“Be terrible, my son, that evil may flee before thee, learn to be strong that thou may’st be merciful.”  Then the hermit stretched forth his hands and blessed my Beltane, and turned about, and so was gone.

But Beltane stood awhile to swing the great blade lightly to and fro and to stare upon it with shining eyes.  Then, having hid it within his bed, he went forth into the glade.  And here he presently beheld a great grey horse tethered to a tree hard by, a mettled steed that tossed its noble head and snuffed the fragrant air of morning, pawing at the earth with impatient hoof.  Now, as he stood gazing, came the stranger and touched him on the arm.

“Messire,” said he, “try an thou canst back the steed yonder.”

Beltane smiled, for he had loved horses all his days, and loosing the horse, led it out into the open and would have mounted, but the spirited beast, knowing him not, reared and plunged and strove to break the grip upon the bridle, but the grip was strong and compelling; then Beltane soothed him with gentle voice and hand, and, of a sudden, vaulted lightly into the saddle, and being there, felt the great beast rear under him, and, laughing joyously, struck him with open palm and set off at a thunderous gallop.  Away, away they sped up the sunny glade, past oak and beech and elm, through light and shadow, until before them showed a tree of vast girth and mighty spread of branches.  Now would Beltane have reined aside, but the great horse, ears flat and eyes rolling, held blindly on.  Then Beltane frowned and leaning forward, seized the bridle close beside the bit, and gripping it so, put forth his strength.  Slowly, slowly the great, fierce head was drawn low and lower, the foam-flecked jaws gaped wide, but Beltane’s grip grew ever the fiercer until, snorting, panting, wild-eyed, the great grey horse faltered in his stride, checked his pace, slipped, stumbled, and so stood quivering in the shade of the tree.  Thereafter Beltane turned him and, galloping back, drew rein where the stranger sat, cross-legged, watching him with his wry smile.

“Aye,” he nodded, “we shall make of thee a horseman yet.  But as to lance now, and armour—­”

Quoth Beltane, smiling: 

“Good sir, I am a smith, and in my time have mended many a suit of mail, aye, and made them too, though ’twas but to try my hand.  As for a lance, I have oft tilted at the ring astride a forest pony, and betimes, have run a course with wandering men-at-arms.”

“Say you so, boy?” said the stranger, and rising, took from behind a tree a long and heavy lance and thrust it into Beltane’s grip; then, drawing his sword, he set it upright in the sward, and upon the hilt he put his cap, saying: 

“Ride back up the glade, and try an thou canst pick up my cap on thy point, at a gallop.”  So Beltane rode up the glade and wheeling at a distance, came galloping down with levelled lance, and thundered by with the cap fluttering from his lance point.