The Well at the World's End: A Tale

  CHAPTER 18

  They Come to the Dry Tree

  Presently as they rode they had before them one of the greatest ofthose land-waves, and they climbed it slowly, going afoot and leadingtheir horses; but when they were but a little way from the brow theysaw, over a gap thereof, something, as it were huge horns rising upinto the air beyond the crest of the ridge. So they marvelled, anddrew their swords, and held them still awhile, misdoubting if this wereperchance some terrible monster of the waste; but whereas the thingmoved not at all, they plucked up heart and fared on.

  So came they to the brow and looked over it into a valley, about whichon all sides went the ridge, save where it was broken down into anarrow pass on the further side, so that the said valley was like toone of those theatres of the ancient Roman Folk, whereof are some to beseen in certain lands. Neither did those desert benches lack theirsitters; for all down the sides of the valley sat or lay children ofmen; some women, but most men-folk, of whom the more part wereweaponed, and some with their drawn swords in their hands. Whateversemblance of moving was in them was when the eddying wind of the valleystirred the rags of their raiment, or the long hair of the women. Buta very midmost of this dreary theatre rose up a huge and monstroustree, whose topmost branches were even the horns which they had seenfrom below the hill's brow. Leafless was that tree and lacking oftwigs, and its bole upheld but some fifty of great limbs, and as theylooked on it, they doubted whether it were not made by men's handsrather than grown up out of the earth. All round about the roots of itwas a pool of clear water, that cast back the image of the valley-sideand the bright sky of the desert, as though it had been a mirror ofburnished steel. The limbs of that tree were all behung with blazonedshields and knight's helms, and swords, and spears, and axes, andhawberks; and it rose up into the air some hundred feet above the flatof the valley.

  For a while they looked down silently on to this marvel then from boththeir lips at once came the cry THE DRY TREE. Then Ralph thrust hissword back into his sheath and said: "Meseems I must needs go downamongst them; there is naught to do us harm here; for all these aredead like the others that we saw."

  Ursula turned to him with burning cheeks and sparkling eyes, and saideagerly: "Yea, yea, let us go down, else might we chance to misssomething that we ought to wot of."

  Therewith she also sheathed her sword, and they went both of them downtogether, and that easily; for as aforesaid the slope was as if it hadbeen cut into steps for their feet. And as they passed by the deadfolk, for whom they had often to turn aside, they noted that each ofthe dead leathery faces was drawn up in a grin as though they had diedin pain, and yet beguiled, so that all those visages looked somewhatalike, as though they had come from the workshop of one craftsman.

  At last Ralph and Ursula stood on the level ground underneath the Tree,and they looked up at the branches, and down to the water at theirfeet; and now it seemed to them as though the Tree had verily growth init, for they beheld its roots, that they went out from the mound orislet of earth into the water, and spread abroad therein, and seemed towaver about. So they walked around the Tree, and looked up at theshields that hung on its branches, but saw no blazon that they knew,though they were many and diverse; and the armour also and weapons werevery diverse of fashion.

  Now when they were come back again to the place where they had firststayed, Ralph said: "I thirst, and so belike dost thou; and here iswater good and clear; let us drink then, and so spare our water-skins,for belike the dry desert is yet long." And therewith he knelt downthat he might take of the water in the hollow of his hand. But Ursuladrew him back, and cried out in terror: "O Ralph, do it not! Seestthou not this water, that although it be bright and clear, so that wemay see all the pebbles at the bottom, yet nevertheless when the windeddies about, and lifts the skirts of our raiment, it makes no rippleon the face of the pool, and doubtless it is heavy with venom; andmoreover there is no sign of the way hereabout, as at otherwatering-steads; O forbear, Ralph!"

  Then he rose up and drew back with her but slowly and unwillingly asshe deemed; and they stood together a while gazing on these marvels.But lo amidst of this while, there came a crow wheeling over the valleyof the dead, and he croaked over the Dry Tree, and let himself dropdown to the edge of the pool, whereby he stalked about a little afterthe manner of his kind. Then he thrust his neb into the water anddrank, and thereafter took wing again; but ere he was many feet off theground he gave a grievous croak, and turning over in the air fell downstark dead close to the feet of those twain; and Ralph cried out butspake no word with meaning therein; then said Ursula: "Yea, thus arewe saved from present death." Then she looked in Ralph's face, andturned pale and said hastily: "O my friend how is it with thee?" Butshe waited not for an answer, but turned her face to the bent wherebythey had come down, and cried out in a loud, shrill voice: "O Ralph,Ralph! look up yonder to the ridge whereby we left our horses; look,look! there glitters a spear and stirreth! and lo a helm underneath thespear: tarry not, let us save our horses!"

  Then Ralph let a cry out from his mouth, and set off running to theside of the slope, and fell to climbing it with great strides, notheeding Ursula; but she followed close after, and scrambled up withfoot and hand and knee, till she stood beside him on the top, and helooked around wildly and cried out: "Where! where are they?"

  "Nowhere," she said, "it was naught but my word to draw thee fromdeath; but praise to the saints that thou are come alive out of theaccursed valley."

  He seemed not to hearken, but turned about once, and beat the air withhis hands, and then fell down on his back and with a great wail shecast herself upon him, for she deemed at first that he was dead. Butshe took a little water from one of their skins, and cast it into hisface, and took a flask of cordial from her pouch, and set it to hislips, and made him drink somewhat thereof. So in a while he came tohimself and opened his eyes and smiled upon her, and she took his headin her hands and kissed his cheek, and he sat up and said feebly:"Shall we not go down into the valley? there is naught there to harmus."

  "We have been down there already," she said, "and well it is that weare not both lying there now."

  Then he got to his feet, and stretched himself, and yawned like onejust awakened from long sleep. But she said: "Let us to horse andbegone; it is early hours to slumber, for those that are seeking theWell at the World's End."

  He smiled on her again and took her hand, and she led him to his horse,and helped him till he was in the saddle and lightly she gata-horseback, and they rode away swiftly from that evil place; and aftera while Ralph was himself again, and remembered all that had happenedtill he fell down on the brow of the ridge. Then he praised Ursula'swisdom and valiancy till she bade him forbear lest he weary her.Albeit she drew up close to him and kissed his face sweetly.