"What, and is it thou, rogue Perkyn?" cried Walkyn, "art blind not to know me?"
"Aye," growled the voice, "but blind or no, I see others with thee."
"Good friends all!" quoth Walkyn.
"Stand forth that I may see these friends o' thine!" Drawing near, Beltane beheld a man in filthy rags who held a long bow in his hand with an arrow on the string, at sight of whom Roger muttered and Giles held his nose and spat.
"Aha," growled the man Perkyn, peering under his matted hair, "I like not the looks o' these friends o' thine—"
"Nor we thine, foul fellow," quoth Giles, and spat again whole-heartedly.
"How!" cried Walkyn fiercely, "d'ye dare bid Walkyn stand, thou dog's meat? Must I flesh mine axe on thy vile carcase?"
"Not till I feather a shaft in thee," growled Perkyn, "what would ye?"
"Speak with Eric o' the Noose."
"Aha, and what would ye with half-hung Eric, forsooth? Tostig's our chief, and Tostig's man am I. As for Eric—"