swept, and a cry broke from the Danes as
they saw the fresh foe upon them, and again they fell back from us
quickly, and, spite of our charge on them, and the spears of the leading
horsemen, once more closed up into their iron ring. But now it was not
motionless, but moved ever towards the ships, going backward steadily.

Round it went Osric and his men: but into it they could not break. For
the Danes hewed the ash shafts of the spears, and near them no horse
might live, for their axes would shear through man and horse alike.

Then Ealhstan shouted to Osric, bidding us stand. And right glad were we
to do this, while ever the Danes shrank away from us.

"Trapped they are, Sheriff," said Ealhstan, when Osric rode up to him,
bearing still a headless spear. "Let them bide till Eanulf comes. None
can reach the ships."

"He is hard behind me with all the levy," said Osric. "Let us finish
this without him."

But Ealhstan shook his head, pointing to our men. And when he looked
more coolly, he saw that barely half of us were left, and those worn
out. So must we stand and wait; but we had done what we went to do, and
had trapped the heathen when the tide was low. Yet the Danes went
steadily back towards their ships, having yet half a mile to cover, but
they left a line of wounded men to mark where they had gone, as one
after another dropped.

Now were we who were left safe, and knew we had done a deed which would
he told and sung till other tales of victory blotted out its remembrance
if they might.

Then Ealhstan bade us sit down, for our horsemen were between us and the
foe, and thereon he raised his voice, and with one accord his lay
brethren and his own housecarles joined in singing a psalm of victory.
And it was just at the matin time--yet that psalm ended not as it was
wont, for ere the last verses were sung, it was drowned in a great and
thundering war song of Wessex, old as the days of Ceawlin or beyond him.
And if I mistake not, in that song bishop and lay brethren joined,
leaving the chant for their own native and well-loved tongue, else would
they have been the only men of all the host unstirred thereby and silent.

Now, from that war song came a strange thing. It caused two great Danes
to go berserk in their rage, and back they flew on us, their shields
cast aside, and their broad axes overhead, howling and foaming as they
came.

One of Osric's men tried to stop them. But he and his horse fell, for (I
say t