with him a scrip wherein was some cheese and hard-fish, and a little
flasket of wine; a short bow he had with him, and a quiver of
arrows; and he was girt with a strong and good sword, and a wood-
knife withal. He looked to all this gear that it was nought amiss,
and then speedily went down off the mound, and when he was come
down, he found that it covered him from men coming out of the wood,
if he went straight thence to that shard of the rock-wall where was
the pass that led southward.

Now it is no nay that thitherward he turned, and went wisely, lest
the carle should make a backward cast, and see him, or lest any
straggler of his own folk might happen upon him.

For to say sooth, he deemed that did they wind him, they would be
like to let him of his journey. He had noted the bearings of the
cliffs nigh the shard, and whereas he could see their heads
everywhere except from the depths of the thicket, he was not like to
go astray.

He had made no great way ere he heard the horns blowing all together
again in one place, and looking thitherward through the leafy boughs
(for he was now amidst of a thicket) he saw his men thronging the
mound, and had no doubt therefore that they were blowing on him; but
being well under cover he heeded it nought, and lying still a
little, saw them go down off the mound and go all of them toward the
carle's house, still blowing as they went, but not faring scatter-
meal. Wherefore it was clear that they were nought troubled about
him.

So he went on his way to the shard; and there is nothing to say of