“For ale and beef—­that is more like it,” said the Dane.  “Having found which we are going away again.  The sooner we find it the better, therefore, and maybe you will be glad to help us to what we seek.”

“Our folk tell me that you are helping yourselves somewhat freely already,” answered the thane.  “One may suppose that, like honest seamen, you mean to face the reckoning presently.”

“Oh ay, we always pay, if we are asked,” answered the chief; and as he said it he hitched his sword hilt forward into reach in a way which there was no mistaking.

“It is a new thing to us that seamen should hint that they will pay for what they need with the cold steel.  We are not such churls as to withhold what a man would seek in his need.”

“No man ever withholds aught from us, if so be we have set our minds on it,” said the chief, with a great laugh.

Then he turned to his men, who were all round us by this time, listening.

“Here, take these two down to the ships, and see that they escape not; they will be good hostages.”

In a moment, before we had time so much as to spur our horses, much less to draw sword, we were seized and pinioned by the men in spite of the rearing of the frightened steeds.  Plainly it was not the first time they had handled men in that wise.  Then, with a warrior on either side of us, we were hurried seaward; and I thought it best to hold my tongue, for there was not the least use in protesting.  So also thought my cousin, for he never said a word.

Along the rough wharves there was bustle and noise enough, for the place swarmed with the mailed seamen, who had littered the roadway with goods of all sorts from the houses and merchants’ stores, and were getting what they chose to take across the gang planks into their ships.  Here and there I saw some of our people standing helpless in doorways, or looking from the loft windows and stairways; but it was plain that the most of them had fled.  There were several boatloads of them crossing the bay with all speed for safety.

Next I saw that at the high stems and sterns of the ships stood posted men, who seemed to be on watch, leaning on their spears, and taking no part in the bustle.  But every man worked with his arms ready, and more men who had found horses rode out along the roads as we came in.  They were the pickets who would watch for the raising of the country, or who would drive in the cattle from the fields.

Twice I had seen border warfare with the west Welsh on the Devon side of our country, and so I knew what these horsemen were about, or rather guessed it.  But at the time all the affair was a confused medley to me, if I seem to see it plainly now as I look back.  Maybe I saw more from the ships presently, for we were hurried on board, handed over to the ship guard and there left, while our captors rode away again.

I only hoped that when the first messengers reached Beaduheard the sheriff he would bring force enough with him.  But I doubted it.