"
There then they sat to meat unarmed, for the Sage had said to them:
"Doff your armour; ye shall not come to handystrokes with
the Utterbol Riders."
So they ate their meat in the wilderness, and were nowise ungleeful,
for to those twain the world seemed fair, and they hoped for great things.
But though they were glad, they were weary enough, for the way had been
both rugged and long; so they lay them down to sleep while the night was
yet young. But or ever Ralph closed his eyes he saw the Sage standing
up with his cloak wrapped about his head, and making strange signs with
his right hand; so that he deemed that he would ward them by wizardry.
So therewith he turned about on the grass and was asleep at once.
After a while he started and sat up, half awake at first; for he
felt some one touch him; and his halfdreams went back to past days,
and he cried out: "Hah Roger! is it thou? What is toward?"
But therewith he woke up fully, and knew that it was the Sage
that had touched him, and withal he saw hard by Ursula.
sitting up also.
There was still a flickering flame playing about the red embers of their fire,
for they had made it very big; and the moon had arisen and was shining bright
in a cloudless sky.
The Sage spake softly but quickly: "Lie down together, ye two,
and I shall cast my cloak over you, and look to it that ye stir not from
out of it, nor speak one word till I bid you, whate'er may befall:
for the riders of Utterbol are upon us.
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