"
After walking for an hour they came suddenly upon a hut. It stood in a
cleared patch of ground; a small herd of goats were browsing round, and
some smoke curled up from a hole in the roof. Wulf halted his men.
"Beorn, you and I and Osgod and one of the interpreters had best go in
alone; there are not likely to be more than one or two men within, and it
will be well at any rate that our numbers should not be known."
Before advancing, however, he told the band to surround the clearing. "Let
no one escape," he said; "it would cost us our lives did one get away to
tell of our being here. See, too, that you bring down two or three of the
goats. Our meat is nearly exhausted, and it is well to replenish our
store."
After waiting until the men were in their places, Wulf ran forward across
the open ground with his three companions. There was no door to the hut,
and on entering it they saw that its only occupant was a decrepit old
woman. She gave a cry of dismay at the entrance of the strangers.
"Tell her not to be alarmed," Wulf said to the interpreter.
"We do not desire to do her any harm. Now ask her if she lives here by
herself," he went on, when the interpreter had spoken to the old woman.
"She lives here with her two sons," the man said; "they are away. There
were beacon-fires on the hills last evening, and they went out. She does
not know when they will return."
"Ask her how far it is to Porthwyn.
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