As they watched and listened in terror, they saw a tiny speck of light on a level with the water, which appeared to be moving towards them. The voices grew louder, and then with a gasp of relief the fugitives heard the tones of men singing. "They are the fathers from Icomb," said Hyla; "they are looking for us, and have come out in their boats." In the still night a deep voice chanted a verse of the sixty-ninth psalm. The sonorous words of comfort rolled towards them: "_Deus in adjutiorum meum intende: Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina._" Then came the antiphon in a great volume of sound: "_Confundantur et revereantur: qui quaerunt animam meam._" The single voice complained out into the night: "_Avertantur retorsum, et erubescant; qui volunt mihi mala._" The many voices replied in thunderous appeal: "_Avertantur statim erubescentur: qui dicunt mihi, euge, euge!_" Then the cantor sang with singular and penetrating sweetness: "_Exsultent et laetantur in te omnes qui quaerunt te: et dicant semper, magnificetur Dominus, qui diligunt salutare tuum._" And the poor monks answered him of their estate: "_Ego vero egenus et pauper sum. Deus adjuva me!_" The boat of the fathers was now quite close to the serfs. The lantern in the bows sent out long wavering streaks of light into the dark, and the many voices were full, and clear, and strong. "Ahoy! ahoy!" shouted Cerdic in tremulous salutation. The singing stopped suddenly, save for the cantor, who quavered on for a word or two of the _Gloria_. "What are you?" came over the water. "Hyla of Hilgay, with Cerdic and Gurth." There was a full-voiced shout of welcome, and the great boat came alongside with a swirl of oars. The lantern showed many dark figures, some of them wearing the tonsure, and rows of pale faces gazed at the three serfs with eager interest. A tall man in the bows of the boat, with a thin, sharp face peered at them. "We expected you," he said simply, "and we prayed that you might come, Benedicite! What news bring you? What is done? Christ be with you! Have you struck the tyrant and avenged the blood of the saints whom he slew?" "Father," said Hyla, "I did kill the divell, sure enough. With two arrows--'One for Frija,' I said, and 'this for Elgifu.' I have blood guilt upon me." The man in the bows lifted his right hand and stretched out two fingers and a thumb. They saw he was a priest. Then he said the _Confiteor_: "_Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis tuis, perducat te ad vitam aeternam._" And every man in the boat answered "Amen." Then the priest changed his tone, and became brisk and business-like.