CHAPTER 12

Ralph Falleth in With Friends and Rideth to Whitwall


Ralph looks on to the ford and sees folk riding through the thorp
aforesaid and down to the river, and they take the water and are
many in company, some two score by his deeming, and he sees the sun
glittering on their weapons.

Now he thought that he would abide their coming and see if he might join
their company, since if he crossed the water he would be on the backward way:
and it was but a little while ere the head of them came up over the hill,
and were presently going past Ralph, who rose up to look on them,
and be seen of them, but they took little heed of him. So he sees
that though they all bore weapons, they were not all men-at-arms, nay,
not more than a half score, but those proper men enough. Of the others,
some half-dozen seemed by their attire to be merchants, and the rest
their lads; and withal they had many sumpter horses and mules with them.
They greeted him not, nor he them, nor did he heed them much till they
were all gone by save three, and then he leapt into the road with a cry,
for who should be riding there but Blaise, his eldest brother,
and Richard the Red with him, both in good case by seeming; for Blaise
was clad in a black coat welted with gold, and rode a good grey palfrey,
and Richard was armed well and knightly.

They knew him at once, and drew rein, and Blaise lighted
down from his horse and cast his arms about Ralph, and said:
"O happy day! when two of the Upmeads kindred meet thus
in an alien land! But what maketh thee here, Ralph?