er wheeled his horse, and,
beckoning to them to follow, charged it at full gallop. After him
went the brethren--Godwin first, then Wulf. In the deep gateway
on the further side they reined up. The captain turned, and began
to gallop back faster than he had come--as fast, indeed, as his
good beast would travel.

"Pass him!" cried Godwin, and shaking the reins loose upon the
neck of Flame he called to it aloud.

Forward it sprang, with Smoke at its heels. Now they had
overtaken the captain, and now even on that narrow way they had
swept past him. Not an inch was there to spare between them and
the abyss, and the man, brave as he was, expecting to be thrust
to death, clung to his horse's mane with terror in his eyes. On
the city side the brethren pulled up laughing among the
astonished fedais who had waited for them there.

"By the Signet," cried the officer, thinking that the knights
could not understand, "these are not men; they are devils, and
their horses are goats of the mountains. I thought to frighten
them, but it is I who was frightened, for they swept past me like
eagles of the air."

"Gallant riders and swift, well-trained steeds," answered one of
the fedais, with admiration in his voice. "The fight at the full
moon will be worth our seeing."

Then once more they took the sand-strewn road and galloped on.
Thrice they passed round the city thus, the last time by
themselves, for the captain and the fedais were far outstripped.
Indeed it was not until they had unsaddled Flame and Smoke in
their stalls that these appeared, spurring their foaming horses.
Taking no heed of them, the brethren thrust aside the grooms,
dressed their steeds down, fed and watered them.

Then having seen them eat, there being no more to do, they walked
back to the guest-house, hoping to find Rosamund. But they found
no Rosamund, so sat down together and talked of the wonderful
things that had befallen them, and of what might befall them in
the future; of the mercy of Heaven also which had brought them
all three together safe and sound, although it was in this house
of hell. So the time passed on, till about the hour of sunset the
women servants came and led them to the bath, where the black
slaves washed and perfumed them, clothing them in fresh robes
above their armour.

When they came out the sun was down, and the women, bearing
torches in their hands, conducted them to a great and gorgeous
hall which they had not seen before,