A Thane of Wessex

of all men, and of Matelgar most of all. And though that has long passed away from me, so that I may even think of him now as the pleasant

roused myself to a knowledge again of the land round me, I was hard on th

some time past I had heard, as in a dream, the noise of footsteps not far behind me. Now, since

s. And, even as I turned, into that patch of light came two of Matelgar's men, walking swiftly, as if here at last they would overtake me. And, moreover, that sunlight lit on drawn swords in th

e dim shadow I leapt upon them, silent, with that quarterstaff aloft. Dazzled they were with the sunlight, and thinking least of all of my turning thus s

he other gave back a pace, I whirled it round to strike his head. He raised his sword to guard the bl

ass into the lust of revenge begun well. I knew the men as two of Matelgar's ho

ld make sure. So I leaned my staff against

rmed foe, or smite a fallen man; and hastily I put back the seax again, lest I should be tempted to become ba

rst proof of the skill in arms my father had spent long years in giving me. So there crept over me a pride that I had met two and overcome t

pride; and with that thought of my father's loved and honoured name, my h

had happened. I might not slay him now, but quick as I could I took off my own broad leather belt and pinioned him from behind. He was yet too dazed to resist. And then I took his da

e end of the quarterstaff had driven in his forehea

moury, as it were. Well armed were all his housecarles, and this one I had slain was their captain, and his byrnie of linked mail was of the best Sussex steel, and his helm was crested with a golden boar, with linked mail tippet hanging to

r it must be that my hall and all my goods had fallen into his ha

my lonely rides and secret meetings. So he had been bought thus, for my

d in the rags of feasting garb, as I have said, and hated them even as I threw them aside. The man was of my own height and build, as

d loved weight of mail, and helm, and sword tugging at me I cannot say. But this I know, that, like the

e my judges as an angry man, as I look back, I see that from that arming I rose up a g

turned to my captive and looked at him, though I thought nothing concerning him. But what he saw wr

that laugh -- and it sounded not like my own, even to myself -- the man writhed, and

, "that I know. Tell me why he has

t whom I was to slay. Matelgar bade me fol

ot -- you would have slai

man said earnestly,

enough; "like master like m

cried he, "for I love my mis

he rest, and this seemed to say otherwise, unless the plot had been hidden from such as this m

ess to me?" I asked

e of the Lady Alswythe more freely than he would have dared

, if I could, where you were kept, thinking me one of those who guarded you, mayhap. But I kn

ever, I would not speak more of this to such as he, and I bade him cease his pratin

ut he is dead. Matelgar held no counsel with me.

ll

that in your taking he had had some hand, men say it is to get possession thereof; and the women say

ken of the sword that I had regai

came Matelgar to have

read aloud in your hall, showing the king's own hand at the end. So men bowed thereto, and all your men he dr

But I could have borne anything better than to think of him sitting in my place as reward for his trea

re true -- for still I could not but doubt the faith of all. Only one thing more I would ask, and

you bound here for the wolves, but you

o do my bidding, or, if

have slain me and these are the tokens, but that Gurth was by me slain, and you must leave him and his arms here because of the wolves which you feared; or else you can tell him the truth, as it has happened, and see what h

inking all the while that he would never go back at all if he were wis

t were yet bound, and he would need an edge-tool to loose that binding. Telling him, then, that I would not run the chance of his falling on me from behind, I took his dagger and

r the sort of madness that was still on me, I must have been ashamed to torture him so. I am sorry now as I think of it, and many

owl of a wolf from the swamp to my right. Far off it was, but at that sound the ma

plunging deeper into the