passed close by the horse-herd and a woman that was with him. They
scowled at him as he went by, but meddled not with him in any way.
Although they were giant-like of stature and fierce of face, they
were not ill-favoured: they were red-haired, and the woman as white
as cream where the sun had not burned her skin; they had no weapons
that Hallblithe might see save the goad in the hand of the carle.

So Hallblithe passed on and came to the biggest house, the hall
aforesaid: it was very long, and low as for its length, not over
shapely of fashion, a mere gabled heap of stones. Low and strait was
the door thereinto, and as Hallblithe entered stooping lowly, and the
fire of the steel of his spear that he held before him was quenched
in the mirk of the hall, he smiled and said to himself: "Now if
there were one anigh who would not have me enter alive, and he with a
weapon in his hand, soon were all the tale told." But he got into
the hall unsmitten, and stood on the floor thereof, and spake: "The
sele of the day to whomsoever is herein! Will any man speak to the
new comer?"

But none answered or gave him greeting; and as his eyes got used to
the dusk of the hall, he looked about him, and neither on the floor
or the high seat nor in any ingle could he see a man; and there was
silence there, save for the crackling of the flickering flame on the
hearth amidmost, and the running of the rats behind the panelling of
the walls.

On one side of the hall was a row of shut-beds, and Hallblithe deemed
that there might be men therein; but since none had greeted him he
refrained him from searching them for fear of a trap, and he thought,
"I will abide amidst the floor, and if there be any that would deal