is saddle
and looked down on to the valley, and as aforesaid he was clear-sighted
and far-sighted; now he said: "Fellow-farer, I see the riding of folk
down below there, and meseems they be spurring toward the water; and
they have weapons: there! dost thou not see the gleam?"

"I will take thy word for it, fair sir," said Roger, "and will even
spur, since they be the first men whom we have seen since we left the
thickets." And therewith he went off at a hand gallop, and Ralph
followed him without more ado.

They rode up hill and down dale of a grassy downland, till at last they
saw a wood before them again, and soon drew rein under the boughs; for
now were their horses somewhat wearied. Then said Ralph: "Here have
we ridden a fair land, and seen neither house nor herd, neither
sheep-cote nor shepherd. I wonder thereat."

Said Roger: "Thou wouldst wonder the less didst thou know the story of
it." "What story?" said Ralph. Quoth Roger: "A story of war and
wasting." "Yea?" said Ralph, "yet surely some bold knight or baron hath
rights in the land, and might be free to build him a strong house and
gather men to him to guard the shepherds and husbandmen from burners
and lifters." "Sooth is that," said Roger; "but there are other things
in the tale." "What things?" said Ralph. Quoth Roger: "Ill hap and
sorrow and the Hand of Fate and great Sorcery." "And dastards withal?"
said Ralph. "Even so," said Roger, "yet mingled with valiant men.
Over long is the tale to tell as now, so low as the sun is; so now ride
we on with little fear of foemen. For look you, this wood, like the
thickets about the Burg of the Four Friths, hath an evil name, and few
folk ride it uncompelled; therefore it is the safer for us. And yet I
will say this to thee, that whereas awhile agone thou mightest have
departed from me with little peril of aught save the stumbling on some
of the riders of the Burg of the Four Friths, departing from me now
will be a hard matter to thee; for the saints in Heaven only know
whitherward thou shouldest come, if thou wert to guide thyself now.
This a rough word, but a true one, so help me God and Saint Michael!
What sayest thou; art thou content, or wilt thou cast hard words at me
again?"

So it was that for all that had come and gone Ralph was light-hearted
and happy; so he laughed and said: "Content were I, even if I were not
compelled thereto. For my heart tells me of new things, and marvellous
and joyo