世界尽头的那口井-CHAPTER 9 Another Adventure in the Wood Perilous
Ralph left alone pondered a little; and thought that he would by no
means go hastily to the Burg of the Four Friths. Said he to himself;
This want-way is all unlike to the one near our house at home: for
belike adventures shall befall here: I will even abide here for an hour
or two; but will have my horse by me and keep awake, lest something hap
to me unawares.
Therewith he whistled for Falcon his horse, and the beast came to him,
and whinnied for love of him, and Ralph smiled and tied him to a
sapling anigh, and himself sat down on the grass, and pondered many
things; as to what folk were about at Upmeads, and how his brethren
were faring; and it was now about five hours after noon, and the sun's
rays fell aslant through the boughs of the noble oaks, and the scent of
the grass and bracken trodden by the horse-hoofs of that company went
up into the warm summer air. A while he sat musing but awake, though
the faint sound of a little stream in the dale below mingled with all
the lesser noises of the forest did its best to soothe him to sleep
again: and presently had its way with him; for he leaned his head back
on the bracken, and in a minute or two was sleeping once more and
dreaming some dream made up of masterless memories of past days.
When he awoke again he lay still a little while, wondering where in the
world he was, but as the drowsiness left him, he arose and looked
about, and saw that the sun was sinking low and gilding the oakboles
red. He stood awhile and watched the gambols of three hares, who had
drawn nigh him while he slept, and now noted him not; and a little way
he saw through the trees a hart and two hinds going slowly from grass
to grass, feeding in the cool eventide; but presently he saw them raise
their heads and amble off down the slope of the little dale, and
therewith he himself turned his face sharply toward the north-west, for
he was fine-eared as well as sharp-eyed, and on a little wind which had
just arisen came down to him the sound of horse-hoofs once more.
So he went up to Falcon and loosed him, and stood by him bridle in
hand, and looked to it that his sword was handy to him: and he
hearkened, and the sound drew nigher and nigher to him. Then lightly
he got into the saddle and gathered the reins into his left hand, and
sat peering up the trodden wood-glades, lest he should have to ride for
his life suddenly. Therewith he heard voices talking roughly and a man
whistling, and athwart the glade of the wood from the northwest, or
thereabout, came new folk; and he saw at once that there went two men
a-horseback and armed; so he drew his sword and abode them close to the
want-ways. Presently they saw the shine of his war-gear, and then they
came but a little nigher ere they drew rein, and sat on their horses
looking toward him. Then Ralph saw that they were armed and clad as
those of the company which had gone before. One of the armed men rode
a horse-length after his fellow, and bore a long spear over his
shoulder. But the other who rode first was girt with a sword, and had
a little axe hanging about his neck, and with his right hand he seemed
to be leading something, Ralph could not see what at first, as his left
side was turned toward Ralph and the want-way.
Now, as Ralph looked, he saw that at the spearman's saddle-bow was hung
a man's head, red-haired and red-bearded; for this man now drew a
little nigher, and cried out to Ralph in a loud and merry voice: "Hail,
knight! whither away now, that thou ridest the green-wood sword in
hand?"
Ralph was just about to answer somewhat, when the first man moved a
little nigher, and as he did so he turned so that Ralph could see what
betid on his right hand; and lo! he was leading a woman by a rope tied
about her neck (though her hands were loose), as though he were
bringing a cow to market. When the man stayed his horse she came
forward and stood within the slack of the rope by the horse's head, and
Ralph could see her well, that though she was not to say naked, her
raiment was but scanty, for she had nought to cover her save one short
and strait little coat of linen, and shoes on her feet. Yet Ralph
deemed her to be of some degree, whereas he caught the gleam of gold
and gems on her hands, and there was a golden chaplet on her head. She
stood now by the horse's head with her hands folded, looking on, as if
what was tiding and to betide, were but a play done for her pleasure.
So when Ralph looked on her, he was silent a while; and the spearman
cried out again: "Ho, young man, wilt thou speak, or art thou
dumb-foundered for fear of us?"
But Ralph knit his brows, and was first red and then pale; for he was
both wroth, and doubtful how to go to work; but he said:
"I ride to seek adventures; and here meseemeth is one come to hand. Or
what will ye with the woman?"
Said the man who had the woman in tow: "Trouble not thine head
therewith; we lead her to her due doom. As for thee, be glad that thou
art not her fellow; since forsooth thou seemest not to be one of them;
so go thy ways in peace."
"No foot further will I go," said Ralph, "till ye loose the woman and
let her go; or else tell me what her worst deed is."
The man laughed, and said: "That were a long tale to tell; and it is
little like that thou shalt live to hear the ending thereof."
Therewith he wagged his head at the spearman, who suddenly let his
spear fall into the rest, and spurred, and drave on at Ralph all he
might. There and then had the tale ended, but Ralph, who was wary,
though he were young, and had Falcon well in hand, turned his wrist and
made the horse swerve, so that the man-at-arms missed his attaint, but
could not draw rein speedily enough to stay his horse; and as he passed
by all bowed over his horse's neck, Ralph gat his sword two-handed and
rose in his stirrups and smote his mightiest; and the sword caught the
foeman on the neck betwixt sallet and jack, and nought held before it,
neither leather nor ring-mail, so that the man's head was nigh smitten
off, and he fell clattering from his saddle: yet his stirrups held him,
so that his horse went dragging him on earth as he gallopped over rough
and smooth betwixt the trees of the forest. Then Ralph turned about to
deal with his fellow, and even through the wrath and fury of the
slaying saw him clear and bright against the trees as he sat handling
his axe doubtfully, but the woman was fallen back again somewhat.
