Yet first I shall tell you that I, the
Alderman of the Dalesmen, doomed one Iron-face of the House of the
Face to pay a double fine, for that he drew a sword at the Gate-thing
of Burgstead with the intent to break the peace thereof. Thou,
Green-sleeve, bring forth the peace-breaker's fine, that Iron-face
may lay the same on the Altar.'
Then came forth a man from the men of the Face bearing a bag, and he
brought it to Iron-face, who went up to the Altar and poured forth
weighed gold from the bag thereon, and said:
'Warden of the Dale, come thou and weigh it!'
'Nay,' quoth the Warden, 'it needeth not, no man here doubteth thee,
Alderman Iron-face.'
A murmur of yeasay went up, and none had a word to say against the
Alderman, but they praised him rather: also men were eager to hear
of the war, and the fellowship, and to be done with these petty
matters. Then the Alderman rose again and said:
'Hath any man a grief against any other of the Kindreds of the Dale,
or the Sheepcotes, or the Woodlands?'
None answered or stirred; so after he had waited a while, he said:
'Is there any who hath any guilt to lay against a Stranger, an
Outlander, being such a man as he deems we can come at?'
Thereat was a stir amongst the Men of the Fleece of the Shepherds,
and their ranks opened, and there came forth an ill-favoured lean old
man, long-nebbed, blear-eyed, and bent, girt with a rusty old sword,
but not otherwise armed.
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