hampions in their midst, and fell to smiting down
men on either hand; and every man who looked on Ralph crouched and
cowered before him, casting down his weapons and throwing up his hands.
Shortly to say it, when these horsemen felt this new onset, and looking
round saw their men fleeing hither and thither over the green fields of
Upmeads, smitten by the Shepherds and leaping into the deep pools of
the river, they turned and fled, every man who could keep his saddle,
and made for the Bridge, the Dry Tree thundering at their backs. But
even as they came within bowshot, a great flight of arrows came from
the further side of the water, and the banner of the Fruitful Tree came
forth from the bridge-end with Nicholas and his tried men-at-arms
behind it; and then indeed great and grim was the murder, and the proud
men of the Burg grovelled on the ground and prayed for mercy till
neither the Champions nor the men of Nicholas could smite helpless men
any longer.

Now had Ralph held his hand from the chase, and he was sitting on a
mound amidst of the meadow under an ancient thorn, and beside him sat
the Sage of Swevenham and Ursula. And she was grown pale now and
looked somewhat scared, and she spake in a trembling voice to Ralph,
and said: "Alas friend! that this should be so grim! When we hear the
owls a-nighttime about the High House, shall we not deem at whiles that
it is the ghosts of this dreadful battle and slaughter wandering about
our fair fields?" But Ralph spake sternly and wrathfully as he sat
there bareheaded and all unarmed save for the ancient glaive: "Why did
they not slay me then? Better the ghosts of robbers in our fields by
night, than the over-burdened hapless thrall by day, and the scourged
woman, and ruined child. These things they sought for us and have
found death on the way--let it be!"

He laughed as he spake; but then the grief of the end of battle came
upon him and he trembled and shook, and great tears burst from his eyes
and rolled down his cheeks, and he became stark and hard-faced.

Then Ursula took his hands and caressed them, and kissed his face, and
fell a-talking to him of how they rode the pass to the Valley of Sweet
Chestnuts; and in a while his heart and his mind came back to him as it
did that other time of which she spake, and he kissed her in turn, and
began to tell her of his old chamber in the turret of the High House.

And now there come riding across the field two warriors.