hat, whereat the bishop smiled.

"Gold for trust," he said, "and for the man who shall be honoured."

"That is well also," said Wulfhere, and Wislac nodded gravely.

"Now," said the bishop, "I will put Heregar out of my council for a
minute, so that he may not speak nor hear. Tell me, Thanes both, if it
will be well to give Heregar the place whereto men shall rally in need?"

"Aye, surely," they said. "We know he can fill that place."

"Then shall he bear my standard," said the bishop, "and none will
gainsay it," and so he turned to me.

"Now, Heregar, may you hear this decision. Standard bearer to me shall
you be, and I know you will bear it well and bravely. And these two,
your friends and mine, shall stand to right and left of you, and six
stout carles may you choose from the levy to stand before and behind
you. And whom you choose I will arm alike, that all may know them."

Now knew I not what to say or do, but I knelt before the bishop and
kissed his hand, and so he laid it on my head and blessed me, bidding me
speak no words of thanks, but only deserve them from him.

Now there was a little silence after this, and Wislac, being ever ready,
broke it for us,

"Much do I marvel," he said, "that these suits of armour should be so
exactly fitting to each of us. Surely there is some magic in it."

"Only the magic of a wearied man's sleep, and of a good weapon smith,"
said the bishop, laughing. "One measured your mail, byrnie and helm
both, as you slept. We have lay brethren apt for every craft."

And that reminded me of Brother Guthlac, and a thought came to me.

"Father," I said, "six men have you bidden me choose, and I know none of
the Dorset men. Yet there are six lay brethren here who have been
warriors, of whom brother Guthlac is one, and if they may march against
heathen men, I pray you let me have them."

Now that the Bishop seemed to find pleasant, as though he knew something
of those lovers of war songs, and answered that he wot not if Tatwine
would let them go. But, in any case, he would choose men for me of the
best, and that we all thought well, knowing in what spirit he would put
those men whom he should choose.

So he bade us go, taking our arms with us, and we, thanking him, went
out. But I found my collier, and showed him the arms I had been wearing,
saying they should be his, and then took him, rejoicing, into the town.
There I bought him, after some search, a plain, good sword and target