they were old comrades and knew each other’s lives.  One was married, and told how glad his wife would be to see him return safe from this harebrained expedition against the White Friars, and to hear how fortune had made amends for rashness.  The oldest of the five, whose wife was dead, spoke of a flagon of wine which awaited him upon an upper shelf; while a third, who was the youngest, had a sweetheart watching for his return, and he rode a little way before the others, not talking at all.  Suddenly the young man stopped, and they saw that his horse was trembling.  ‘I saw something,’ he said, ’and yet I do not know but it may have been one of the shadows.  It looked like a great worm with a silver crown upon his head.’  One of the five put his hand up to his forehead as if about to cross himself, but remembering that he had changed his religion he put it down, and said:  ’I am certain it was but a shadow, for there are a great many about us, and of very strange kinds.’  Then they rode on in silence.  It had been raining in the earlier part of the day, and the drops fell from the branches, wetting their hair and their shoulders.  In a little they began to talk again.  They had been in many battles against many a rebel together, and now told each other over again the story of their wounds, and so awakened in their hearts the strongest of all fellowships, the fellowship of the sword, and half forgot the terrible solitude of the woods.

Suddenly the first two horses neighed, and then stood still, and would go no further.  Before them was a glint of water, and they knew by the rushing sound that it was a river.  They dismounted, and after much tugging and coaxing brought the horses to the river-side.  In the midst of the water stood a tall old woman with grey hair flowing over a grey dress.  She stood up to her knees in the water, and stooped from time to time as though washing.  Presently they could see that she was washing something that half floated.  The moon cast a flickering light upon it, and they saw that it was the dead body of a man, and, while they were looking at it, an eddy of the river turned the face towards them, and each of the five troopers recognised at the same moment his own face.  While they stood dumb and motionless with horror, the woman began to speak, saying slowly and loudly:  ’Did you see my son?  He has a crown of silver on his head, and there are rubies in the crown.’  Then the oldest of the troopers, he who had been most often wounded, drew his sword and cried:  ’I have fought for the truth of my God, and need not fear the shadows of Satan,’ and with that rushed into the water.  In a moment he returned.  The woman had vanished, and though he had thrust his sword into air and water he had found nothing.