all was peaceful, for no cloud sullied the sky. One
moment Hallblithe saw all this hanging above the turmoil of thundering
water and dripping rock and the next he was in the darkness of the cave,
the roaring wind and the waves still making thunder about him, though of
a different voice from the harsh hubbub without. Then he heard Fox say:
"Sit down now and take the oars, for presently shall we be at home at the
landing place."

So Hallblithe took the oars and rowed, and as they went up the cave the
sea fell, and the wind died out into the aimless gustiness of hollow
places; and for a little while was all as dark as dark might be. Then
Hallblithe saw that the darkness grew a little greyer, and he looked over
his shoulder and saw a star of light before the bows of the boat, and Fox
cried out: "Yea, it is like day; bright will the moon be for such as
needs must be wayfaring to-night! Cease rowing, O Son of the coal-blue
fowl, for there is way enough on her."

Then Hallblithe lay on his oars, and in a minute the bows smote the land;
then he turned about and saw a steep stair of stone, and up the sloping
shaft thereof the moonlit sky and the bright stars. Then Fox arose and
came forward and leapt out of the boat and moored her to a big stone:
then he leapt back again and said: "Bear a hand with the victuals; we
must bring them out of the boat unless thou wilt sleep supperless, as I
will not. For to-night must we be guests to ourselves, since it is far
to the dwelling of my people, and the old man is said to be a
skin-changer, a flit-by-night. And as to this cave, it is deemed to be
nowise safe to sleep therein, unless the sleeper have a double share of
luck. And thy luck, meseemeth, O Son of the Raven, is as now somewhat
less than a single share. So to-night we shall sleep under the naked
heaven."

Hallblithe yea-said this, and they took the meat and drink, such as they
needed, from out the boat, and climbed the steep stair no little way, and
so came out on to a plain place, which seemed to Hallblithe bare and
waste so far as he saw it by the moonlight; for the twilight was gone
now, and nought was left of the light of day save a glimmer in the west.

This Hallblithe deemed wonderful, that no less out on the open heath and
brow of the land than in the shut-in cave, all that tumult of the wind
had fallen, and the cloudless night was calm, and with a little air
blowing from the south and the landward.

Therewith