the rolling spheres. And his
care preserved Elfric for His Own wise ends, until the fight receded,
leaving its traces behind it, as when the tide of ocean recedes after a
storm and the beach is strewn with wreck--bodies of men, of horses,
mutilated, dismembered, dead or dying, disabled or desperately wounded.

Hours had passed, during which the sounds of the combat still maintained
at the entrenched camp came freshly on the ear, and then died away,
until the solemn night fell upon the scene, and the only sound which
smote the ear were faint, faint moans--cries of "Water! water!"
incessantly repeated from hundreds of feeble lips.

It was then that Elfric awoke from the insensibility which had resulted
from exhaustion and the stunning blow he had received in his fall. Every
limb seemed in pain, for the loss of blood had not left the vital powers
strength for the maintenance of the due circulation through the body,
and the cold night air chilled the frame. He did not at first comprehend
where he was, but as his senses returned he perceived all too well that
he was left for dead.

His first impulse was to see whether he had strength to arise. He raised
himself partially, first on one elbow, and then he strove to stand up,
but fell back feebly and helplessly, like an infant who first essays to
escape its mother's arms and to trust its feeble limbs.

Then he looked around him, thus raising his head, and gazed upon the sad
and shocking scene. Close by him, with the head cleft literally in two
by a battle-axe, lay a horseman, and his blood reddened all the ground
around Elfric's feet, and had deeply dyed the youth's lower garments; a
horse, his own, lay dead, the jugular vein cut through, with all the
surrounding muscles and sinews; hard by, a rider had fallen with such
impetus, that his helmet had fixed itself deeply in the ground, and the
body seemed as if it had quivered for the moment in the air; a dart had
transfixed another through belt and stomach, and he lay with the weapon
appearing on either side the body. Near these lay another, whose thigh
had been pierced to the great artery, and who had bled to death, as the
deadly paleness of the face showed; here and there one yet lived, as
faint moan and broken utterance testified; but Elfric could bear no
more, his head sank upon the ground, and he hid his face.

It was bright starlight, and the gleam of the heavenly host seemed to
mock the wounded youth as he thought of t