the wood beyond the world-第5章

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the　house　and　the　ship；　and　the　carle　brought　them　what　he　had　for
their　avail；　of　fresh　fruits；　and　cheeses；　and　milk；　and　wine；　and
cyder；　and　honey；　and　there　they　feasted　nowise　ill；　and　were　right
fain。



CHAPTER　VI：　　THE　OLD　MAN　TELLS　WALTER　OF　HIMSELF。　　WALTER　SEES　A
SHARD　IN　THE　CLIFF…WALL



But　when　they　had　done　their　meat　and　drink　the　master　and　the
shipmen　went　about　the　watering　of　the　ship；　and　the　others　strayed
off　along　the　meadow；　so　that　presently　Walter　was　left　alone　with
the　carle；　and　fell　to　speech　with　him　and　said：　　〃Father；　meseemeth
thou　shouldest　have　some　strange　tale　to　tell；　and　as　yet　we　have
asked　thee　of　nought　save　meat　for　our　bellies：　　now　if　I　ask　thee
concerning　thy　life；　and　how　thou　camest　hither；　and　abided　here；
wilt　thou　tell　me　aught？〃

The　old　man　smiled　on　him　and　said：　　〃Son；　my　tale　were　long　to
tell；　and　mayhappen　concerning　much　thereof　my　memory　should　fail
me；　and　withal　there　is　grief　therein；　which　I　were　loth　to　awaken：
nevertheless　if　thou　ask；　I　will　answer　as　I　may；　and　in　any　case
will　tell　thee　nought　save　the　truth。〃

Said　Walter：　　〃Well　then；　hast　thou　been　long　here？〃

〃Yea；〃　said　the　carle；　〃since　I　was　a　young　man；　and　a　stalwarth
knight。〃

Said　Walter：　　〃This　house；　didst　thou　build　it；　and　raise　these
garths；　and　plant　orchard　and　vineyard；　and　gather　together　the　neat
and　the　sheep；　or　did　some　other　do　all　this　for　thee？〃

Said　the　carle：　　〃I　did　none　of　all　this；　there　was　one　here　before
me；　and　I　entered　into　his　inheritance；　as　though　this　were　a　lordly
manor；　with　a　fair　castle　thereon；　and　all　well　stocked　and
plenished。〃

Said　Walter：　　〃Didst　thou　find　thy　foregoer　alive　here？〃

〃Yea；〃　said　the　elder；　〃yet　he　lived　but　for　a　little　while　after　I
came　to　him。〃

He　was　silent　a　while；　and　then　he　said：　　〃I　slew　him：　　even　so
would　he　have　it；　though　I　bade　him　a　better　lot。〃

Said　Walter：　　〃Didst　thou　come　hither　of　thine　own　will？〃

〃Mayhappen；〃　said　the　carle；　〃who　knoweth？　　Now　have　I　no　will　to　do
either　this　or　that。　　It　is　wont　that　maketh　me　do；　or　refrain。〃

Said　Walter：　　〃Tell　me　this；　why　didst　thou　slay　the　man？　did　he　any
scathe　to　thee？〃

Said　the　elder：　　〃When　I　slew　him；　I　deemed　that　he　was　doing　me　all
scathe：　　but　now　I　know　that　it　was　not　so。　　Thus　it　was：　　I　would
needs　go　where　he　had　been　before；　and　he　stood　in　the　path　against
me；　and　I　overthrew　him；　and　went　on　the　way　I　would。〃

〃What　came　thereof？〃　said　Walter。

〃Evil　came　of　it；〃　said　the　carle。

Then　was　Walter　silent　a　while；　and　the　old　man　spake　nothing；　but
there　came　a　smile　in　his　face　that　was　both　sly　and　somewhat　sad。
Walter　looked　on　him　and　said：　　〃Was　it　from　hence　that　thou　wouldst
go　that　road？〃

〃Yea；〃　said　the　carle。

Said　Walter：　　〃And　now　wilt　thou　tell　me　what　that　road　was；　whither
it　went　and　whereto　it　led；　that　thou　must　needs　wend　it；　though　thy
first　stride　were　over　a　dead　man？〃

〃I　will　not　tell　thee；〃　said　the　carle。

Then　they　held　their　peace；　both　of　them；　and　thereafter　got　on　to
other　talk　of　no　import。

So　wore　the　day　till　night　came；　and　they　slept　safely；　and　on　the
morrow　after　they　had　broken　their　fast；　the　more　part　of　them　set
off　with　the　carle　to　the　hunting；　and　they　went；　all　of　them；　a
three　hours'　faring　towards　the　foot　of　the　cliffs；　which　was　all
grown　over　with　coppice；　hazel　and　thorn；　with　here　and　there　a　big
oak　or　ash…tree；　there　it　was；　said　the　old　man；　where　the　venison
was　most　and　best。

Of　their　hunting　need　nought　be　said；　saving　that　when　the　carle　had
put　them　on　the　track　of　the　deer　and　shown　them　what　to　do；　he　came
back　again　with　Walter；　who　had　no　great　lust　for　the　hunting；　and
sorely　longed　to　have　some　more　talk　with　the　said　carle。　　He　for
his　part　seemed　nought　loth　thereto；　and　so　led　Walter　to　a　mound　or
hillock　amidst　the　clear　of　the　plain；　whence　all　was　to　be　seen
save　where　the　wood　covered　it；　but　just　before　where　they　now　lay
down　there　was　no　wood；　save　low　bushes；　betwixt　them　and　the　rock…
wall；　and　Walter　noted　that　whereas　otherwhere；　save　in　one　place
whereto　their　eyes　were　turned；　the　cliffs　seemed　wellnigh　or　quite
sheer；　or　indeed　in　some　places　beetling　over；　in　that　said　place
they　fell　away　from　each　other　on　either　side；　and　before　this
sinking　was　a　slope　or　scree；　that　went　gently　up　toward　the　sinking
of　the　wall。　　Walter　looked　long　and　earnestly　at　this　place；　and
spake　nought；　till　the　carle　said：　　〃What！　thou　hast　found　something
before　thee　to　look　on。　　What　is　it　then？〃

