they came to their night’s lodging.  Ralph bids him so do, but to heed well that he hurt no man, or let fire get into any house or roof; so he takes his knot of men and rides off on the spur, and Ralph and the main of them come on quietly; and when they came into the street of the thorp, lo there by the cross a big fire lighted, and the elders standing thereby cap in hand, and a score of stout carles with weapons in their hands.  Then the chief man came up to Ralph and greeted him and said:  “Lord, when we heard that an armed company was at hand we deemed no less than that the riders of the Burg were upon us, and deemed that there was nought for it but to flee each as far and as fast as he might.  But now we have heard that thou art a good lord seeking his own with the help of worthy champions, and a foeman to those devils of the Burg, we bid thee look upon us and all we have as thine, lord, and take kindly such guesting as we may give thee.”

The old man’s voice quavered a little as he looked on the stark shapes of the Dry Tree; but Ralph looked kindly on him, and said:  “Yea, my master, we will but ask for a covering for our heads, and what victual thou mayst easily spare us in return for good silver, and thou shalt have our thanks withal.  But who be these stout lads with staves and bucklers, or whither will they to-night?”

Thereat a tall young man with a spear in his hand and girt with a short sword came forth and said boldly:  “Lord, we be a few who thought when we heard that the Burg-devils were at hand that we might as well die in the field giving stroke for stroke, as be hauled off and drop to pieces under the hands of their tormentors; and now thou hast come, we have little will to abide behind, but were fain to follow thee, and do thee what good we can:  and after thou hast come to thine above, when we go back to our kin thou mayst give us a gift if it please thee:  but we deem that no great matter if thou but give us leave to have the comfort of thee and thy Champions for a while in these hard days.”

When he had done speaking there rose up from the Champions a hum as of praise, and Ralph was well-pleased withal, deeming it a good omen; so he said:  “Fear not, good fellows, that I shall forget you when we have overcome the foemen, and meanwhile we will live and die together.  But thou, ancient man, show our sergeants where our riders shall lie to-night, and what they shall do with their horses.”

So the elders marshalled the little host to their abodes for that night, lodging the more part of them in a big barn on the western outskirt of the thorp.  The elder who led them thither, brought them victual and good drink, and said to them:  “Lords, ye were best to keep a good watch to-night because it is on this side that we may look for an onfall from the foemen if they be abroad to-night; and sooth to say that is one cause we have bestowed you here, deeming that ye would not grudge us the solace of knowing that your valiant bodies were betwixt us and them, for we be a poor unwalled people.”