"
"Even so," quoth the captain, who was a man of few words, "let us go.
But do thou, Clement, abide by the stuff with the lads and bowmen."
Then he cried out aloud: "St. Christopher to aid!" and shook his rein,
and all they who were clad in armour and well mounted spurred
on with him against the strong-thieves. But these, when they saw
the onset of the horsemen, but drew a little up the hill-side
and stood fast, and some of the horses were hurt by their shot.
So the captain bade draw rein and off horse, while Clement led his
bowmen nigher, and they shot well together, and hindered the thieves
from closing round the men-at-arms, or falling on the horses.
So then the companions went forward stoutly on foot, and entered
into the battle of the thieves, and there was the thrusting
and the hewing great: for the foemen bore axes, and malls,
and spears, and were little afraid, having the vantage-ground;
and they were lithe and strong men, though not tall.
Ralph played manfully, and was hurt by a spear above the knee,
but not grievously; so he heeded it not, but cleared a space all about
him with great strokes of the Upmeads' blade; then as the wild men
gave back there was one of them who stood his ground and let drive
a stroke of a long-handled hammer at him, but Ralph ran in under
the stroke and caught him by the throat and drew him out of the press.
And even therewith the wild men broke up before the onset of
the all-armed carles, and fled up the hill, and the men-at-arms
followed them but a little, for their armour made them unspeedy;
so that they took no more of those men, though they slew some,
but turned about and gathered round Ralph and made merry over
his catch, for they were joyous with the happy end of battle;
and Clement, who had left his bowmen when the Companions were
mingled with the wild-men, was there amidst the nighest.
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