“Well, then, there is no time to lose.  We must be at the harbour in four hours’ time at the latest.  Tide will serve shortly after that,” one of the others said.  “What about the sword?—­shall we sell it to the Norsemen?”

“What! and so tell all the countryside what we have been doing?—­it is too well known a weapon.  No, put it into one of the bales of goods, and I can sell it safely to some prince on the other side.  No man dare wear it on this, but they will not know it there, or will not care if they do.  Now get a litter made, and bring me some bandages.”

It seemed to me to be plain that they would try to get me across the channel into Wales, or maybe Ireland, and my heart sank.  But after all, Owen would gladly pay ransom for me, and that was the one hope I had.  And then I wondered what vessel they had ready, and all of a sudden I minded that Thorgils had spoken of a winter voyage that he was going to take on this tide, and my heart leapt.  It was likely that these men were going to sail with him, so I might have a chance of swift rescue.

Now Evan went to work on me with the help of one of his men, who seemed to know something of leech craft.

“This,” said Evan, “is a poor friend of mine who has met with a bad fall from his horse.  His thigh is broken and his shoulder is out.  Also his jaw is broken, because the horse kicked him as he lay.  For the same reason he is stunned, and cannot move much.  It is a bad case altogether,” and he grinned with glee at his own pleasantry.

Then they fitted a long splint to my right leg from hip to ankle, so that I was helpless as a babe in its swaddlings, and made fast the other leg to that.  They did not do more than loosen the cords that bound me just enough to suffer them to pass the bandages round until the splint was on, and the other men stood in a ring and gibed at me all the time.  After that they bandaged my right arm across my chest as if for a slipped shoulder, but under the bandages were cords that pinioned my elbows to one another across my back, so that I could only move my left forearm.  Evan said that he would tie that also if need was, but it might pass now.  I could not reach my mouth with this free hand, if I did try to take out a gag.

Next they bandaged my head and chin carefully, so that only my eyes were to be seen.  I suppose that I might be thankful that they left my mouth uncovered more or less.  And Evan said that he would gag me by and by.

“No need to discomfort him more than this now,” he added.  “Maybe he will be ready to promise silence when he has gone some time in this rig.”

By this time some had caught half a dozen hill ponies, and on them they loaded several bales of goods, which I thought looked like those of some robbed chapman, and I have reason to think that they were such.  They opened one of these, and in it they stowed my sword and helm and the great gold ring that Gerent gave me.  There was some argument about this, but the leader said that it was better to sell it for silver coin which they could use anywhere.