beldame said, "My husband and my sons dwell here with me." Sir Ewaine
said, "Certes, thou hast a great family." And at that the beldame
laughed very violently and said, "Yea, that is true."

After that the hag ladled forth a mess of the stew into a wooden bowl,
and she poured forth a great flagon of strong ale and she set these
things upon the board with a hunch of black bread, and Sir Ewaine sat
him down and ate and drank with great appetite. Then, after he had thus
satisfied his hunger and his thirst he was very drowsy, wherefore he
laid aside his armor and stretched himself upon a wooden bench that
stood to one side and placed his helmet beneath his head and presently
was enwrapped in a sound sleep.

[Sidenote: _The thieves return to the hut._]

Now that hut was a den of thieves and that old hag was their housekeeper
and there were twenty and seven in all of those thieves. So about the
middle watch of the night that band of robbers returned with a
considerable booty which they had seized from a party of townsfolk who
were traversing a part of the forest that was not very far distant from
that place. These beholding Sir Ewaine where he was sleeping, withdrew a
little to one side and whispered together. And they whispered to the old
beldame, saying, "Who is yonder man, and what doth he here?" She said:
"He is an errant knight, who demanded housing awhile since. So here he
lieth now asleep and at your mercy to dispose of as you see fit."

Then the captain of the thieves came softly to where Sir Ewaine lay, and
he looked closely at him and he beheld the rich chain of gold about his
neck and he beheld the ring upon his finger that the Lady Vivien had
given him. After that he withdrew a little and whispered to his fellow:
"Here is a rich booty upon this sleeping knight. Now fetch hither cords
and let us bind him. After that we may rob him at our ease, and after
that again we may either slay him or else keep him here for a great
ransom."

[Sidenote: _The thieves bind Sir Ewaine._]

So some of the thieves brought a strong cord and they made a noose
thereof, and first they privily took away all Sir Ewaine's weapons from
him, and then they slipped the noose over his arms and in a trice and
ere he was fully awake they had bound him several times about the body
so that as to his hands and arms he was altogether helpless.

Thus Sir Ewaine was rudely awakened to find himself a captive in that
place.

But when he saw who