"Morgan's people, I suppose," I said. "We should not have left the
men, for I knew that he was leagued with Quantock outlaws."

"A nidring set, too," said Wulf savagely. "Can't they show
themselves?"

As if the men had heard him, they came from the cover even as he
spoke. There were more than I could count after a few moments, for
they poured out in twos and threes from all along the edge of the
wood, and came cautiously toward us, in such wise as to surround
us. Wild looking men they were, with never a helm or mail shirt
among them, but they were all well armed enough with bow and spear
and seax, and more than one had swords.

Then I looked round to see if I could see my men coming, and my
heart sank. We were hidden from the road by the crest of the hill,
and I knew that the flight of the hawk had led us some way from it.
We could not be less than a full mile from them at the rate we had
ridden, and I did not think it likely that they had hurried after
us, for they would not spoil sport.

Now the men were round us in a ring that was closing quickly, and
Wulf and I had our swords out and were back to back facing them.
Not a word had been said on either side, and I was not going to
begin to talk to outlaws. If they had anything to say they might
say it. But they had not, and I knew that they would make a rush on
us directly.

One who seemed to be the leader whistled sharply, and the rush came
with a wild howl and flight of ill-aimed spears that were of no
harm. The circle was too close for a fair throw at us, lest the
weapon should go too far. I had time to catch one as it passed me,
and send it back with the Wessex war shout, and there was one man
less against us.

I think that I cut down one or two after that, and then I felt Wulf
reel and prop himself against me. Then I had a score of men
crowding on me, and they clogged my sword arm and gripped my shield
and tore it aside, and then from behind or at the side one smote me
on the head with a club or a stone hammer, and I went down. I heard
one cry that I was not to be slain, as I fell.

Then Wulf stood over me for a little while and fought all that
crowd, until he was on his knees at my side, and my senses were
coming back to me. Then he fell over me, and the men threw
themselves on me and pinioned me and thrust something into my mouth
and then bound me.

I knew that Wulf was slain at that time, and that he had given his
life for me. That was what he would