while the grey horse cropped outside
the Ring, and the helmet on the saddle-bow clinged softly each time he
jerked his head.

'From the beginning, then,' Sir Richard said, 'since it concerns your
land, I will tell the tale. When our Duke came out of Normandy to take
his England, great knights (have ye heard?) came and strove hard to
serve the Duke, because he promised them lands here, and small knights
followed the great ones. My folk in Normandy were poor; but a great
knight, Engerrard of the Eagle--Engenulf De Aquila--who was kin to my
father, followed the Earl of Mortain, who followed William the Duke,
and I followed De Aquila. Yes, with thirty men-at-arms out of my
father's house and a new sword, I set out to conquer England three days
after I was made knight. I did not then know that England would
conquer me. We went up to Santlache with the rest--a very great host
of us.'

'Does that mean the Battle of Hastings--Ten Sixty-Six?' Una whispered,
and Puck nodded, so as not to interrupt.

'At Santlache, over the hill yonder'--he pointed south-eastward towards
Fairlight--'we found Harold's men. We fought. At the day's end they
ran. My men went with De Aquila's to chase and plunder, and in that
chase Engerrard of the Eagle was slain, and his son Gilbert took his
banner and his men forward. This I did not know till after, for
Swallow here was cut in the flank, so I stayed to wash the wound at a
brook by a thorn. There a single Saxon cried out to me in French, and
we fought together. I should have known his voice, but we fought
together. For a long time neither had any advantage, till by pure
ill-fortune his foot slipped and his sword flew from his hand. Now I
had but newly been made knight, and wished, above all, to be courteous
and fameworthy, so I forbore to strike and bade him get his sword
again. "A plague on my sword," said he. "It has lost me my first
fight. You have spared my life. Take my sword." He held it out to me,
but as I stretched my hand the sword groaned like a stricken man, and I
leaped back crying, "Sorcery!"'

(The children looked at the sword as though it might speak again.)

'Suddenly a clump of Saxons ran out upon me and, seeing a Norman alone,
would have killed me, but my Saxon cried out that I was his prisoner,
and beat them off. Thus, see you, he saved my life. He put me on my
horse and led me through the woods ten long miles to this valley.'

'To here, d'you mean?' said Una