But I speak like a merchant . ' ` No , no ! Tell us what you had to eat , ' cried Dan . ` Meat dried in the sun , and dried fish and ground beans , Witta took in ; and corded frails of a certain sweet , soft fruit , which the Moors use , which is like paste of figs , but with thin , long stones . Aha ! Dates is the name . ' `` Now , '' said Witta , when the ship was loaded , `` I counsel you strangers to pray to your Gods , for from here on , our road is No Man 's road . '' He and his men killed a black goat for sacrifice on the bows ; and the Yellow Man brought out a small , smiling image of dull-green stone and burned incense before it . Hugh and I commended ourselves to God , and Saint Barnabas , and Our Lady of the Assumption , who was specially dear to my Lady . We were not young , but I think no shame to say whenas we drove out of that secret harbour at sunrise over a still sea , we two rejoiced and sang as did the knights of old when they followed our great Duke to England . Yet was our leader an heathen pirate ; all our proud fleet but one galley perilously overloaded ; for guidance we leaned on a pagan sorcerer ; and our port was beyond the world 's end . Witta told us that his father Guthrum had once in his life rowed along the shores of Africa to a land where naked men sold gold for iron and beads . There had he bought much gold , and no few elephants ' teeth , and thither by help of the Wise Iron would Witta go . Witta feared nothing -- except to be poor . ' `` My father told me , '' said Witta , `` that a great Shoal runs three days ' sail out from that land , and south of the shoal lies a Forest which grows in the sea . South and east of the Forest my father came to a place where the men hid gold in their hair ; but all that country , he said , was full of Devils who lived in trees , and tore folk limb from limb . How think ye ? '' ' `` Gold or no gold , '' said Hugh , fingering his sword , `` it is a joyous venture . Have at these Devils of thine , Witta ! '' ' `` Venture ! ''
said XXXXX sourly .
Africa Aha Dan Hugh Man Witta figs frails shoal sorcerer