The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 20

  They Come to the Gate of Higham By the Way

  It was as Ursula had deemed, and they made for Higham by the shortestroad, so that they came before the gate a little before sunset: to thevery gate they came not; for there were strong barriers before it, andmen-at-arms within them, as though they were looking for an onfall.And amongst these were bowmen who bended their bows on Ralph and hiscompany. So Ralph stayed his men, and rode up to the barriers withRichard and Stephen a-Hurst, all three of them bare-headed with theirswords in the sheaths; and Stephen moreover bearing a white cloth on atruncheon. Then a knight of the town, very bravely armed, came forthfrom the barriers and went up to Ralph, and said: "Fair sir, art thoua knight?" "Yea," said Ralph. Said the knight, "Who be ye?" "I hightRalph of Upmeads," said Ralph, "and these be my men: and we pray theefor guesting in the town of my Lord Abbot to-night, and leave to departto-morrow betimes."

  "O unhappy young man," said the knight, "meseems these men be not somuch thine as thou art theirs; for they are of the Dry Tree, and beartheir token openly. Wilt thou then lodge thy company of strong-thieveswith honest men?"

  Stephen a-Hurst laughed roughly at this word, but Ralph said mildly:"These men are indeed of the Dry Tree, but they are my men and under myrule, and they be riding on my errands, which be lawful."

  The knight was silent a while and then he said: "Well, it may be so;but into this town they come not, for the tale of them is over long forhonest men to hearken to."

  Even as he spake, a man-at-arms somewhat evilly armed shoved throughthe barriers, thrusting aback certain of his fellows, and, coming up toRalph, stood staring up into his face with the tears starting into hiseyes. Ralph looked a moment, and then reached down his arms to embracehim, and kissed his face; for lo! it was his own brother Hugh. Withalhe whispered in his ear: "Get thee behind us, Hugh, if thou wilt comewith us, lad." So Hugh passed on quietly toward the band, while Ralphturned to the knight again, who said to him, "Who is that man?" "He ismine own brother," said Ralph. "Be he the brother of whom he will,"said the knight, "he was none the less our sworn man. Ye fools," saidhe, turning toward the men in the barrier, "why did ye not slay him?""He slipped out," said they, "before we wotted what he was about." Saidthe knight, "Where were your bows, then?"

  Said a man: "They were pressing so hard on the barrier, that we couldnot draw a bowstring. Besides, how might we shoot him without hittingthee, belike?"

  The knight turned toward Ralph, grown wroth and surly, and that themore he saw Stephen and Richard grinning; he said: "Fair sir, ye havestrengthened the old saw that saith, Tell me what thy friends are, andI will tell thee what thou art. Thou hast stolen our man with not aword on it."

  "Fair sir," said Ralph, "meseemeth thou makest more words than enoughabout it. Shall I buy my brother of thee, then? I have a good fewpieces in my pouch." The captain shook his head angrily.

  "Well," said Ralph, "how can I please thee, fair sir?"

  Quoth the knight: "Thou canst please me best by turning thy horses'heads away from Higham, all the sort of you." He stepped back towardthe barriers, and then came forward again, and said: "Look you,man-at-arms, I warn thee that I trust thee not, and deem that thouliest. Now have I mind to issue out and fall upon you: for ye shall beevil guests in my Lord Abbot's lands."

  Now at last Ralph waxed somewhat wroth, and he said: "Come out then, ifyou will, and we shall meet you man for man; there is yet light on thislily lea, and we will do so much for thee, churl though thou be."

  But as he spoke, came the sounds of horns, and lo, over the bent showedthe points of spears, and then all those five-score of the Dry Treewhom the captain had sent after Ralph came pouring down the bent. Theknight looked on them under the sharp of his hand, till he saw the DryTree on their coats also, and then he turned and gat him hastily intothe barriers; and when he was amongst his own men he fell to roaringout a defiance to Ralph, and a bolt flew forth, and two or threeshafts, but hurt no one. Richard and Stephen drew their swords, butRalph cried out: "Come away, friends, tarry not to bicker with thesefools, who are afraid of they know not what: it is but lying under thenaked heaven to-night instead of under the rafters, but we have alllodged thus a many times: and we shall be nigher to our journey's endto-morrow when we wake up."

  Therewith he turned his horse with Richard and Stephen and came to hisown men. There was much laughter and jeering at the Abbot's men amidstof the Dry Tree, both of those who had ridden with Ralph, and thenew-comers; but they arrayed them to ride further in good order, andpresently were skirting the walls of Higham out of bow-shot, and makingfor the Down country by the clear of the moon. The sergeants hadgotten a horse for Hugh, and by Ralph's bidding he rode beside him asthey went their ways, and the two brethren talked together lovingly.