nd be thou blessed from one
end to the other, from the ocean sea to the uttermost mountains!"

A while he held the white steel in his fist, and then sheathed the
blade, and rode down soberly over the turf bridge across the ancient
fosse, and so came on to the green road made many ages before by an
ancient people, and so trotted south along fair and softly.

Little is to be told of his journey through the downs: as he topped a
low hill whereon were seven grave-mounds of the ancient folk in a row,
he came on a shepherd lying amidst of his sheep: the man sprang to his
feet when he heard horse-hoofs anigh him and saw the glint of steel,
and he set his hand to a short spear which lay by him; but when he saw
nought but Ralph, and heard how he gave him the sele of the day, he
nodded his head in a friendly way, though he said nought in salutation;
for the loneliness of the downs made the speech slow within him.

Again some two miles further on Ralph met a flock of sheep coming down
a bent which the road climbed, and with them were three men, their
drovers, and they drew nigh him as he was amidst of the sheep, so that
he could scarce see the way. Each of these three had a weapon; one a
pole-axe, another a long spear, and the third a flail jointed and bound
with iron, and an anlace hanging at his girdle. So they stood in the
way and hailed him when the sheep were gone past; and the man with the
spear asked him whither away. "I am turned toward Higham-on-the-Way,"
quoth he; "and how many miles shall I ride ere I get there?"

Said one of them: "Little less than twenty, lord." Now it was past
noon two hours, and the day was hot; so whereas the faces of the men
looked kind and friendly, albeit somewhat rugged, he lighted down from
his horse and sat down by the way-side, and drew his bottle of good
wine from out of his wallet, and asked the men if they were in haste.
"Nay, master," said he of the pole-axe, while all eyes turned to the
bottle, "HE has gone by too long; and will neither meddle with us, nor
may we deal with him."

"Well then," quoth Ralph, "there is time for bever. Have ye ought of a
cup, that we may drink to each other?"

"Yea," said the carle with the anlace, "that have I." Therewith he drew
from his pouch a ram's horn rimmed with silver, and held it up, and
said as if he were speaking to it: "Now, Thirly, rejoice! for ye shall
have lord's wine poured into thy maw."

Therewith he held it out toward Ralph,