Una’s thoughts were still fixed on the Red Cross Knight, and she was
sorry to think of his perilous wandering. She was always sad at heart,
and spent her time planning how to escape. At last she told her wish to
Sir Satyrane, who, glad to please her in any way, began to devise how he
could help her to get free from the savage folk. One day, when Una was
left alone, all the woodlanders having gone to pay court to their chief,
old Sylvanus, she and Sir Satyrane rode away together. They went so fast
and so carefully that no one could overtake them, and thus at last they
came to the end of the forest, and out into the open plain.
Towards evening, after they had journeyed a long distance, they met a
traveller. He seemed as if he were a poor, simple pilgrim; his clothes
were dusty and travel-worn; his face brown and scorched with the sun; he
leant upon a staff, and carried all his necessaries in a scrip, or
little bag, hanging behind.
Sir Satyrane asked if there were any tidings of new adventures, but the
stranger had heard of none. Then Una began to ask if he knew anything
about a knight who wore on his shield a red cross.
“Alas! dear lady,” he replied, “I may well grieve to tell you the sad
news! I have seen that knight with my own eyes, both alive and also
dead.”
When Una heard these cruel words she was filled with sorrow and dismay,
and begged the pilgrim to tell her everything he knew.
Then he related how on that very morning he had seen two knights
preparing for battle. One was a pagan, the other was the Red Cross
Knight. They fought with great fury, and in the end the Red Cross Knight
was slain.
This story was altogether false. The pretended pilgrim was no other than
the wicked enchanter Archimago, or _Hypocrisy_, in a fresh disguise. But
Sir Satyrane and Una believed everything he told them.
[Illustration:
“=The Knight, approaching nigh, of him inquired
Tidings of warre, and of adventures new.=”
]
“Where is this pagan now?” asked Satyrane.
“Not far from here,” replied the pilgrim; “I left him resting beside a
fountain.”
Thereupon Sir Satyrane hastily marched off, and soon came to the place
where he guessed that the other would be found. This pagan knight turned
out to be Lawless, from whom, you may remember, Una had escaped in the
forest, before she was found by the woodlanders. Sir Satyrane challenged
Lawless to fight, and they were soon engaged in a fierce battle. Poor
Una was so terrified at this new peril, and in such dread of Lawless,
that she did not wait to see what the end would be, but fled far away as
fast as she could.
Archimago had been watching everything from a secret hiding-place. Now,
when he saw Una escaping, he quickly followed, for he hoped to be able
to work her some further mischief.