ittle black crucifix carven of the bog oak by one of the brothers
who was skilful at that work. She took it with a flushing face.

"Malcolm," she said, "tell him that we will not forget."

So I told him, and he smiled, saying nothing in answer. I dare say
he knew that Gerda would not do so, if he had less hopes for
myself. Gerda first, and then we two in turn, bent and kissed his
thin hand, and he blessed us, and we must needs go.

Across the sand hills we went, keeping out of sight of the opposite
shore, and I looked back once and saw that the little black-robed
group was moving away up the glen. One brother was coming from the
chapel with a burden, which, no doubt, was the case containing the
holy vessels.

"Four of us to pull, and Gerda to steer," said Bertric, whose
spirits, like my own, were rising. "We should do well. These
brothers, moreover, know where we can land, which was the
difficulty I most feared. They are terrible cliff walls yonder."

"How far must we go before we can find a landing?" I asked Phelim
on this.

"Some five miles or more," he said, after a little thought. "There
is a cove and beach at the foot of a valley. The fishers took me
there once to help a sick man. I can find the place."

So it seemed that a village lay there also, which was good hearing,
for the sake of Gerda, even if it were naught but of turf huts.
Thence we could send a message to Dalfin.

Now, while we spoke thus, we were getting the boat down to the
water quickly enough between the four of us. She was very light for
her size, and we had all her gear in her already. There was room in
her for four rowers and two passengers aft, and I dare say might
have carried two more at a pinch. With the five of us she would be
in her best trim, therefore, and we might well distance a larger
boat if it was overladen at all. But the boat we fled from was not
to be seen now, even from the higher sand hills. Some rise in the
island hid her, or else she was well over to this shore.

The brothers cast off their long, black robes now, and stowed them
in the bows of the boat with our gear. They had thick woollen
tunics, like those of the fishers, under them, and their arms were
bare, and sinewy with long toil with spade and hoe, for these two
were the working brothers in field and garden.

We helped Gerda into the stern sheets, and pushed off, splashing
knee deep into the water as we ran the boat out among the waves.
Then we took our pl