``Weshallseethatpresently，’’saidtherobber；
and，speakingtohiscompanions，headded，``bringalongtheknave。Iseehewouldhavehisheadbroken，aswellashispursecut，andsobeletbloodintwoveinsatonce。’’
Gurthwashurriedalongagreeablytothismandate，andhavingbeendraggedsomewhatroughlyoverthebank，ontheleft-handsideofthelane，foundhimselfinastragglingthicket，whichlaybetwixtitandtheopencommon。Hewascompelledtofollowhisroughconductorsintotheverydepthofthiscover，wheretheystoptunexpectedlyinanirregularopenspace，freeinagreatmeasurefromtrees，andonwhich，therefore，thebeamsofthemoonfellwithoutmuchinterruptionfromboughsandleaves。Herehiscaptorswerejoinedbytwootherpersons，apparentlybelongingtothegang。
Theyhadshortswordsbytheirsides，andquarter-stavesintheirhands，andGurthcouldnowobservethatallsixworevisors，whichrenderedtheiroccupationamatterofnoquestion，evenhadtheirformerproceedingsleftitindoubt。
``Whatmoneyhastthou，churl?’’saidoneofthethieves。