seemed merchants only: but under the deck he hid rich cloth of gold
and scarlet as for a great king’s messengers.

When the ship had taken the sea the helmsman asked him:

“Lord, to what land shall I steer?”

“Sir,” said he, “steer for Ireland, straight for Whitehaven harbour.”

At first Tristan made believe to the men of Whitehaven that his
friends were merchants of England come peacefully to barter; but as
these strange merchants passed the day in the useless games of
draughts and chess, and seemed to know dice better than the bargain
price of corn, Tristan feared discovery and knew not how to pursue his
quest.

Now it chanced once upon the break of day that he heard a cry so
terrible that one would have called it a demon’s cry; nor had he ever
heard a brute bellow in such wise, so awful and strange it seemed. He
called a woman who passed by the harbour, and said:

“Tell me, lady, whence comes that voice I have heard, and hide me
nothing.”

“My lord,” said she, “I will tell you truly. It is the roar of a
dragon the most terrible and dauntless upon earth. Daily it leaves its
den and stands at one of the gates of the city: Nor can any come out
or go in till a maiden has been given up to it; and when it has her in
its claws it devours her.”