When they came to their campment there were their folk standing in a
ring round about Dallach and the other runaways. They made way for
the War-leader and Stone-face, who came amongst them and beheld the
Runaways, that they were many more than they looked to see; for they
were of carles one score and three, and of women eighteen, all told
save Dallach. When they saw those twain come through the ring of men
and perceived that they were chieftains, some of them fell down on
their knees before them and held out their joined hands to them, and
kissed the Burgdalers' feet and the hems of their garments, while the
tears streamed out of their eyes: some stood moving little and
staring before them stupidly: and some kept glancing from face to
face of the well-liking happy Burgdale carles, though for a while
even their faces were sad and downcast at the sight of the poor men:
some also kept murmuring one or two words in their country tongue,
and Dallach told Face-of-god that these were crying out for victual.
It must be said of these poor folk that they were of divers
conditions, and chiefly of three: and first there were seven of
Rose-dale and five of Silver-dale late come to the wood (of these
Silver-dalers Dallach had told but of two, for the other three were
but just come).
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