nt away victorious, leaving the devil writhing on the ground,
and went back to his servants, who were still enjoying themselves, as
they had been doing when he left. They were much frightened to see their
master sweating and out of breath, and with his face all scratched, and
his doublet, shirt, and hose disarranged and torn.

"Ah, sir," they cried; "whence come you, and who has thus mauled you?"

"Who?" he replied. "Why it was the devil, with whom I have fought so
long that I am out of breath, and in the condition in which you see
me; and I swear to you that I truly believe he would have strangled and
devoured me, if I had not at that moment remembered my baptism, and the
great mystery of that holy sacrament, and the vow that I made I know not
how many years ago. And, believe me, I have kept that vow, and though I
was in danger, I never made the sign of the Cross, but remembering the
aforesaid holy sacrament, boldly defended myself, and have escaped scot
free; for which I praise and thank our Lord who with the shield of faith
hath preserved me safely. Let all the other devils in hell come; as long
as this protection endures, I fear them not. Praise be to our blessed
God who is able to endue his knights with such weapons."

The servants of the good knight, when they heard their master relate
this story, were very glad to find he had escaped so well, and much
astonished at the horn he showed them, and which he had torn out of the
devil's head. And they could not discover, neither could any person who
afterwards saw it, of what it was formed; if it were bone or horn, as
other horns are, or, what it was.

Then one of the knight's servants said that he would go and see if this
devil were still where his master had left it, and if he found it he
would fight it, and tear out its other horn. His master told him not to
go, but he said he would.

"Do not do it," said his master; "the danger is too great."

"I care not," replied the other; "I will go."

"If you take my advice," said his master, "you will not go."

But he would disobey his master and go. He took in one hand a torch, and
in the other a great axe, and went to the place where his master had met
and fought the devil. What happened no one knows, but his master, who,
fearing for his servant, followed him as quickly as he could, found
neither man nor devil, nor ever heard what became of the man.

Thus, in the manner that you have heard, did this good knight fight