ooking
somewhat brisker. Said the Lord: "I deem that I may find a man or two
for thee, though it is not much our manner here; but now go thou!
David, take the lad away to his tent, and get him a flask of wine of
the best to help out thy maundering with him."

Therewith they left the tent, and Ralph walked by David sadly and with
hanging head at first; but in a while he called to mind that, whatever
betid, his life was safe as yet; that every day he was drawing nigher
to the Well at the World's End; and that it was most like that he shall
fall in with that Dorothea of his dream somewhere on the way thereto.
So he lifted up his head again, and was singing to himself as he
stooped down to enter into his tent.

Next day naught happed to tell of save that they journeyed on; the day
was cloudy, so that Ralph saw no sign of the distant mountains; ever
the land was the same, but belike somewhat more beset with pinewoods;
they saw no folk at all on the road. So at even Ralph slept in his
tent, and none meddled with him, save that David came to talk with him
or he slept, and was merry and blithe with him, and he brought with him
Otter, the captain of the guard, who was good company.

Thus wore three days that were hazy and cloudy, and the Lord sent no
more for Ralph, who on the road spake for the more part with Otter, and
liked him not ill; howbeit it seemed of him that he would make no more
of a man's life than of a rabbit's according as his lord might bid slay
or let live.

The three hazy days past, it fell to rain for four days, so that Ralph
could see little of the face of the land; but he noted that they went
up at whiles, and never so much down as up, so that they were wending
up hill on the whole.

On the ninth day of his captivity the rain ceased and it was sunny and
warm but somewhat hazy, so that naught could be seen afar, but the land
near-hand rose in long, low downs now, and was quite treeless, save
where was a hollow here and there and a stream running through it,
where grew a few willows, but alders more abundantly.

This day he rode by Otter, who said presently: "Well, youngling of the
North, to-morrow we shall see a new game, thou and I, if the weather be
fair." "Yea," said Ralph, "and what like shall it be?" Said Otter, "At
mid-morn we shall come into a fair dale amidst the downs, where be some
houses and a tower of the Lord's, so that that place is called the Dale
of the Tower: there shall we abide