One of the party, who appeared to be the leader, said that the party had better surrender immediately.

He promised them good treatment, and said that the knight would be put to ransom, should it be found that the valuables upon his person were not sufficient to pay the worshipful company present for the trouble which they had taken in waiting upon him.

This sally was received with shouts of laughter.

Cuthbert replied quietly that he had no valuables upon his person; that if they took him there were none would pay as much as a silver mark for the ransom of them all; and that the only things that they had to give were sharp arrows and heavy blows.
"You talk bravely, young sir," the man said.

"But you have to do with men versed in fight, and caring but little either for knocks or for arrows.
We have gone through the Crusades, and are therefore held to be absolved from all sin, even that so great as would be incurred in the cutting of your knightly throat." "But we have gone through the Crusades also," Cuthbert said, "and our persons are sacred.