There was a shout, and some one gripped my arm and swung me aside
with force enough to fling me to the ground. As I fell, the broad,
flashing blade of a spear passed me, and then in a medley, as it
were, I saw the boar charge over the hound and across my legs, and
I heard a wild stamping and the scream of a wounded horse.

I leaped to my feet, dumb with anger, and saw the end of that.
Gymbert's steed was rearing, and one of the foresters was trying to
catch his bridle, while the boar was away down the glade with the
unwounded hounds after him, and a broken spear in his flank. And
then my three comrades broke into loud blame of Gymbert, in nowise
seeking to use soft words to him.

Then I saw that the flank of the horse was gashed as with a sword
cut, and that the face of the rider was more white and terrified
than should have been by reason of such a mishap. The horse dragged
its bridle from the hand of the forester, and reared again, and
then fell heavily backward, almost crushing Gymbert. However, he
had foreseen it, and was off and rolling away from it as it reached
the ground. I heard the saddletree snap as it did so.

"Hold your peace, master," said Erling to me, before I could speak;
"leave this to us."

I looked at the Dane in wonder, and saw his face white with wrath,
while Sighard was plainly in a towering rage. The Mercian thane was
looking puzzled, but well-nigh as angry, and the foresters were
silently helping up their leader, or seeing to the horse, which did
not rise.

"A foul stroke, Master Gymbert," said Sighard, going up to the
marshal; "a foul spear as ever was! Had it not been for his man
yonder, you had fairly spitted my friend the paladin. Ken you
that?"

"How was I to know that he was going to run in?" said Gymbert,
trying to bluster. "He crossed my horse, and it is his own fault if
he was in the way of the spear."

"One would think that you had no knowledge of woodcraft," said
Sighard, with high disdain. "Heard one ever of a mounted man coming
in on a boar while a spear on foot was before him? Man, one needs
eyes in the back of one's head if you are about."

Then he turned to the Mercian thane.

"Is this the way of Gymbert as a rule? or has he only been suffered
to come out today?"

"A man gets careless at these times," answered the thane. "Anyway
he is like to lose a good horse, and I will not say that it does
not serve him right.

"It was a near thing for the Frank, Gymbert, let