have wished to do, but in my
heart there grew a wild rage with these men and with myself for my
carelessness that had led us into their hands.

Now they dragged me into the cover, and thither also they brought
Wulf and the fallen men, and for a little while all sat silent, and
soon I knew what they were waiting for. I heard the voices of my
men and the very click and rattle of their arms as they trotted
slowly through the wood along the road, and I tried to shout to
them, but the gag would not let me. So their sounds died away
beyond the hill, and after them crept some of the foe, to see that
they did not halt or turn back, as one may suppose. I thought how
that they had at least three miles to ride before they could come
to any place whence they could see that I and Wulf were not before
them, and then, when they missed us, how were they to begin to seek
us?

I suppose that my wits were sharpened with my danger, for I saw one
thing that might help them even while I was thinking this. My hawk
had gorged herself with her prey when the fight had turned aside
from her, and so she was sitting sleepily and contented on the high
bough of one of the trees that stood at the wood's edge. And she
still had her jesses on, so that my men would know her if they
caught sight of her by any chance.

Now the men who had me, being sure that all fear was past, began to
talk of what was to be done next, and they spoke in Welsh, plainly
thinking that I could not understand them. There were three or four
who seemed to take the lead under the one who had given the signal
for attack, and the rest gathered round them.

At first they were for killing me offhand as it seemed, but the
leader would not hear of that.

"Search him first, and let us see who he is," he said. "We may have
caught the wrong man, after all."

So they came to me and searched my pouch and thrust their grimy
hands into the front of my byrnie, and there they found the king's
letter, which they seized with a shout of delight. Then they took
my arms, wondering at the sword with its wondrous hilt. Only my
ring mail byrnie they could not take from me, as they feared to
untie my arms.

"Not much would I give for your life if this warrior got loose,"
said one of them to that one who had the letter. "See how he glares
at you."

And true enough that was, moreover. I should surely have gone
berserk, like the men Thorgils told me of as we rode yesterday, had
I been able to g