And of all those knights that followed him, none ever saw or heard sign of
him save one; and his horse came to a standstill in "the aforesaid wood,"
which the chronicler says was Somersham; and he rolled off his horse, and
lay breathless under a tree, looking up at his horse's heaving flanks and
wagging tail, and wondering how he should get out of that place before the
English found him and made an end of him.
Then there came up to him a ragged churl, and asked him who he was, and
offered to help him.
"For the sake of God and courtesy," quoth he,--his Norman pride being
wellnigh beat out of him,--"if thou hast seen or heard anything of
Hereward, good fellow, tell me, and I will repay thee well."
"As thou hast asked me for the sake of God and of courtesy, Sir Knight, I
will tell thee. I am Hereward. And in token thereof, thou shalt give me up
thy lance and sword, and take instead this sword which I carried off from
the king's court; and promise me, on the faith of a knight, to bear it
back to King William; and tell him that Hereward and he have met at last,
and that he had best beware of the day when they shall meet again."
So that knight, not having recovered his wind, was fain to submit, and go
home a sadder and a wiser man. And King William laughed a royal laugh, and
commanded his knights that they should in no wise harm Hereward, but take
him alive, and bring him in, and they should have great rewards.
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