re comes Earl Wulfnoth, as I think."

Then I saw three large ships beating up to us, and the sail of one
bore, painted on it, the device of a fighting warrior, Earl
Wulfnoth's own ensign.

Now, on this I had a hope that we might be rescued by him, and my
face must have shown as much, while Elfric glanced at me with the
same thought written plainly in his eyes.

"I will not risk meeting the earl, though I do not think that he
will interfere with us," Egil said; "but we are to windward of him,
and can do as we like.

"Now, I have been wondering what I shall do with you, Redwald."

"Let me be taken with the queen and the athelings," I said. "What
will you do with them?"

"They must go to Cnut," he answered; "but I am thinking that that
will be bad for you."

"Why?"

"Maybe it is not my business, but I think that I owe you a good
turn for letting me off at Leavenheath. If I take you to Cnut,
Streone will have somewhat to say about you--and he is a great man
with our king just now."

"Well, what if he has. He knows me well enough, and cares nought
about me," I answered.

"Cares enough about you to have told Cnut to hang you as soon as he
gets you," Egil said. "I suppose you have offended him in some
way."

Then Elfric said:

"That is so. Redwald escaped from his hands at Stamford. We heard
many tales about it at Peterborough. They say that Eadmund the
Martyr came bodily and saved him out of a house beset by the earl's
men."

"If there is one dead man that we Danes have to fear, it is that
king," Egil said. "Is this tale true?"

And he stared at me as at one who had dealings with the other
world.

I knew that my story must have come into this shape through some
tales that the goldsmith had set about.

"Hardly," said I; "but it is a long story. Maybe Eadmund the Saint
had more to do with it than I know; but I saw him not."

"Well then, Redwald, it seems unsafe for you to go near Streone--"

"It will be unsafe for him," I said savagely, for my temper was
sorely tried by my failure, as I have said.

Egil laughed.

"Why, then, all the more must I keep you out of his way."

"Hang me and have done," I said; "I am of no more use."

"That," quoth Egil, "is what I thought concerning myself when you
had me down in the fight. Now I am here to let you go, and bid you
take heart. This is but chance of war, and one must take it as it
comes."

Now it was so plain that the honest chief wished me well, that I