blazon of the banner which we saw, three red
wolves running on a silver field?"

"Yea, forsooth," said Jack; "'tis the Baron of Brimside that beareth
that shield ever; and the now Baron, hight the Lord Gandolf, how many
was he?"

Said Wat: "Ten hundreds or more. But what say fellows?"

Quoth the other twain: "More, more they were."

Said Jack of the Tofts: "And when shall he be here, deem ye?"

"In less than an hour," said Wat, "he will be on thee with great and
small; but his riders, some of them, in lesser space."

Then turned Jack about and cried out for David, and when he came, he
said: "Put thy long legs over a good horse, and ride straight back to
the Tofts and gather whatever may bear spear and draw bow, and hither
with them, lad, by the nighest road; tarry not, speak no word, be gone!"

So David turned, and was presently riding swiftly back through the
woodland paths. But Jack spake to the bearers of tidings: "Good fellows,
go ye yonder and bid them give you a morsel and a cup; and tell all
the tidings, and this, withal, that we have nought to flee from a good
fightstead for Gandolf of Brimside." Therewith he turned to Christopher
and said: "Thy pardon, King, but these matters must be seen to
straightway. Now do thou help me array our folk, for there is heart
enough in them as in thee and me; and mayhappen we may make an end to
this matter now and here. Moreover, the Baron of Brimside is a stout
carle, so fight we must, meseemeth."

Then he called to them one of the captains of the Tofts and they three
spake together heedfully a little, and thereafter they fell to work
arraying the folk; and King Christopher did his part therein deftly and
swiftly, for quick of wit he was, and that the more whenso anything was
to be done.

As to the array, the main of the folk that were spearmen and billmen but
moved forward somewhat from where they had dined to the hanging of the
bent, so that their foemen would have the hill against them or ever
they came on point and edge. But the bowmen, of whom were now some two
hundreds, for many men had come in after the first tally, were spread
abroad on the left hand of the spearmen toward the river, where the
ground was somewhat broken, and bushed with thorn-bushes. And a bight of
the water drew nearer to the Tofters, amidst of which was a flat eyot,
edged with willows and covered with firm and sound greensward, and was
some thirty yards endlong and twenty overthwart. So ther