n her presence.

The next adventure that befell Sir Bevis was a battle with a giant
thirty feet high, who had been sent by the steward to catch the two
runaways. During the fight he was sore wounded, and in the end owned
Bevis to be his master, and begged to be allowed to take service with
him. Sir Bevis agreed, though somewhat doubtfully, but soon found reason
to rejoice in his new page, for by his help he was able to turn some
Saracens out of a ship which bore them all with a fair wind to the city
of Cologne.

Here he found his uncle, the bishop; who was brother to his father and
to Sir Saber, and, leaving Josyan in safety under his care, he set sail
with a hundred knights for Southampton. Before landing he sent one of
his most trusty squires for tidings as to how fared Sir Murdour, and
received for answer that the quarrel still raged betwixt him and Sir
Saber. Then Bevis went on shore with all his knights, and bade one of
them tell Sir Murdour that they had sailed from France in quest of
service, and that if he so willed they would fight under his banner,
but, if not, they would offer themselves to his foe.

Sir Murdour was overjoyed at the sight of the strangers, and asked the
name of their leader.

'Sir Jarrard,' said Bevis, who did not wish to make himself known, and
inquired further what were the causes of the war with Sir Saber, and how
long it had lasted. To this Sir Murdour made reply that Sir Saber had
been seeking for many years past to wrest from him the heritage which
was his by purchase from the spendthrift heir Bevis, who had afterwards
quitted the country, but that with the help of the strangers an end
would speedily be put to the quarrel.

While Bevis stood listening to Sir Murdour, his fingers unconsciously
crept to the handle of his sword, but he forced back his wrath and
answered that, had they brought their horses with them, the dispute
might have been settled that very night. Still, much might be done if
Sir Murdour would give them a ship in which to sail to the Isle of
Wight, and would provide them with horses.

Sir Murdour did not need to be asked twice; he gave to Sir Bevis his
finest horses and his best armour, and before many hours Bevis was
standing on the Isle of Wight by the side of his uncle Saber.

'Take yonder fishing-boat,' said he to one of his knights, 'and return
to Southampton and enter the castle. Then tell Sir Murdour that the man
to whom he has given his arms and his hor