When I heard that, instead of keeping straight on, I doubled quickly
round the angle of the palisade. By the time I had turned it the man may
have been at the gate, and would think me vanished. But now I ran and
got to cover in a thicket close to the rear of the house. A bad place
enough, but I must chance it.
I could hear shouts now from the courtyard. I looked round for a way to
escape, but to reach the woods I had now a long bit of open ground to
cover, and was puzzled. Then overhead I heard a bird rustle, and I
looked up, and at once a thought came to me. The tree was an old,
gnarled ash, and the leaves on it were thick for the time of year.
Moreover, the branches were so large that surely in the fork I could
find a hiding place. And being so close to the hall, search would be
with little, if any, care.
So with a little difficulty I climbed up, and there, sure enough, found
the tree hollow in the fork, so that if I crouched down none could see
me from below, while, lying flat against a great branch, I could safely
see something of what might be on hand.
I was hardly sure of this when men began to spread here and there about
the place, but mostly going in the direction of the woods. I heard
Matelgar's voice, harsh and loud, promising reward to him who should
bring in the outlaw, dead or alive, and presently saw him stand clear of
the palisading, about a bowshot from me.
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