“Good fellows, if you can, tell me the road just taken by the lord who left the castle yonder even now. If naught prevent you, point me out the way.”
One of those men replied:
“Speak you of him whose armour was so bright?”
“The same,” quoth Jaufry.
“He is on before; you start too late, sir knight, to catch him up.”
“By Heaven!” murmured Jaufry, much aggrieved, “he cannot flee so far, or sink so deep, but I will reach him. I'll seek him the world through, where land and sea are found, and will discover his retreat even beneath the earth!”
This said, he held his course; and spurring, came to a broad causeway where fresh prints of horses' hoofs appeared upon the dust.
“Methinks,” said Jaufry, “that a knight ere-while hath passed this way: so I will follow up this selfsame road while thus the trail is seen.”
Putting his horse into an ambling pace, he rode on all that day without a town or castle being met. At eventide he still continued on, when a loud cry, followed by din of arms and clash of steel on helm, suddenly rose from out the heavy shade.
Jaufry spurred readily towards the spot, and cried: