reparations for sending his troops to
their winter quarters. He disbanded some of them, and sent others away,
distributing them in various castles and fortified towns, where they
would be sheltered from the rigors of the season, and saved from the
exposure and hardships of the camp, and yet, at the same time, remain
within reach of a summons in case of any sudden emergency which might
call for them. They were soon summoned, though not, in the first
instance, to meet Harold, as will presently appear.

While adopting these measures, however, which he thought the comfort and
safety of his army required, Harold did not relax his vigilance in
watching, as well as he could, the designs and movements of his enemy.
He kept his secret agents on the southern coast, ordering them to
observe closely every thing that transpired, and to gather and send to
him every item of intelligence which should find its way by any means
across the Channel. Of course, William would do all in his power to
intercept and cut off all communication, and he was, at this time, very
much aided in these efforts by the prevalence of the storms, which made
it almost impossible for the fishing and trading vessels of the coast to
venture out to sea, or attempt to cross the Channel. The agents of
Harold, therefore, on the southern coast of England, found that they
could obtain but very little information.

At length the king, unwilling to remain any longer so entirely in the
dark, resolved on sending some messengers across the sea into Normandy
itself, to learn positively what the true state of the case might be.
Messengers going thus secretly into the enemy's territory, or into the
enemy's camp, become, by so doing, in martial law, _spies_, and incur,
if they are taken, the penalty of death. The undertaking, therefore, is
extremely hazardous; and as the death which is inflicted in cases of
detection is an ignominious one--spies being hung, not shot--most men
are very averse to encountering the danger. Still, desperate characters
are always to be found in camps and armies, who are ready to undertake
it on being promised very extraordinary pay.

Harold's spies contrived to make their way across the Channel, probably
at some point far to the east of Normandy, where the passage is narrow.
They then came along the shore, disguised as peasants of the country,
and they arrived at St. Valery while William's fleets were there. Here
they began to make their observatio