Now as Sir Tristram wended his way toward that castle by a crooked path
meditating how he should come at Sir Nabon for to challenge him to battle,
he was by and by aware of a fellow clad in pied black and white, who walked
along the way in the direction that he himself was taking. At the first
that fellow was not aware of Sir Tristram; then presently he was aware of
him and turned him about, and beheld that a strange knight was riding
rapidly down toward him upon a horse.
Then at first that fellow stood like one struck with amazement; but in a
moment he cried out aloud as with a great fear, and instantly turned again
and ran away, yelling like one who had gone mad.
But Sir Tristram thundered after him at speed, and, in a little, came up
with him, and catched him by the collar of his jerkin and held him fast.
And Sir Tristram said: "Fellow, who are you?"
"Lord," quoth the fellow, "I am an attendant upon the knight of yonder
castle, which same is hight Sir Nabon surnamed le Noir."
[Sidenote: Sir Tristram talks with a knave of the earth] Then Sir Tristram
said: "Sirrah, why did you run from me when you first beheld me?" And the
fellow replied: "Messire, you are the first stranger who hath dared to come
hither to this country; wherefore, seeing you, and seeing that you rode
upon horseback, and not knowing how you came to this land, I wist not
whether you were a man of flesh and blood, or whether you were a spirit
come hither for to punish us for our sins; so I ran away from you.
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