st riding of
the Baron of Deepdale.

Chapter XXV. Stephen Tells of an Adventure in the Camp of the Foemen

Thereafter the Baron gathered his men again, and rode abroad divers
times in the summer and autumn, and was now gotten warier, so that he
gat no great overthrow. Yet was he often met by them of Eastcheaping,
and not seldom had the worse. Osberne and his were in the field as oft
as any, and gave and took, but ever showed them valiant. Osberne was
hurt twice, but not sorely, and ever he waxed in manhood, and was well
accounted of by all men; and the Dalesmen began to be well known to
them of Deepdale and were a terror to them.

Thus wore summer and autumn, and Osberne saw no face of the hope of
getting home to the Dale before spring. The winter came early, and was
with much frost and snow, and they of Eastcheaping kept them within
their walls perforce, but they held the Yule-feast merrily and with
good heart.

When winter was gone and the snow and the floods, and spring was come
again, there began again skirmishing and riding; and now one, now the
other prevailed; and Osberne fell to learning all the feats of
chivalry under Sir Medard. And in one fray he paid his master back for
the learning, and somewhat more; for the Knight thrust too far forth
amongst the foemen, and was unhorsed and set on by many; and had not
Osberne been [nigh], who bestrode him with Boardcleaver in his fist,
and thrust and hewed all around till some of theirs came up to help,
the good town had lost its captain. So he rehorsed Sir Medard, and
somewhat hardly they came forth of the throng, and were not ill beaten
that day.

But when May was, the Baron of Deepdale had waxed so mighty that he
gathered a great host together, and came therewith against
Eastcheaping, so that they had nought to do save draw within their
walls: and the Baron sent a herald, and bade thereby yield them, on
such terms, over and above paying their truage according to his will,
that they should batter down their walls, and take his men into their
castle and have his burgreve over them, and moreover that they give
over ten of their best to his mercy. This challenge they naysaid in
few words, for the town was well victualled and manned. Wherefore on
the morrow early the Baron assailed the walls with many men, but gat
nothing thereby save loss of good men; and the assault over, Medard
and his opened the gates and went forth on the foemen while they were
yet in disar