heless strong and vigorous
in spirit, Sintram did according to the holy man's desire. The sun set
as the knight approached a long valley, strangely shut in by rocks,
through which lay the road to his father's castle.

CHAPTER 27

Before entering the rocky pass, the knight, with a prayer and
thanksgiving, looked back once more at the castle of Drontheim. There
it was, so vast and quiet and peaceful; the bright windows of the
chaplain's high chamber yet lighted up by the last gleam of the sun,
which had already disappeared. In front of Sintram was the gloomy
valley, as if his grave. Then there came towards him some one riding on
a small horse; and Skovmark, who had gone up to the stranger as if to
find out who he was, now ran back with his tail between his legs and
his ears put back, howling and whining, and crept, terrified, under his
master's war-horse. But even the noble steed appeared to have forgotten
his once so fearless and warlike ardour. He trembled violently, and when
the knight would have turned him towards the stranger, he reared and
snorted and plunged, and began to throw himself backwards. It was only
with difficulty that Sintram's strength and horsemanship got the better
of him; and he was all white with foam when Sintram came up to the
unknown traveller.

"You have cowardly beasts with you," said the latter, in a low,
smothered voice.

Sintram was unable, in the ever-increasing darkness, rightly to
distinguish what kind of being he saw before him; only a very pallid
face, which at first he had thought was covered with freshly fallen
snow, met his eyes from amidst the long hanging garments. It seemed that
the stranger carried a small box wrapped up; his little horse, as if
wearied out, bent his head down towards the ground, whereby a bell,
which hung from the wretched torn bridle under his neck, was made to
give a strange sound. After a short silence, Sintram replied: "Noble
steeds avoid those of a worse race, because they are ashamed of them;
and the boldest dogs are attacked by a secret terror at sight of forms
to which they are not accustomed. I have no cowardly beasts with me."

"Good, sir knight; then ride with me through the valley."

"I am going through the valley, but I want no companions."

"But perhaps I want one. Do you not see that I am unarmed? And at this
season, at this hour, there are frightful, unearthly beasts about."

Just then, as though to confirm the awful words of t