rcia, and thence
home by East Anglia to London town, and there sit with three crowns
on your head--the greatest king that has been in England yet. For
your folk know no more of fighting, though they are brave enough,
than a herd of cattle. But it will be many a long year before you
know enough, and then you will need to be able to use your
knowledge."

"Can you tell me where to find Carl the king? It may be that I have
years enough before me to learn much."

"Those who want to learn do learn," quoth Thorleif. "It is in my
mind that, unless a Flemish arrow ends you, Wessex will have to
choose between you and Bertric presently."

Then he told us where he had last heard of the Frankish king, which
was somewhere on the eastern Rhine border. And at last, being taken
with the fearless way of the young atheling, said that if he would,
he himself would see him as far on his way as the Rhine mouth. And
in the end Ecgbert closed with the offer, and left the Frankish
ship accordingly.

Thorleif's men had sought every corner of her by that time, and had
some store of silver money to show for their long chase, and were
satisfied. As for the shipmen of their prize, I think they were
well enough content to be let go in peace, and had little to say on
the matter. Ecgbert was for giving them the gold ring which he had
promised them as passage money, that being the only thing of value
he had beyond his weapons; but Thorleif would not suffer him to do
so, saying that his Danes would but take it from them straightway.

So the great trader lumbered off southward, and I and the atheling
sat with Thrond and Thorleif, and told and heard all the story of
the raid on Weymouth until the stars came out. And I was well
content; for no Saxon can ask aught better than to serve his lord,
whether in wealth or distress.

Now I might make a long story of that voyage with Thorleif, for
there were landings such as had been made at Weymouth, and once
just such another fight. And ever the lands where we touched grew
more strange to me, until we came to the low shores of the Rhine
mouths, hardly showing above the gray waves of the sea which washed
their sad-coloured sand dunes. And there Thorleif landed us at a
fishing village, among whose huts rose the walls of a building
which promised us shelter at least.

Terribly frightened were the poor folk at our coming, but they took
us, with the guard Thorleif sent ashore with us, to the building,
and it