"I am thy fellow-farer, Roger," said the speaker, "and this thou hast to do, get on thy raiment speedily, and take thy weapons without noise, if thou wouldst not be in the prison of the Burg before sunrise."
Ralph did as he was bidden without more words; for already when he lay down his heart misgave1 him that he was in no safe place; he looked to his weapons and armour2 that they should not clash, and down they came into the hall and found the door on the latch3; so out they went and Ralph saw that it was somewhat cloudy; the moon was set and it was dark, but Ralph knew by the scent4 that came in on the light wind, and a little stir of blended sounds, that it was hard on dawning; and even therewith he heard the challenge of the warders on the walls and their crying of the hour; and the chimes of the belfry rang clear and loud, and seeming close above him, two hours and a half after midnight. Roger spake not, and Ralph was man-at-arms enough to know that he must hold his peace; and though he longed sore to have his horse Falcon5 with him, yet he wotted that it availed not to ask of his horse, since he durst not ask of his life.
So they went on silently till they were out of the Great Place and came into a narrow street, and so into another which led them straight into the houseless space under the wall. Roger led right on as if he knew the way well, and in a twinkling were they come to a postern in the wall betwixt the East Gate and the South. By the said postern Ralph saw certain men standing6; and on the earth near by, whereas he was keen-eyed, he saw more than one man lying moveless.
Spake Roger softly to the men who stood on their feet: "Is the rope twined?" "Nay7, rope-twiner," said one of them. Then Roger turned and whispered to Ralph: "Friends. Get out thy sword!" Wherewithal the gate was opened, and they all passed out through the wall, and stood above the ditch in the angle-nook of a square tower. Then Ralph saw some of the men stoop and shoot out a broad plank8 over the ditch, which was deep but not wide thereabout, and straightway he followed the others over it, going last save Roger. By then they were on the other side he saw a glimmer10 of the dawn in the eastern heaven, but it was still more than dusk, and no man spoke11 again. They went on softly across the plain fields outside the wall, creeping from bush to bush, and from tree to tree, for here, if nowhere about the circuit of the Burg, were a few trees growing. Thus they came into a little wood and passed through it, and then Ralph could see that the men were six besides Roger; by the glimmer of the growing dawn he saw before them a space of meadows with high hedges about them, and a dim line that he took for the roof of a barn or grange, and beyond that a dark mass of trees.
Still they pressed on without speaking; a dog barked not far off and the cocks were crowing, and close by them in the meadow a cow lowed and went hustling12 over the bents and the long, unbitten buttercups. Day grew apace, and by then they were under the barn-gable which he had seen aloof14 he saw the other roofs of the grange and heard the bleating15 of sheep. And now he saw those six men clearly, and noted16 that one of them was very big and tall, and one small and slender, and it came into his mind that these two were none other than the twain whom he had come upon the last night sitting in the hall of the Flower de Luce.
Even therewith came a man to the gate of the sheep-cote by the grange, and caught sight of them, and had the wits to run back at once shouting out: "Hugh, Wat, Richard, and all ye, out with you, out a doors! Here be men! Ware17 the Dry Tree! Bows and bills! Bows and bills!"
With that those fellows of Ralph made no more ado, but set off running at their best toward the wood aforesaid, which crowned the slope leading up from the grange, and now took no care to go softly, nor heeded18 the clashing of their armour. Ralph ran with the best and entered the wood alongside the slim youth aforesaid, who stayed not at the wood's edge but went on running still: but Ralph stayed and turned to see what was toward, and beheld19 how that tall man was the last of their company, and ere he entered the wood turned about with a bent13 bow in his hand, and even as he nocked the shaft20, the men from the Grange, who were seven in all, came running out from behind the barn-gable, crying out: "Ho thieves! ho ye of the Dry Tree, abide21 till we come! flee not from handy strokes." The tall man had the shaft to his ear in a twinkling, and loosed straightway, and nocked and loosed another shaft without staying to note how the first had sped. But Ralph saw that a man was before each of the shafts22, and had fallen to earth, though he had no time to see aught else, for even therewith the tall man caught him by the hand, and crying out, "The third time!" ran on with him after the rest of their company; and whereas he was long-legged and Ralph lightfooted, they speedily came up with them, who were running still, but laughing as they ran, and jeering23 at the men of the Burg; and the tall man shouted out to them: "Yea, lads, the counterfeit24 Dry Tree that they have raised in the Burg shall be dry enough this time." "Truly," said another, "till we come to water it with the blood of these wretches25."
"Well, well, get on," said a third, "waste not your wind in talk; those carles will make but a short run of it to the walls long as it was for us, creeping and creeping as we behoved to."
The long man laughed; "Thou sayest sooth," said he, "but thou art the longest winded of all in talking: get on, lads."
They laughed again at his word and sped on with less noise; while Ralph thought within himself that he was come into strange company, for now he knew well that the big man was even he whom he had first met at the churchyard gate of the thorp under Bear Hill. Yet he deemed that there was nought26 for it now but to go on.
Within a while they all slacked somewhat, and presently did but walk, though swiftly, through the paths of the thicket27, which Ralph deemed full surely was part of that side of the Wood Perilous28 that lay south of the Burg of the Four Friths. And now Roger joined himself to him, and spake to him aloud and said: "So, fair master, thou art out of the peril29 of death for this bout9."
