I unhooded and fed her; and we washed in the stream, and set out gaily enough, making southward, for so we thought we should strike the great road.

And at last, when we saw its white line far off from a steep hillside, I was glad enough.
I cannot tell how we had reached our halting place through the hills in the dark, nor could I find it again directly.

It was midday before we reached the road, riding easily; so that, what with the swift gallop of the hunting and the long hours of riding in mist and darkness, we had covered many miles.

We saw no house till we were close to the road, and then lit on one made of stones and turf hard by it, where an old woman told us that no party had been by since daylight.
So we turned eastward and rode to meet the king, and did so before long.

He had left men at his village to wait for us in case we came back there; but he laughed at us for losing ourselves, though he said he had no fear for sailors adrift in the wilds when Ethelnoth came in without us.
But when, as we rode on, I told him what had befallen us, he listened gravely, and at last said: "I have heard the like of this before.