man, slow and scanty of speech, who had
earned for himself the title of Egbert the Silent. He was devoted to
his kinsmen and regarded himself as special guardian of Edmund. He had
instructed him in the use of arms, and always accompanied him when he
went out to hunt the boar, standing ever by his side to aid him to
receive the rush of the wounded and furious beasts; and more than once,
when Edmund had been borne down by their onslaughts, and would have
been severely wounded, if not killed, a sweeping blow of Egbert's sword
had rid him of his assailant.

Sometimes Edmund made excursions in the fens, where with nets and
snares he caught the fish which swarmed in the sluggish waters; or,
having covered his boat with a leafy bower until it resembled a
floating bush, drifted close to the flocks of wild-fowl, and with his
bow and arrows obtained many a plump wild duck. Smaller birds were
caught in snares or traps, or with bird-lime smeared on twigs. Eldred
seldom joined his son in his hunting excursions, as he was busied with
his brother the abbot in concerting the measures of defence and in
organizing a band of messengers, who, on the first warning of danger,
could be despatched throughout the fens to call in the fisher
population to the defence of the abbey.

It was on the 18th of September, 870, that a messenger arrived at the
abbey and craved instant speech with the prior. The latter, who was
closeted with his brother, ordered the man to be admitted.

"I come," he said, "from Algar the ealdorman. He bids me tell you that
a great Danish host has landed from the Humber at Lindsay. The rich
monastery of Bardenay has been pillaged and burned. Algar is assembling
all the inhabitants of the marsh lands to give them battle, and he
prays you to send what help you can spare, for assuredly they will
march hither should he be defeated."

"Return to the ealdorman," the abbot said; "tell him that every lay
brother and monk who can bear arms shall march hence to join him under
the command of lay brother Toley, whose deeds of arms against the Danes
in Mercia are well known to him. My brother here, Eldred, will head all
the inhabitants of the marshes of this neighbourhood. With these and
the brothers of the abbey, in all, as I reckon, nigh four hundred men,
he will to-morrow march to join Algar."

Messengers were at once sent off through the surrounding country
bidding every man assemble on the morrow morning at Croyland, and soon