Nor will I say that I was not somewhat frightened also, for it seemed to me that the voices were unknown to me.

They were Rorik's men, therefore, and not our crew--who likely enough would but have jeered at me had they found me hiding thus.
"Halfden's men have drunk all the ale in the place, and that was not much," said one man; "let us try the water, for the dust of these old storehouses is in my throat." Then he began to draw up the bucket, and it splashed over us as it went past our doorway.
"There is naught worth taking in this place," growled another man.
"Maybe they have hove their hoards down the well!" Now at that the sacristan gave a stifled groan of terror, and I clutched my axe, ready for need.
"All right, go down and see!" answered one or two, but more in jest than earnest.
Then one dropped a great stone in, and waited to hear it bubble from the bottom, that he might judge the depth.

Now no bubbles came, or so soon that they were lost in the splash, and the prior took some of the crumbling mortar from the cell walls, and cast it in after a few moments.

And that was a brave and crafty thing to do, for it wrought well.
"Hear the bubble," said the Dane; "the well must be many a fathom deep--how long it seemed before they came up!" So they drank their fill, saying that it was useless to go down therefore, and anyhow there would be naught but a few silver vessels.
"I have seen the same before," said one; "and moreover no man has luck with those things from a church." No man gainsaid him, so they kicked the bucket down the well and went away.
Now I breathed freely again, and was about to whisper to the prior that his thought of making what would pass for bubbling was good; but more Danes came.

And they were men of Halfden's ship; so we must wait and listen, and this time I thought that surely we were to be found.