Page:The Chronicle of Clemendy.pdf/146

 no clouds were on the sky and no longer in mid ocean, the boat slowly sailed along the shore of a deep bay in still water; but out at sea I saw all the waves ridged with white foam because of the storm that was overpast. And seeing the water was shallow, I made shift with my lance to guide the boat aground and mounted my horse once more and set forth through a narrow valley that I might discover to what manner of country I had come." Here Sir Dru paused and laid his finger for a minute to his skull; and then began to speak of his inland journey; of green lawns, brooks of sweet water, delicious fruits, sweet singing of birds, and many other pleasant circumstances such as sailors conceive in a calenture; but which are neither new nor over pertinent to the story. "And before I had ridden for an hour," said he, "I overtook an old hideous woman who drove before her nine black hogs, very monstrous and fierce to behold, having tusks like to wild boars' tusks and the grunting of them was like the noise of a fierce lion. The old woman I addressed and asked her if there were no lord in the country that showed hospitality to wandering knights and refreshed them after they had undergone great peril and distress. 'Truly,' she made answer, 'most hardy and gallant knight, you have but to follow me, and I will take you to a very great lord, who loves nothing better than to entertain strangers and weary men, notably if they be mighty warriors of gentle birth as you are. And to his castle I am now driving these nine hogs that have of late had pannage in the woods hard