Whereon William withdrew his forces to Brandon for a space, and Hereward, being minded to find out for himself what next was purposed against the island, followed him thither, with shorn hair and beard, and disguised as a travelling potter.  Anon he came to William’s palace with his good mare Swallow, bearing on her back a load of crockery.  At the palace he narrowly escaped recognition, being sent to the kitchen, where he got into a quarrel with the scullions.  In consequence of which he was haled before William himself, who quickly detected that he was other than he pretended.

“Look you,” said William, “you are no common churl—­you have fought too well for that; show me your arm.”

Hereward drew up his sleeve.

“Potters do not carry sword-scars like these, nor are they tattooed like English thanes.  Hold up thy head, man, and let me see thy throat.

“Aha! so I suspected.  There is fair ladies’ work there.  Is not this he who was said to be so like Hereward?  Very good.  Put him in ward till I come back from hunting, but do him no harm.  For were he Hereward himself, I should be right glad to see Hereward safe and sound; my man at last, and earl of all between Humber and the Fens.”  Whereupon Hereward was clapped into an outhouse, whence he escaped forthwith by the simple device of cutting off the head of the man sent to fetter him, and the good mare Swallow bore him back to Ely in safety.

A little later William came again to Ely and built a stronger bridge, but this the English destroyed by fire, with many of the French on it, setting the reeds aflame on the windward side of it.

Some other scheme must now be thought out, and the one that pleased William most was to send to the monks a proclamation that, unless they submitted within a week, all their lands and manors outside the island would be confiscated.  Furthermore, that if Hereward would submit he should have his lands in Bourne, and a free pardon for himself and all his comrades.

To which message Sir Ascelin and Ivo Taillebois, not being over desirous of having Hereward as a neighbour, saw fit to add a clause exempting Torfrida from the amnesty, but that she should be burnt on account of her abominable and notorious sorceries.

When the proclamation arrived, Hereward was away foraging.  He came back in hot haste when he heard of it, but not fast enough; for ere they were in sight of the minster tower they were aware of a horse galloping violently towards them through the dusk, and on its back were Torfrida and her daughter.  The monks had surrendered the island rather than lose their lands.

The French were already in Ely.

And now is Hereward to the greenwood gone, to be a bold outlaw, and the father of all outlaws, who held those forests for two hundred years from the Fens to the Scottish border, and with some four hundred men he ranged up the Bruneswald, dashing out to the war cry of “A Wake!  A Wake!” and laying waste with fire and sword; that is, such towns as were in the hands of Frenchmen.