Quoth　Walter：　　〃Some　would　say　that　where　yonder　slopes　run　together
up　towards　that　sinking　in　the　cliff…wall　there　will　be　a　pass　into
the　country　beyond。〃

The　carle　smiled　and　said：　　〃Yea；　son；　nor；　so　saying；　would　they
err；　for　that　is　the　pass　into　the　Bear…country；　whereby　those　huge
men　come　down　to　chaffer　with　me。〃

〃Yea；〃　said　Walter；　and　therewith　he　turned　him　a　little；　and
scanned　the　rock…wall；　and　saw　how　a　few　miles　from　that　pass　it
turned　somewhat　sharply　toward　the　sea；　narrowing　the　plain　much
there；　till　it　made　a　bight；　the　face　whereof　looked　wellnigh　north；
instead　of　west；　as　did　the　more　part　of　the　wall。　　And　in　the　midst
of　that　northern…looking　bight　was　a　dark　place　which　seemed　to
Walter　like　a　downright　shard　in　the　cliff。　　For　the　face　of　the
wall　was　of　a　bleak　grey；　and　it　was　but　little　furrowed。

So　then　Walter　spake：　　〃Lo；　old　friend；　there　yonder　is　again　a
place　that　meseemeth　is　a　pass；　whereunto　doth　that　one　lead？〃　　And
he　pointed　to　it：　　but　the　old　man　did　not　follow　the　pointing　of
his　finger；　but；　looking　down　on　the　ground；　answered　confusedly；
and　said：

〃Maybe：　　I　wot　not。　　I　deem　that　it　also　leadeth　into　the　Bear…
country　by　a　roundabout　road。　　It　leadeth　into　the　far　land。〃

Walter　answered　nought：　　for　a　strange　thought　had　come　uppermost　in
his　mind；　that　the　carle　knew　far　more　than　he　would　say　of　that
pass；　and　that　he　himself　might　be　led　thereby　to　find　the　wondrous
three。　　He　caught　his　breath　hardly；　and　his　heart　knocked　against
his　ribs；　but　he　refrained　from　speaking　for　a　long　while；　but　at
last　he　spake　in　a　sharp　hard　voice；　which　he　scarce　knew　for　his
own：　　〃Father；　tell　me；　I　adjure　thee　by　God　and　All…hallows；　was　it
through　yonder　shard　that　the　road　lay；　when　thou　must　needs　make
thy　first　stride　over　a　dead　man？〃

The　old　man　spake　not　a　while；　then　he　raised　his　head；　and　looked
Walter　full　in　the　eyes；　and　said　in　a　steady　voice：　　〃NO；　IT　WAS
NOT。〃　　Thereafter　they　sat　looking　at　each　other　a　while；　but　at
last　Walter　turned　his　eyes　away；　but　knew　not　what　they　beheld　nor
where　he　was；　but　he　was　as　one　in　a　swoon。　　For　he　knew　full　well
that　the　carle　had　lied　to　him；　and　that　he　might　as　well　have　said
aye　as　no；　and　told　him；　that　it　verily　was　by　that　same　shard　that
he　had　stridden　over　a　dead　man。　　Nevertheless　he　made　as　little
semblance　thereof　as　he　might；　and　presently　came　to　himself；　and
fell　to　talking　of　other　matters；　that　had　nought　to　do　with　the
adventures　of　the　land。　　But　after　a　while　he　spake　suddenly；　and
said：　　〃My　master；　I　was　thinking　of　a　thing。〃

〃Yea；　of　what？〃　said　the　carle。

〃Of　this；〃　said　Walter；　〃that　here　in　this　land　be　strange
adventures　toward；　and　that　if　we；　and　I　in　especial；　were　to　turn
our　backs　on　them；　and　go　home　with　nothing　done；　it　were　pity　of
our　lives：　　for　all　will　be　dull　and　deedless　there。　　I　was　deeming
it　were　good　if　we　tried　the　adventure。〃

〃What　adventure？〃　said　the　old　man；　rising　up　on　his　elbow　and
staring　sternly　on　him。

Said　Walter：　　〃The　wending　yonder　pass　to　the　eastward；　whereby　the
huge　men　come　to　thee　from　out　of　the　Bear…country；　that　we　might
see　what　should　come　thereof。〃

The　carle　leaned　back　again；　and　smiled　and　shook　his　head；　and
spake：　　〃That　adventure　were　speedily　proven：　　death　would　come　of
it；　my　son。〃

〃Yea；　and　how？〃　said　Walter。

The　carle　said：　　〃The　big　men　would　take　thee；　and　offer　thee　up　as
a　blood…offering　to　that　woman；　who　is　their　Mawmet。　　And　if　ye　go
all；　then　shall　they　do　the　like　with　all　of　you。〃

Said　Walter：　　〃Is　that　sure？〃

〃Dead