unnoticed, and
his tongue would not betray him if spoken to. Siegbert had commended
him as a crafty and ready fellow, and Edmund felt that he would be able
to gather more information than he could do himself. From his place of
concealment he kept his eyes fixed on the Northman's figure. Presently
he saw him enter the clearing, and sauntering slowly across it throw
himself down near a fire by which a party of Danes were still sitting
talking.

One by one these lay down, and when the last had done so the Northman
rose quietly and stole out again into the forest. When he rejoined
Edmund the latter set forward with him, and not a word was spoken until
they were some distance from the camp; then Edmund stopped.

"What have you learned?" he asked.

"All that there is to learn, I think," the Northman replied. "The lady
Freda is, as you supposed, a captive in the little hut. Two men only
keep watch over it by day, but at night six lie around it, two being
always on foot. They speak in admiration of her courage and spirit. She
has sworn to Sweyn that she will slay herself if he attempts to use
violence to force her to marriage with him, and they doubt not that she
will keep her word. However, they believe that she will grow tired out
at last when she finds that there is no hope whatever of a rescue. The
ships are being built for a long sea voyage, for Sweyn is going to lead
them to join the Viking Hasting in the Mediterranean, and has promised
his men the plunder of countries ten times richer than France or
England. With so long an expedition in view, they may well think that
the Lady Freda's resolution will soon give way, and that she may come
to see that the position of the wife of a bold viking is a thousand
times preferable to that of a captive. Many of the men loudly express
their wonder why she would refuse the love of so valiant a warrior as
Sweyn."

The news was at once good and bad. Edmund did not fear Freda's
resolution giving way for a long time, but the news that Sweyn intended
to carry her upon so distant an expedition troubled him. It was of
course possible that he might intercept them with the Dragon at the
mouth of the Maas, but it was uncertain whether the ship would arrive
at the mouth of the Rhine in time to be brought round before the
Northmen descended. The length of her voyage would depend entirely on
the wind. Were this favourable when she reached the mouth of the Seine,
a week would carry her to her