Said the Elder: "Wilt thou be our Captain,
if we do according to thy bidding? For thou needest not fear
our failing thee."
"Yea verily," said Ralph.
Said the Elder: "Ralph of Upmeads, wilt thou be our Captain
as an alien and a hireling, or as a brother?"
"As a brother," quoth Ralph.
"Come up here then, Captain of our folk, and take my hand in thine,
and swear by our fathers and thine to be a true brother
of us, and take this ancient staff of war in thine hand.
And, ye kindred of the Shepherds, bear witness of his swearing.
Yea and ye also, O neighbours of the Dry Tree!"
So Ralph went up on the wall-top and took the Elder's hand, and took from
him the ancient guisarme, which was inlaid with gold letters of old time;
and he swore in a loud voice to be a true brother of the Shepherd-folk,
and raised the weapon aloft and shook it strongly, and all the Folk cried,
"Hail our brother!" and the Champions shouted gladly withal, and great joy
there was in that ingle of the ancient work.
Then spake the Elder and said: "Ye champions of the Dry Tree,
will ye wend with us under the Captain our brother against his
foemen and ours?"
Then stood forth Stephen a-Hurst and said, "Master shepherd,
for nought else are we come hither."
Said the Elder: "Will ye come with us as friends or as hirelings?
for in any case we would have you by our sides, and not in face of us;
and though we be shepherds, and unhoused, or ill-housed, yet have we
wherewithal to wage you, as ye know well enough, who have whiles
lifted our gear.
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