'I will well,' said Balin, 'and if we slay King Rience, his people will go astray and King Arthur shall easily make them yield.'
Next morning early they rode away through the gay woods, drenched with dew, which sparkled where the sunlight lit upon it. Long and lonely was the way, until towards the evening they met with a poor old man on foot, ragged, lame, and dirty, and bearing a great burden. It was in a narrow ride of the forest, and there was but room for one person to pass, and though the brothers were making great speed, since they doubted they had lost their way, they would not ride down the poor man, as many knights would do.
But Balin, with a cheery call, said: 'Old man, give me thy pack, and do thou climb up and sit behind me. For it is late and lonely that such poor old bones as thine should be abroad.'
The old man, either from fear of the two great knights in their black armour, or from suspicion, mumbled out a few words and refused the offer, while yet he would not budge from the narrow path.
'Well, then, tell us thy name, old man,' said Balin, laughing at his obstinacy.
'At this time I will not tell you,' croaked the old fellow, stumbling under his pack.
'I doubt that great pack hath many rich things that never owned thee master,' said Balan with a laugh.
'It is full evil seen,' said Balin, 'that thou art a true honest man, when thou wilt not tell thy name.'
'Be that as it may,' snarled the old man, 'but I know your name, my lordlings, and why you ride this way.'
'By the faith of my body, but ye are some wizard if ye know that,' said Balan mockingly.