child christopher-第24节

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But　as　to　Goldilind；　her　mind　it　had　been；　as　she　was　going　down　the　meadow；　that　she　would　throw　herself　upon　Christopher's　bosom　and　love　him　with　glad　tears　of　love；　but　as　she　came　and　stood　over　against　him；　she　was　abashed；　and　stood　still　looking　on　him；　and　spake　no　word；　and　he　also　was　ashamed　before　all　that　folk　to　say　the　words　whereof　his　heart　was　full；　and　longed　for　the　night；　that　they　might　be　alone　together。

But　at　last　he　said：　　〃Lady　and　Queen；　thou　seest　that　we　be　well…beloved　that　they　rejoice　so　much　in　a　little　deed　of　mine。〃　　And　still　she　spake　nought；　and　held　hand　in　hand。

But　Jack　of　the　Tofts　spake　and　said：　　〃By　St。　Hubert！　the　deed　may　be　little；　though　there　be　men　who　would　think　no　little　of　overcoming　the　biggest　man　and　the　fellest　fighter　of　Oakenrealm；　but　at　least　great　things　shall　come　thereof。　King；　thy　strokes　of　this　day　have　won　thee　Oakenrealm；　or　no　man　I　know　in　field；　and　many　a　mother's　son　have　they　saved　from　death。　　For　look　thou　yonder　over　the　river；　Goldilind；　my　Lady；　and　tell　me　what　thou　seest。〃　　She　turned　to　him　and　said：　　〃Lord　Earl；　I　see　warriors　a　many。〃

〃Yea；〃　said　Jack；　〃and　stout　fellows　be　they　for　the　more　part；　and　hard　had　been　the　hand…play　had　we　met；　ere　they　had　turned　their　backs；　but　now；　see　thou；　we　shall　wend　side　by　side　toward　Oakenrealm；　for　our　Lord　there　hath　won　them　to　his　friends；　and　doubt　thou　not　that　when　they　see　him　and　thee　anigh；　they　shall　be　friends　indeed。　What！　dost　thou　weep　for　this？　Or　is　it　because　he　hath　done　the　deed　and　not　thou？　or　rather；　because　thine　heart　is　full　for　the　love　of　him？〃

She　smiled　kindly　on　Jack；　but　even　therewith　she　felt　two　hands　laid　on　her　shoulders；　and　Christopher　kissed　her　without　any　word。



CHAPTER　XXXIII。

A　COUNCIL　OF　CAPTAINS：　　THE　HOST　COMES　TO　BROADLEES；　AND　MAKES　FOR　WOODWALL。


That　night；　though　there　was　some　little　coming　and　going　between　the　Tofters　and　the　Brimsiders；　yet　either　flock　slept　on　their　own　side　of　the　river。　　Moreover；　before　the　midst　of　the　night；　cometh　David　to　the　wood…side；　and　had　with　him　all　men　defensible　of　the　Tofts　and　the　houses　thereabout；　and　most　of　the　women　also　many　of　whom　bore　spear　or　bow；　so　that　now　by　the　wood…side；　what　with　them　of　the　Tofts　and　the　folk　who　joined　them　thereto　from　the　country…side　about　Hazeldale；　there　were　well…nigh　ten　hundreds　of　folk　under　weapons；　and　yet　more　came　in　the　night　through；　for　the　tidings　of　the　allegiance　of　Brimside　was　spreading　full　fast。

