Now as he spake, Beltane turned on his heel and strode along beside the brook, but even as he went, so went Roger, whereon Beltane turned frowning.

Quoth he: 

“Roger—­Thrasfordham lieth behind thee!”

“Aye, master, but death lieth before thee!”

“Why then, death will I face alone, Roger.”

“Nay, master—­not while Roger live.  Thy man am I—­”

“Ha—­wilt withstand me, Black Roger?”

“Thy man am I, to follow thee in life and go down with thee in death—­”

Now hereupon Beltane came close, and in the dim light Black Roger beheld the new Beltane glaring down at him fierce-eyed and with great mailed fist clenched to smite; but even so Black Roger gave not back, only he drew dagger and strove to set it in Beltane’s iron fingers.

“Take this,” quoth he, “for, an ye would be free of Roger, first must ye slay him, master.”  So Beltane took the dagger and fumbled with it awhile then gave it back to Roger’s hand.

“Roger!” muttered he, his hand upon his brow, “my faithful Roger!  So, men can be faithful—­” saying which he sighed—­a long, hissing breath, and hid his face within his mittened hand, and turning, strode swiftly upon his way.  Now in a while, they being come into the forest, Roger touched him on the arm.

“Master,” said he, “whither do ye go?”

“Nay, it mattereth not so long as I can lie hid a while, for I must sleep, Roger.”

“Then can I bring thee to a place where none shall ever find thee—­ Come, master!” So saying, Roger turned aside into the denser wood, bursting a way through a tangle of brush, plunging ever deeper into the wild until they came to a place where great rocks and boulders jutted up amid the green and the trees grew scant.  Day was breaking, and before them in the pale light rose a steep cliff, whose jagged outline clothed here and there with brush and vines loomed up before them, barring their advance.

But at the foot of this cliff grew a tree, gnarled and stunted, the which, as Beltane watched, Black Roger began to climb, until, being some ten feet from the ground, he, reaching out and seizing a thick vine that grew upon the rock, stepped from the tree and vanished into the face of the cliff.  But in a moment the leaves were parted and Roger looked forth, beckoning Beltane to follow.  So, having climbed the tree, Beltane in turn seized hold upon the vine, and stumbling amid the leaves, found himself on his knees within a small cave, where Roger’s hand met his.  Thereafter Roger led him to the end of the cavern where was a winding passage very rough and narrow, that brought them to a second and larger cave, as Beltane judged, for in the dark his hands could feel nought but space.  Here Roger halted and whistled three times, a melodious call that woke many a slumbering echo.  And in a while, behold a glow that grew ever brighter, until, of a sudden, a man appeared bearing a flaming pine-torch, that