sacrifice captives to their Gods for fair weather.

'"A plague on thy four long bones!" said Hugh. "What profit canst thou
make of poor old pilgrims that can neither work nor fight?"

'"Gods forbid I should fight against thee, poor Pilgrim with the Singing
Sword," said he. "Come with us and be poor no more. Thy teeth are far
apart, which is a sure sign thou wilt travel and grow rich."

'"What if we will not come?" said Hugh.

'"Swim to England or France," said Witta. "We are midway between the
two. Unless ye choose to drown yourselves no hair of your head will be
harmed here aboard. We think ye bring us luck, and I myself know the
runes on that Sword are good." He turned and bade them hoist sail.

'Hereafter all made way for us as we walked about the ship, and the ship
was full of wonders.'

'What was she like?' said Dan.

'Long, low, and narrow, bearing one mast with a red sail, and rowed by
fifteen oars a-side,' the knight answered. 'At her bows was a deck under
which men might lie, and at her stern another shut off by a painted door
from the rowers' benches. Here Hugh and I slept, with Witta and the
Yellow Man, upon tapestries as soft as wool. I remember'--he laughed to
himself--'when first we entered there a loud voice cried, "Out swords!
Out swords! Kill, kill!" Seeing us start Witta laughed, and showed us it
was but a great-beaked grey bird with a red tail. He sat her on his
shoulder, and she called for bread and wine hoarsely, and prayed him to