.

I lost sight of the party as they came into a wood, and there my
horse stumbled. He had lost a shoe. That was little to me now, but
it kept me back; and now I heard the quick gallop of horses behind
me, and looked to see who came, for I thought that more fugitives
followed, most likely. I had heard the sound coming on the wind
more than once before as I rode on the wayside grass.

They were Danes. Twelve of them there were, and foremost of all
rode Ingvar on his black horse. Well for the king that they had no
change of steeds, but had ridden hotfoot after him from the
battlefield. Now their horses were failing them, but they would
take me, and delay would give the king another chance; and I was
half-minded to stay and fight. Then I thought of Hoxne, and I put
spurs to my horse and rode on again.

Now I came in sight of Hoxne bridge, and half feared that I should
see the bridal train passing over; but many men were even now
leaving the bridge, going towards the church, and I knew that they
were there. But of Eadmund and his thanes I saw nothing--only a
lame white horse, that I thought like his, grazed quietly in a
field by the roadside, so that for a moment my eyes went to it,
thinking to see king and thanes there.

Ingvar was not a mile behind me, and I spurred on. And now I won to
the turning that leads to the thane's house whence the company had
passed, and a few villagers stood at the road corner. Them I asked
how long it was since the bride had gone, and they stared at me in
stupid wonder, making no answer. Then I bade them fly, for the
Danes were coming; and at that they laughed, looking at one another
slyly, proud of their own fancied wisdom. So I left them and rode
on.

Even as I came to the hill down to the bridge my horse stumbled and
almost fell, and when I gathered him up, not losing my seat, I knew
he was beaten. And now I halted for good, unslinging my axe, and
waiting to fight and hinder the Danes from going further, as yet.
It was all I could do.

Hand over hand they came up to me, and now Hoxne bells rang out in
merry peals as the bride and bridegroom left the church. The
service was over, and unless our king had warned them, they would
be coming back over the bridge in a few minutes. Yet, if he had
warned them, surely the bells had not pealed out thus.

Now I heard the music play from across the water, and I heard the
shouts of the people--and all the while the hoofs of Ingvar's
horses thu