face, and while the men cheered around us he put his hand on my
shoulder and asked if I were hurt.

"I saw you fall, cousin," he said, "but I could not win to you. The
Danes pressed on to reach the man you had down."

"It was Egil," I said. "I am not hurt--are you touched?"

And he was not, but it was our good mail that had saved us both.
There would be work for the armourer by and by before we could wear
it again, for after Egil had fallen I had been beside the king, and
there was no lack of blows before the time had come when our charge
ended the matter. Only three of his six shield men and two of mine
were left.

But Prat was slain, and many another good warrior lay dead where
our line had been.

Now when I looked for Egil he was gone. The two spearmen lay where
I thought he had been, and I looked to find him slain also. So I
asked the men round me, and at last found one who had seen him
dragged up by the rush that bore us back. And so he had escaped.

"That is the chance of war," said Olaf, "but you could not have
slain him with honour."

"Nevertheless," said Ottar, "Redwald has a sure token there that he
overcame him," and he pointed to my sword.

"It is my father's sword," I said. "It has come back to me, even as
you said it would."

"They have not said too much of sword Foe's Bane," Ottar answered.
"For I have seen you use it--and I think that Hneitir is hardly
more handsome."

Now came that which is the most terrible part of a battle, even for
the victors, and that is the calling of the roll. And sad enough
were we when that was done, for the loss was heavy. Yet what the
loss was to the Danes I cannot say, for our men chased them till
there were no two left together to make a stand among those who had
not found safety in the woods that fringe the heath.

Then we bore back our wounded--and they were many--to Bures, and it
was noonday when we reached there. But there was no rest for Olaf
yet, for Colchester must be barred against the Danes.

He and I therefore took a hundred of our men, mounting them on the
freshest of the horses, and covered the nine miles between us and
the town as quickly as we might. Very fair the old place looked to
me as we crossed the Colne and saw the walls among the trees on the
steep hillside, and the houses nestling against it. The gates were
shut, and there was a strong guard along the ramparts on either
side, and we halted and summoned the townsfolk to surrender to
E