ling of Wessex shall
not say that none would follow him."

"Wilfrid," he cried, "I cannot suffer you to leave all for me."

Then said Thorleif, who had been watching us in silence:

"Take him, prince, for you will need him. He has kept faith with
us, though he might have escaped easily enough, because he thought
his word withheld him. And he has proved himself a man in battle
with the waters, as I know well. Let him go with you, and be glad
of him."

"I am loath to take him from his folk to share my misfortunes."

"That is naught," said Thorleif. "Pay a trader who is going to
England to tell other chapmen to pass the word to his folk where he
is. They will hear in a month or less."

"Hearken to the chief, my prince," I said. "That is easy, and it
will be all I care for. If my father hears that I am with you, he
will be well content."

"More than content, Wilfrid," said Ecgbert, smiling. "We of the
line of Ina know your folk of old. Well, be it as you will, for, on
my word, I am lonely; and I think, comrade, that if I had choice of
one to stand by me, the choice would have fallen on you.

"There was little need, chief, for you to tell me that Wilfrid of
Frome was steadfast. We are old friends."

"Bide so, then. Friends are not easily made," answered Thorleif,
laughing. "Now tell me what you are thinking of doing. Maybe I can
advise you, being an adventurer by choice, as it seems you must be
by need. But first I will offer you both a share in our cruise, if
you will turn viking and go the way of Hengist and Horsa, your
forbears. Atheling and thane's son you will be to us still, if you
have to take an oar now and then."

"Kindly spoken," said Ecgbert; "but this I will tell you plainly.
It had not come into my mind to think that Bertric needed to fear
me until he showed that he did so. Had he left me to myself, I had
been as good a subject of Wessex as Wilfrid here. But now it seems
to me that maybe he has some good reason to think that the throne
might be or should have been mine. Wherefore it is in my mind to
seek the great King Carl, and learn what I can of his way of
warfare, that presently, when the time comes, I may be the more
ready to take that throne and hold it."

"Why, then," said Thorleif, watching the face of the atheling, "I
will tell you this from out of my own knowledge of Wessex. If you
learn what Carl can teach you, you will, if you can raise a
thousand followers, walk through Wessex into Me