Ay,
that is how I shall be known henceforth!--Mordred of the cows,
forsooth."

He was working himself up into a rage now, and even Jago from the
corner of the tent where he sat, dejectedly enough, began to smile.
I had spoken of fair coined silver, and I had some trouble myself
in keeping a grave face when this Welsh prince counted the cost of
cattle therein.

"Will you double the sum, Prince?" I asked in all good faith.

"I will pay the ransom that is fitting for a prince of Morganwg to
pay when his foes have the advantage of him. The honour of the
Cymro is concerned."

"Ask him his value," said Jago in Saxon, knowing that Mordred did
not understand that tongue at all. "Never was so good a chance of
selling a man at his own price."

Then I could not help a smile, and Mordred waxed furious. He turned
on Jago with his fist clenched.

"Silence, you miserable--"

"Prince, Prince," I cried. "He did but bid me ask you what was
fitting."

"Well, then, do it," he cried, stamping impatiently, and glaring at
Jago yet.

It was plain that if he did not understand the Saxon he saw that
there was some jest.

"It is a hard matter for me to set a price on you, Prince," I said
gravely. "I have never held one of your rank to ransom before, so
that you will forgive seeming discourtesy if I have unwittingly
done what was not fitting in the matter. What would the men of your
land think worthy of you?"

"Once," he said slowly, "it was the ill luck of my--of some
forebear of mine to have to be ransomed. They paid so much for
him."

He named a sum in good Welsh gold that it had never come into my
mind to dream of. It was riches for all three of us. And I dared
not say that it was too much and somewhat like foolishness, for it
was his own valuation. So I held my peace.

"Not enough?" he asked, not angrily, but as if it would be an
honour to hear that I set him higher. "What more shall I add?"

"No more, Prince. I see that I have yet things to learn."

Truly, I had always heard that the tale of the golden tribute to
Rome from Britain had tempted my forebears here first of all, and
now I believed it. I suppose these Welsh princes had hoards which
had been carried from out of the way of us Saxons and Angles long
ago.

"Ay, you have," Mordred said grimly. "One day it shall be what the
worth of a British prince is in good cold steel, maybe. Now let me
have a messenger who shall take word to my people and bring back
what i