Wulfstan: "I may
not, because I know not: hereabout it is thin of dwellings; 't is a
five miles ere ye shall happen on a good homestead, Longryggs to wit:
here is nought but a little stead, fallen to be a cot, wherein dwell
none save two women, one old and one young. It is not like that the
thieves would have stayed for so little a thing. Farewell; if the
battle goes handily with us ye shall have tidings thereof tomorrow if
ye will come down hither; or a little lower down maybe, lest the
Dwarfs begrudge us."

And therewith he turned and went toward the place where they deemed
they should find the battle. As for the Eastdalers, they might tarry
no more in looking to their wounded folk; and a many were hurt so
grievously, that they had to be borne home in the four corners; of
whom was Stephen the Eater, and he lay long sick, but in the long
last, and it was a two months, was healed as well as ever he was. A
half score were sore hurt like to this; but of them who might carry
their grief home on their own legs were at least a score and six; but
thirteen were slain outright. And these it was deemed good, after due
thought taken, to lay them in earth in the field but a little way from
the Bight of the Cloven Knoll; and the place where they are laid, with
plenteous earth heaped over them, has ever since been called Shooters'
Knowe.

Chapter XXXIV. Osberne Sorrows for the Loss of Elfhild

Now some while before men were boun to depart to their own homes, the
sound of fresh battle was borne to them on the south-west; so, saving
those who must needs go tend the hurt on their way home, they might
not tear themselves away from that field of deed; and in special
Osberne, who had been busy enough in kenning the dead and wounded of
his folk while need was, came back to the verge of the Flood, where so
oft he had stood in love and joy, and stood there a long while, scarce
moving, with a shaft in his fingers and his bended bow in his fist,
his brows knit, his eyes staring out over the western field. It was
two hours after noon when the Westdalers turned to stir up the battle
again. And then was an hour ere the clamour of the fight came down
thither, and two hours yet it endured and was in all men's ears; and
then it died away, and the East men began to wander off from the
watching-place, wending this way and that, and the autumn day fell to
wane, and soon there were none left save Osberne and a half dozen of
the men of Wethermel