tate was, and how thriving was the lot of one and all
with them. Therewith was Ralph well pleased, and they sat talking
there in good fellowship till the night was somewhat worn, and all men
fared to bed.

CHAPTER 19

Ralph Sees Hampton and the Scaur

When it was morning Ralph arose and went into the hall of the hostelry,
and even as he entered it the outside door opened, and in came Roger,
and Richard with him (for he had been astir very early) and Roger, who
was armed from head to foot and wore a coat of the Dry Tree, cried out:
"Now, Lord, thou wert best do on thy war-gear, for thou shalt presently
be captain of an host." "Yea, Roger," quoth Ralph, "and hast thou done
well?" "Well enough," said Richard; "thine host shall not be a great
one, but no man in it will be a blencher, for they be all champions of
the Dry Tree."

"Yea," quoth Roger, "so it was that Stephen a-Hurst brought me to a
company of my old fellows, and we went all of us together to the
Captain of the Burg (e'en he of the Dry Tree, who in these latest days
is made captain of all), and did him to wit that thou hadst a need; and
whereas he, as all of us, had heard of the strokes that thou struckest
in the wood that day when thy happiness first began, (woe worth the
while!) he stickled not to give some of us leave to look on the
hand-play with thee. But soft, my Lord! abound not in thanks as yet,
till I tell thee. The said Captain hath gotten somewhat of the mind of
a chapman by dwelling in a town, 'tis like (the saints forgive me for
saying so!) and would strike a bargain with thee." "Yea," said Ralph,
smiling, "I partly guess what like the bargain is; but say thou."

Said Roger: "I like not his bargain, not for thy sake but mine own;
this it is, that we shall ride, all of us who are to be of thy
fellowship, to the Castle of the Scaur to-day, and there thy Lady shall
sit in the throne whereas in past days our Lady and Queen was wont to
sit; and that thou shalt swear upon her head, that whensoever he
biddeth thee come to the help of the Burg of the Four Friths and the
tribes of the Wheat-wearers, thou shalt come in arms by the straightest
road with such fellowship as thou mayst gather; and if thou wilt so do,
we of the Dry Tree who go with thee on this journey are thine to save
or to spend by flood or field, or castle wall, amidst the edges and the
shafts and the fire-flaught. What sayest thou--thou who art lucky, and
hast of late become