And that was much
for the proud prince to ask, as I think, and I held him the more
highly therefor in my mind.
And Evan replied by asking Howel to forget rather that he had ever
deserved death at his hands.
"It shall be seen that I am not ungrateful to the Thane, my master,
hereafter--if I may live after seeing this place," he said.
"Is it so deadly, then?" asked Howel, speaking low in the hush of
the valley.
"It is said that those who see it must die--at least, of us who ken
the curse on it. I do not think that it will harm you or the thane
to see it, for you are not of this land at all. I have known men
see this valley by mischance, and they have died shortly, crying
out on the terror thereof. Yet none has ever told what he saw
therein."
Now it seemed to me that it was possible that such men died of fear
of what might be, as men who think they are accursed, whether by
witchcraft or in other ways, will die, being killed by the trouble
on their minds, and so I said to Evan:
"I will not take you into this place. Show us the way, and I will
go alone."
"No, Master," he said, in such wise that it was plain that there
was no turning him. "I am a Christian man, and I will not let old
heathen curses hold me back, now that there is good reason why I
should stand in that place.
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