Moreover, though they may look spent and outworn
now, yet if ye give them a little rest, and feed them well, they
shall yet do many a day's work for you: and I tell you that if ye
take them for thralls, and put collars on their necks, and use them
no worse than a goodman useth his oxen and his asses, beating them
not save when they are idle or at fault, it shall be to them as if
they were come to heaven out of hell, and to such goodhap as they
have not thought of, save in dreams, for many and many a day. And
thus I entreat you to do because ye seem to me to be happy and
merciful men, who will not begrudge us this happiness.'
The carles of Burgdale listened eagerly to what he said, and they
looked at him with great eyes and marvelled; and their hearts were
moved with pity towards him; and Stone-face said:
'Herein, O War-leader, need I give thee no rede, for thou mayst see
clearly that all we deem that we should lose our manhood and become
the dastards of the Warrior if we did not abide the coming of these
poor men, and take them back to the Dale, and cherish them.'
'Yea,' said Wolf of Whitegarth, 'and great thanks we owe to this man
that he biddeth us this: for great will be the gain to us if we
become so like the Gods that we may deliver the poor from misery.
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