A Thane of Wessex

he could see out and in as he wished. Him I knew at once, and was glad,

and in the gateway and came out towards

not loudly. "This is no safe place

hand. And he was fairly amazed and knew not what to say, that I, an outlaw

had come about, and he understood that the man wh

a stranger here and little knowing of place or people. But this I know, from the man you sent back, that our thane sought your life against the word of the ealdorman, a

t the task, as was my duty, to the end. I would put the arrow

aid that he would not stand by and see

and there to spy what they may of the Danes and their plans -- if gone or not. Others are i

Matelgar

; but do as I say a

ved me, I thought, when before the

eat chair to hear your message, and I will stand by the man who keeps the door. Then, when you have given up the arrow, tarry

istling at their morning's work in the stables, for the idle time of the day was yet to come. Only a boy crossed from one side to the other on some errand, behind us, and paid no attention beyond pausing a little to stare, as I could judge by his footsteps. A

share in bringing me on this mad errand, which might

rles. This man was trimming a bow at the hearth, and did not rise, seeing that, whoever I might be, I was brought in by his comrade. The great hall looked wide and

that the man did not know me, and leaving me there, he w

that door, waiting and warming my hands quietly

e made me start; "look at your sword hilt befo

rist through before drawing the blade. So I grinned back, without a word, lest Matelgar should hear my voice and know it, and began to pretend to knot

step, and I desisted, and, taking the

new he would, he entered by the door through which my guide had gone just now. So I wait

ot of the dais, and looking steadily a Ma

he levy is at Bridgwat

yes. His face grew white as milk, and drawn, and his breath went in between his teeth with a long hissing sound. But he spoke no word, and as he stood there,

idled horse on one side, but they were busy a

other, "Yonder goes

the hall, but no word of command as yet, nor di

g sharp to the right, for that was the nearest way

y the time I had turned it the man may have been at the gate, and would think me vanished. But now I ra

en overhead I heard a bird rustle, and I looked up, and at once a thought came to me. The tree was an old, gnarled ash, and the leaves on it were thick for the time of

low in the fork, so that if I crouched down none could see me from below, while, lyi

direction of the woods. I heard Matelgar's voice, harsh and loud, promising reward to him who should bring

, he clutched it. Clearly I had terrified him, and if he deemed me, as it seemed, a ghost at first sight, the t

elf, and watched hi

ing made a circle, came close by me, and they were

ross the court slowly enough, and when

the like before, and their voice

d I knew that Matelgar must needs, even were it a ghost who br

atelgar to bid him come to the levy, even as he would now send to the other lesser thanes and the franklins round about, in my place. The men were running out

nute, while I might have struck him down, and had not done so. And all that long night in Sedgemoor

le of the child, the touch and voice of my loved one, the thought of a true friend, and now the sore need of the country I loved. And, for the

ther avenger then myself at work in a way that should unfold itself presently -- so sure was I that all would come out as the hermit foretold. So it was with a sort of confidence, and a boy's love of adventure, too, that I had run into d

then I shrank down into the hollow. All spoke of the Danes as gone, but at last one said he thought he could see them, away by Steephol

were over on the other coast, and o

ed in the open in front of the great gate, and only passers by came near me. It was some three hours after noon before t

I was quite little, my father once had to call out a levy against the West Welsh, and then there was great cheering as the

I kept still yet. Then a great longing came upon me to join the levy and fight the Danes, if fight there should be, and I b

d had ale in casks, and food brought out to them while they waited. But I had seen none of that here. Maybe,

I could see over just enough to look across to the great gate, which still stood open. Th

iend, as I will call him ever, the old h

but see one corner of the court, and that many more housecarles might be at ha

sign or movement that would let me guess that which they spoke of;

e sought her bower in the wood. And so she passed close by me in go

and came down, and then, buckling on my sword again, looked warily out of t

e was blaming me, tenderly, for my rashness. Yet she knew not that it was I who had brought the arrow, and her one fear was that

d not fight against your own land,

that the vikings might call on me to fight my Saxon kin had, till last ni

could, and so fight both for country and for her. That was true enough as my thoughts ran now -- and surely I was not wrong i

inning back name and lands, bade me do so if I could, cheering me with many fond and noble w

drink that I might go well strengthened and provided. And as I let her go back to the hall, I asked her the n

k him of the matter and hear more than was good for her pe

y, as she thought, lately come into her father's service. She was going then, and I asked her to let me ha

wing how he had seen me already, of course,

the tongue, and warn him of my love's ignorance of her father's

uiet till I knew who it was, and when I came out he smiled grave

smiling, "but I knew not that you had

at passed at Brent; letting him have his own thoughts about my reason for coming

nd I was content. Then I asked

they sack not every town on their way back - unless they are beaten off on their first landing. Now the country is raised against them, sure enough; but our levy is a weak crowd when it is first raised, and they are tried w

beat them off easily enough; but

ling with spears. Again and again our men charged, but the Danes stood in a great ring which never broke, although it wavered once or twice

d asked him what guard was left for t

the strongest -- and a dozen w

d already thought of a plan in case of danger. And in t

Bridgwater, and are not beaten off, I shall mount the Lady Alswy

Quantocks, easily reached by safe roads through the forest l

if I could not manage it I would join in the fight when no man would question me, and that seemed possible to both of us. But if

obbers might be overbold now that the men were drawn off to the levy. That was good advice in itself; but I knew that he would ha

so sweet a meal as that, outlawed and homeless though I was to the wor

has kept law and has home such as that. For while

for her own sake, but for mine, that I might