Parrett River far
below any bridge, which he thought would not yet be watched by the
Welsh. There is a steep hill fort that covers this ford, but on it
were no fires as of an outpost yet. Then we were a matter of eight
miles from the great camp on the highest ridge of the Quantocks
which we had to take, and we had ridden five-and-twenty miles. I
was glad that we had to wait an hour or more for the fall of the
tide before we could cross, for we rode fast thus far.

So we dismounted and watched the slow fall of the water, and we
planned what we would do presently; until at last we splashed
through the muddy ford, and rode on through dense forest land until
the great camp rose above us, a full thousand feet skyward, and we
saw the glow of the watch fires of those who held it. It seemed
almost impossible to scale this hill as we looked on its slope in
the darkness, but we reached its foot where the hill is steepest,
and held on northward yet, until we came to where there is a long
steady rise up to the very gate of the earthworks.

Now there should have been an outpost halfway along this slope
toward the camp, for whatever tribe of the Britons made the
stronghold had not forgotten to raise a little fort for one. But we
were in luck, for this outpost was not held, and we rode past it,
and knew that there was every chance now of our fairly surprising
the camp. The first grey of dawn was coming when I passed the word
to the men to close up, and told them what we were to do.

"We charge through the earthworks, for there is no barrier across
the gate, and spread out across the camp with all the noise we can.
Follow a flight for no long distance beyond the earthworks, but
scatter the Welsh."

So we rode on steadily until we were but a bow shot from the
trench, and yet no alarm was raised, for the foe watched hardly at
all, deeming that no Saxon force would think of crossing where we
crossed the river, or of coming on them from the north at all.

Then Thorgils and I and Erpwald rode forward, and I gave the word
to charge, and up the long smooth slope we went at the gallop, with
a heavy thunder of hoofs on the firm turf of the ancient track. And
that thunder was the first sign that the Welsh knew of our coming.

I saw one come to the gateway and look, and then with a wild howl
throw himself into the outer ditch for safety, and the camp roared
with the alarm, and the dim white figures flocked to the rampart,
and through a st