Butnowtheywerebeginningtoturnthembackagaintothehabitations，andathinstreamwasflowingthroughtheacres，whentheyheardaconfusedsounddrawingnearblendedofhornsandthelowingofbeastsandtheshoutingofmen；andtheylookedandsawathrongofbrightlycladmencomingupstreamalongsideofMirkwood-
water；andtheywerenotafraid，fortheyknewthatitmustbesomeothercompanyoftheMarkmenjourneyingtothehostingoftheFolk:
andpresentlytheysawthatitwastheHouseoftheBeamingsfollowingtheirbanneronthewaytotheThing-stead。Butwhenthenew-comerssawthethrongoutinthemeads，someoftheiryoungmenprickedontheirhorsesandgallopedonpastthewomenandoldmen，towhomtheythrewagreeting，astheyranpasttocatchupwiththebandsoftheWolfings；forbetweenthetwohouseswasthereaffinity，andmuchgoodlikinglaybetweenthem；andthestay-at-homes，manyofthem，lingeredyettillthemainbodyoftheBeamingscamewiththeirbanner:andtheirarraywasmuchliketothatoftheWolfings，butgayer；forwhereasitpleasedthelattertodarkenalltheirwargeartothecolourofthegreyWolf，theBeamingspolishedalltheirgearasbrightasmightbe，andtheirraimentalsowasmostlybrightgreenofhueandmuchbeflowered；andthesignontheirbannerwasagreenleafytree，andthewainwasdrawnbygreatwhitebulls。
Sowhentheircompanydrewaneartothethrongofthestay-at-homestheywenttomeetandgreeteachother，andtelltidingstoeachother；buttheirbannerheldsteadilyonwardamidsttheirconverse，andinalittlewhiletheyfollowedit，forthewaywaslongtotheThing-steadoftheUpper-mark。
SopassedawaythefightingmenbythesideofMirkwood-water，andthethrongofthestay-at-homesmeltedslowlyfromthemeadowandtrickledalongthroughtheacrestothehabitationsoftheWolfings，andtheretheyfelltodoingwhatsoofworkorplaycametotheirhands。