while he came somewhat to himself, and, looking down toward the river, he saw that where the road met it, it was very wide, and shallow withal, for the waves rippled merrily and glittered in the afternoon sun, though there was no wind; moreover the road went up white from the water on the other side, so he saw clearly that this was the ford of a highway.  The valley was peopled withal:  on the other side of the river was a little thorp, and there were carts and sheds scattered about the hither side, and sheep and neat feeding in the meadows, and in short it was another world from the desert.

CHAPTER 12

Ralph Falleth in With Friends and Rideth to Whitwall

Ralph looks on to the ford and sees folk riding through the thorp aforesaid and down to the river, and they take the water and are many in company, some two score by his deeming, and he sees the sun glittering on their weapons.

Now he thought that he would abide their coming and see if he might join their company, since if he crossed the water he would be on the backward way:  and it was but a little while ere the head of them came up over the hill, and were presently going past Ralph, who rose up to look on them, and be seen of them, but they took little heed of him.  So he sees that though they all bore weapons, they were not all men-at-arms, nay, not more than a half score, but those proper men enough.  Of the others, some half-dozen seemed by their attire to be merchants, and the rest their lads; and withal they had many sumpter horses and mules with them.  They greeted him not, nor he them, nor did he heed them much till they were all gone by save three, and then he leapt into the road with a cry, for who should be riding there but Blaise, his eldest brother, and Richard the Red with him, both in good case by seeming; for Blaise was clad in a black coat welted with gold, and rode a good grey palfrey, and Richard was armed well and knightly.

They knew him at once, and drew rein, and Blaise lighted down from his horse and cast his arms about Ralph, and said:  “O happy day! when two of the Upmeads kindred meet thus in an alien land!  But what maketh thee here, Ralph?  I thought of thee as merry and safe in Upmeads?”

Ralph said smiling, for his heart leapt up at the sight of his kindred:  “Nay, must I not seek adventures like the rest?  So I stole myself away from father and mother.”  “Ill done, little lord!” said Blaise, stroking Ralph’s cheek.

Then up came Richard, and if Blaise were glad, Richard was twice glad, and quoth he:  “Said I not, Lord Blaise, that this chick would be the hardest of all to keep under the coop?  Welcome to the Highways, Lord Ralph!  But where is thine horse? and whence and whither is it now?  Hast thou met with some foil and been held to ransom?”

Ralph found it hard and grievous and dull work to answer; for now again his sorrow had taken hold of him:  so he said:  “Yea, Richard, I have had adventures, and have lost rather than won; but at least I am a free man, and have spent but little gold on my loss.”