that these men had learned of necessity in the yearly battle with
wind and wave in their ships. Nor had they ever to face a foe any
better ordered than themselves.

"Is the sheriff at hand?" I said breathlessly.

"Maybe. I hope not closely."

Down the street galloped a few more Danes, looking behind them as
they rode. They spoke to Thorleif, and he laughed, and then turned
their horses loose and leaped to their places in the ranks.
Thorleif dismounted also, and paced to and fro, as a waiting seaman
will, with his arms behind him.

And then came a rush of horsemen, and my cousin gripped my arm, and
cried out in a choked voice:

"Mercy!" he gasped, "is the man mad?"

The new horsemen were men of our own from Dorchester. I saw one or
two of Elfric's housecarls among them, and the rest were the
sheriff's own men, with a few franklins who had joined him on the
road.

At the head of the group rode Beaduheard himself, red and hot with
his ride, and plainly in a rage. His rough brown beard bristled
fiercely, and his hand griped the bridle so that the knuckles were
white. He had armed himself, and his men were armed also, but their
gear showed poorly beside the Danish harness. He had hardly more
than twenty men after him, and I thought he had outridden his