four hours after noon
and she turned round to him and kissed his feet , and then arose and turned a little toward her mate ; and the carle caught her by the hand and led her away , and seemed glad so to do . So once again they fell asleep in the woods , and again the next morning fared on their way early that they might come into Burgdale before nightfall . When they stayed a while at noontide and ate , Face-of-god again had talk with the Runaways , and this time with those of Rose-dale , and he heard much the same story from them that he had heard before , told in divers ways , till his heart was sick with the hearing of it . On this last day Face-of-god led his men well athwart the wood , so that he hit Wildlake 's Way without coming to Carl-stead ; and he came down into the Dale some four hours after noon on a bright day of latter March . At the ingate to the Dale he found watches set , the men whereof told him that the tidings were not right great . Hall-face 's company had fallen in with a band of the Felons three score in number in the oak-wood nigh to Boars-bait , and had slain some and chased the rest , since they found it hard to follow them home as they ran for the tangled thicket : of the Burgdalers had two been slain and five hurt in this battle . As for Red-coat 's company , they had fallen in with no foemen .