del, his swift horse,
behind him.

'It were an insult to the king to approach him on a war-horse, and
brandishing the sword that has slain so many of his men,' said Ermyn.
'You shall ride the ambling palfrey on which I make my progress through
the city; and, as for weapons, you will have no need of them.' So
Arundel remained quietly in his stable, while Bevis unwillingly jogged
along at the slow pace of the palfrey. But in one thing he disobeyed
king Ermyn, for under his tunic was hidden a short sword.

On the way he fell in with a pilgrim, whose offer to share his dinner
Bevis accepted gladly. They soon began to tell each other their
adventures, and, to his surprise, Bevis found that the pilgrim was his
own cousin, the son of his uncle Saber, and that he had come so far with
no other purpose than to seek out the young knight and to inform him of
all that had happened during the years that had passed since his
father's death.

The vassals of the old earl, said the pilgrim, had been so ground down
by the wicked Sir Murdour and his wife, that they had risen up as one
man, and, headed by Saber, had defended the Isle of Wight against the
usurper. But it was greatly to be desired that the young earl should
return home as fast as possible, and attack Murdour in his castle of
Southampton, and for this reason had he set forth to seek him.

Bevis's heart and his blood waxed hot with the listening, but he did not
wish that the pilgrim should learn just then who he was, so he answered
that the young earl was his friend and brother, and that on his part he
would promise speedy help to the faithful vassals fighting in his cause.
With this they parted, and Bevis pursued his way to Damascus.

On entering the gates of the city he found himself in the midst of a
large crowd, who were making ready a sacrifice to a wooden idol, which
was carried in a golden car. This roused the wrath of the young man,
and, forcing his way through the multitude, he seized the idol and flung
it into the mud, calling loudly on the people to go and help their god,
since he could not help them. In an instant a thousand arms were raised
against the stranger who had dared to insult the majesty of their idol,
and, though Bevis drew his short sword and defended himself bravely, he
could not have held out against such numbers had not the palace gates
been close behind. Still fighting, Bevis entered the gates, and drawing
the letter from his tunic ordered the g