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The idlers shouted, and Werbode laughed, while the two men had all they could do to prevent the other slaves from breaking away; or else they themselves had no reason to object to seeing their master tasting his own sauce. The heavy plaits of the whiplash curled round the legs of the trader, and he writhed.
But when we came to the side of Werbode, we found him staring into a pit which seemed to have opened under the weight of his horse; and there was no sign of other danger. "Strange folk these," he said. "I suppose this is a trap. The ground over it was as solid as anywhere, to all seeming. I was nigh into it."
That one had a broken thigh, and he seemed to bend over it in pain. "Holy saints," said Werbode, in a whisper, "they were buried alive!" So they must have been; but who shall know when? They had delved in the chalk for the flints they needed for their weapons, and their mine had fallen in at the mouth, and they could not escape. The stones had, doubtless, broken the leg of that one in falling.
I do not think that either of us was sorry to leave that sight. We went one on either side of Werbode, with our arms across the crupper of his horse, and hastened after the thane and his charge, who were half a mile away by this time, waiting for us. But we never heard any elvish arrow whistling after us, or saw any more of the uncouth folk.
Heard you not how I owned to a black eye from him?" And he looked at me in a half proud way which told me how the bonds had broken him, and yet how they had not yet made him shameless if he must beg me for help to freedom. Then said Werbode quietly: "Where is that receipt? I suppose that if you paid for his man, my friend has to repay you for ransoming him. It is a simple matter."
The poor folk were lying and sitting on the ground, with that dull look on them which I hate to see, and I was going to pass them, throwing them a penny as I did so. Werbode was laughing at the ways of the horse dealers, and did not notice them; for the sight was common enough after any war of ours with Carl, when the captives who could not ransom them were sold.
They caught his short sword and twitched it from his hand, to send it flying among the gathering crowd, and then the man lay down and howled for mercy. But the thralls of the crowd were only too pleased with the sport, and as I and Werbode did not interfere, to do so was no one else's business. At last the Dane held his hand, and left his tyrant groaning.
"Wilfrid thane whatever you are now," he said, for I would not suffer the trader to prevent his words, "you gave me a black eye at Weymouth, and thereafter drank 'skoal' to me when we chased the trading ship." Thereat Werbode laughed. "Faith," he said, "if every thrall to whom I have given a black eye or so has a claim on me " But his words went on unheard as far as I was concerned.
Let me serve you freely." "Well," said I, "you will be my only servant when once I leave King Carl's train, with which I have come." "So much the better," he said. "I am likely to be as handy a servant as you can find, in most things." "Oh," said Werbode, laughing, "take him, Wilfrid. Free service is not to be despised. Moreover, if you want any one well and soundly beaten, here is your man."
Werbode and Erling went off with the horses to the stables, and some of the housecarls took charge of the wounded man. I heard him groan heavily as they took him from the horse. Then the thane gave his name to the steward, and that was the first time I had learned it. "Sighard, thane of Mundesley, and his daughter, the Lady Hilda."
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