held on; he would send after me if he would make any change in
his plans when he heard this. It was well that we had settled with
the Sudbury force already or we should have had them to deal with
besides.

We left Bures hill and went down the steep valley beyond it, and I
thought that the Danes might wait for us in the wood that is on the
opposite slope. But there were none, and we came out on the open
ground that stretches away in a fairly level upland for many a mile
northward and eastward before us. There I waited, for we needed no
advance guard beyond these last woodlands. One could see to the dip
that is by Leavenheath, and there the Danes would be. And indeed
across the open rode a few men in that direction, and I knew that
they were scouts who would take the news of our coming; but they
were too far away to be stopped even had I wished to do so. Olaf
would not be led far from Bures and the river, but would have the
foe come to him.

So we stayed just beyond the cover, and the bustards ran across the
heath as we roused them, and the larks sprung up and sang overhead,
and the blackbirds called their alarm notes in the copse behind us,
and the men talked of these things and pointed at the rabbits that
sat up to look at us before they fled, as if there were no fighting
at hand; for indeed I think that one notes all these well-known
things more plainly when one's mind is strung up and over watchful,
as it will be before somewhat great that is looked for.

Then came Olaf at the head of his men, and as he came I saw the
first sparkle of armour across the heath under the sun, for the
Danes were in array, and were coming up to the level ground over
which we looked.

And when Olaf saw that his face grew bright with the joy of battle
in a good cause, and his hand went to his sword while he looked
quickly round for the place that he would choose. Nor was he long
in choosing, for he led us but a furlong from the cover's edge, and
there drew us up in a half circle, with the hollow towards the
cover and our horsemen on the flanks, so that the greater force
could not outflank us, while we had the wood in our rear. So if one
half of the curved line was forced back it would but drive us
closer together, back to back, and at the worst we could not be
followed into the cover except by scattered men who would be of no
account.

Now the strongest part of our curved line was in the centre, and
there stood Olaf's mailed shipmen