'Witta plucked at his long shoulder-lock. "But think!" said he. "If I
had let ye go--which I swear I would never have done, for I love ye more
than brothers--if I had let ye go, by now ye might have been horribly
slain by some mere Moor in the Duke of Burgundy's war, or ye might have
been murdered by land-thieves, or ye might have died of the plague at an
inn. Think of this and do not blame me overmuch, Hugh. See! I will only
take a half of the gold."

'"I blame thee not at all, Witta," said Hugh. "It was a joyous venture,
and we thirty-five here have done what never men have done. If I live
till England, I will build me a stout keep over Dallington out of my
share."

'"I will buy cattle and amber and warm red cloth for the wife," said
Witta, "and I will hold all the land at the head of Stavanger Fiord.
Many will fight for me now. But first we must turn North, and with this
honest treasure aboard I pray we meet no pirate ships."

'We did not laugh. We were careful. We were afraid lest we should lose
one grain of our gold, for which we had fought Devils.

'"Where is the Sorcerer?" said I, for Witta was looking at the Wise Iron
in the box, and I could not see the Yellow Man.

'"He has gone to his own country," said he. "He rose up in the night
while we were beating out of that forest in the mud, and said that he
could see it behind the trees. He leaped out on the mud, and did not
answer when we called; so we called no more. He left the Wise Iron,
which is all that I care for--and see, the Spirit still points to the