n
he bade three of his men come with him down the water to seek tidings
of the Westdalers. So they went together, and a little below the Bight
of the Cloven Knoll, out of earshot of the Dwarf-folk, they met with
others from the lower steads come upon the same errand; and the
Westdalers were just come to the water-side with Wulfstan for their
spokesman, who forsooth had gotten some scratches from the war-beast,
so that his head and his arm were bandaged. Now he spake: "Hail to
you, stout-hearts of the East! Ye may deem that we prevailed in the
second battle yesterday, or ye would scarce have seen us here this
morn. Now the battle was foughten all about the garth and the house of
Longryggs, which the strong-thieves had fallen on to waste, but the
women-folk of the stead had saved their lives by flight, and the
carles thereof were in our company fighting valiantly. So whatever is
lost was lost in open battle, wherein two score and six of our best
men have changed their lives; but as for the strong-thieves, besides
them who fell in your shot-stour, we have buried over seven-score; and
the rest are fled away, many of them grievously hurt. Wherefore,
friends, we have won a great victory: God and his hallows keep us for
any more such!" And it seemed as if the goodman were weeping-ripe,
whereof none marvelled. But Osberne spake, and the sound of his own
voice seemed strange unto him: "Tell me, goodman, have ye lost nought
by the murder of men whenas the strong-thieves fell on some stead?"

"Nay," said Wulfstan, "the thieves have wasted no other stead save
Longryggs, whereas, as I have said, the folks escaped the murder, and
this little house which is hard hereby of Hartshaw Knolls. There
forsooth the two women be missing, but no slain body of carle or quean
have we found, nought of slaughter save the slaughter of kine and
sheep. And I must tell you that this morning our folk sought all about
heedfully, yea, and looked into every thicket and nook of the wood."

"Belike," quoth Osberne, "they will have carried off the two women?"
Said Wulfstan: "I fear it may well be so."

Said Osberne: "Well, this loss of two women, whom maybe ye shall find
again, is but little: but grievous is the manfall of the battles. Yet
not soon meseem shall reivers fall upon West Dale now they have
learned the valour of the folk thereof. Heried be the Lord God that
the folk yet liveth and shall live!"

He spake measuredly and in a loud voice, so that