emed to me to be much said before my task was done, but
afterwards I knew that she had talked with Wulfhere, who had told her
all--even to the treachery of Matelgar. That would I have prevented,
had I known, but so it was to be, and I had no knowledge of it till long
after. Wulfhere had been called in to give her news while I was with
Osric, yet he had not dared to tell her of the thane's death.

All being ready, I mounted that white steed that had been the dead
thane's, knowing that in war and haste these things must be taken as
they come, and that he was better in Saxon hands than Danish. Then I
gave the word, and we started, Dudda the Collier going by my side, and
staring at the prioress and all things round him.

Alswythe turned and looked hard at her aunt as we passed the gates, and
I also. She stood very still on the steps before the great door, with
the portress beside her. There was only the old lay brother in the court
beside, and so we left her. And what my fears were for her and hers I
could not tell Alswythe. For, as we left the gates, something in the sky
over towards the battleground caught my eyes, and I turned cold with
dread. It was the smoke from burning houses at Cannington.

CHAPTER X. FLIGHT THROUGH SEDGEMOOR.

I was glad we had not to go through the town, for the sights there were
such as Alswythe could not bear to look on. And if that smoke meant
aught, it meant that our men were beaten back, and would even now be
flying into the place with perhaps the Danes at their heels.

I rode alongside Wulfhere, and motioned to him to look, and as he did so
he groaned. Then he spoke quite cheerfully to his lady, saying that we
had better push on and make a good start; and so we broke into a steady
trot and covered the ground rapidly enough, ever away from danger.

I rode next Alswythe, but I would not dare speak to her as vet. She had
her veil down, and was quite silent, and I felt that it would be best
for me to wait for her wish.

Beside me trotted the collier, Wulfhere was leading, and next to
Alswythe and me came the two maidens. After them came the three men and
two boys, all mounted, and leading with them the other three horses of
the twelve we had brought from Stert. They were laden with things for
the journey given by the prioress, and with what they had saved from
Matelgar's hall, though that was little enough.

Wulfhere would fain have made the collier ride one of these spare
horses;