H. C. Bailey

“ Bran came down from his horse. "Yea, brother, yea," he grinned and shuffled in the beech mast, "all this is mine and the white chalk under that made my bones. Why are you unkind to me, brother?"
"You are a Frenchman and some French lord's hound."
"A hound, I! Hear him!" he barked grotesquely. "God mend your wits, brother. Do I look a hound?" and he showed off his ungainliness and grimaced and some of them began to grin. "Holy thorn, who are you that you call me French?"
"We be good Saxon folk and we want no Norman dogs to spy on us." ”

“ Oh, he is a wise fellow, this Gilbert. But greedy, God warn us, greedy."
"Who holds you prisoner?" the king cried, and turned on Gilbert.
"Nay, my lord, nay. It is a folly of my steward's. I——"
"Nay, my lord, nay. It is a wise steward and a wise Gilbert. 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. ”

“ The land is wide and craftsmen need never lack meat."
"By the cross, I will not go," Godric thundered. "I will stand for my right."
"Aye, aye, stand," the others answered him.
"Your rights be more than your life?" Bran laughed. "Oh English, English! Then I see another way, brother: meet your court. As bad as men are they will not do that in council which one man will plot alone. When they gather, shame comes with them. Go to court with all your folk and have all told and sworn. I think he does not love the light, our Gilbert. He is too wise." ”

“ Robert, the steward of the manor, a big sleek man, came in the pomp of his gold chain and furred gown between two men-at-arms and with him was William the town reeve and after him marched the richer folk and the priest Clement.
"What like is this priest, brother?" said Bran in Godric's ear.
"The man is gentle and to all kindly, but no firm friend." ”

“ Bran said.
The steward shot a glance at him and from him to the reeve.
The priest threw his robe over Godric. "Hold Eudo, you hold a man accursed. Godric you do not hold. He is in sanctuary."
"Sanctuary!" the steward cried. "You are no sanctuary, priest. This is against all law and good custom. What, do you brave my lord's justice?"
"This man committed himself to God and a false, foul blow was stricken. God's man he is and I claim him in the name of God. All Christian men stand for the right." ”

“ A castle in Risborough, a new castle in Watlington—"Yea, yea, the wicked flourish like a green bay tree. And now he will be lord of all the hills. It is well planned of Gilbert. And that hold at Watlington is shrewdly set against the king's castle at Wallingford. Yea, yea, Gilbert is wise in his generation," and stranger and stranger the music grew.
When Bran came back to the huts, he found pots steaming over the fire. He flung down a brace of hares. "The fool pays his shot, brother."
"God help you, fool," Godric tossed them swiftly out of sight. "If Eudo saw you, you are sped." ”

“ It is hard. I do fear for you," said Godric and turned away from her.
Then one of the bent brooding men lifted up his head and said: "What strikes one strikes all," and there was rumbling and muttering.
"Sooth, sooth," Bran nodded. "But who strikes here?"
Godric turned on him and said fiercely: "Eudo, fool."
"Friend Eudo, who is the forester of friend Gilbert?" Bran thrust out his leg and stirred Godric's bulk. "Tell on, brother." ”

“ 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. ”

“ Tell the tale of your tail, brother."
"We be villeins of Watlington, and so were our folk before us, holding our housen our own for dues and service to our lord. But King Stephen gave the manor to Sir Gilbert du Marais. Then Sir Gilbert built him a castle in Watlington, where castle had never been, and to build it he pulled down our housen and we have no home nor living."
"The foxes ve holes and the birds of the air have nests. Yet I have none, brother."
"Like outlaws we live and like outlaws we die."
"Godric!" the woman said and touched his hand. ”

“ Godric stared at him. "I thought you false," he growled. "You have said what a true man should say. To the court I will go." He trust out his big hard hand and took Bran's.
"Godric, Godric," the woman clutched at him. "This is a fool's word. It is to go to your death. There is another way, Godric Here we rest safe. Hide here in the hills."
"You are no friend to me," Godric said and she cried.
ON THE low green hill which stands out from the great hills into the vale, the folk of the manor were met. Over against it the new castle of Watlington glimmered white in the dawn. ”

“ But always the little people come again. Even as I. I am of them by my mother, and my father no man knows but God. My mother, she was speared by a huntsman of old Hugo d'Oilly's, Ivo his name, and they took me, a child, to make them sport. ”

“ To all which Eudo made oath. Then Godric swore that he had never stolen nor handled the horn and that if Eudo found it in his hut Eudo himself put it there. Whereat the two men turned to call each other liar and the steward had much ado to stay them. "You, Godric," said he at last, "this is a wild tale you tell. Why should this honest man do a villainy and forswear himself to work you wrong? ”