Therewithal many others were sorely hurt who mended, and
went about afterwards hale and hearty.
So as the folk abode in the Market-place, somewhat faint and weary,
they heard horns blow up merrily, and Crow the Shaft-speeder came
forth and stood on the mound of the altar, and bade men fare to
dinner, and therewith he led the way, bearing in his hand the banner
of the Golden Bushel, of which House he was; and they followed him
into a fair and great mead on the southwest of Silver-stead,
besprinkled about with ancient trees of sweet chestnut. There they
found the boards spread for them with the best of victual which the
poor down-trodden folk knew how to dight for them; and especially was
there great plenty of good wine of the sun-smitten bents.
So they fell to their meat, and the poor folk, both men and women,
served them gladly, though they were somewhat afeard of these fierce
sword-wielders, the Gods who had delivered them. The said thralls
were mostly not of those who had fallen so bitterly on their fleeing
masters, but were men and women of the households, not so roughly
treated as the others, that is to say, those who had been wont to
toil under the lash in the fields and the silver-mines, and were as
wild as they durst be.
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