'Said Thorkild of Borkum: "Do they mean we must fight for all this
gear?" and he half drew sword.

'"Nay," said Hugh. "I think they ask us to league against some enemy."

'"I like this not," said Witta, of a sudden. "Back into mid-stream."

'So we did, and sat still all, watching the black folk and the gold they
piled on the bank. Again we heard drums beat in the forest, and the
people fled to their huts, leaving the gold unguarded.

'Then Hugh, at the bows, pointed without speech, and we saw a great
Devil come out of the forest. He shaded his brows with his hand, and
moistened his pink tongue between his lips--thus.'

'A Devil!' said Dan, delightfully horrified.

'Yea. Taller than a man; covered with reddish hair. When he had well
regarded our ship, he beat on his chest with his fists till it sounded
like rolling drums, and came to the bank swinging all his body between
his long arms, and gnashed his teeth at us. Hugh loosed arrow, and
pierced him through the throat. He fell roaring, and three other Devils
ran out of the forest and hauled him into a tall tree out of sight. Anon
they cast down the blood-stained arrow, and lamented together among the
leaves.

Witta saw the gold on the bank; he was loath to leave it. "Sirs," said
he (no man had spoken till then), "yonder is what we have come so far
and so painfully to find, laid out to our very hand. Let us row in while