ck the reply.
"There will not be shortly, unless I have your word that tomorrow
you come to me at Wisborough and make such atonement to the Asir as
you may, quitting your new craze."

Then said Stuf, the leader of the house-carles, growling:

"That is out of the question, and he knows it. He means to fall on
us, else had he spoken to you elsewhere first, Thane. It seems to
me that here we shall die."

He looked round on his fellows, and they nodded, and one set his
helm more firmly on his head, and another tightened his belt, and
one or two signed the cross on their broad chests, but not one
paled, though they knew there was small hope for them if Erpwald
chose to storm the house. The court was light as day with the
flames of the stack by this time.

"What think you of this, Owen," my father said.

"That it is likely that we must seal our faith with our blood,
brother," he answered. "Yet I think that there is more in this than
heathenism, in some way."

"There is an old feud of no account," said my father, "but I would
not think hardly of Erpwald. After all, he was Woden's priest, and
is wroth, as I myself might have been. It is good to die thus, and
but for the boy I would be glad."

"I do not think that he will be harmed," said Owen, "even if the
worst comes to the worst."

"Well, if I fall, try to get him hence. After that maybe Erpwald
will be satisfied. I set him in your charge, brother, for once you
have saved him already. Fail me not."

Owen held out his hand and took his.

"I will not fail you," he said--"if I live after you."

Now from outside the voices began to be impatient, and Erpwald had
been crying to my father to be speedy, unheeded. But in the midst
of the growing shouts of the heathen my father turned to the men
and asked them if they were content to die with him for the faith.
And with one accord they said that they would.

Then with a thundering crash a great timber beam was hurled against
the gate, shaking its very posts with the force of the six men who
wielded it at a run, and in the silence that fell as they drew back
Erpwald cried:

"For the last time, Aldred, will you yield?"

But he had no answer, and after a short space the timber crashed
against the gate again and again. And across it waited our few,
silent and ready for its falling.

I heard all this in the closed chamber, and the red light of the
fire shone across the slit whence the light and fresh air came into
it,