st she spake,
her voice was rich and sweet to hear.

"Liar!" she said, and pointed at Gurth a long, white finger, "unhand
her, liar, lest thou wither, flesh and bone, body and soul!" Now here,
once again, men gave back cowering 'neath her glance, while Roger
crossed himself devoutly.

"The evil eye!" he muttered 'twixt chattering teeth, "cross thy
fingers, Giles, lest she blast thee!" But Gurth shook his head and
laughed aloud.

"Fools!" he cried, "do ye forget? No witch hath power i' the sun! She
can work no evil i' the sunshine. Seize her!--'tis an accursed hag--
seize her! Bring her to the water and see an she can swim with a stone
at her hag's neck. All witches are powerless by day. See, thus I spit
upon and defy her!"

Now hereupon a roar of anger went up and, for that they had feared her
before, so now grew they more fierce; a score of eager hands dragged at
her, hands that rent her cloak, that grasped with cruel fingers at her
long grey hair, bending her this way and that; but she uttered no groan
nor complaint, only the maid cried aloud most pitiful to hear, whereat
Giles, dagger in hand, pushed and strove to come at Gurth. Then Beltane
alighted from his horse and parting the throng with mailed hands, stood
within the circle and looking round upon them laughed, and his laugh
was harsh and bitter.

"Forsooth, and must ye war with helpless women, O men of Pentavalon?"
quoth he, and laughed again right scornfully; whereat those that held
the witch relaxed their hold and fain would justify themselves.

"She is a witch--a cursed witch!" they cried.

"She is a woman," says Beltane.

"Aye--a devil-woman--a notable witch--we know her of old!"

"Verily," cried one, "'tis but a sennight since she plagued me with
aching teeth--"

"And me with an ague!" cried another.

"She bewitched my shafts that they all flew wide o' the mark!" cried a
third.

"She cast on me a spell whereby I nigh did perish i' the fen--"

"She is a hag--she's demon-rid and shall to the fire!" they shouted
amain. "Ha!--witch!--witch!"

"That doeth no man harm by day," said Beltane, "so by day shall no man
harm her--"

"Aye, lord," quoth Roger, "but how by night? 'tis by night she may work
her spells and blast any that she will, or haunt them with goblins
damned that they do run mad, or--"

"Enough!" cried Beltane frowning, "on me let her bewitchments fall;
thus, see you, an I within this next week wither and languish 'neath
her sp