s handsomer than ever he was.

At noon one day Owen heard a sound of arms outside the castle, and he
asked of the maiden what it was.

'It is the earl of whom I spoke to thee,' she answered, 'who has come
with a great host to carry off my mistress.'

'Beg of her to lend me a horse and armour,' said Owen, and the maiden
did so, but the countess laughed somewhat bitterly as she answered:

'Nay, but I will give them to him, and such a horse and armour and
weapons as he has never had yet, though I know not what use they will be
to him. Yet mayhap it will save them from falling into the hands of my
enemies.'

The horse was brought out and Owen rode forth with two pages behind him,
and they saw the great host encamped before them.

'Where is the earl?' said he, and the pages answered:

'In yonder troop where are four yellow standards.'

'Await me,' said Owen, 'at the gate of the castle, and he cried a
challenge to the earl, who came to meet him. Hard did they fight, but
Owen overthrew his enemy and drove him in front to the castle gate and
into the hall.

'Behold the reward of thy blessed balsam,' said he, as he bade the earl
kneel down before her, and made him swear that he would restore all that
he had taken from her.

After that he departed, and went into the deserts, and as he was passing
through a wood he heard a loud yelling. Pushing aside the bushes he
beheld a lion standing on a great mound, and by it a rock. Near the rock
was a lion seeking to reach the mound, and each time he moved out darted
a serpent from the rock to prevent him. Then Owen unsheathed his
sword, and cut off the serpent's head and went on his way, and the lion
followed and played about him, as if he had been a greyhound. And much
more useful was he than a greyhound, for in the evening he brought large
logs in his mouth to kindle a fire, and killed a fat buck for dinner.

Owen made his fire and skinned the buck, and put some of it to roast,
and gave the rest to the lion for supper. While he was waiting for the
meat to cook he heard a sound of deep sighing close to him, and he said:

'Who are thou?'

'I am Luned,' replied a voice from a cave so hidden by bushes and green
hanging plants that Owen had not seen it.

'And what dost thou here?' cried he.

'I am held captive in this cave on account of the knight who married
the countess and left her, for the pages spoke ill of him, and because I
told them that no man living was his equal t