"Sheriff's business that, in all truth. Get to him as soon as you
may. I will go and see if I can reason with them meanwhile."

"Have a care, thane!" they cried, and spurred their horses again.

Then my cousin turned to me, and his face was grave.

"Wilfrid," he said, "you had better go with those messengers. I am
going to see if aught can be done; but it sounds bad. I don't like
an armed landing of this sort."

"No, cousin," I answered. "Let me go with you. It would be hard if
you must send me back, for I would fain see the ships. That talk of
driving the cattle can be naught but a jest."

"Likely enough," he answered, laughing. "It is no new thing for a
crew to come ashore and clear out the booths of the tradesmen
without troubling to pay offhand. Presently their captains will
come and pay what is asked, grumbling, and there will be no loss to
our folk. As for this talk of taking the horses--well, a sailor
always wants a ride when he first comes ashore, if it is only on an
ass. Then if there is not enough meat ready to hand in the town, no
doubt they would say they would find it for themselves. Well, come
on, and we will see."

So we rode on, but the laugh faded from the face of my kinsman as
we did so.

"They have no business to come ashore armed," he said, half to