Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/157

 poke stuffed full of old tales: how were it if I brought them along? It were good, said the warder, for it shall, see thou, make a change of disport for our lord, and that will please him the more. So go now, bring up hither thy kinsmen, and I will see to my watch and we will meet here straightway.

So then Stephen went to his folk, who were creeping nigher and nigher to the Great Bastide, and were as now in broken ground somewhat bushed, a good lurking-place to wit. There he finds them, and bids the four abide their coming back with their prey, which now he nowise doubted of, and takes Steelhead and Osberne along with him, and so brings them to the warder; who laughed when he saw Steelhead, for he went for that time all bent and bowed, and, as he deemed by what he could see under the dim sky, ragged and wretched. Said he: Minstrel, thou wert scarce in luck to happen on this rag of a kinsman of thine. Hast thou no better man? Said Stephen, grinning in the dark: Abide till ye have proved him. Trust me, he hath something better than sour curds in his belly. Well, said the warder, let-a-be! As for the young man, he seems like enough. Now then, fellow, for a pull at the florin-tree.

So they went, the four of them, toward the Great Bastide, and none hindered them, deeming that they were of the service of the Baron. Even at the door of the Baron's lodging the warder, there was but one and a chamberlain, nodded