Betimes　on　the　morrow　was　King　Christopher　afoot；　and　he　and　Jack　and　David　and　Gilbert；　and　they　twelve　in　company；　went　down　to　the　banner　by　the　water…side；　and　to　them　presently　came　Oliver　Marson　and　ten　other　of　the　captains　of　Brimside；　and　did　them　to　wit　that　the　Baron　were　fain　if　they　would　come　to　his　pavilion　and　hold　counsel　therein；　for　that　he　was　not　so　sick　but　he　might　well　speak　his　mind　from　where　he　lay。　So　thither　they　went　all；　with　good　will；　and　the　Baron　greeted　them　friendly；　and　made　what　reverence　he　might　to　Christopher；　and　bade　him　say　what　was　his　mind　and　his　will。　　But　Christopher　bade　them　who　were　his　elders　in　battle　to　speak；　and　the　Baron　laughed　outright　and　said：　〃Meseemeth；　Lord　King；　thou　didst　grow　old　yesterday　at　my　costs；　but　since　thou　wilt　have　me　to　speak；　I　will　even　do　so。　　And　to　make　matters　the　shorter；　I　will　say　that　I　wot　well　what　ye　have　to　do；　and　that　is；　to　fall　upon　the　Earl　Marshal's　folk　ere　they　fall　upon　us。　　Now　some　folk　deem　we　should　fare　to　Brimside　and　have　a　hosting　there；　but　I　say　nay；　whereas　it　lieth　out　of　the　road　to　Oakenham；　and　thereby　is　our　road；　meseemeth；　and　it　is　but　some　six　days'　riding　hence；　save；　as　is　most　like；　two　of　those　days　be　days　of　battle　But　if　we　go　straight　forward　with　banners　displayed；　each　day's　faring　shall　be　a　day　of　hosting　and　gathering；　for　I　tell　thee；　Lord　King；　the　fame　of　thee　has　by　now　gone　far　in　this　country…side。　　Wherefore　I　say　no　more；　since　I　wax　weary；　than　this：　　to　the　road　this　morning；　and　get　we　so　far　as　Broadlees　ere　night…fall；　for　there　we　shall　get　both　victual　and　folk。〃

There　was　good　cheer　made　at　his　word；　so　Christopher　spake：　〃Baron　of　Brimside；　thou　hast　spoken　my　very　mind　and　will；　and　but　if　these　lords　and　captains　gainsay　it；　let　us　tarry　no　longer；　but　array　all　our　folk　in　good　order　and　take　tale　of　them；　and　so　for　Broadlees。　　What　say　ye；　lords？〃

None　nay…said　it；　so　there　was　no　more　talk　save　as　to　the　ordering　of　this　or　the　other　company。　　And　it　was　so　areded　that　the　Brimside　men　should　fare　first　at　the　head　of　the　host　with　the　banner　of　Brimside；　and　that　then　should　go　the　mingled　folk　of　the　country…side；　and　lastly　the　folk　of　the　Tofts　with　the　banner　of　Oakenrealm；　so　that　if　the　host　came　upon　foemen；　they　might　be　for　a　cloud　to　hide　the　intent　of　their　battles　awhile　till　they　might　take　their　advantage。

So　went　the　captains　to　their　companies；　and　the　Tofters　and　their　mates　crossed　the　river　to　the　men　of　Brimside；　who　gave　them　good　cheer　when　they　came　amongst　them；　and　it　was　hard　to　order　the　host　for　a　while；　so　did　the　upland　folk　throng　about　the　King　and　the　Queen；　and　happy　were　they　who　had　a　full　look　on　Goldilind；　and　yet　were　some　so　lucky　and　so　bold　that　they　kissed　a　hand　of　her；　and　one　there　was；　a　very　tall　young　man；　and　a　goodly；　who　stood　there　and　craved　to　kiss　her　cheek；　and　she　did　not　gainsay　him；　and　thereafter　nought　was　good　to　him　save　an　occasion　to　die　for　her。

As　for　Christopher；　he　spake　to　many；　and　said　to　them　that　wheresoever　his　banner　was；　he　at　least　should　be　at　the　forefront　whenso　they　came　upon　unpeace；　and　so　soon　as　they　gat　to　the　road；　he　went　from　company　to　company；　speaking　to　many；　and　that　so　sweetly　and　friendly　that　all　praised　him；　and　said　that　here　forsooth　was　a　king　who　was　all　good　and　nothing　bad；　whereas　hitherto　men　had　deemed　them　lucky　indeed　if　their　king　were　half　good　and　half　bad。

