ms, and came to the bank swinging all his body between
his long arms, and gnashed his teeth at us. Hugh loosed arrow, and
pierced him through the throat. He fell roaring, and three other
Devils ran out of the forest and hauled him into a tall tree out of
sight. Anon they cast down the blood-stained arrow, and lamented
together among the leaves.

Witta saw the gold on the bank; he was loath to leave it. "Sirs," said
he (no man had spoken till then), "yonder is what we have come so far
and so painfully to find, laid out to our very hand. Let us row in
while these Devils bewail themselves, and at least bear off what we
may."

'Bold as a wolf, cunning as a fox was Witta! He set four archers on
the fore-deck to shoot the Devils if they should leap from the tree,
which was close to the bank. He manned ten oars a side, and bade them
watch his hand to row in or back out, and so coaxed he them toward the
bank. But none would set foot ashore, though the gold was within ten
paces. No man is hasty to his hanging! They whimpered at their oars
like beaten hounds, and Witta bit his fingers for rage.

'Said Hugh of a sudden, "Hark!" At first we thought it was the buzzing
of the glittering flies on the water; but it grew loud and fierce, so
that all men heard.'

'What?' said Dan and Una.

'It was the Sword.' Sir Richard patted the smooth hilt. 'It sang as a
Dane sings before battle. "I go," said Hugh, and he leaped from the
bows and fell among the gold. I was afraid to my four bones' marrow,
but for shame's sake I followed, and Thorkild of Borkum leaped after
me. None other came. "Blame me not," cried Witta behind us, "I must
abide by my ship." We three had no time to blame or praise. We stooped
to the gold and threw it back over our shoulders, one hand on our
swords and one eye on the tree, which nigh overhung us.

'I know not how the Devils leaped down, or how the fight began. I
heard Hugh cry: "Out! out!" as though he were at Santlache again; I
saw Thorkild's steel cap smitten off his head by a great hairy hand,
and I felt an arrow from the ship whistle past my ear. They say that
till Witta took his sword to the rowers he could not bring his ship
inshore; and each one of the four archers said afterwards that he alone
had pierced the Devil that fought me. I do not know. I went to it in
my mail-shirt, which saved my skin. With long-sword and belt-dagger I
fought for the life against a Devil whose very feet we