of cattle
which has gone on, I must have your leaders brought to Dorchester,
there to answer for the same."

There was a moment's silence, and then the Danes broke into a great
roar of laughter. Even Thorleif's grim face had a smile on it, and
he set his hand to his mouth, and stroked his long moustache as if
hiding it, while he looked wonderingly at the angry man before him.
But beside me Elfric stamped his foot with impatience, and muttered
curses on the foolhardiness of the sheriff, which, indeed, I
suppose no one understands to this day.

Some say that he took them for merchants, run wild indeed, but to
be brought to soberness by authority. Others think that finding
himself, as it were, in a wolf's mouth, he was minded to carry it
off with a high hand, seeing no other way out of the danger. But
most think that he had such belief in his own power that he did
indeed look to see these men bow to it, and lay down their arms
then and there. But none will ever know, by reason of what was to
come.

"Throw down your arms!" he commanded again, when the laughter
ceased.

His voice shook with rage.

"Stay!" said Thorleif. "What is your authority?"

The question was put very courteously, if coldly, and it was common
sense.

"I am the sheriff of Dorchester. Whence are you that you should
defy the king's officer?"

"Pardon," said Thorleif. "It is only at this moment that we have
learned that we have so great a man before us. As for your
question, we are hungry Danes who are looking for victuals. It is
our custom to go armed in a strange land, that we may protect our
ships at the least."

"Trouble not for your ships, for none will harm them," Beaduheard
said, seeming to be somewhat pacified by the quiet way of the
chief. "Set down your arms, and render up yourself and the other
ship captains, and the theft of the cattle and damage here shall be
compounded for at Dorchester."

Then Thorleif turned to his men and said:

"You hear what the sheriff says; what is the answer?"

That came in a crash and rattle of weapons on round shields that
rang over the bay, and sent the staring cattle headlong from where
they had been left at the wharf end, tail in air, down the beach.
There was no doubting what that meant, and Beaduheard, brave man as
he was, if foolish, recoiled. His men were already edging out of
the wide space toward the homeward track, and he glanced at them
and saw it.

At that he seemed to form some sudden