mes The red red flames,
War's candle-wick On roof and rick.
Now dead lies the yeoman unwept and unknown
On the field he hath furrowed, the ridge he hath sown:
And all in the middle of wethers and neat
The maidens are driven with blood on their feet;
For yet 'twixt the Burg-gate and battle half-won
The dust-driven highway creeps uphill and on,
And the smoke of the beacons goes coiling aloft,
While the gathering horn bloweth loud, louder and oft.

Throw wide the gates
For nought night waits;
Though the chase is dead
The moon's o'erhead
And we need the clear
Our spoil to share.
Shake the lots in the helm then for brethren are we,
And the goods of my missing are gainful to thee.
Lo! thine are the wethers, and his are the kine;
And the colts of the marshland unbroken are thine,
With the dapple-grey stallion that trampled his groom;
And Giles hath the gold-blossomed rose of the loom.
Lo! leaps out the last lot and nought have I won,
But the maiden unmerry, by battle undone.

Even as her song ended came one of those fair yellow-gowned damsels
round the corner of the street, bearing in her hand a light basket full
of flowers: and she lifted up her head and beheld Ralph there; then she
went slowly and dropped her eyelids, and it was pleasant to Ralph to
behold her; for she was as fair as need be. Her corn-coloured gown was
dainty and thin, and but for its silver embroidery had hidden her limbs
but little; the rosiness of her ancles showed amidst her white
sandal-thongs, and there were silver rings and gold on her arms along
with the iron ring.

Now she lifted up her eyes and looked shyly at Ralph, and he smiled at
her well-pleased, and deemed it would be good to hear her voice; so he
went up to her and greeted her, and she seemed to take his greeting
well, though she glanced swiftly at the carline in the doorway.

Said Ralph: "Fair maiden, I am a stranger in this town, and have seen
things I do not wholly understand; now wilt thou tell me before I ask
the next question, who will be those war-taken thralls whom even now I
saw brought into the Burg by the host? of what nation be they, and of
what kindred?"

Straightway was the damsel all changed; she left her dainty tricks, and
drew herself up straight and stiff. She looked at him in the eyes,
flushing red, and with knit brows, a moment, and then passed by him
with swift a