woman.

"Shall I be clothed in armor and ride upon a great black steed ?" he asked.

"Yes, and thou shalt ride the highways of England with thy stout lance and
mighty sword, and behind thee thou shalt leave a trail of blood and death,
for every man shalt be thy enemy. But come, we must be on our way."

They rode on, leaving the dead knight where he had fallen, but always in
his memory the child carried the thing that he had seen, longing for the
day when he should be great and strong like the formidable black knight.

On another day, as they were biding in a deserted hovel to escape the
notice of a caravan of merchants journeying up-country with their wares,
they saw a band of ruffians rush out from the concealing shelter of some
bushes at the far side of the highway and fall upon the surprised and
defenseless tradesmen.

Ragged, bearded, uncouth villains they were, armed mostly with bludgeons
and daggers, with here and there a cross-bow. Without mercy they attacked
the old and the young, beating them down in cold blood even when they
offered no resistance. Those of the caravan who could, escaped, the
balance the highwaymen left dead or dying in the road, as they hurried away
with their loot.

At first the child was horror-struck, but when he turned to the little old
woman for sympathy he found a grim smile upon her thin lips. She noted his
expression of dismay.

"It is naught, my son. But English curs setting upon English swine. Some