Then they all climbed into the small row-boat and were pulled away toward Eric's ship. "Ay, we will watch," said Herebald to Bernulf. A little later the boat went alongside, and the spy and his men-at-arms climbed heavily and clumsily aboard, after a brief parley with skipper Eric, in which he had at first refused them permission to do so. "They be here!" exulted Richard Wood in his thought, "else why should we be forbidden to come aboard?" "What seek ye?" demanded the skipper, in a gruff tone when they were safely on deck. "Two runaways," answered Richard Wood, loudly, for already the anchor was being lifted. "There be no runaways here," returned the skipper, positively. "We will see, we will see," returned Richard Wood. And laying firm hold of the rail he lunged down the steep companionway, followed by his men-at-arms and one of the seamen, whom the captain by a nod of his head bade to follow them. Once down, they gazed about them and knew not which way to turn. "Where is the captain?" said Richard Wood, sternly. "Bid him come down and show us all parts of the ship at once." "Skipper may not come. He is busy," answered the seaman. "But I can show thee. Thou wilt see all?" "Yea, all." Then the seaman very obligingly began to do as he was bid. There was very little to see in the close quarters; but he, being loquacious, was a long time in showing it, and more than half an hour had elapsed before Richard Wood was thoroughly persuaded that there was nobody secreted on board. And all this time, in his eagerness, he had not noticed that the ship was moving. He now turned to the companionway. "What motion is this?" he asked, turning pale. "Hath the ship gone adrift from her moorings?" "Nay," answered the seaman; "the ship is not gone adrift." Laying fast hold on the rail, the spy managed to climb up to the deck. He looked about him, but no row-boat was alongside. He then turned to the skipper. "Surely we be gone adrift from our moorings," he said. "Nay," answered the skipper, calmly. "I did forbid thee to come aboard, but thou wouldst come. Now are we under sail." CHAPTER XX The priest of the parish at Oundle had Hugo and Humphrey up and off betimes the next morning, as he had said. "It must be he liketh not our company over well," observed Humphrey, as they jogged on after a very brief and hasty leave-taking. "Perhaps he taketh thee for a wolf in sheep's clothing," said Hugo, with a meaning glance at the priest's habit in which the stalwart Humphrey was engulfed. "And thee for the cub, dear lad," retorted Humphrey. "But it may be after all that he looketh but to his own safety, and desireth not to fall into disgrace with the king by harboring us. But hark! Let us withdraw ourselves into the wood. Here come travellers this way. And I cannot feel safe in the priest's garb. The wood, methinks, were a better protection."