e wars of the men of the Burg with the
Wheat-wearers; and how in time past, when the town was but little
fenced, the Wheat-wearers had stormed their gates and taken the city,
and had made a great slaughter; but yet had spared many of the
fighting-men, although they had abided there as the masters of them,
and held them enthralled for three generations of men: after which time
the sons' sons of the old Burg-dwellers having grown very many again,
and divers of them being trusted in sundry matters by the conquerors,
who oppressed them but little, rose up against them as occasion served,
in the winter season and the Yule feast, and slew their masters, save
for a few who were hidden away.

"And thereafter," quoth he, "did we make the Burg strong and hard to
win, as ye see it to-day; and we took for our captain the Forest Lord,
who ere-while had dwelt in the clearings of the wildwood, and he wedded
the Fair Lady who was the son's daughter of him who had been our lord
ere the Wheat-wearers overcame us; and we grew safe and free and mighty
again. And the son of the Forest Lord, he whom we call the War-smith,
he it was who beheld the Burg too much given to pleasure, and
delighting in the softness of life; and he took order to harden our
hearts, and to cause all freemen to learn the craft of war and battle,
and let the women and thralls and aliens see to other craftsmanship and
to chaffer; and even so is it done as he would; and ye shall find us
hardy of heart enough, though belike not so joyous as might be. Yet at
least we shall not be easy to overcome."

"So indeed it seemeth," said Ralph. "Yet will I ask of you first one
question, and then another."

"Ask on," said the burgher.

Said Ralph: "How is it that ye, being so strong, should still suffer
them of the Dry Tree, taking a man here and a man there, when ye might
destroy them utterly?"

The Burgher reddened and cleared his throat and said: "Sir, it must be
made clear to you that these evil beasts are no peril to the Burg of
the Four Friths; all the harm they may do us, is as when a cur dog
biteth a man in the calf of the leg; whereby the man shall be grieved
indeed, but the dog slain. Such grief as that they have done us at
whiles: but the grief is paid for thus, that the hunting and slaying
of them keeps our men in good trim, and pleasures them; shortly to say
it, they are the chief deer wherewith our wood is stocked."

He stopped awhile and then went on again