n round
London when Eadmund had gone back to Salisbury.

Surely it would have broken the heart of any man but Eadmund the
Ironside that thus it must be, but he would say:

"England is waking; we shall win yet."

Then Cnut recalled the ships and host from London, and they raised
the siege, and went into the Orwell, and once again began to march
across the heart of our land.

This fourth levy that Eadmund the king had made was the best that
he had had. And word must have come thereof to the Danes, for they
went back to their fleet; and so waited for a little while,
thinking doubtless that this levy would melt away in idleness as
ever. For they came back into the Medway with the booty they had,
and there we fell on them and drove them headlong to their ships,
and I surely thought that we had done with Cnut for good and all.

Then fell the shadow of ill on us. Edric Streone and his men met us
at Aylesford, and he came in to the king and made most humble
submission to him.

And that was what Olaf had told Eadmund would happen when once
again he had the victory. Therefore when I saw the earl come into
the camp to speak with Eadmund I said:

"Mind you what Olaf said. How that you should hang Streone."

"Aye, I mind it. But the man is deserted by his new friends. They
have gone."

Almost had Eadmund quarrelled with Olaf on that saying.

"Put him in ward, my king, at least," I urged, and Ulfkytel, who
had come with us from London, prayed him also to do so.

But Eadmund's fate was on him, and he received his foster father
kindly, and forgave him, and thought that all would be well.

Now with Ulfkytel came my Colchester men, or rather the thirty who
were left, And those two brothers, Thrand and Guthorm, who had
ridden to Stamford with me were there also. These two came to me
that evening when I was alone, and said that they had a plan they
would carry out if I gave the word. And it was nothing more or less
than that they would fall on Edric Streone and slay him when and
where they met him.

I would that they had not asked me, but had wrought the deed on
their own account. But I said that I could not have this done, for
it was too much after Streone's own manner of settling things. I
could not think of letting my men lie in wait for any foe of mine,
however good cause I had for hating him. And I did hate Streone
with a hate that I am not ashamed of, not for my own sake, but
because he was a traitor to both king an