The door was fastened securely, and while the axes were doing their destructive work upon it, the mocking laughter was again heard.  Redwald had become so enraged that he mentally vowed the direst vengeance upon the untimely jester, when the door burst open and he rushed in.

“Where is he?  Surely there was some one here?”

“Who could it be?  We all heard the laughter.”

But victim there was none; and searching all the place in vain, they had to satiate their vengeance by destroying the humble furniture of the abbot.

What to do next they knew not, and Redwald, deeply mystified, was reluctantly forced to own his discomfiture, and to prepare to pass the night in the abbey.  Accordingly, his men dispersed in search of food and wine.  Some found their way to the buttery; it was but poorly supplied, all the provisions in the place having been given to the poorer pilgrims by the departing monks.  The cellar was not so easily emptied, and such wine as had been stored up for future use was at once appropriated.

Redwald and Elfric, having shared the common meal gloomily, were seated in the abbot’s chamber—­little did Elfric dream that his brother had so recently been in the same room—­when one of the guards entered, bringing with him a stranger.  He turned out to be a neighbouring thane, one of those bitter enemies to Dunstan whom Edwy had planted round the monastery, and he came to give information that he had seen Dunstan with five companions escaping by the Foss Way.

Redwald jumped up eagerly.  “How long since?” he asked.

“About two hours, and ten miles off, I was returning home from a distant farm of mine.”

“Why did you not stop them?”

“I was too weak for that; they were six to one.  I heard you had been seen coming here by a cowherd, and came to warn you.  If you ride fast you may catch the holy fox yet before he runs to earth; but you must be very quick.”

“What pace were they riding?”

“Slowly at that moment; it was up a hill.”

Redwald rushed from the room, crying, “To horse, to horse!” but found only a portion of his men awake:  the others were mainly drunk and sleeping it off on the floor.

Cursing their untimely indulgence, he got about a dozen men rapidly mounted on the fleetest horses, taking care Elfric should be one, and dashed off in pursuit of the fugitives.

Dunstan and his party had ridden some four or five hours, when the moon became overcast, and low peals of distant thunder were heard.  The atmosphere was so intensely hot, and the silence of nature so oppressive, that it was evident some convulsion was at hand.

“Is there any shelter near?”

“Only a ruined city [xxiv] in the wood on the left hand, but it is a dangerous place to approach after nightfall.  They say evil spirits lurk there.”

“They tell that story of every ruined place, be it city, temple, or house; and even if it be, we have more cause to dread evil men than evil spirits.”