a bank of
earth, on which was a palisade. And there was a wailing and weeping
coming from between the little mud-cabins therein; and as they
approached they saw in the middle green four knights in armour and a
crowd of poor frightened folk about them.

As they passed the gate of the village a poor man ran from the group,
and threw himself before Sir Geraint.

'O sir knight,' he cried full piteously, 'if thou art a good knight and
a brave, do thou see justice done here. For these four lords would cut
my father's throat if he say not where his money is hid.'

'Are they his proper lords?' asked Geraint.

'Nay, sir knight,' said the man. 'Our land is Geraint's, and these
lords say that he sleeps all day, and so they will be our masters. And
they do ever oppress us with fine and tax and torture.'

Therewith Sir Geraint rode through the gate of the village and
approached the group. He saw where the four knights stood cruelly
torturing a poor old man whom they had tied to a post, and the sweat
stood upon the peasant's white face, and the fear of death was in his
eyes.

'Lords! lords,' he cried in a spent voice, 'I have no money, for you
did take all I had when you told us our lord Geraint was become a court
fool.'

'Thou miser!' jeered one of the knights, 'that was two months agone,
and thou hast something more by now. Will this loose thy secret,
carrion?'

At the cruel torture the man shrieked aloud, and by reason of the pain
his head sank and he slid down the post in a swoon. And a young woman
rushed forth, threw her arm about the hanging body, and with flashing
eyes turned and defied the knights.

Next moment it would have gone ill with her, but the voice of Sir
Geraint rang out.

'Ho, there, sir knights,' he cried, 'or sir wolves--I know not which ye
are--have ye naught to do but to squeeze poor peasants of mean
savings?'

The knights turned in rage, and laughed and sneered when they saw but
one solitary knight in old and rusty armour.

'Ah, sir scarecrow!' cried one, leaping on his horse, 'I will spit thee
for thy insolence.'

'Knock him down and truss him up with this starveling peasant,' cried
another.

All now had mounted, and the first prepared to run at Sir Geraint, who
backed his horse through the gateway into the open plain. Anon the
first knight came, hurling himself angrily upon him. But deftly Sir
Geraint struck the other's lance aside with his sword, and as the rider
rushed past him, he ros