ght
so ill."

"Ah," she said, "look round on thy men, and think of the might of war
that is in them, and think of the deeds to come. But O how I would
that these next few days were worn away, and we yet alive for a long
while."

CHAPTER 20

They Come to the Gate of Higham By the Way

It was as Ursula had deemed, and they made for Higham by the shortest
road, so that they came before the gate a little before sunset: to the
very gate they came not; for there were strong barriers before it, and
men-at-arms within them, as though they were looking for an onfall.
And amongst these were bowmen who bended their bows on Ralph and his
company. So Ralph stayed his men, and rode up to the barriers with
Richard and Stephen a-Hurst, all three of them bare-headed with their
swords in the sheaths; and Stephen moreover bearing a white cloth on a
truncheon. Then a knight of the town, very bravely armed, came forth
from the barriers and went up to Ralph, and said: "Fair sir, art thou
a knight?" "Yea," said Ralph. Said the knight, "Who be ye?" "I hight
Ralph of Upmeads," said Ralph, "and these be my men: and we pray thee
for guesting in the town of my Lord Abbot to-night, and leave to depart
to-morrow betimes."

"O unhappy young man," said the knight, "meseems these men be not so
much thine as thou art theirs; for they are of the Dry Tree, and bear
their token openly. Wilt thou then lodge thy company of strong-thieves
with honest men?"

Stephen a-Hurst laughed roughly at this word, but Ralph said mildly:
"These men are indeed of the Dry Tree, but they are my men and under my
rule, and they be riding on my errands, which be lawful."

The knight was silent a while and then he said: "Well, it may be so;
but into this town they come not, for the tale of them is over long for
honest men to hearken to."

Even as he spake, a man-at-arms somewhat evilly armed shoved through
the barriers, thrusting aback certain of his fellows, and, coming up to
Ralph, stood staring up into his face with the tears starting into his
eyes. Ralph looked a moment, and then reached down his arms to embrace
him, and kissed his face; for lo! it was his own brother Hugh. Withal
he whispered in his ear: "Get thee behind us, Hugh, if thou wilt come
with us, lad." So Hugh passed on quietly toward the band, while Ralph
turned to the knight again, who said to him, "Who is that man?" "He is
mine own brother," said Ralph. "Be he the brother of who