Said the man who had looked to Christopher's wound, and had putaside his coat and shirt: "He is sore hurt, but meseemeth not deadly.Nay, belike he may live as long as thou, or longer, whereas thou wilt everbe shoving thy red head and lank body wheresoever knocks are going."
David rose with a sigh of one who is lightened of a load, and said:"Well Robert, when thou hast bound his wound let us have him into thehouse: Ho lads! there is light enough to cut some boughs and make alitter for him. But, ho again! has no one gone after the felon to takehim?"
Robert grinned up from his job with the hurt man: "Nay, KingDavid," said he, "it is mostly thy business; mayhappen thou wilt lay thyheels on thy neck and after him."
The red-head stamped on the ground, and half drew his sax, andshoved it back again unto the sheath, and then said angrily: "I marvel atthee, Robert, that thou didst not send a man or two at once after the felon:how may I leave my comrade and sweet board-fellow lying hurt in thewild-wood? Art thou growing over old for our woodland ways, whereinloitering bringeth louting?"
Robert chuckled and said: "I thought thou wouldst take the fly in thymouth, foster-son: if the felon escape Ralph Longshanks and AnthonyGreen, then hath he the devil's luck; and they be after him."
"That is well," said the young man, "though I would I were withthem." And therewith he walked up and down impatiently, while theothers were getting ready the litter of boughs.
At last it was done, and Christopher laid thereon, and they all went ontogether through the woodland path, the torches still flaring about them.Presently they came out into a clearing of the wood, and lo, looming greatand black before them against the sky, where the moon had now brokenout of the clouds somewhat, the masses of the tofts, and at the top of thenorthernmost of them a light in the upper window of a tall square tower.Withal the yellow-litten windows of a long house showed on the plainbelow the tofts; but little else of the house might be seen, save that, as theydrew near, the walls brake out in doubtful light here and there as thetorches smote them.
So came they to a deep porch, where they quenched all the torchessave one, and entered a great hall through it, David and two other tallyoung men going first, and Robert Maisey going beside the bier. Thesaid hall was lighted with candles, but not very brightly, save at the upperend; but amidmost a flickering heap of logs sent a thin line of blue smokeup to the luffer. There were some sixty folk in the hall, scattered aboutthe end-long tables, a good few of whom were women, well grown andcomely enough, so far as could be seen under the scanty candle-light. Atthe high-table, withal, were sitting both men and women, and as they drewnear to the greater light of it, there could be seen in the chief seat a man,past middle age, tall, wide-shouldered and thin-flanked, with a shortpeaked beard and close-cut grizzled hair; he was high of cheekbones, thin-faced, with grey eyes, both big and gentle-looking; he was clad in a greencoat welted with gold. Beside him sat a woman, tall and big-made, butvery fair of face, though she were little younger, belike, than the man.Out from these two sat four men and four women, man by man andwoman by woman, on either side of the high-seat. Of the said men, onewas of long red hair as David, and like to him in all wise, but older; theothers were of like fashion to him in the high-seat. Shortly to say it, hissons they were, as David and the two young men with him. The fourwomen who sat with these men were all fair and young, and one of them,she who drank out of the red-head's cup, so fair, and with such a pleasantslim grace, that her like were not easy to be found.
Again, to shorten the tale, there in the hall before Christopher, who layunwotting, were Jack of the Tofts and his seven sons, and the four wivesof four of the same, whom they had won from the Wailful Castle, whenthey, with their father, put an end to the evil woman, and the great she-tyrant of the Land betwixt the Wood and the River.
Now when David and his were come up to the dais, they stayed them,and their father spake from his high-seat and said: "What is to do, ye three?and what catch have ye?"
Said David: "I would fain hope 'tis the catch of a life that or I love;for here is come thy guest of last Yule, even little Christopher, whowrestled with thee and threw thee after thou hadst thrown all of us, and he lying along and hurt, smitten down by a felon hard on our very doors.What will ye do with him?"
"What," said Jack of the Tofts, "but tend him and heal him and cherishhim. And when he is well, then we shall see. But where is the felon whosmote him?"
Said David: "He fled away a-horseback ere we came to the field ofdeed, and Anthony Green and Ralph Longshanks are gone after him, andbelike, will take him."
"Mayhappen not," said the master. "Now, forsooth, I have an inklingof what this may mean; whereas there can be but one man whose businessmay be the taking of our little guest's life. But let all be till he be healedand may tell us his tale; and, if he telleth it as I deem he will, then shall weseek further tidings. Meanwhile, if ye take the felon, keep him heedfullytill I may see him; for then may I have a true tale out of him, even beforeChristopher is hale again."
So therewith David and Robert, with two or three others, broughtChristopher to a chamber, and did what leechdoms to him they might; butJack of the Tofts, and his sons and their fair wives, and his other folk,made merry in the hall of the Tofts.