her to act. But for the staying of that man at the
entrance, I have no doubt that by this time her men had been warned
to fall on us. The gathering of the Welsh, and the open passage
into the heart of the palace, might be seeming proof that we had
planned the downfall of Offa, and so short work with us.

Now one said that it were best to tell Offa straightway, but Selred
and my comrades would not have that. We were not so sure in our own
minds that he was guiltless in the matter; and at last Selred said
that he would try to reach the guest hall and wake the other thanes
and bring them here.

So we passed into the council chamber, and I think we were all glad
to be away from the side of that pit. Erling stood at the great
door, and he had taken the bars down from that which led to the
guest hall. If only we could make some one of our folk hear without
too much noise, they could unbar it from their side.

"There is one asleep near to it," said Erling; "I heard him in the
stillness."

I tapped sharply once or twice on the heavy door with my sword
handle. I heard the sounds the sleeper made on the other side, and
presently they stopped suddenly. Whereon I tapped again, and I
heard a voice, and then another, as if men heard it. And then a
tapping came back. The door was very thick, and made of oaken logs,
bound together with iron, so that it was hard to hear. But I set my
face close to it and spoke, thinking that no doubt an ear was not
far off beyond.

"Unbar the door," I said--"unbar."

"Who is that?" came the muffled voice.

Then Selred answered, and presently I heard the great bars being
drawn from their sockets in the door posts, and at last the door
opened slowly toward us. A thane was there with his sword in his
hand, staring at us.

"Let me in, for I have a word to say," said Selred quietly. "Be
silent, for one does not want to rouse the place."

He passed in, and we closed the door. Beyond the other door lay the
housecarls of Offa down the long hall where we had feasted, and
within his own chambers there were a score or more of the young
thanes of his bodyguard sleeping across his own doors.

Now we heard the still voice of Selred, and after it a stifled
outcry, hushed almost before it arose, and then silence. In a
minute the door was pushed gently, and the father came back with a
pale face. Ho had told the thanes, and they were arming in silence.
Then they would come and see what we had seen.

"And