the shoulder and bade him come
back whole and well in any case. "Yea, and so shalt thou come back,"
said he.

Then the horns blew for departure, and they went their ways out of the
market-place, and out into the fields through the new wooden wall of
Wulstead. Richard led the way with a half score of the Champions, but
he rode but a little way before Ralph, who marched at the head of the
Shepherds.

So they went in the fresh morning over the old familiar fields, and
strange it seemed to Ralph that he was leading an host into the little
land of Upmeads. Speedily they went, though in good order, and it was
but a little after sunrise when they were wending toward the brow of
the little hill whence they would look down into the fair meads whose
image Ralph had seen on so many days of peril and weariness.

And now Richard and his fore-riders had come up on to the brow and sat
there on their horses clear against the sky; and Ralph saw how Richard
drew his sword from the scabbard and waved it over his head, and he and
his men shouted; then the whole host set up a great shout, and hastened
up the bent, but with the end of their shout and the sound of the tramp
of their feet and the rattle of their war-gear was mingled a confused
noise of cries a way off, and the blowing of horns, and as Ralph and
his company came crowding up on to the brow, he looked down and saw the
happy meadows black with weaponed men, and armour gleaming in the clear
morning, and the points of weapons casting back the low sun's rays and
glittering like the sparks in a dying fire of straw. Then again he
looked, and lo! the High House rising over the meadows unburned and
unhurt, and the banner of the fruited tree hanging forth from the
topmost tower thereof.

Then he felt a hand come on to his cheek, and lo, Ursula beside him,
her cheeks flushed and her eyes glittering; and she cried out: "O thine
home, my beloved, thine home!" And he turned to her and said; "Yea,
presently, sweetheart!" "Ah," she said, "will it be long? and they so
many!" "And we so mighty!" said Ralph. "Nay, it will be but a little
while. Wise man of Swevenham, see to it that my beloved is anigh me
to-day, for where I am, there will be safety."

The Sage nodded yeasay and smiled.

Then Ralph looked along the ridge to right and left of him, and saw
that all the host had come up and had a sight of the foemen; on the
right stood the Shepherds staring down into the meadow and lau