s right side thereby, and as he did so, he
saw steel flashing in his hand, and turned sidling to guard him, but
ere he could do aught Simon drave a broad dagger into his side, and then
turned about and fled the way they had come, so far as he knew how.

Christopher fell from his horse at once as the stroke came home, but
straightway therewith were there men with torches round about him, a
dozen of them; men tall and wild-looking in the firelight; and one
of them, a slim young man with long red hair falling all about his
shoulders, knelt down by him, while the others held his horse and gat
his feet out of the stirrups.

The red-head laid his hand on his breast, and raised his head up till
the light of a torch fell on it, and then he cried out: "Masters, here
hath been a felon; the man hath been sticked, and the deed hath to do
with us; for lo you, this is none other than little Christopher of the
Uttermost March, who stumbled on the Tofts last Yule, and with whom we
were so merry together. Here, thou Robert of Maisey, do thy leechdom on
him if he be yet living; but if he be dead, or dieth of his hurt, then
do I take the feud on me, to follow it to the utmost against the slayer;
even I, David the Red, though I be the youngest of the sons of Jack of
the Tofts. For this man I meant should be my fellow in field and fell,
ganging and galloping, in hall and high-place, in cot and in choir,
before woman and warrior, and priest and proud-prince. Now thou Robert,
how does he?"

Said the man who had looked to Christopher's wound, and had put aside
his coat and shirt: "He is sore hurt, but meseemeth not deadly. Nay,
belike he may live as long as thou, or longer, whereas thou wilt ever be
shoving thy red head and lank body wheresoever knocks are going."

David rose with a sigh of one who is lightened of a load, and said:
"Well Robert, when thou hast bound his wound let us have him into the
house: Ho lads! there is light enough to cut some boughs and make a
litter for him. But, ho again! has no one gone after the felon to take
him?"

Robert grinned up from his job with the hurt man: "Nay, King David,"
said he, "it is mostly thy business; mayhappen thou wilt lay thy heels
on thy neck and after him."

The red-head stamped on the ground, and half drew his sax, and shoved
it back again unto the sheath, and then said angrily: "I marvel at thee,
Robert, that thou didst not send a man or two at once after the felon:
how may I leave m