So I loosed those three carles and we ran together , my men-at-arms and the Saxons with bills and axes which they had hidden in the thatch of their huts , and Hugh led them . Half-way up the King 's Hill we found a false fellow from Picardy -- a sutler that sold wine in the Duke 's camp -- with a dead knight 's shield on his arm , a stolen horse under him , and some ten or twelve wastrels at his tail , all cutting and slashing at the pigs . We beat them off , and saved our pork . One hundred and seventy pigs we saved in that great battle . ' Sir Richard laughed . ` That , then , was our first work together , and I bade Hugh tell his folk that so would I deal with any man , knight or churl , Norman or Saxon , who stole as much as one egg from our valley . Said he to me , riding home : `` Thou hast gone far to conquer England this evening . '' I answered : `` England must be thine and mine , then . Help me , Hugh , to deal aright with these people . Make them to know that if they slay me De Aquila will surely send to slay them , and he will put a worse man in my place . '' `` That may well be true , '' said he , and gave me his hand . `` Better the devil we know than the devil we know not , till we can pack you Normans home . '' And so , too , said his Saxons ; and they laughed as we drove the pigs downhill . But I think some of them , even then , began not to hate me . ' ' I like Brother Hugh , ' said Una , softly . ` Beyond question he was the most perfect , courteous , valiant , tender , and wise knight that ever drew breath , ' said Sir Richard , caressing the sword . ` He hung up his sword -- this sword -- on the wall of the Great Hall , because he said it was fairly mine , and never he took it down till De Aquila returned , as I shall presently show . For three months his men and mine guarded the valley , till all robbers and nightwalkers learned there was nothing to get from us save hard tack and a hanging . Side by side we fought against all who came -- thrice a week sometimes we fought -- against thieves and landless knights looking for good manors . Then we were in some peace , and I made shift by Hugh 's help to govern the valley -- for all this valley of yours was my Manor -- as a knight should .
I kept the roof on the hall and the XXXXX on the barn , but ... the English are a bold people .
Hall Hugh Norman Normans carles churl months sutler thatch week