fire and sword come into this land of ours," she said.

"Godwine's son!"

"Aye--Harold Godwinesson, who is unborn. Look through the smoke,
lords, across the valley, and see if you can learn aught."

Then I stared out through the blue reek, and the earl looked.

"You do but play with me--I see nought!" he cried, half starting up
in anger.

But I minded him not.

Many a fight have I seen--but that which I saw from Caldbec Hill
through the smoke of the fire is more than I may say. No fight that
I have seen was as that--it was most terrible. Surely, if ever such
a fight shall in truth rage across the quiet Senlac stream and up
the green hillside, the fate of more than a king shall hang
thereon. Surely I saw such a strife as makes or ends a nation.

The old woman laughed.

"What has Redwald seen?" she asked mockingly.

The earl glanced at me, and so plainly was it written in my face
that I had seen somewhat awesome, that he gazed at me in amaze.

And I rose up and said:

"Let me go hence--I will see no more."

And I was staggering to the doorway; but Wulfnoth grasped my arm
and stayed me, saying:

"Bide here and say what you have seen--if it is aught."

"Ask me not, earl," I answered.

Then the dame spoke in her slow, soft voice.

"What banner saw you? Say that much, Redwald."

"The banner that flies from Pevensea walls--the banner that bears a
fighting warrior for its sign."

"Ha!" said Wulfnoth; "was it well or ill with that banner?"

"I know not how it went; I saw but a battle--yonder," and I pointed
to where, across the haze of smoke, valley and stream and hill
stretched before me, and thought that surely the fight still raged
as I had seen it--wave after wave of mail-clad horsemen charging
uphill to where, ringed in by English warriors, Saxon and Anglian
and Danish shoulder to shoulder, the banner of the Sussex earls
stood--while from the air above it rained the long arrows thick as
driving hail.

One thing I knew well, and that was that the warriors who charged
wore the war gear of the dukes of Rouen--the Normans. How should
they come here? and who should weld our English races into one thus
to withstand so new a foe from across the sea?

"So--a battle?" said Wulfnoth. "That is the first fancy that a
boy's brain will weave. Battles enough shall my banner see. No need
of you, witch as you are, to tell me that!"

"Maybe not," answered the old woman. "Why, then, Earl Wulfnoth,
come here to as