"Ho, Redwald where are you?"

"Under the house, in a pit," I answered, standing under the
opening.

Then someone came tramping above me, and the next moment Spray's
leather-hosed leg came through the hole, and he nearly joined me.
Thereat others laughed, and he climbed up quickly enough, for it
was an ill feeling to be hanging over an unknown depth.

"Lower me down a rope," I said, as I saw his face peering into the
place with some others.

There seemed to be a ladder handy, for the next minute its end came
down, and at once I picked up my sword and climbed out. Olaf stood
in the doorway now with Relf.

"It is easy to see how my cousin got into that place," he said to
Relf, pointing to my helm, which was sorely dinted.

The big thane looked and laughed.

"That is what felled him. But I knew not of this pit," he said,
looking past me into the house where Spray and the men stood round
the hole.

Then the smith said:

"Nor did I, master. But this has been found by the forest men--here
are their tools."