the woods of Dyfed. And that was much
for the proud prince to ask, as I think, and I held him the more
highly therefor in my mind.

And Evan replied by asking Howel to forget rather that he had ever
deserved death at his hands.

"It shall be seen that I am not ungrateful to the Thane, my master,
hereafter--if I may live after seeing this place," he said.

"Is it so deadly, then?" asked Howel, speaking low in the hush of
the valley.

"It is said that those who see it must die--at least, of us who ken
the curse on it. I do not think that it will harm you or the thane
to see it, for you are not of this land at all. I have known men
see this valley by mischance, and they have died shortly, crying
out on the terror thereof. Yet none has ever told what he saw
therein."

Now it seemed to me that it was possible that such men died of fear
of what might be, as men who think they are accursed, whether by
witchcraft or in other ways, will die, being killed by the trouble
on their minds, and so I said to Evan:

"I will not take you into this place. Show us the way, and I will
go alone."

"No, Master," he said, in such wise that it was plain that there
was no turning him. "I am a Christian man, and I will not let old
heathen curses hold me back, now that there is good reason why I
should stand in that place. I will not be afraid thereof."

"Is the curse so old?" I asked.

"Old beyond memory," he said. "As old as what is in that place."

"As the menhir, therefore."

"I do not know that there is a menhir, Thane. How know you?"

I reined up, and told him shortly. It was only fair that I should
do so. Then he said:

"The prince is dead, and maybe that he lies there will end the
curse. Come, we will see."

A few paces more, and suddenly the hillside seemed to open in a
ragged cleft that made another branching valley into the heart of
the left-hand hillside, so deep that it seemed rather to sink
downward from the mouth than to rise as a valley ever will. In all
truth, none would ever have found that place unless he sought for
it with a guide. I had not guessed that we were so near its
entrance.

I looked round the hills, but from here I could see not one of our
men on their watch posts, though one would have thought that where
they stood it would have been impossible to lose sight of all. We
were almost at the head of the wider valley along which we had
ridden.

Now I had thought to be the leader into the lost vall