other. Words my father knew he
should have to put up with, after today, from Erpwald, but this
seemed token of more than words only.

Then came the blast of a horn from outside, and a strange voice
shouted that the thane must come and speak with those who called
him. So my father went to the gate and answered from within it:

"Here am I. What is all the trouble?"

"Open the gate, and you shall know."

"Not so, Thane," cried one of our men, who was peering through the
timbers of the stockade. "Now that I can see, I have counted full
fifty men, and they are waiting as if to rush in."

Then said my father:

"Maybe we will open the gate when we are sure you are friends. One
may be forgiven for doubting that when you come thus at midnight to
a peaceful house."

"We are friends or not, as you choose, Aldred," the voice answered.
"I am Erpwald, Woden's priest, and I am here to stay wrong to the
Asir of which I have heard."

"I will not pretend not to know what you mean, Erpwald," answered
my father. "But this, as it seems to me, is a matter that concerns
me most of all."

"If it concerns not Woden's priest, whom shall it concern?"
answered Erpwald. "It is true, then, that you have left the Asir to
follow the way of the thralls, led aside by that Welshman you have
with you?"

"It is true enough that I am a Christian," said my father steadily.
"As for leaving the Asir, that is not to be said of one whose line
goes back to Woden, his forefather. But I cannot worship him any
longer. Forefather of mine he may be, but not a god."

"Ho! that is all I needed to hear. Now, I will not mince matters
with you, Aldred. Either you give up this foolishness, or I am here
to make you do so."

Now, my father looked round at the men and saw that all the
house-carles and one or two from the village were in the courtyard,
fifteen of them altogether, besides himself and Owen. They were all
Christian men, and they stood in a sort of line behind him across
the closed gate with their faces set, listening.

"Don't suppose that there is any help coming to you from the
village," said the hard voice from outside. "There is a guard over
every house."

"Erpwald," said my father, "it is a new thing that any man should
be forced to quit his faith here in Sussex. Nor is it the way of a
thane to fall on a house at night in outlaw fashion. Ina the king
will have somewhat to say of this."

"If there is one left to tell him, that is," came ba