and they had no intention of helping an oppressive master and his associates, even though they were churchmen. Gamelyn and Adam attacked the guests and not a man escaped unhurt: With one blow Gamelyn felled his brother, then set him in his own fetters to ‘cool his blood’, while the servants brought him all the best fare in the house. While Gamelyn was celebrating his release, word had been sent to the sheriff of the affair, and four-and-twenty men had formed a posse to capture the offenders. Gamelyn was informed of their coming by his new porter who ran in with the news that there were foemen at the gate. He and Adam drove away the first group, but soon they saw a great rout coming with the sheriff at their head, it was time to leave. While the sheriff was searching the house and attending to Gamelyn's brother, the two fugitives were running through the woods. In the forest they came upon a group of outlaws, and as they peered under the branches of a tree, they saw the ‘master outlaw’. At first the outlaws took them for the law's spies, and seven men brought them before their ‘king’. Gamelyn assured him that they were also on the run, so he made them join with his men at their meal. The master outlaw enrolled them in his band, and before long Gamelyn was made master under him. They were with the outlaws for less than three weeks when the news came that their master's friend had a pardon for him from the king. He took his leave and returned to his land, and Gamelyn was crowned King of the outlaws in his place. Meanwhile, his outlawry was made public; his brother was healed of his broken back, and for the new term he himself was made sheriff. Gamelyn's lands were seized, and in accordance with law, his peasants paid fine to the sheriff, as they would to a new lord when the old died, for to the law, Gamelyn was now dead. However, he was a lord they loved, and the new master was harsh; so his bondmen kept their loyalty to him and he was informed of how things stood with him and his land. Gamelyn regretted that he had not killed his brother, and the welfare of his peasants and their wives he could not overlook. He