osition, in long rows back to back with
their weapons by their sides, and earth was piled over them until a
great mound fifty yards long and ten feet high was raised.

Three jarls and one of their kings were buried separately. They were
placed together in a sitting position, with their helmets on their
heads, their shields on their arms, and their swords by their sides.
Their four war-horses were killed and laid beside them; twenty slaves
were slaughtered and placed lying round them, for their spirits to
attend them in the Walhalla of the gods. Golden drinking-vessels and
other ornaments were placed by them, and then a mound forty feet in
diameter and twenty feet high was piled over the whole.

The whole force were occupied all day with this work. The next day
numbers of trees were felled and brought to the camp, and for the next
two days the Danes were occupied in the manufacture of war-engines for
battering down the walls. Edmund and Egbert utilized the time in
instructing the soldiers who did not form part of the regular band, in
the formation of the quadruple line of defence which the Danes had
found it so impossible to break through, so that if more than one
breach was effected, a resistance similar to that made at the gate
could be offered at all points. The skins of the oxen killed for the
use of the garrison were carefully laid aside, the inside being thickly
rubbed with grease.

The Danish preparations were at length completed, the war-engines were
brought up and began to hurl great stones against the wall at three
points. The Saxons kept up a constant fire of arrows at those employed
at working them, but the Danes, though losing many men, threw up
breastworks to protect them.

The Saxons manufactured many broad ladders, and in the middle of the
night, lowering these over the walls, they descended noiselessly, and
three strong bodies fell upon the Danes guarding the engines. These
fought stoutly, but were driven back, the engines were destroyed, and
the Saxons retired to their walls again and drew up their ladders
before the main body of Danes could arrive from the camp. This caused a
delay of some days in the siege, but fresh engines having been
constructed, the assault on the walls was recommenced, this time the
whole Danish army moving out and sleeping at night close to them.

After three days' battering, breaches of from thirty to fifty feet wide
were effected in the walls. The Saxons had not been idle