red, and we faced the Danes even yet.

They saw what was done, and roared, and charged on us; and we began
to retreat slowly, fighting all the way, up the long slope of land
towards the fort. But I saw Heregar's horse rear and fall, and the
banner went down, and I thought him slain in that attack.

Presently they let us go. We won ever to better ground, and they
had to fight uphill; and then we gained the fort, and there they
durst not come.

Then rode towards me a man in silver armour that was dinted and
hacked--shieldless, and with a notched sword in his hand. It was
Heregar.

"I thought you slain, friend," I said gladly.

"Would that I were! for my charge is lost; they have my banner," he
answered.

"That may be won back yet," I said. "But there is no shame to you;
we were outnumbered by more than two to one."

"I have borne it through ten battles," he said, and that was all;
but he put his face in his hands and groaned.

Now I looked out over the field we had left, and saw the Danes
scattering in many ways. Some were going in a long line up the
steep hill beyond which the village lay, and over this line swayed
and danced the lost banner. There was a crowd of our men from the
broken wings gathered there--drawn together by the king as he fled,
as I knew afterwards; and I think the Danes bore our banner with
them in order to deceive them. I knew that the lane was deep and
hollow up which they must go, and there were woods on either side.

Whereat I sprang up.

"Thane," I said, "here is a chance for us to win back the banner,
as I think."

He looked up sharply, and I pointed.

"Let us ride at once into the wood, and wait for them to pass us.
Then, if we dare, we can surely dash through them."

Kolgrim sat close to me, and our horses were tethered to a spear.
He rose up when he heard me speak, saying:

"Here is more madness. But trust to Ranald's luck, thane."

Then in a few more minutes we were riding our hardest towards the
wood. I heard Odda shout after us from the entrance to the fort as
we went, but we heeded him not.

We edged up to the deep lane through the trees until we were so
near that we could almost see into it. The banner was at the head
of the column, and there were no mounted men with it. Hubba had
brought no horses with him from across the sea.

Then we waited for a long minute, hearing the tramp of the coming
men, and their loud talk and laughter as they boasted of their
prize. T