Now he was in the nek and drawing near to the place where the guard was
stationed, still he marched on, boldly, openly. As he thought, they were
on the alert. They drew out from behind the rocks and barred his path.
"Whither goest thou, lord Dario?" asked their captain. "Thou knowest that
here thou mayest not pass."
"I follow a Ghost to the north," he answered, "and living or dead, I
pass."
"_Ow_!" said the captain. "He says that he follows a Ghost. Well, we have
nothing to do with ghosts. Take him, unharmed if possible, but take him."
So, urged thereto by their own fears, since for their safety's sake they
dared not let him go, the men sprang towards him. They sprang towards him
where he stood waiting the end, for give back he would not, and of a
sudden fell down upon their faces, hiding their heads among the stones.
Richard did not know what had happened to them that they behaved thus
strangely, nor did he care. Only seeing them fallen he walked on over
them, and pursued his way along the nek and down it to the plains beyond.
All that night he walked, looking behind him from time to time to see if
any followed, but none came. He was alone, quite alone, save for the dream
that led him towards the north.
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