But on the morrow Redhead departed from Goldburg with his men,
and he loth to depart, and they gave him farewell lovingly.
Thereafter Ralph's new men came to him in the hostelry, and he
feasted them and did well to them, so that they praised him much.
Then he gat him victuals and sumpter-horses for the journey,
and bought good store of bows and arrows withal. Furthermore he took
heed to Redhead's word and bought a goodly gift of silver vessel
and fine cloth for the King of Cheaping Knowe.
The day after he and his company departed from Goldburg toward
the mountains, which they passed unfought and unwaylaid:
partly because they were a band of stout men, and partly because
a little before there had been a great overthrow of the wild
men of those mountains at the hands of the men of Goldburg
and the Chapmen; so that now the mountain-men lay close,
and troubled none that rode with any force.
On the way they failed not to pass by the place where they had
erst found Bull Nosy slain: there they saw his howe, heaped up
exceeding high, covered in with earth, whereon the grass was now
beginning to grow, and with a great standing stone on the top thereof,
whereon was graven the image of a bull, with a sword thereunder;
whereby the wayfarers wotted that this had been done in his memory
by his brother, the new Lord of Utterbol.
So they came down out of the mountains to Whiteness,
where they had good entertainment, but tarried not save
for one night, riding their ways betimes to Cheaping Knowe:
and they came before the gate thereof safe and sound on
the third day; and slept in the hostelry of the chapmen.
Pages:
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595