“So did I; and he said; ’Wilt thou do an errand for me to thine own house?’ ‘Yea,’ said I.

“Said he, ’I am a messenger to the garth of the Romans, that I may tell the road to the Mark, and lead them through the thicket; and other guides are coming after me:  but not yet for three days or four.  So till they come there will be no man in the Roman garth to know thee that thou art not even I myself.  If thou art doughty, strip me when I am dead and do my raiment on thee, and take this ring from my neck, for that is my token, and when they ask thee for a word say, “No limit”; for that is the token-word.  Go south-east over the dales keeping Broadshield-fell square with thy right hand, and let thy wisdom, O Fox, lead thee to the Garth of the Romans, and so back to thy kindred with all tidings thou hast gathered—­for indeed they come—­a many of them.  Give me to drink.’

“So he drank again, and said, ’The bearer of this token is called Hrosstyr of the River Goths.  He hath that name among dastards.  Thou shalt lay a turf upon my head.  Let my death pay for my life.’

“Therewith he fell back and died.  So I did as he bade me and took his gear, worth six kine, and did it on me; I laid turf upon him in that dale, and hid my bow and my gear in a blackthorn brake hard by, and then took his horse and rode away.

“Day and night I rode till I came to the garth of the Romans; there I gave myself up to their watchers, and they brought me to their Duke, a grim man and hard.  He said in a terrible voice, ‘Thy name?’ I said, ‘Hrosstyr of the River Goths.’  He said, ‘What limit?’ I answered, ’No limit.’  ‘The token!’ said he, and held out his hand.  I gave him the ring.  ‘Thou art the man,’ said he.

“I thought in my heart, ‘thou liest, lord,’ and my heart danced for joy.

“Then he fell to asking me questions a many, and I answered every one glibly enough, and told him what I would, but no word of truth save for his hurt, and my soul laughed within me at my lies; thought I, the others, the traitors, shall come, and they shall tell him the truth, and he will not trow it, or at the worst he will doubt them.  But me he doubted nothing, else had he called in the tormentors to have the truth of me by pains; as I well saw afterwards, when they questioned with torments a man and a woman of the hill-folk whom they had brought in captive.

“I went from him and went all about that garth espying everything, fearing nothing; albeit there were divers woful captives of the Goths, who cursed me for a dastard, when they saw by my attire that I was of their blood.

“I abode there three days, and learned all that I might of the garth and the host of them, and the fourth day in the morning I went out as if to hunt, and none hindered me, for they doubted me not.

“So I came my ways home to the Upper-mark, and was guested with the Geirings.  Will ye that I tell you somewhat of the ways of these Romans of the garth?  The time presses, and my tale runneth longer than I would.  What will ye?”