noon
When they were out a-gates , they rode for two miles along the highway , heedlessly enough by seeming , and then , as Michael bade , turned suddenly into a deep and narrow lane , and forth on , as it led betwixt hazelled banks and coppices of small wood , skirting the side of the hills , so that it was late in the afternoon before they came into the Highway again , which was the only road leading into the passes of the mountains . Then said Michael that now by all likelihood they had beguiled the waylayers for that time ; so they went on merrily till half the night was worn , when they shifted for lodging in a little oak-wood by the wayside . There they lay not long , but were afoot betimes in the morning , and rode swiftly daylong , and lay down at night on the wayside with the less dread because they were come so far without hurt . But on the third day , somewhat after noon , when they were come up above the tilled upland and the land was rough and the ways steep , there lay before them a dark wood swallowing up the road . Thereabout Ralph deemed that he saw weapons glittering ahead , but was not sure , for as clear-sighted as he was . So he stayed his band , and had Ursula into the rearward , and bade all men look to their weapons , and then they went forward heedfully and in good order , and presently not only Ralph , but all of them could see men standing in the jaws of the pass with the wood on either side of them , and though at first they doubted if these were aught but mere strong-thieves , such as any wayfarers might come on , they had gone but a little further when Michael knew them for the riders of Cheaping Knowe . `` Yea , '' said the Sage of Swevenham , `` it is clear how it has been : when they found that we came not that first morning , they had an inkling of what had befallen , and went forward toward the mountains , and not back to Cheaping Knowe , and thus outwent us while we were fetching that compass to give them the go-by : wherefore I deem that some great man is with them , else had they gone back to town for new orders . ''