hame, but they sat on
the open hillside in the place where the Danish line had been. I
think it was not Streone's fault that they were not fighting hand
to hand with us. I saw him ride to Ulf the jarl, and I saw Ulf turn
his shoulder on him, and then he sought Rink, and that chief spoke
but a word to him, so that he tried not to reach Cnut, who never
looked at him.

Then I saw Ulfkytel's men breaking and taking to the marshes, where
the Danes cared not to follow them. More than one I could see
sinking under the weight of arms in the fen slime among the green
tussocks of grass that he had slipped from, and I saw that the
flying men made for Ashingdon hill.

Now as we drew back some word went round among the Danish host and
their onset slackened, and presently they drew off and left us to
retreat as we would. They could not break our ring, and we were
coming to broken land where we might have some advantage.

Then Eadmund said:

"We will go to yonder hill and hold it. Then will East Anglia come
to us, and we can begin again tomorrow, maybe; and if not, we can
watch the Danes away. All is not lost yet."

So we went to Ashingdon hill, and there formed up. Only the Danish
horsemen followed us to find out what we did. And we saw the main
force drawing back towards their earthworks on one wing, while the
other held the place of battle, and it was not plain at once why
they thus divided.

We rested for a short half hour on Ashingdon hill, and the men of
Ulfkytel gathered to us. But the brave earl was slain, and with him
Abbot Wulsy, and the Mercians had slain the Ealdorman of Lindsey
when they turned on us, and many more lay in the place where the
flight began, good men and noble sold to their deaths by the
traitor.

It was about midday when we won back to the hill, and the battle,
from the time when we had first met, had lasted but a short time.
Yet what with slaughter when we broke, and the desertion of the
Mercians, we were short of a full third of our men now.

Eadmund waxed restless. There was the best half of a long summer
day before us, and our men were angry and full of longing to fight
and take revenge. I think there was not one that did not know all
that might hang on this battle.

"Redwald," the king said, "is there no way by which we might cross
the river? Then might we fall on the ships at Burnham, and Cnut
must send his men over ship by ship, and so we might well gain the
victory."

I looked at the