hey had
grown for centuries. Arthur could look between the trunks and see
rabbits and squirrels whisking about. Sometimes a herd of brown
deer with shy dark eyes would pass, holding their graceful heads
high in the air; sometimes a flock of pheasants with brilliant
plumage rose from the bushes. Again there was no sound except the
tapping of a bright-crested woodpecker, and no motion but the
fluttering of leaves and the trembling of violets half buried in
green moss.

At times, when it was dim and silent in the wood, Arthur would
hear bursts of merry laughter, the tinkling of bells, and the
jingling of spurs. Then he would know that knights and ladies
were riding down the road which ran beside the trees. Soon the
knights would appear on horses, brown, black, and white, with
gaily ornamented saddles, and bridles from which hung silver
bells. Often the saddles were made of ivory or ebony, set with
rubies or emeralds. The knights wore helmets laced with slender
gold chains, and coats of mail made of tiny links of steel, so
fine and light that all together hardly weighed more than a coat
of cloth. Usually the legs of the knights were sheathed in steel
armor; and their spurs were steel, or even gold. The ladies sat
on horses with long trappings of silk, purple, white, or scarlet,
with ornamented saddles and swinging bells. The robes of the
ladies were very beautiful, being made of velvet or silk trimmed
with ermine. Arthur liked to watch them, flashing by; crimson,
and gold, and blue, and rose-colored. Better still, he liked to
see the pretty happy faces of the ladies, and hear their gay
voices. In those troublous times, however, the roads were so
insecure that such companies did not often pass.

Sometimes the knights and ladies came to visit Sir Hector. Then
Arthur would hurry from the forest to the castle. Sir Hector
would stand on the lowered drawbridge to greet his guests, and
would lead them, with many expressions of pleasure, into the
courtyard. Then he would take a huge hammer hanging from a post,
and beat with it on a table which stood in a corner of the
courtyard. Immediately from all parts of the castle the squires
and servants would come running to take the horses of the knights
and ladies. Sir Hector's wife and daughters would then appear,
and with their own hands remove the armor of the knights. They
would offer them golden basins of water, and towels for washing,
and after that put velvet mantles upon their