"What more?"
"If you Saxons will stand by us, your kin, it may be worth your
while. Here have I ridden to tell you so."
Then I hurried him to the king, for this was a matter worth
hearing. Watchet was on Gerent's left flank, and a force there was
a gain to us indeed, if only by staying the force at Norton for a
day longer. We should have so much the more time in which to gather
the levies.
But, seeing that they were not yet gathered, it did not at first
seem possible to Ina that we could help to save the little town,
whose few men had beaten off today's attack, but would be surely
overwhelmed by numbers on the morrow if Gerent chose. But Thorgils
had not come hither without a plan in his head, and he set it
before the king plainly.
"Norton is on the southern end of the Quantocks, and Watchet is at
the northern end, as you know, King Ina. Between the two on the
hills is the great camp which any force can hold, but nought but a
great one can storm. If you will give me two hundred men, I will
have that camp by morning, and that will save Watchet, and maybe
hold back Gerent in such wise that he will not care to pass it
without retaking it. He will not know how few of us will be there,
and you will be able to choose your own ground for the fighting
while he bethinks him. There is but one road into Wessex across the
Quantocks, and we shall seem to menace that while we cover the way
to Watchet.
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