f
ambush, because the place is bare for the most part, nor is there any
cover except here and there down in the dales a few hazels and blackthorn
bushes, and the rushes of the becks in the marshy bottoms, wherein a
snipe may hide, or a hare, but scarce a man; and note that there is no
way up to that ridge but by a spur thereof as bare as my hand; so ye will
be well seen as ye wend up thereto.'

"So spake he in my hearing. But Thiodolf bade him lead on to that spur,
and old Heriulf, who was standing nigh, laughed merrily and said: 'Yea,
lead on, and speedily, lest the day wane and nothing done save the
hunting of snipes.'

"So on we went, and coming to the hither side of that spur beheld those
others and Fox with them; and he held in his hand an arrow of the aliens,
and his face was all astir with half-hidden laughter, and he breathed
hard, and pointed to the ridge, and somewhat low down on it we saw a
steel cap and three spear-heads showing white from out a little hollow in
its side, but the men hidden by the hollow: so we knew that Fox had been
chased, and that the Romans were warned and wary.

"No delay made the War-duke, but led us up that spur, which was somewhat
steep; and as we rose higher we saw a band of men on the ridge, a little
way down it, not a many; archers and slingers mostly, who abode us till
we were within shot, and then sent a few shots at us, and so fled. But
two men were hurt with the sling-plummets, and one, and he not
grievously, with an arrow, and not one slain.

"Thus we came up on to the ridge, so that there was nothing between us
and the bare heavens; thence we looked south-east and saw the Romans
wisely posted on the ridge not far from where it fell down steeply to the
north; but on the south, that is to say on their left hands, and all
along the ridge past where we were stayed, the ground sloped gently to
the south-west for a good way, before it fell, somewhat steeply, into
another long dale. Looking north we saw the outer edge of Mirkwood but a
little way from us, and we were glad thereof; because ere we left our
sleeping-place that morn Thiodolf had sent to Otter another messenger
bidding him send yet more men on to us in case we should be hard-pressed
in the battle; for he had had a late rumour that the Romans were many.
And now when he had looked on the Roman array and noted how wise it was,
he sent three swift-foot ones to take stand on a high knoll which we had
passed on the way