"Art thou all so sure of that?" quoth Ralph, "or who are these that be with us? meseems they smell of the Dry Tree."
"Yea, or rebels and runaways30 therefrom," said Roger, with a dry grin. "But whosoever they may be, thou shalt see that they will suffer us to depart whither we will, if we like not their company. I will be thy warrant thereof."
"Moreover," said Ralph, "I have lost Falcon my horse; it is a sore miss of him."
"Maybe," quoth Roger, "but at least thou hast saved thy skin; and whereas there are many horses on the earth, there is but one skin of thine: be content; if thou wilt32, thou shall win somewhat in exchange for thine horse."
Ralph smiled, but somewhat sourly, and even therewith he heard a shrill33 whistle a little aloof, and the men stayed and held their peace, for they were talking together freely again now. Then the big man put his fingers to his mouth and whistled again in answer, a third whistle answered him; and lo, presently, as their company hastened on, the voices of men, and anon they came into a little wood-lawn wherein standing about or lying on the grass beside their horses were more than a score of men well armed, but without any banner or token, and all in white armour with white Gaberdines thereover; and they had with them, as Ralph judged, some dozen of horses more than they needed for their own riding.
Great was the joy at this meeting, and there was embracing and kissing of friends: but Ralph noted that no man embraced that slender youth, and that he held him somewhat aloof from the others, and all seemed to do him reverence34.
Now spake one of the runaways: "Well, lads, here be all we four well met again along with those twain who came to help us at our pinch, as their wont35 is, and Roger withal, good at need again, and a friend of his, as it seemeth, and whom we know not. See ye to that."
Then stood forth36 the big man and said: "He is a fair young knight37, as ye may see; and he rideth seeking adventures, and Roger did us to wit that he was abiding38 in the Burg at his peril, and would have him away, even if it were somewhat against his will: and we were willing that it should be so, all the more as I have a guess concerning what he is; and a foreseeing man might think that luck should go with him." Therewith he turned to Ralph and said: "How say ye, fair sir, will ye take guesting with us a while and learn our ways?"
Said Ralph: "Certain I am that whither ye will have me go, thither39 must I; yet I deem that I have an errand that lies not your way. Therefore if I go with you, ye must so look upon it that I am in your fellowship as one compelled. To be short with you, I crave40 leave to depart and go mine own road."
As he spoke he saw the youth walking up and down in short turns; but his face he could scarce see at all, what for his slouched hat, what for his cloak; and at last he saw him go up to the tall man and speak softly to him awhile. The tall man nodded his head, and as the youth drew right back nigh to the thicket, spake to Ralph again.
"Fair sir, we grant thine asking; and add this thereto that we give thee the man who has joined himself to thee, Roger of the Rope-walk to wit, to help thee on the road, so that thou mayst not turn thy face back to the Burg of the Four Friths, where thine errand, and thy life withal, were soon sped now, or run into any other trap which the Wood Perilous may have for thee. And yet if thou think better of it, thou mayst come with us straightway; for we have nought to do to tarry here any longer. And in any case, here is a good horse that we will give thee, since thou hast lost thy steed; and Roger who rideth with thee, he also is well horsed."
Ralph looked hard at the big man, who now had his salade thrown back from his face, to see if he gave any token of jeering or malice41, but could see nought such: nay, his face was grave and serious, not ill-fashioned, though it were both long and broad like his body: his cheek-bones somewhat high, his eyes grey and middling great, and looking, as it were, far away.
Now deems Ralph that as for a trap of the Wood Perilous, he had already fallen into the trap; for he scarce needed to be told that these were men of the Dry Tree. He knew also that it was Roger who had led him into this trap, although he deemed it done with no malice against him. So he said to himself that if he went with Roger he but went a roundabout road to the Dry Tree; so that he was well nigh choosing to go on with their company. Yet again he thought that something might well befall which would free him from that fellowship if he went with Roger alone; whereas if he went with the others it was not that he might be, but that he was already of the fellowship of the Dry Tree, and most like would go straight thence to their stronghold. So he spake as soberly as the tall man had done.
"Since ye give me the choice, fair sir, I will depart hence with Roger alone, whom ye call my man, though to me he seemeth to be yours. Howbeit, he has led me to you once, and belike will do so once more."
"Yea," quoth the big man smiling no whit31 more than erst, "and that will make the fourth time. Depart then, fair sir, and take this word with thee that I wish thee good and not evil."
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1
misgave
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| v.使（某人的情绪、精神等）疑虑，担忧，害怕( misgive的过去式 ) | |
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2
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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3
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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4
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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5
falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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6
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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7
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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10
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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11
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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12
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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13
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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14
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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15
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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16
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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17
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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18
heeded
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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20
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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21
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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22
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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23
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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24
counterfeit
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| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
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25
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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26
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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27
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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28
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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29
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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30
runaways
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| （轻而易举的）胜利( runaway的名词复数 ) | |
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31
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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32
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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33
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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34
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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35
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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36
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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37
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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38
abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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39
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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40
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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41
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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