nigh, and saw a man lying on his back, and they
deemed he was dead. So Bull went up to him, and leapt off his horse
close by him and bent over him, but straightway cast up his arms and
set up a long wailing whoop, and then another and another, so that they
that were behind heard it and came up upon the spur. But Ralph leapt
from his horse, and ran up to Bull and said: "What aileth thee to whoop
and wail? Who is it?" But Bull turned about and shook his head at
him, and said: "It is a man of my kindred, even he that was leading
away thy she-friend; and belike she it was that slew him, or why is she
not here: Ochone! ahoo! ahoo!" Therewith fire ran through Ralph's
heart, and he bethought him of that other murder in the wilderness, and
he fell to wringing his hands, and cried out: "Ah, and where is she,
where is she? Is she also taken away from me for ever? O me unhappy!"

And he drew his sword therewith, and ran about amongst the rocks and
the bushes seeking her body.

And therewith came up Clement, and others of the company, and wondered
to see Bull kneeling down by the corpse, and to hear him crying out and
wailing, and Ralph running about like one mad, and crying out now: "Oh!
that I might find her! Mayhappen she is alive yet, and anigh here in
some cleft of the rocks in this miserable wilderness. O my love that
hast lain in mine arms, wouldst thou not have me find her alive? But
if she be dead, then will I slay myself, for as young as I am, that I
may find thee and her out of the world, since from the world both ye
are gone."

Then Clement went up to Ralph, and would have a true tale out of him,
and asked him what was amiss; but Ralph stared wild at him and answered
not. But Bull cried out from where he knelt: "He is seeking the
woman, and I would that he could find her; for then would I slay her on
the howe of my kinsman: for she hath slain him; she hath slain him."

That word heard Ralph, and he ran at Bull with uplifted sword to slay
him; but Clement tripped him and he fell, and his sword flew out of his
hand. Then Clement and two of the others bound his hands with their
girdles, till they might know what had befallen; for they deemed that a
devil had entered into him, and feared that he would do a mischief to
himself or some other.

And now was the whole Fellowship assembled, and stood in a ring round
about Ralph and Bull, and the dead man; as for him, he had been dead
some time, many days belik