Go night and day, sit not down to eat, stand not to drink;
heed none that crieth after thee for deliverance, but go, go, go till
thou hast found him. Meseems I see him riding toward Higham,
but those dastards will not open gate to him, of that be sure.
He shall pass on and lie to-night, it may be at Mileham, it may be
at Milton, it may be at Garton; at one of those thorps shall ye find him.
And when ye have found him thus bespeak him: O bright Friend
of the Well, turn not aside to fall on the Burgers in this land,
either at Foxworth Castle, or the Longford, or the Nineways Garth:
all that thou mayest do hereafter, thou or thy champions.
There be Burgers otherwhere, housed in no strong castle,
but wending the road toward the fair greensward of Upmeads.
If thou delay to go look on them, then shall thy work be to begin
again amid sorrow of heart and loss that may not be remedied.'
Hast thou heard me, lord?"
"Yea, verily," said Ralph, "and at sunrise shall we be in the saddle
to ride straight to Upmeads. For I know thee, friend."
"Hold a while," said the carle, "for meseemeth I know thee also.
But this withal she said: 'But hearken, Giles, hearken a while,
for I see him clearly, and the men that he rideth with, and the men
that are following to his aid, fierce and fell are they; but so withal
are the foemen that await them, and his are few, howsoever fierce.
Therefore bid him this also. Haste, haste, haste! But haste not overmuch,
lest thou speed the worse: in Bear Castle I see a mote of our folk,
and thee amidst of it with thy champions, and I see the staves of the
Shepherds rising round thee like a wood.
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