'
But the Sun-beam said: 'Hast thou any to-night?'
'Yea,' he said; 'Spear-god, how many was it?'
There came forward a tall man bearing an axe in his right hand, and
carrying over his shoulder by his left hand a bundle of silver arm-
rings just such as Gold-mane had seen on the felons who were slain by
Wood-grey's house. The carle cast them on the ground and then knelt
down and fell to telling them over; and then looked up and said:
'Twelve yesterday in the wood where the battle was going on; and this
morning seven by the tarn in the pine-wood and six near this eastern
edge of the wood: one score and five all told. But, Folk-might,
they are coming nigh to Shadowy Vale.'
'Sooth is that,' said Folk-might; 'but it shall be looked to. Come
now apart with me, Face-of-god.'
So the others went their ways toward the Hall, while Folk-might led
the Burgdaler to a sheltered nook under the sheer rocks, and there
they sat down to talk, and Folk-might asked Gold-mane closely of the
muster of the Dalesmen and the Shepherds and the Woodland Caries, and
he was well pleased when Face-of-god told him of how many could march
to a stricken field, and of their archery, and of their weapons and
their goodness.
Pages:
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216