black people
dwelling among woods, who for one wedge of iron loaded us with fruits and
grasses and eggs. Witta scratched his head at them in sign he would buy
gold. They had no gold, but they understood the sign (all the gold-traders
hide their gold in their thick hair), for they pointed along the coast.
They beat, too, on their chests with their clenched hands, and that, if we
had known it, was an evil sign.'

'What did it mean?' said Dan.

'Patience. Ye shall hear. We followed the coast eastward sixteen days
(counting time by sword-cuts on the helm-rail) till we came to the Forest
in the Sea. Trees grew out of mud, arched upon lean and high roots, and
many muddy water-ways ran allwhither into darkness under the trees. Here
we lost the sun. We followed the winding channels between the trees, and
where we could not row we laid hold of the crusted roots and hauled
ourselves along. The water was foul, and great glittering flies tormented
us. Morning and evening a blue mist covered the mud, which bred fevers.
Four of our rowers sickened, and were bound to their benches, lest they
should leap overboard and be eaten by the monsters of the mud. The Yellow
Man lay sick beside the Wise Iron, rolling his head and talking in his own
tongue. Only the Bird throve. She sat on Witta's shoulder and screamed in
that noisome, silent darkness. Yes; I think it was the silence we feared.'

He paused to listen to the comfortable home noises of the brook.

'When we had lost count of time among those black gullies and swashes, we
heard, as it were, a drum beat far off, and following it we broke into a
broad, brown river by a hut in a clearing among fields of pumkins. We
thanked God to see the sun again. The people of the village gave the good
welcome, and Witta scratched his head at them (for gold), and showed them
our iron and beads. They ran to the bank--we were still in the ship--and
pointed to our swords and bows, for always when near shore we lay armed.
Soon they fetched store of gold in bars and in dust from their huts, and
some great blackened elephant teeth. These they piled on the bank, as
though to tempt us, and made signs of dealing blows in battle, and pointed
up to the tree tops, and to the forest behind. Their captain or chief
sorcerer then beat on his chest with his fists, and gnashed his teeth.

'Said Thorkild of Borkum: "Do they mean we must fight for all this gear?"
and he half drew his sword.

'"Nay," said Hugh. "I th