Now thus it is:
on that same second night, not only is the wood at hand to
cover thee, but I shall be chief warder of the side of the camp
where thou lodgest, so that I can put thee on the road:
and if I were better worth, I would say, take me with thee,
but as it is, I will not burden thee with that prayer."
"Yea," said Ralph, "I have had one guide in this country-side
and he bewrayed me. This is a matter of life and death,
so I will speak out and say how am I to know but that thou
also art going about to bewray me?"
Redhead lept up to his feet, and roared out: "What shall I say?
what shall I say? By the soul of my father I am not bewraying thee.
May all the curses of Utterbol be sevenfold heavier on me if I am
thy traitor and dastard."
"Softly lad, softly," said Ralph, "lest some one should hear thee.
Content thee, I must needs believe thee if thou makest so much
noise about it."
Then Redhead sat him down again, and for all that he was so rough
and sturdy a carle he fell a-weeping.
"Nay, nay," said Ralph, "this is worse in all wise than
the other noise. I believe thee as well as a man can who is
dealing with one who is not his close friend, and who therefore
spareth truth to his friend because of many years use and wont.
Come to thyself again and let us look at this matter square in the face,
and speedily too, lest some unfriend or busybody come on us.
There now! Now, in the first place dost thou know why I am come
into this perilous and tyrannous land?"
Said Redhead: "I have heard it said that thou art on the quest
of the Well at the World's End.
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