H. C. Bailey

“ They carried him to the new castle at Watlington, and he was presently brought before the steward.
"I have you by the heels now, rogue," the steward said. "Now save your skin if you can."
"Of your skin and my skin, mine I would be in," Bran laughed.
"Folly will not serve you now, fool. Who sent you to brave me in my court?"
"If it was not my mother, I know of none other."
"What, fellow, do you boast yourself a masterless man?"
"Nay, good man, my fellow, every man has his master, on the earth, or above the earth, or under the earth. Choose you while time is." ”

“ And then on a sudden she checked and stood a beaten horse, heaving and trembling. "God's body, my wench, are you bewitched?" the King said, and gentled her and again tried to turn her. But turn she would not. She trembled the more and whinnied, and the King was aware that there was no sound in the woods but her whinnying and panting. ”

“ The steward started up in a hurry. "Hold, hold. We judge him vanquished. Eudo is proven true man and Godric is craven."
But Bran flung himself upon the forester and wrenched up the hand which was fumbling to put away the knife and held it with the bloody knife in it aloft in the sun. "The steel! He has used the steel. He is false and dastard."
That shattered the court. Men cried out: "The steel! The steel!" and broke from their places all talking together.
Bran fell down on his knees by Godric and began to bind about his neck the bandage which had held his hand, and to him came the priest. ”

“ Bran sat down cross-legged where fungus grew, and plucked one and squeezed the juice into his mouth and sucked it.
"You are free of the woods."
"Yea, yea, I was free born. And still there are little people, brother?"
"The little people are always and always."
"Good life, brother."
"And to you, brother. Come, we have ewe's milk and mare's milk a-plenty."
"Na, na. I ask help. Away under the hill of the white cross there abides one, a King of the house-folk, a red man and round, with eyes that swell, and he hunts all the day." ”

“ Listen, lord. One builds him a castle on poor men's housen and land. And the other harries these same poor men," and he told the tale of the two moot courts and the two ordeals and Godric's wound.
"God's body, here is no law nor justice nor right," the King cried.
"Nenny, nenny, naught but wise men's wisdom, brother."
"My lord, my lord," Gilbert cried, "this is but a matter of some villeins' quarrels and——"
"Villeins! By the rood, I will have no man lack justice, villein or lord, in my England."
"Ah, my lord, that is a true King's word. But in this matter the fool knows not what he says. ”

“ I will make good upon his body. That is my claim," and he flung down his forester's leather glove.
"Stand, man, stand," Bran hissed, as Godric started forward. But Godric picked up the glove.
"He takes your challenge, Eudo. You are answered," the steward smiled. "By the saints, a bold fellow and sure. Nay, then, we may not deny him. You go to the ordeal of combat."
Then Bran laughed. "God have mercy, is this a court? Is this England? By the thorn, you have strange customs in this manor."
"We suffer no fools, fellow. ”

“ A man could scarce be killed, not easily wounded, but he might be beaten to the ground or wearied out with bruises, and the man who fell, the man who gave up the fight, was adjudged craven and infamous.
So with their wooden weapons the two fell on and fought fiercely and fast, and Godric had something the advantage, for though the forester was strong and stubborn, Godric had a longer reach than he. ”