"Messire," quoth he, "all that you say is sooth, but what remedy can ye bring to such as we. Say now?"
Then spake Beltane on this wise:
"All ye that have suffered wrong, all ye that be broken men—hearken! Life is short and quick to escape a man, yet do all men cherish it, and to what end? What seek ye of life—is it arms, is it riches? Go with me and I will teach ye how they shall be come by. Are ye heavy-hearted by reason of your wrongs—of bitter shame wrought upon the weak and innocent? Seek ye vengeance?—would ye see tyrants die?—seek ye their blood, forsooth? Then follow me!"
Now at this the outlaws began to murmur among themselves, wagging their heads one to another and voicing their grievances thus:
"They cut off mine ears for resisting my lord's taxes, and for this I would have justice!"
"They burned me in the hand for striking my lord's hunting dog!"
"I had a wife once, and she was young and fair; so my lord's son took her and thereafter gave her for sport among his huntsmen, whereof she died—and for this would I have vengeance!"
"They burned my home, and therein wife and child—and for this would I have vengeance!"
"They cut off my brother's hands!"
"They put out my father's eyes!"