had lashed out at me with his
sword as I came on, hitting me in the ribs (for my arm was raised),
but only flatlings.

I was quite wild with rage, I turned, almost fell upon him, caught him
by the neck with both hands, and threw him under the horse-hoofs,
sighing with fury: I heard Arnald's voice close to me, "Well fought,
Florian": and I saw his great stern face bare among the iron, for he
had made a vow in remembrance of that blow always to fight unhelmed; I
saw his great sword swinging, in wide gyres, and hissing as it started
up, just as if it were alive and liked it.

So joy filled all my soul, and I fought with my heart, till the big
axe I swung felt l