t was the King they were seeking. Where
was he? They cared for nothing but to find him and wreak their revenge.

The shouts came nearer . . . the tramp of feet . . . the clang and
scrape of spears against the wall. Nearer, nearer, until the chapel door
burst open and a crowd of cruel faces peered in. Then a wild oath rang
through the quiet of the chapel. They had found the King! Rushing in,
they seized him and dragged him out.

_"Faithful unto Death."_

In a field beyond the town the Danes tied St. Edmund to a tree. They
were determined to have a full revenge. With long whips they began to
scourge his naked body. Each lash was like the touch of a red-hot iron,
and left a long, bleeding wound in the bare flesh. But St. Edmund only
rejoiced that, at last, he could share truly what Christ had suffered
from the Roman soldiers. No cry escaped him, except now and then the
name of Jesus.

Then, throwing down their whips, the Danes took up their bows. The
arrows fell thickly round St. Edmund, piercing him in every part, until,
as the old book says, he was as covered with arrows as a porcupine with
quills.

Inguar, the Danish Prince, looked on with a horrible smile of cruel
enjoyment. Hearing the Holy Name break like a sob from the mouth of the
martyr, he began to taunt him, telling him to give up his faith in
Christ, since it had only brought him to this. But St. Edmund was
"faithful unto death." Soon, soon he would receive the "crown of life,"
the welcome of the King of kings.

Seeing that nothing could make St. Edmund cry for mercy or give up his
faith in God, Inguar drew his long sword, and, with a hoarse laugh of
triumph, cut the martyr's head from his body.

Free and glorious the soul of King Edmund rose from his bloodstained
body into the sunlight of heaven.

* * * * *

St. Edmund had not sacrificed himself in vain. The Danes, so greatly
weakened by the bloody battles they had fought, gave up the idea of
ruling East Anglia, and sailed away to their country, leaving St.
Edmund's people in peace, and free to practise the Christian Faith.

THE FIFTH DAY (SUNDAY)

Everyone dressed quickly and quietly, found his Prayer-Book somewhere in
the far depths of his kit-bag, and ran down to sit on the sea wall and
wait for Akela and the last Cub or two (the ones whose boots had got
lost, or who were so fussy about parting their hair, etc., that dressing
took rather a long time).