Always keeping in the
shade, having his eyes fixed on the man he was pursuing, and holding
himself in readiness to leap into a doorway or throw himself down should he
see him turn his head, he lessened the distance until he was within some
fifty yards of the other. The man took several turns, and at last entered a
long street leading down to the river. As soon as Ulf saw him enter it he
darted off at full speed, turned down another lane, and then, when he got
beyond the houses, and on to the broken ground that lay between them and
the river, ran until he was nearly facing the end of the street which he
had seen the man enter, and then threw himself down.
He had scarcely done so when he saw the figure issue from the street and
strike across the open ground towards the water. Crawling along on his
stomach Ulf followed him, until he halted on the bank The man looked up and
down the river, stamped his foot impatiently, and then began to walk to and
fro. Presently he stopped and appeared to be listening; Ulf did the same,
and soon heard the distant splash of oars. They came nearer and nearer. Ulf
could not see the boat, for it was close under the bank, which was some
twenty yards away from him, but presently when the boat seemed almost
abreast of him the man on the bank said, "Where do you come from?"
"From fishing in deep water," a voice replied.
"That is right, come ashore."
The words were spoken by both in a language Ulf could not understand, and
he muttered a Saxon oath.
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