place. The men were running out even now, north and west and east, as I
thought of this in my bitterness, and I watched them, knowing well to
whom this one and that must go in each quarter.

This was hard to think of. Yet I had stood in Matelgar's presence, and
had him in my power for a minute, while I might have struck him down,
and had not done so. And all that long night in Sedgemoor I had promised
myself just such a moment, and had pictured him falling at my feet, my
revenge taken.

But how long ago that seemed. Truly I was like another man then. And
since that night there had been the wise counsel of the hermit, the
prattle of the child, the touch and voice of my loved one, the thought
of a true friend, and now the sore need of the country I loved. And, for
the sake of all those things, I do not wonder that, as I saw Matelgar
pale and tremble before me, the thought of slaying him never entered my
head.

I will not say that I was much conscious of all these things moulding my
conduct; but I know that since I took this message on me, and it seemed
to me that the prophecy was on its way to fulfilment, I had, as it were,
stood by to see another avenger then myself at work in a way that should
unfold itself presently--so sure was I that all would come out as the
hermit foretold. So it was with a sort of confidence, and a boy's love
of adventure, too, that I had run into danger thus, while now that I had
come off so well, my confidence was yet stronger. However, it would not
make me foolhardy, for my father was wont to tell me that one may only
trust to luck after all care taken to be well off without it.

Men came trooping in from the nearer houses and farms very soon, armed
and excited. Often some passed under me, not ten paces off, and then I
shrank down into the hollow. All spoke of the Danes as gone, but at last
one said he thought he could see them, away by Steepholme Island, half
an hour agone. Though it might be fancy, he added, for their ships were
very low, and hard to see if no sail were spread.

But from all I gathered, the Danes were over on the other coast, and out
of our way for the time at least.

Then I grew very stiff in the tree: but so many were about that I dared
not come down. They were, however, mostly gathered in the open in front
of the great gate, and only passers by came near me. It was some three
hours after noon before they gathered into ranks at last, and the roll
was called over by M