had no fault to find
with him. Indeed, by the time that I brought him back I did not
care if he was of all the colours of the rainbow, for he was the
best horse I ever backed.

Then the franklin who owned him asked me a long price for him, and
I left Erling to settle that. Afterwards I knew that the man was a
known breeder of these horses, and that men thought me lucky to get
the steed. I think the Dane managed to bate somewhat of the price,
but very little, for it was a matter of taking or leaving with the
owner.

After that I bought a horse for Erling, or rather he chose one and
I paid for it; but that was a small matter, for the last day of the
fair brought prices down.

Then I had to put up with the jests of my friend Werbode concerning
my new horse, and the older Franks thought his colour was a bit of
vanity on my part. Werbode said that he was an unsafe beast to go
chicken stealing on, for he would be too well known on a dark
night; and the others said that they supposed that men would know
that I had come home now. But that sort of jest one gets used to in
camp life, and I cared not. I had a better steed than any one of
them, whether here or across the sea, and presently, as we
travelled toward Thetford, they knew it, and forgot to laugh at his
skin.

So we left Norwich, and rode across the moorlands to find the king;
and the gladness of homecoming grew on me every day, so that I
longed for the state affair to be over, that I might turn my
horse's head south and west for my own home. And thus, in all
gladness, and joying in every mile of the way, we came to Thetford,
strong with its earthen ramparts above its still river, and were
made most welcome at the hall of Ethelbert the king. There had gone
messengers before us to tell of our coming, and the greeting was
fitting for the men of Carl the Great.

Truly I saw the Franks smile at one another as we were led into the
great hall, homely and pleasant, with its open timbered roof and
central hearth, arms and antlers and heads of forest game on walls,
and bright hangings round the high place at the upper end; for it
was but a hut compared with the palaces of their own master. But
when Ethelbert the king came from his chamber to greet us, they had
no eyes for aught but him. Young and handsome and free of speech
and look as he was, none could doubt that here was one who was
worthy of his throne, for in every way he seemed a king indeed. He
minded me of Ecgber