Also to-day they say in Higham that no otherwise might they ever
have overcome the stark and cruel carles of the Burg of the Four
Friths and chased them out of their town, as we know they have done.
Hah! what sayest thou?"
"I say, Hugh," quoth Ralph angrily, "that thou art a fool to go about with
a budget of slanderous old wives' tales." Hugh laughed. "Be not so wroth,
little lord, or I shall be asking thee tales of marvels also. But hearken.
I shall smooth out thy frowns with a smile when thou hast heard this:
this folk are not only afeard of their old enemies, the devil-led men,
but also they fear those whom the devil-led men have driven out of house
and home, to wit, the Burgers. Yet again they fear the Burgers yet more,
because they have beaten some of the very foes of Higham, to wit,
the Westland Barons; for they have taken from them some of their strong-holds,
and are deemed to be gathering force."
Ralph pondered a while, and then he said: "Brother, hast thou any
tidings of Upmeads, or that these Burgers have gone down thither?"
"God forbid!" said Hugh. "Nay, I have had no tidings of Upmeads
since I was fool enough to leave it."
"What! brother," said Ralph, "thou hast not thriven then?"
"I have had ups and downs," said Hugh, "but the ups have
been one rung of the ladder, and the downs three--or more.
Three months I sat in prison for getting me a broken head in a quarrel
that concerned me not.
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