So I bid thee lead me whither thou wilt, and if thou be a traitor
to me, on thine own head be it; in good sooth, since I know
nought of this wood and since I might go astray and so come back
to the Burg where be those whom thou hast now made my foemen,
I am content to take thee on thy word, and to hope the best of thee,
and ask no question of thee, save whitherward."
"Fair sir," said Roger, "away from this place at least;
for we are as yet over nigh to the Burg to be safe:
but as to elsewhither we may wend, thereof we may speak on
the road as we have leisure."
Therewith he smote his horse with his heel and they went forward at
a smart trot, for the horses were unwearied, and the wood thereabouts
of beech and clear of underwood; and Roger seemed to know his way well,
and made no fumbling over it.
Four hours or more gone, the wood thinned and the beeches failed,
and they came to a country, still waste, of little low hills,
stony for the more part, beset with scraggy thorn-bushes, and here
and there some other berry-tree sown by the birds. Then said Roger:
"Now I deem us well out of the peril of them of the Burg, who if they
follow the chase as far as the sundering of us and the others,
will heed our slot nothing, but will follow on that of the company:
so we may breathe our horses a little, though their bait will be
but small in this rough waste: therein we are better off than they,
for lo you, saddle bags on my nag and meat and drink therein.
Pages:
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130