heap
of grey rocks rising out of it like a reef out of the sea, and on the
said reef, and climbing up as it were to the topmost of it, the white
walls of a great castle, the crown whereof was a huge round tower. At
the foot of the ridge was a thorp of white houses thatched with straw
scattered over a good piece of the plain. The company drew rein on the
ridge-top, and the Champions raised a great shout at the sight of their
old strong-place; and Roger turned to Ralph and said: "Fair Sir, how
deemest thou of the Castle of the Scaur?" but Richard broke in: "For my
part, friend Roger, I deem that ye do like to people unlearned in war
to leave the stronghold ungarnished of men. This is a fool's deed."
"Nay, nay," said Roger, "we need not be over-hasty, while it is our
chief business to order the mingled folk of the Wheat-wearers and
others who dwell in the Burg as now."

Then spake Ralph: "Yet how wilt thou say but that the foemen whom we
go to meet in Upmeads may be some of those very Burgers: hast thou
heard whether they have found a new dwelling among some unhappy folk,
or be still roving: maybe they shall deem Upmeads fair."

Spake Michael a-Hurst: "By thy leave, fair Sir, we have had a word of
those riders and strong-thieves that they have fetched a far compass,
and got them armour, and be come into the woodland north of the Wood
Debateable. For like all strong-thieves, they love the wood."

Roger laughed: "Yea, as we did, friend Michael, when we were thieves;
whereas now we be lords and gentlemen. But as to thy tidings, I set
not much by them; for of the same message was this word that they had
already fallen on Higham by the Way; and we know that this cannot be
true; since though forsooth the Abbot has had unpeace on his hands, we
know where his foemen came from, the West to wit, and the Banded
Barons."

"Yea, yea," quoth the Sage, "but may not the Burgers have taken service
with them?" "Yea, forsooth," quoth Roger, "but I deem not, or we had
been surer thereof."

Thus they spake, and they lighted down all of them to breathe their
horses, and Ursula spake with Ralph as they walked the greensward
together a little apart, and said: "Sweetheart, I am afraid of to-day."

"Yea, dear," said he, "and wherefore?" She said: "It will be hard for
me to enter that grim house yonder, and sit in the seat whence I was
erewhile threatened by the evil hag with hair like a grey she-bear."

He made much of her and s