u."

"Let them not go, Thane," said one of his men, "else will they be
off to Ina, and there will be trouble. You mind what you promised
us."

Now, Owen heard this, and the words told him that he was right in
thinking that there was more than heathenry in the affair. It
seemed to him that the first thing was to save me, and that if he
could do that in any way nought else mattered much. It was plain
that no man was to be left to bring Ina on the priest for his ill
deeds.

"If that is all the trouble now," he said, therefore, "as we are in
your power you can make us promise what you like. Give us terms at
least; if not, come and end us and the matter at once."

One of the men flew at him on that, and bided where he fell, across
the doorway of the porch; none stirred to follow him.

"Swear that you will not go to Ina for a month's time with any
tales, and you and all shall go free," Erpwald said.

The man who had spoken before put in at once:

"What of the blood feud, Erpwald?--There is Aldred's son yet."

At that the priest lost temper with his follower, and turned on him
savagely:

"Is it for men to war with children? What care I for a blood feud?
Can I not fend for myself? Hold your peace."

Then he said to Owen:

"They say that you are the child's foster-father now. If I give him
to you, will you swear that you or he shall cross my path no more?
You need not trouble to go to Ina, for he will not hearken to a
Briton in any case."

Owen reddened under the last, but for my sake he did not answer,
save to the first part of the saying.

"I will swear to take the child hence and let this matter be for us
as if it had not been," he said, seeing that it was the best he
could win for me.

What other thoughts were in his mind will be seen hereafter, but I
will say now that it was not all so hopeless as it seemed to
Erpwald.

"What of the other men," asked one or two of Erpwald's following.

"They shall bide here, where we can keep an eye on them," the
priest answered. "They will not hurt us, nor we them, save only if
they try to make trouble."

Then some of our house-caries said in a low tone to Owen: "Better
to die with the master. Let us out and fall on them."

But he said: "This is for the boy's sake. Let me be, my brothers; I
have the thane's word to carry out."

Then they knew that he was right, but they bade him make Erpwald
swear to keep faith with them all.

So he spoke again with the priest,