Thou hast stolen our man with not a word on it."
"Fair sir," said Ralph, "meseemeth thou makest more words
than enough about it. Shall I buy my brother of thee, then?
I have a good few pieces in my pouch." The captain shook
his head angrily.
"Well," said Ralph, "how can I please thee, fair sir?"
Quoth the knight: "Thou canst please me best by turning thy horses'
heads away from Higham, all the sort of you." He stepped back
toward the barriers, and then came forward again, and said:
"Look you, man-at-arms, I warn thee that I trust thee not, and deem
that thou liest. Now have I mind to issue out and fall upon you:
for ye shall be evil guests in my Lord Abbot's lands."
Now at last Ralph waxed somewhat wroth, and he said:
"Come out then, if you will, and we shall meet you man for man;
there is yet light on this lily lea, and we will do so much
for thee, churl though thou be."
But as he spoke, came the sounds of horns, and lo, over the bent showed
the points of spears, and then all those five-score of the Dry Tree
whom the captain had sent after Ralph came pouring down the bent.
The knight looked on them under the sharp of his hand, till he saw
the Dry Tree on their coats also, and then he turned and gat him hastily
into the barriers; and when he was amongst his own men he fell to roaring
out a defiance to Ralph, and a bolt flew forth, and two or three shafts,
but hurt no one. Richard and Stephen drew their swords, but Ralph cried out:
"Come away, friends, tarry not to bicker with these fools, who are afraid
of they know not what: it is but lying under the naked heaven to-night
instead of under the rafters, but we have all lodged thus a many times:
and we shall be nigher to our journey's end to-morrow when we wake up.
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