ost. The churls did all, as Cador
them taught. To the ships proceeded the valiant churls; in every ship
a hundred and half. And Cador the keen withdrew, in toward a wood
high, five miles from the place where the ships stood, and hid him a
while, wondrously still. And Childric soon approached, over the weald,
and would flee to the ships, and push from land. So soon as Cador saw
this, who was the earl keen, that Childric was in land, between him
and the churls, then called Cador, with loud voice: "Where be ye,
knights, brave men and active? Bethink ye what Arthur, who is our
noble king, at Bath besought us, ere we went from the host. Lo! where
Childric wendeth, and will flee from the land, and thinketh to pass to
Alemaine, where his ancestors are, and will obtain an army, and eft
come hither, and will fare in hither; and thinketh to avenge Colgrim,
and Baldulf, his brother, who rest at Bath. But he never shall abide
the day, he shall not, if we may prevent him!"

Even with the speech, that the powerful earl spake, and promptly he
gan ride, that was stern in mood, the warriors most keen advanced out
of the wood-shaw, and after Childric pursued, the strong and the rich
Childric's knights looked behind them; they saw over the weald the
standards wind, approach over the fields five thousand shields. Then
became Childric careful in heart, and these words said the powerful
kaiser: "This is Arthur the king, who will us all kill, flee we now
quickly, and into ship go, and voyage forth with the water, reck we
never whither!" When Childric the kaiser had said these words, then
gan he to flee exceeding quickly, and Cador the keen came soon after
him. Childric and his knights came to ship forthright; they weened to
shove the strong ships from the land. The churls with their bats were
there within, the bats they up heaved, and adown right swung, there
was soon slain many a knight with their clubs; with their pitch-forks
they felled them to ground, and Cador and his knights slew them
behind. Then saw Childric, that it befell to them evilly; that all his
mickle folk fell to the ground, now saw he there beside a hill
exceeding great, the water floweth there under, that is named Teine,
the hill is named Teinewic, thitherward fled Childric, as quickly as
he might, with four-and-twenty knights. Then Cador saw, how it then
fared there, that the kaiser fled, and toward the hill retreated, and
Cador pursued after him, as speedily as he might,