Merry　then　was　the　road　to　Broadlees；　and　they　came　there　before　night…fall；　and　it　was　a　little　cheaping　town　and　unwalled；　and　if　the　folk　had　had　any　will　to　ward　them；　they　lacked　might。　　But　when　they　found　they　were　not　to　be　robbed；　and　that　it　was　but　the　proclaiming　of　King　Christopher　in　the　market…place；　and　finding　victual　and　house…room　for　the　host；　and　the　Mayor　taking　a　paper　in　payment　thereof；　none　stirred　against　them；　and　a　many　joined　the　host　to　fight　for　the　fair　young　King。　　Now　nought　as　yet　had　they　heard　at　Broadlees　of　any　force　stirring　against　them。

But　in　the　morning　when　they　went　on　their　ways　again；　and　were　bound　for　Cheaping　Woodwall；　which　was　a　fenced　town；　they　sent　out　well…horsed　riders　to　espy　the　road；　who　came　back　on　the　spur　two　hours　after　noon；　and　did　them　to　wit　that　there　was　a　host　abiding　them　beneath　the　walls　of　Woodwall　under　the　banner　of　Walter　the　White；　an　old　warrior　and　fell　fighter；　but　what　comfort　he　might　have　from　them　of　Woodwall　they　wotted　not；　but　they　said　that　the　tidings　of　their　coming　had　gone　abroad；　and　many　folk　were　abiding　the　issue　of　this　battle　ere　they　joined　them　to　either　host。　　Now　on　these　tidings　the　captains　were　of　one　mind；　to　wit；　to　fare　on　softly　till　they　came　to　a　defensible　place　not　far　from　the　foemen；　since　they　could　scarce　come　to　Woodwall　in　good　order　before　nightfall；　and　if　they　were　unfoughten　before；　to　push　forward　to　battle　in　the　morning。

Even　so　did　they；　and　made　a　halt　at　sunset　on　a　pleasant　hill　above　a　river　some　three　miles　from　Woodwall；　and　there　they　passed　the　night　unmeddled　with。



CHAPTER　XXXIV。

BATTLE　BEFORE　WOODWALL。


When　morning　was；　the　captains　came　to　King　Christopher　to　council：　　but　while　they　were　amidst　of　their　talk　came　the　word　that　the　foe　was　anigh　and　come　close　to　the　river…bank；　whereat　was　none　abashed；　but　to　all　it　seemed　wisdom　to　abide　them　on　the　vantage…ground。　　So　then　there　was　girding　of　swords　and　doing　on　of　helms；　as　for　ordering　of　the　folk；　it　was　already　done；　for　all　the　host　was　ranked　on　the　bent…side；　with　the　banner　of　Oakenrealm　in　the　midst；　on　its　left　hand　the　banner　of　the　Tofts；　and　on　the　right　the　banner　of　Brimside。

Now　when　Christopher　was　come　to　his　place；　he　looked　down　and　saw　how　the　foemen　were　pouring　over　the　river；　for　it　was　nowhere　deep；　and　there　were　four　quite　shallow　fords：　many　more　were　they　than　his　folk；　but　he　deemed　that　they　fared　somewhat　tumultuously；　and　when　the　bowmen　of　the　Tofts　began　shooting；　the　foemen；　a　many　of　them；　stayed　amidst　of　the　river　to　bend　bow　in　their　turn；　and　seemed　to　think　that　were　nigh　enough　already；　nay；　some　went　back　again　to　the　other　bank；　to　shoot　thence　the　surer　and　the　drier；　and　some　went　yet　a　little　further　back　on　the　field。　So　that　when　their　sergeants　and　riders　were　come　on　to　the　hither　bank；　they　lacked　about　a　fifth　of　all　their　host；　and　they　themselves；　for　all　they　were　so　many；　had　some　ado　to　make　up　their　minds　to　go　forward。

Forsooth；　when　they　looked　up　to　the　bent　and　saw　the　three　banners　of　Oakenrealm　and　the　Tofts　and　Brimside　all　waving　over　the　same　ranks；　they　knew　not　what　to　make　of　it。　　And　Christopher's　host；　when