Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/230

 Now Sir Medard fell a-laughing, and he said: There, there! here is no champion so hardy as to gainsay thee; for I know thee well, old friend, that thou art preux above all men. And as for the Dalesman, look on him and see how his eyes are glittering and his cheeks flushing. Trust me, thou shalt have a man after thine own heart, young though he be.

Sir Godrick sat down and passed his hand over his brow, and he smiled a little, and said: Well, thou of the East Dale, hast thou perchance yet another question to ask? for meseems for a man who would take wages of me thou hast already asked a few.

Quoth Osberne: Lord, be not wroth, but one more question have I to ask. And as to my wages, let that be; for to ask these questions, and to have them thus answered, is better than wages to me. But now this is verily my last question. That Masterless Wood which thou hast said is a shield and refuge to thee, is it not also a refuge for rufflers and runagates and strong-thieves? and what dost thou do in dealing with such ill-doers?

Now Sir Godrick spake quietly and said: My lad, true it is that there is a sort of folk who haunt the said wood and live by taking from others, but thou shalt wot that they do but little harm to husbandmen and other poor folk, because such have little to be robbed of. And forsooth many of those from whom they rob are worthy to lose that which they have gotten from poor folk by fraud and covin, and may as duly