as
too great for Edmund to distinguish her features, but he doubted not
from the style of her garments that it was Siegbert's daughter. There
were other women moving about the camp, for the Danes were generally
accompanied by their wives on their expeditions; but there was
something in the carriage and mien of the figure at the door of the hut
which distinguished it from the rest. She did not move far away, but
stood watching the men at work on the ships and the scene around.
Presently a tall figure strode down from the vessels towards her.

"There is Sweyn!" Edmund exclaimed, seeing that the warrior possessed
but one arm.

"Ah! you know him by sight then?" The Dane said.

"I should do so," Edmund answered grimly, "seeing that it was I who
smote off that right arm of his. I regret now that I did not strike at
his head instead."

The Dane looked with admiration and surprise at his leader. He had
heard of the fight between the Saxon champion and Sweyn, which had cost
the latter his right arm, but until now he had been ignorant of
Edmund's identity with Sweyn's conqueror.

Freda did not seek to avoid her captor, but remained standing quietly
until he approached. For some time they conversed; then she turned and
left him and re-entered her hut. Sweyn stood looking after her, and
then with an angry stamp of the foot returned to the galleys.

"I would give much to be able to warn her that I am present and will
follow her until I rescue her from Sweyn," Edmund said. "Once at sea
and on her way south she may well despair of escape, and may consent,
from sheer hopelessness, to become his wife. Were it not that her hut
is so strongly guarded at night I would try to approach it, but as this
cannot be done I must take my chance in the day. To-morrow I will dress
myself in your garments and will hide in the wood as near as I can to
the hut; then if she come out to take the air I will walk boldly out
and speak with her. I see no other way of doing it."

On the following morning, attired in the Dane's clothes and helmet,
Edmund took his place near the edge of the wood. It was not until late
in the afternoon that Freda made her appearance. The moment was
propitious; almost all the men were at work on the ships and their
oars. The women were cooking the evening meal, and there was no one
near Freda, with the exception of the two armed Danes who sat on the
trunk of a fallen tree on guard, a short distance away. Edmund issued
bol