tly, till his heart was lightened again. Withal she bade him
seek some venison, since they were drawing out the time, and she knew
not how long it would be ere they came to the Sage's dwelling.
Therefore he betook him to the Turk bow, and shot a leash of
heath-fowl, and they supped on the meat merrily in the wilderness.

But if they were merry, they were soon weary; for they journeyed on
after sunset that night, since the moon was up, and there was no thick
wood to turn dusk into dark for them. Their resting-place was a smooth
piece of greensward betwixt the water and a half circle of steep bent
that well nigh locked it about.

There then they abode, and in the stillness of the night heard a
thundering sound coming down the wind to them, which they deemed was
the roaring of distant waters; and when they went to the lip of the
river they saw flocks of foam floating by, wherefore they thought
themselves to be near some great mountain-neck whereover the water was
falling from some high place. But with no to-do they lay down upon the
greensward this second night of their fellowship, and waked later than
on the day before; for so weary had they been, that they had kept but
ill watch in the dark night, and none at all after dawn began to
glimmer.

Now Ralph sat up and saw Ursula still sleeping; then he rose to his
feet and looked about him, and saw their two horses cropping the grass
under the bent, and beside them a man, tall and white bearded, leaning
on his staff. Ralph caught up his sword and went toward the man, and
the sun gleamed from the blade just as the hoary-one turned to him; he
lifted up his staff as if in greeting to Ralph, and came toward him,
and even therewith Ursula awoke and arose, and saw the greybeard at
once; and she cried out: "Take heed to thy sword, fellow-farer, for,
praised be the saints, this is the Sage of Swevenham!"

So they stood there together till the Sage came up to them and kissed
them both, and said: "I am glad that ye are come at last; for I looked
for you no later than this. So now mount your horses and come with me
straightway; because life is short to them who have not yet drunk of
the Well at the World's End. Moreover if ye chance to come on the
riders of Utterbol, it shall go hard with you unless I be at hand."

Ralph saw of him that though he was an old hoar man to look on, yet he
was strong and sturdy, tall, and of goodly presence, with ruddy cheeks,
and red lips and br