As he spake, one of the youngest of the men hung down his head a little, and then raised it up:  “Wilt thou spare our lives if I speak?” “Yea,” said Ralph.  “Wilt thou swear it by the edge of the blade?” said the man.  Ralph drew forth his sword and said:  “Lo then!  I swear it.”  The man nodded his head, and said:  “Few words are best; and whereas I wot not if my words will avail thee aught, and since they will save our lives, I will tell thee truly.  We are men of the Burg whom these green-coated thieves drave out of the Burg on an unlucky day.  Well, some of us, of whom I was one, fetched a compass and crossed the water that runneth through Upmeads by the Red Bridge, and so gat us into the Wood Debateable through the Uplands.  There we struck a bargain with the main band of strong-thieves of the wood, that we and they together would get us a new home in Upmeads, which is a fat and pleasant land.  So we got us ready; but the Woodmen told us that the Upmeads carles, though they be not many, are strong and dauntless, and since we now had pleasant life before us, with good thralls to work for us, and with plenty of fair women for our bed-mates, we deemed it best to have the most numbers we might, so that we might over-whelm the said carles at one blow, and get as few of ourselves slain as might be.  Now we knew that another band of us had entered the lands of the Abbot of Higham, and had taken hold of some of his castles; wherefore the captains considered and thought, and sent us to give bidding to our folk south here to march at once toward us in Upmeads, that our bands might meet there, and scatter all before us.  There is our story, lord.”

Ralph knitted his brow, and said:  “Tell me (and thy life lieth on thy giving true answers), do thy folk in these strongholds know of your purpose of falling upon Upmeads?” “Nay,” said the Burger.  Said Ralph:  “And will they know otherwise if ye do them not to wit?” “Nay,” again said the man.  Said Ralph:  “Are thy folk already in Upmeads?” “Nay,” said the captive, “but by this time they will be on the road thither.”  “How many all told?” said Ralph The man reddened and stammered:  “A thousand—­two—­two thousand—­A thousand, lord,” said he.  “Get thy sword ready, Stephen,” said Ralph.  “How many, on thy life, Burger?” “Two thousand, lord,” said the man.  “And how many do ye look to have from Higham-land?” Said the Burger, “Somewhat more than a thousand.”  Withal he looked uneasily at his fellows, some of whom were scowling on him felly.  “Tell me now,” said Ralph, “where be the other bands of the Burgers?”

Ere the captive could speak, he who stood next him snatched an unsheathed knife from the girdle of one of the Dry Tree, and quick as lightning thrust it into his fellow’s belly, so that he fell dead at once amongst them.  Then Stephen, who had his sword naked in his hand, straightway hewed down the slayer, and swords came out of the scabbards everywhere; and it went but a little but that all the Burgers were slain at once.  But Ralph cried out:  “Put up your swords, Champions!  Stephen slew yonder man for slaying his fellow, who was under my ward, and that was but his due.  But I have given life to these others, and so it must be held to.  Tie their hands behind them and let us on to Bear Castle.  For this tide brooks no delay.”