f
them stating that, while sailing for pleasure with a party of attendants
and companions on the coast, he was blown off from the shore and driven
across to France by a storm. The probability, however, is, that this
story was only a pretense. He was determined to go, but not wishing to
act openly in defiance of the king's wishes, he contrived to be blown
off, in order to make it seem that he went against his will.

[Illustration: HAROLD'S INTERVIEW WITH EDWARD.]

At all events, the _storm_ was real, whether his being compelled to
leave the English shores by the power of it was real or pretended. It
carried him, too, out of his course, driving him up the Channel to the
eastward of Normandy, where he had intended to land, and at length
throwing his galley, a wreck, on the shore, not far from the mouth of
the Somme. The galley itself was broken up, but Harold and his company
escaped to land. They found that they were in the dominions of a certain
prince who held possessions on that coast, whose style and title was
Guy, count of Ponthieu.

The law in those days was, that wrecks became the property of the lord
of the territory on the shores of which they occurred; and not only were
the ships and the goods which they contained thus confiscated in case of
such a disaster, but the owners themselves became liable to be seized
and held captive for a ransom. Harold, knowing his danger, was
attempting to secrete himself on the coast till he could get to
Normandy, when a fisherman who saw him, and knew by his dress and
appearance, and by the deference with which he was treated by the rest
of the company, that he was a man of great consequence in his native
land, went to the count, and said that for ten crowns he would show him
where there was a man who would be worth a thousand to him. The count
came down with his retinue to the coast, seized the unfortunate
adventurers, took possession of all the goods and baggage that the waves
had spared, and shut the men themselves up in his castle at Abbeville
till they could pay their ransom.

Harold remonstrated against this treatment. He said that he was on his
way to Normandy on business of great importance with the duke, from the
King of England, and that he could not be detained. But the count was
very decided in refusing to let him go without his ransom. Harold then
sent word to William, acquainting him with his situation, and asking him
to effect his release. William sent to the cou