h their shields dashed against the spears and strove to
cut through them, the kneeling men were able with their pikes to thrust
at the unguarded portions of the bodies below their shields, and many
fell grievously wounded. After trying for some time in vain, Haffa,
finding that individual effort did not suffice to break through the
Saxon spears, formed his men up in line four deep, and advanced in a
solid body so as to overwhelm them.

The Saxons now rose to their feet. The spears, instead of being pointed
outwards, were inclined towards the front, and the wedge advanced
against the Danes. The Saxon war cry rose loud as they neared the
Danish line, and then, still maintaining their close formation, they
charged upon it. The assault was irresistible. The whole weight was
thrown upon a point, and preceded, as it was, by the densely-packed
spears, it burst through the Danish line as if the latter had been
composed of osier twigs, bearing down all in its way.

With shouts of surprise the Danes broke up their line and closed in a
thick mass round the Saxons, those behind pressing forward and impeding
the motions of the warriors actually engaged. The Saxons no longer kept
stationary. In obedience to Edmund's orders the triangle advanced,
sometimes with one angle in front, sometimes with another, but
whichever way it moved sweeping away the Danes opposed to it, while the
archers from the centre shot fast and strong into the mass of the enemy.

Haffa himself, trying to oppose the advance of the wedge, was slain by
a blow of Egbert's axe, and after half an hour's fierce fighting, the
Danes, having lost upwards of fifty of their best men, and finding all
their efforts to produce an impression upon the Saxons vain, desisted
from the attack and fled.

At once the wedge broke up, and the Saxons followed in hot pursuit,
cutting down their flying enemies. Obedient, however, to Edmund's
repeated shouts they kept fairly together, and when the Danes, thinking
them broken and disordered, turned to fall upon them, a single note of
the horn brought them instantly together again, and the astonished
Danes saw the phalanx which had proved so fatal to them prepared to
receive their attack. This they did not attempt to deliver, but took to
flight, the Saxons, as before, pursuing, and twice as many of the Danes
were slain in the retreat as in the first attack.

The pursuit was continued for many miles, and then, fearing that he
might come ac