While they were thus employed, Locksley led the knight a little apart and addressed him thus: "Deny it not, sir knight, you are he who played so glorious a part at the tournament at Ashby." "And what follows, if you guess truly, good yeoman?" "For my purpose," said the yeoman, "thou shouldst be as well a good Englishman as a good knight; for that which I have to speak of concerns, indeed, the duty of every honest man, but is more especially that of a true-born native of England." "You can speak to no one," replied the knight, "to whom England, and the life of every Englishman, can be dearer than to me." "I would willingly believe so," said the woodsman; "and never had this country such need to be supported by those who love her. A band of villains, in the disguise of better men than themselves, have become masters of the persons of a noble Englishman named Cedric the Saxon, together with his ward and his friend, Athelstane of Coningsburgh, and have transported them to a castle in this forest called Torquilstone. I ask of thee, as a good knight and a good Englishman, wilt thou aid in their rescue?" "I am bound by my vow to do so," replied the knight; "but I would willingly know who you are who request my assistance in their behalf?" "I am," said the forester, "a nameless man; but I am a friend of my country and my country's friends. Believe, however, that my word, when pledged, is as [v]inviolate as if I wore golden spurs." "I willingly believe it," returned the knight. "I have been accustomed to study men's countenances, and I can read in thine honesty and resolution. I will, therefore, ask thee no farther questions but aid thee in setting at freedom these oppressed captives, which done, I trust we shall part better acquainted and well satisfied with each other." When the friar was at length ready, Locksley turned to his companions. "Come on, my masters," he said; "tarry not to talk. I say, come on: we must collect all our forces, and few enough shall we have if we are to storm the castle of Reginald Front-de-Boeuf." II While these measures were taking in behalf of Cedric and his companions, the armed men by whom the latter had been seized hurried their captives along toward the place of security, where they intended to imprison them. But darkness came on fast, and the paths of the wood seemed but imperfectly known to the [v]marauders. They were compelled to make several long halts and once or twice to return on their road to resume the direction which they wished to pursue. It was, therefore, not until the light of the summer morn had dawned upon them that they could travel in full assurance that they held the right path.