different lands he had raided with his father and brothers.

"Any man, seeing you in Danish arms and helm," he said, "might well
mistrust you. So you must needs take these, for you have far to
go."

Then, too, he pressed on me a heavy leathern bag, for he said truly
enough that I should need gold withal to buy a horse. And this I
took willingly, saying that it should be as a loan till he came to
Reedham.

"Nay," quoth he, "this is your share of booty; we surely gained
enough on yonder shores to bring you this much."

Then I was silent, for I was ashamed of those gains, and I did not
look into the bag, but bestowed it inside my mail shirt, for I
would not offend him. Then, when I was armed and ready, he gave me
many messages for his father, and thanks to mine. A ring, too, he
gave me for a sure token of his friendship to me; and so as the
ship crept, under oars only, up Bosham haven, we talked of the
hunting we would have together, when the leaves were fallen in our
forests; and that was pleasant to look forward to.

Now began frightened men to run to and fro on the haven's banks,
and then suddenly came the ringing of a bell from the low tower of
the church, and the Danes began to look to their arms, stringing
bows, and bringing up the pebble ballast for sling stones, in case
the landing should be resisted.

But when we came to a little wharf, the other ship being perhaps a