Page:Wood Beyond the World.djvu/34

 hair and beard, and clad mostly in the skins of beasts.

He drew nigh without any fear or mistrust, and coming close to them gave them the sele of the day in a kindly and pleasant voice. The shipmaster greeted him in his turn, and said withal: Old man, art thou the king of this country?

The elder laughed; It hath had none other a long while, said he; and at least there is no other son of Adam here to gainsay.

Thou art alone here then? said the master.

Yea, said the old man, save for the beasts of the field and the wood, and the creeping things, and fowl. Wherefore it is sweet to me to hear your voices.

Said the master: Where be the other houses of the town?

The old man laughed. Said he: When I said that I was alone, I meant that I was alone in the land and not only alone in this stead. There is no house save this betwixt the sea and the dwellings of the Bears, over the cliff-wall yonder, yea and a long way over it.

Yea, quoth the shipmaster grinning, and