"
"Moreover," said Ralph, "I have lost Falcon my horse;
it is a sore miss of him."
"Maybe," quoth Roger, "but at least thou hast saved thy skin; and whereas
there are many horses on the earth, there is but one skin of thine:
be content; if thou wilt, thou shall win somewhat in exchange
for thine horse."
Ralph smiled, but somewhat sourly, and even therewith he heard
a shrill whistle a little aloof, and the men stayed and held
their peace, for they were talking together freely again now.
Then the big man put his fingers to his mouth and whistled
again in answer, a third whistle answered him; and lo,
presently, as their company hastened on, the voices of men,
and anon they came into a little wood-lawn wherein standing
about or lying on the grass beside their horses were more than
a score of men well armed, but without any banner or token,
and all in white armour with white Gaberdines thereover;
and they had with them, as Ralph judged, some dozen of horses
more than they needed for their own riding.
Great was the joy at this meeting, and there was embracing and kissing
of friends: but Ralph noted that no man embraced that slender youth,
and that he held him somewhat aloof from the others, and all seemed
to do him reverence.
Now spake one of the runaways: "Well, lads, here be all we four
well met again along with those twain who came to help us at
our pinch, as their wont is, and Roger withal, good at need again,
and a friend of his, as it seemeth, and whom we know not.
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