and I heard its bit rattle. But my father was close at hand, and that
was lucky.

"Ho, fisher, is that you?" he called softly.

"I am here," was the answer, and at once my father came into the hollow
from the road.

"Are any folk about?" Hodulf said.

"I have met none. Now, what is all this business?" answered my father.

"Business that will make a free man of you for the rest of your days,
and rich, moreover, master thrall," said Hodulf. "That is, if you do as
I bid you."

"A thrall can do naught else than what he is bidden."

"Nay, but he can do that in a way that will earn great reward, now and
then; and your reward for obedience and silence thereafter in this
matter shall be aught that you like to ask."

"This sounds as if I were to peril my life," my father said. "I know
naught else that can be worth so much as that might be."

"There is no peril," said Hodulf scornfully; "your skin shall not be so
much as scratched---ay, and if this is well done it will know a
master's dog whip no more."

I heard my father chuckle with a thrall's cunning laugh at this, and