When he had well regarded our ship , he beat on his chest with his fists till it sounded like rolling drums , and came to the bank swinging all his body between his long arms , and gnashed his teeth at us . Hugh loosed arrow , and pierced him through the throat . He fell roaring , and three other Devils ran out of the forest and hauled him into a tall tree out of sight . Anon they cast down the blood-stained arrow , and lamented together among the leaves . Witta saw the gold on the bank ; he was loath to leave it . `` Sirs , '' said he -LRB- no man had spoken till then -RRB- , `` yonder is what we have come so far and so painfully to find , laid out to our very hand . Let us row in while these Devils bewail themselves , and at least bear off what we may . '' ` Bold as a wolf , cunning as a fox was Witta ! He set four archers on the foredeck to shoot the Devils if they should leap from the tree , which was close to the bank . He manned ten oars a-side , and bade them watch his hand to row in or back out , and so coaxed he them toward the bank . But none would set foot ashore , though the gold was within ten paces . No man is hasty to his hanging ! They whimpered at their oars like beaten hounds , and Witta bit his fingers for rage . ` Said Hugh of a sudden , `` Hark ! '' At first we thought it was the buzzing of the glittering flies on the water ; but it grew loud and fierce , so that all men heard . ' ` What ? ' said Dan and Una . ` It was the Sword . ' Sir Richard patted the smooth hilt . ` It sang as a Dane sings before battle .
`` I go , '' said XXXXX , and he leaped from the bows and fell among the gold .
Anon Dan Devils Hugh Richard Una archers first foredeck oars