e. Before the sun goes down I shall have gained the victory
and returned to you." So saying, he rode forth against the enemy, and
defeated them, so that only three men were left alive. And when he
heard that the army was sent by Marcobrun in pursuit of him, he said
to these three knights: "Tell King Marcobrun to beware of pursuing me
lest he lose his whole army, for he knows well who I am." Thereupon
these three rode back to their King, and told him that Bova had slain
the army of three hundred thousand men, and that they three alone
survived. Then Marcobrun ordered the trumpets to sound, and assembled
an army of four million men, and said to his boyars: "My faithful
servants, pursue Bova, and bring him and Drushnevna alive to me." And
all the kingdom answered with one voice: "Our Lord and King, you have
a knight Polkan who has been confined in prison for many years;
perhaps he can overtake Bova, for he clears seven versts at a single
leap. From his head to his waist he is a man--the rest of his body is
in the form of a horse."

On hearing this from the knights, Marcobrun sent immediately for
Polkan, and said to him: "Sir Polkan, pursue Bova Korolevich and bring
him and Drushnevna to me; I will reward you richly." So Polkan
promised to fulfil his command, and hastened after Bova and the
Princess.

One day Bova was walking in the fields near his tent when on a sudden
he heard Polkan come running; he stepped into the tent and said to
Drushnevna: "My dear Princess I can hear a powerful knight come riding
this way in the direction from Marcobrun's kingdom; but I do not know
whether he will prove a friend or foe." Then Drushnevna answered: "No
doubt it is some one whom Marcobrun has sent in pursuit of us, and he
must be the stout knight Polkan, who can leave behind him seven versts
at a bound: he will soon overtake us."

Bova took his battle sword, mounted his steed, and rode forth. Polkan
met him, and cried aloud with a terrible voice: "Ha, rascal! you shall
not escape out of my hands!" And so saying, he tore up by the roots an
oak of a hundred years' growth and struck Bova with it on the head;
but Bova staggered not under the blow; with both hands he seized his
battle sword, and aimed at Polkan to slay him; but he missed his blow,
and the sword was struck half-way up to the hilt in the earth, and
Bova fell from his saddle. Then Polkan caught his horse; but the horse
began to fight with his feet, and bite with his teeth,