ard Osberne and
spake softly to the others: "This is a friend and a stout-heart; he
shall be of all avail to us."

"Speak not," said Stephen, "but hold we on, and go crouching till we
be under the lee of the dyke." Even so did they, and Stephen led the
way, but Osberne came next and Steelhead with him; they spake not
together, but Osberne felt the stronger for having him beside him, and
his heart was full of joy.

So they clomb the dyke, and as they topped it they saw a weaponed man
on his feet betwixt them and the sky. Stephen stood up straightway and
fell a-whistling a merry tune, but softly enough, while he made a sign
to the others to fetch a compass and go creeping past this man. So
they did, while Stephen and the warder walked toward one another; but
so soon as they met, the warder knew his friend, and hailed him and
said: "Well, minstrel, thou art back again pretty soon; what is
toward, man?" Said Stephen: "Sooth to say, I went not all the way
home; for it came into my mind that maybe the Baron might call for me
again; and when it rains florins I am fain to have my hat under the
spout." Said the warder: "Thou art come in time, for the Baron is
somewhat ailing, and whiles he sleeps not well a-nights; it was but
last night when it was so, and he sends for me and asks me of thee,
and biddeth me fetch thee; and St. Peter! the uproar when I told him
that thou wert gone; and it was hardly that I escaped a whipcord
supper. Howsoever, his wrath ran off him in a little, and then he bade
me look out for thee, and if I find thee I am to bring thee to him at
any hour of day or night wherein the armour is off him: wherefore, see
thou, in happy hour art thou come. So abide me till I go and fetch a
fellow to keep my watch, and then will I go on with thee to my lord."

"Wait a while," said Stephen; "to say sooth I have hereby an old
carle, my uncle, and his son, a young swain, and both they are good at
song, and the older man a very poke stuffed full of old tales: how
were it if I brought them along?"

"It were good," said the warder, "for it shall, see thou, make a
change of disport for our lord, and that will please him the more. So
go now, bring up hither thy kinsmen, and I will see to my watch and we
will meet here straightway."

So then Stephen went to his folk, who were creeping nigher and nigher
the Great Bastide, and were as now in broken ground somewhat bushed, a
good lurking-place to wit. There he finds them, and