There was a knot of captives in
its midst, among whom was the chief I had fought, wounded, indeed,
but not badly, and our men were eating the enemy's provender and
laughing. A fire of green brushwood and heather was sending a tall
pillar of smoke into the air to tell the watchers on the Poldens
and at Watchet that we had done what we came to do. But here we had
to stay till we heard from Ina that we were to join him, and for
Erpwald's sake and Elfrida's I was not sorry.
He had seen his first fight, and nearly found his end therein. I do
not know how I could have looked Elfrida in the face again had he
indeed risen no more from that medley. But I thought that he made
more than enough of my coming to his rescue. It was only a matter
of holding back a crowd till help came.
"All very well to put it in that way, comrade," said Thorgils; "but
where does my axe come in? You are not fair, for, by Thor's hammer,
Erpwald, both of you had been mincemeat but for that."
"Nay," said I, laughing; "you and I were those who held back the
crowd. I could not have done it alone."
"But you did, though," the Norseman answered at once.
"Nevertheless, it was as well that I happened up in good time."
Now we rode across the nearer hills until we could see into the
fair valley which men call Taunton Deane since those days, and we
saw the answering fires which told us that all was well at Watchet,
for we had saved the little town.
Pages:
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376