sunder company there, whereof I were nought grieving."

"Mayhappen thou shalt fare a long way to-day," muttered
Simon.

But the lad cried out aloud, while his eye glittered and his
cheek flushed: "Belike thou hadst well-nigh opened the door
thereto last night!" And therewith he leapt to his feet and
drew his short-sword, and with three deft strokes sheared
asunder an overhanging beech-bough as thick as a man's
wrist, that it fell crashing down, and caught Simon amongst
the fall of its leafy twigs, while Christopher stood
laughing on him, but with a dangerous lofty look in his
eyes: then he turned away quietly toward the horses and
mounted his nag, and Simon followed and did the like,
silently; crestfallen he looked, with brooding fierceness in
his face.

So they rode their ways, and spake but little each to each
till they came to where the trees of the wood thinned
speedily, and gave out at last at the foot of a low stony
slope but little grassed; and when they had ridden up to the
brow and could see below, Christopher stretched out his
hand, and said: "Lo thou the Long Pools, fellow wayfarer!
and lo some of the tramping; horses that woke thee and not
me last night."

Forsooth there lay below them a great stretch of grass,
which whiles ran into mere quagmire, and whiles was sound
and better grassed; and the said plain was seamed by three