"Belike," quoth the said chieftain, "thou wouldst wish to show me some token,
whereby we may wot that thou art that Friend of the Well and of our kinsman
concerning whom he sent us a message."
Then Ralph bethought him of the pouch with the knot of grass
therein which Bull Shockhead had given him at Goldburg;
so he drew it out, and gave it into the hand of the chieftain,
who no sooner caught a glimpse thereof than he said:
"Verily our brother's hand hath met thine when he gave thee this.
Yet forsooth, now that I look on thee, I may say that scarce
did I need token to tell me that thou wert the very man.
For I can see thee, that thou art of great honour
and worship, and thou didst ride boldly against the foemen
when thou knewest not that we had waylaid thy waylayers.
Now I wot that there is no need to ask thee whether thou
wouldst get thee out of our mountains by the shortest road,
yet wilt thou make it little longer, and somewhat safer,
if ye will suffer us to lead thee by way of our dwelling."
So Ralph yeasaid his bidding without more words.
As they spake thus together the road both above and below was
become black with weaponed men, and some of Ralph's band looked
on one another, as though they doubted their new friends somewhat.
But the Sage of Swevenham spoke to them and bade them fear nought.
"For," said he, "so far as we go, who are now their friends,
there is no guile in these men." The Bull captain heard him and said:
"Thou sayest sooth, old man; and I shall tell thee that scarce had
a band like thine come safe through the mountains, save by great
good luck, without the leave of us; for the fool with the crown
that lieth there dead had of late days so stirred up the Folks
of the Fells through his grimness and cruelty that we have been
minded to stop everything bigger than a cur-dog that might seek
to pass by us, for at least so long as yonder rascal should live.
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