about four hours after noon
There were many thickets across their road which they had to go round about ; so that to the crow flying over the tree-tops the journey had not been long to the place where night came upon them , and where they had to make the wood their bedchamber . That night they lighted no fire , but ate such cold victual as they might carry with them ; nor had they shot any venison , since they had with them more than enough ; they made little noise or stir therefore and fell asleep when they had set the watch . On the morrow they arose betimes , and broke their fast and went their ways till noon : by then the wood had thinned somewhat , and there was little underwood betwixt the scrubby oak and ash which were pretty nigh all the trees about : the ground also was broken , and here and there rocky , and they went into and out of rough little dales , most of which had in them a brook of water running west and southwest ; and now Face-of-god led his men somewhat more easterly ; and still for some while they met no man . At last , about four hours after noon , when they were going less warily , because they had hitherto come across nothing to hinder them , rising over the brow of a somewhat steep ridge , they saw down in the valley below them a half score of men sitting by the brook-side eating and drinking , their weapons lying beside them , and along with them stood a woman with her hands tied behind her back . They saw at once that these men were of the Felons , so they that had their bows bent , loosed at them without more ado , while the others ran in upon them with sword and spear . The felons leapt up and ran scattering down the dale , such of them as were not smitten by the shafts ; but he who was nighest to the woman , ere he ran , turned and caught up a sword from the ground and thrust it through her , and the next moment fell across the brook with an arrow in his back . No one of the felons was nimble enough to escape from the fleet-foot hunters of Burgdale , and they were all slain there to the number of eleven .