But even as Ralph raised his sword and pricked forward, the woman
sprang as light as a leopard on to the saddle behind the foeman, and
wound her arms about him and dragged him back just as he was raising
his axe to smite her, and as Ralph rode forward she cried out to him,
"Smite him, smite! O lovely creature of God!"
Therewith was Ralph beside them, and though he were loth to slay a man
held in the arms of a woman, yet he feared lest the man should slay her
with some knife-stroke unless he made haste; so he thrust his sword
through him, and the man died at once, and fell headlong off his horse,
dragging down the woman with him.
Then Ralph lighted down from his horse, and the woman rose up to him,
her white smock all bloody with the slain man. Nevertheless was she as
calm and stately before him, as if she were sitting on the dais of a
fair hall; so she said to him:
"Young warrior, thou hast done well and knightly, and I shall look to
it that thou have thy reward. And now I rede thee go not to the Burg
of the Four Friths; for this tale of thee shall get about and they
shall take thee, if it were out of the very Frith-stool, and there for
thee should be the scourge and the gibbet; for they of that Burg be
robbers and murderers merciless. Yet well it were that thou ride hence
presently; for those be behind my tormentors whom thou hast slain, who
will be as an host to thee, and thou mayst not deal with them. If thou
follow my rede, thou wilt take the way that goeth hence east away, and
then shalt thou come to Hampton under Scaur, where the folk are
peaceable and friendly."
He looked at her hard as she spake, and noted that she spake but
slowly, and turned red and white and red again as she looked at him.
But whatever she did, and in spite of her poor attire, he deemed he had
never seen woman so fair. Her hair was dark red, but her eyes grey,
and light at whiles and yet at whiles deep; her lips betwixt thin and
full, but yet when she spoke or smiled clad with all enticements; her
chin round and so wrought as none was ever better wrought; her body
strong and well-knit; tall she was, with fair and large arms, and limbs
most goodly of fashion, of which but little was hidden, since her coat
was but thin and scanty. But whatever may be said of her, no man would
have deemed her aught save most lovely. Now her face grew calm and
stately again as it was at the first, and she laid a hand on Ralph's
shoulder, and smiled in his face and said:
"Surely thou art fair, though thy strokes be not light." Then she took
his hand and caressed it, and said again: "Dost thou deem that thou
hast done great things, fair child? Maybe. Yet some will say that
thou hast but slain two butchers: and if thou wilt say that thou hast
delivered me; yet it may be that I should have delivered myself ere
long. Nevertheless hold up thine heart, for I think that greater
things await thee."
Then she turned about, and saw the dead man, how his feet yet hung in
the stirrups as his fellow's had done, save that the horse of this one
stood nigh still, only reaching his head down to crop a mouthful of
grass; so she said: "Take him away, that I may mount on his horse."
So he drew the dead man's feet out of the stirrups, and dragged him
away to where the bracken grew deep, and laid him down there, so to say
hidden. Then he turned back to the lady, who was pacing up and down
near the horse as the beast fed quietly on the cool grass. When Ralph
came back she took the reins in her hand and put one foot in the
stirrup as if she would mount at once; but suddenly lighted down again,
and turning to Ralph, cast her arms about him, and kissed his face many
times, blushing red as a rose meantime. Then lightly she gat her up
into the saddle, and bestrode the beast, and smote his flanks with her
heels, and went her ways riding speedily toward the south-east, so that
she was soon out of sight.
But Ralph stood still looking the way she had gone and wondering at the
adventure; and he pondered her words and held debate with himself
whether he should take the road she bade him. And he said within
himself: "Hitherto have I been safe and have got no scratch of a weapon
upon me, and this is a place by seeming for all adventures; and little
way moreover shall I make in the night if I must needs go to Hampton
under Scaur, where dwell those peaceable people; and it is now growing
dusk already. So I will abide the morning hereby; but I will be wary
and let the wood cover me if I may."
Therewith he went and drew the body of the slain man down into a little
hollow where the bracken was high and the brambles grew strong, so that
it might not be lightly seen. Then he called to him Falcon, his horse,
and looked about for cover anigh the want-way, and found a little thin
coppice of hazel and sweet chestnut, just where two great oaks had been
felled a half score years ago; and looking through the leaves thence,
he could see the four ways clearly enough, though it would not be easy
for anyone to see him thence.
Thither he betook him, and he did the rein off Falcon, but tethered him
by a halter in the thickest of the copse, and sat down himself nigher
to the outside thereof; he did off his helm and drew what meat he had
from out his wallet and ate and drank in the beginning of the summer
night; and then sat pondering awhile on what had befallen on this
second day of his wandering. The moon shone out presently, little
clouded, but he saw her not, for though he strove to wake awhile,
slumber soon overcame him, and nothing waked him till the night was
passing, nor did he see aught of that company of which the lady had
spoken, and which in sooth came not.