The Wood Beyond the World Page 5

  CHAPTER V: NOW THEY COME TO A NEW LAND

  Three days they drave before the wind, and on the fourth the cloudslifted, the sun shone out and the offing was clear; the wind had muchabated, though it still blew a breeze, and was a head wind for sailingtoward the country of Langton. So then the master said that, since theywere bewildered, and the wind so ill to deal with, it were best to gostill before the wind that they might make some land and get knowledge oftheir whereabouts from the folk thereof. Withal he said that he deemedthe land not to be very far distant.

  So did they, and sailed on pleasantly enough, for the weather kept onmending, and the wind fell till it was but a light breeze, yet still foulfor Langton.

  So wore three days, and on the eve of the third, the man from the topmastcried out that he saw land ahead; and so did they all before the sun wasquite set, though it were but a cloud no bigger than a man's hand.

  When night fell they struck not sail, but went forth toward the land fairand softly; for it was early summer, so that the nights were neither longnor dark.

  But when it was broad daylight, they opened a land, a long shore of rocksand mountains, and nought else that they could see at first. Neverthelessas day wore and they drew nigher, first they saw how the mountains fellaway from the sea, and were behind a long wall of sheer cliff; and comingnigher yet, they beheld a green plain going up after a little in greenbents and slopes to the feet of the said cliff-wall.

  No city nor haven did they see there, not even when they were far nigherto the land; nevertheless, whereas they hankered for the peace of thegreen earth after all the tossing and unrest of the sea, and whereas alsothey doubted not to find at the least good and fresh water, and belikeother bait in the plain under the mountains, they still sailed on notunmerrily; so that by nightfall they cast anchor in five-fathom waterhard by the shore.

  Next morning they found that they were lying a little way off the mouthof a river not right great; so they put out their boats and towed theship up into the said river, and when they had gone up it for a mile orthereabouts they found the sea water failed, for little was the ebb andflow of the tide on that coast. Then was the river deep and clear,running between smooth grassy land like to meadows. Also on their leftboard they saw presently three head of neat cattle going, as if in ameadow of a homestead in their own land, and a few sheep; and thereafter,about a bow-draught from the river, they saw a little house of wood andstraw-thatch under a wooded mound, and with orchard trees about it. Theywondered little thereat, for they knew no cause why that land should notbe builded, though it were in the far outlands. However, they drew theirship up to the bank, thinking that they would at least abide awhile andask tidings and have some refreshing of the green plain, which was solovely and pleasant.

  But while they were busied herein they saw a man come out of the house,and down to the river to meet them; and they soon saw that he was talland old, long-hoary of hair and beard, and clad mostly in the skins ofbeasts.

  He drew nigh without any fear or mistrust, and coming close to them gavethem the sele of the day in a kindly and pleasant voice. The shipmastergreeted him in his turn, and said withal: "Old man, art thou the king ofthis country?"

  The elder laughed; "It hath had none other a long while," said he; "andat least there is no other son of Adam here to gainsay."

  "Thou art alone here then?" said the master.

  "Yea," said the old man; "save for the beasts of the field and the wood,and the creeping things, and fowl. Wherefore it is sweet to me to hearyour voices."

  Said the master: "Where be the other houses of the town?"

  The old man laughed. Said he: "When I said that I was alone, I meantthat I was alone in the land and not only alone in this stead. There isno house save this betwixt the sea and the dwellings of the Bears, overthe cliff-wall yonder, yea and a long way over it."

  "Yea," quoth the shipmaster grinning, "and be the bears of thy country somanlike, that they dwell in builded houses?"

  The old man shook his head. "Sir," said he, "as to their bodily fashion,it is altogether manlike, save that they be one and all higher and biggerthan most. For they be bears only in name; they be a nation of half wildmen; for I have been told by them that there be many more than that tribewhose folk I have seen, and that they spread wide about behind thesemountains from east to west. Now, sir, as to their souls andunderstandings I warrant them not; for miscreants they be, trowingneither in God nor his hallows."

  Said the master: "Trow they in Mahound then?"

  "Nay," said the elder, "I wot not for sure that they have so much as afalse God; though I have it from them that they worship a certain womanwith mickle worship."

  Then spake Walter: "Yea, good sir, and how knowest thou that? dost thoudeal with them at all?"

  Said the old man: "Whiles some of that folk come hither and have of mewhat I can spare; a calf or two, or a half-dozen of lambs or hoggets; ora skin of wine or cyder of mine own making: and they give me in returnsuch things as I can use, as skins of hart and bear and other peltries;for now I am old, I can but little of the hunting hereabout. Whiles,also, they bring little lumps of pure copper, and would give me goldalso, but it is of little use in this lonely land. Sooth to say, to methey are not masterful or rough-handed; but glad am I that they have beenhere but of late, and are not like to come again this while; for terriblethey are of aspect, and whereas ye be aliens, belike they would not holdtheir hands from off you; and moreover ye have weapons and other matterswhich they would covet sorely."

  Quoth the master: "Since thou dealest with these wild men, will ye notdeal with us in chaffer? For whereas we are come from long travel, wehanker after fresh victual, and here aboard are many things which werefor thine avail."

  Said the old man: "All that I have is yours, so that ye do but leave meenough till my next ingathering: of wine and cyder, such as it is, I haveplenty for your service; ye may drink it till it is all gone, if ye will:a little corn and meal I have, but not much; yet are ye welcome thereto,since the standing corn in my garth is done blossoming, and I have othermeat. Cheeses have I and dried fish; take what ye will thereof. But asto my neat and sheep, if ye have sore need of any, and will have them, Imay not say you nay: but I pray you if ye may do without them, not totake my milch-beasts or their engenderers; for, as ye have heard me say,the Bear-folk have been here but of late, and they have had of me all Imight spare: but now let me tell you, if ye long after flesh-meat, thatthere is venison of hart and hind, yea, and of buck and doe, to be had onthis plain, and about the little woods at the feet of the rock-wallyonder: neither are they exceeding wild; for since I may not take them, Iscare them not, and no other man do they see to hurt them; for the Bear-folk come straight to my house, and fare straight home thence. But Iwill lead you the nighest way to where the venison is easiest to begotten. As to the wares in your ship, if ye will give me aught I willtake it with a good will; and chiefly if ye have a fair knife or two anda roll of linen cloth, that were a good refreshment to me. But in anycase what I have to give is free to you and welcome."

  The shipmaster laughed: "Friend," said he, "we can thee mickle thanks forall that thou biddest us. And wot well that we be no lifters orsea-thieves to take thy livelihood from thee. So to-morrow, if thouwilt, we will go with thee and upraise the hunt, and meanwhile we willcome aland, and walk on the green grass, and water our ship with thy goodfresh water."

  So the old carle went back to his house to make them ready what cheer hemight, and the shipmen, who were twenty and one, all told, what with themariners and Arnold and Walter's servants, went ashore, all but two whowatched the ship and abode their turn. They went well-weaponed, for boththe master and Walter deemed wariness wisdom, lest all might not be sogood as it seemed. They took of their sail-cloths ashore and tilted themin on the meadow betwixt the house and the ship, and the carle broughtthem 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, andwe
re right fain.