“Brothers in arms, ye see that our foes are all in array to meet us, having had belike some spy in Wulstead, who hath brought them the tale of what was toward.  Albeit methinks that this irks not either you nor me; for otherwise we might have found them straggling, and scattered far and wide, which would have made our labour the greater.  Now ye can see with your eyes that they are many more than we be, even were Nicholas to issue out of the High House against them, as doubtless he will do if need be.  Brethren, though they be so many, yet my heart tells me that we shall overcome them; yet if we leave our strength and come down to them, both our toil shall be greater, and some of us, belike many, shall be slain; and evil should I deem it if but a score of my friends should lose their lives on this joyous day when at last I see Upmeads again after many troubles.  Wherefore my rede is that we abide their onset on the hillside here; and needs must they fall on us, whereas we have Wulstead and friends behind us, and they nought but Nicholas and the bows and bills of the High House.  But if any have aught to say against it let him speak, but be speedy; for already I see a stir in their array, and I deem that they will send men to challenge us to come down to them.”

Then spake Stephen a-Hurst:  “I, and we all meseemeth, deem that thou art in the right, Captain; though sooth to say, when we first set eyes on these dogs again, the blood so stirred in us that we were like to let all go and ride down on them.”

Said Richard:  “Thou biddest us wisdom of war; let them have the hill against them.”  Said Clement:  “Yea, for they are well learned and well armed; another sort of folk to those wild men whom we otherthrew in the mountains.”

And in like wise said they all.

Then spake Stephen again:  “Lord, since thou wilt fight afoot with our friends of the Shepherds, we of the Dry Tree are minded to fare in like wise and to forego our horses; but if thou gainsay it——­”

“Champion,” said Ralph, “I do gainsay it.  Thou seest how many of them be horsed, and withal ye it is who must hold the chase of them; for I will that no man of them shall escape.”

They laughed joyously at his word, and then he said:  “Go now, and give your leaders of scores and tens the word that I have said, and come back speedily for a little while; for now I see three men sundering them from their battle, and one beareth a white cloth at the end of his spear; these shall be the challengers.”

So they did after his bidding, and by then they had come back to Ralph those three men were at the foot of the hill, which was but low.  Then Ralph said to his captains:  “Stand before me, so that I be not seen of them until one of you hath made answer, ‘Speak of this to our leader and captain.’” Even so they did; and presently those three came so nigh that they could see the whites of their eyes.  They were all three well armed, but the foremost