“Lady, I may be glad to beg a warm wrap or two from your store,” he said.  “If it pleases you, we will shew you where he is to lie.”

So they went forward, I on my litter first, and the lady and her people following.  Evan knew well enough that little fault could be found with the warm place that was ready for me among the bales under the deck, and he was eager to get me out of sight before Thorgils returned.  They had made a place ready with some of the softer bales for me to lie on, and there they lifted me from the litter, very carefully indeed, that they might not have to rearrange any of my bonds.  Then the princess looked in through the low doorway and seemed content.

“It is as well as one can expect on board a ship, I suppose,” she said, with a little sigh.  “But I will send him somewhat to cover him well.”

And then she bade me farewell, bidding me be patient for the little while of the voyage, and also adding that presently, when she was at home, she would ask Govan the hermit to pray for me; and so went her way, with the two maidens who were with her, and followed by a couple of well-armed warriors, all of whom I could see now for the first time.

Then Evan drew his hand over his forehead and cursed.  As for the other Welshmen, they looked at one another, saying nothing, but I could see that they also had been fairly terrified.  One of the men of the princess came with a warm blanket to cover me, and he stayed to see it put over me.  It was as well that he did so, for Evan had no time to see that my arm was yet loose, unless he had forgotten that it ever had been so.  Then they all went out, shutting the door after them, and I was left to my thoughts, which were not happy.

I began to blame myself as a fool for not trying to let the princess see that all was not right.  But still I could not lose hope, for Thorgils might yet wish to see me, or the princess might send her men to look in on me.  There were more chances now than a little while ago, as I thought.

I began to think over all that were possible, presently, and I tried to get the gag from my mouth.  I could not reach it with my free hand, however, my elbows being too tightly fastened back even after all the shaking of the journey.  Then I thrust that free hand and forearm well among the bandages across my chest, so that either of my captors who thought of it might think that the other had bound it, for I dared not try to loosen myself more yet.  There would be time for that when we were fairly at sea.

After that I lay still, and so spied the bale in which my sword had been put, and that gave me some sort of hope by its nearness to me, though indeed it did not seem likely that I should ever get it.

I heard Thorgils come on board before very long, and I could hear also the voice of the princess as she talked to him, though with the length of the vessel between us, and the wash of the ripples alongside in my ears, I did not make out if they spoke of me.  Evan spoke with them also, and it is likely that they did so.