I saw two or three men stand staring at Erling, who was in trouble with his charges, and then they went to his help.  And next I was aware that somewhat soft rubbed my sleeve, and I started and turned.  It was my own horse, who sought me in danger, and would tell me in his own way that he was there.  In that glance I noted that his eye was bright again, and in a minute or two he shook himself heartily.  Thereby I knew that there was no more of this terror to come, or he would have felt it yet.

“Thane,” I said, “see.  The skew-bald has not lost his senses like that beast.  Let us set Hilda on him.  The marshal will help to shift the saddle.”

But Hilda came to herself again, and tried to laugh, saying that there was never yet a horse of which she was afraid.  Nor would she hear of a change, for when her horse grew more quiet it was plain that its terror had passed away.  She took herself gently from my arm, and spoke bravely now.

“What was it?” she asked me while Sighard soothed the beast.

“Why,” answered Father Selred for me, “just what I was going to tell the paladin—­such an earthquake as I felt on a like day in Rome years ago.  But why it comes here in quiet England, where is no fiery mountain to disquiet the earth, I cannot say.”

“Father, it is the end of the world!” said a thrall, forgetting our presence in his terror.

“Not so, my son.  The thousand years of prophecy are not at an end yet; and there are more foretellings of Holy Writ yet to be fulfilled.  It is just the old earth shaking herself after a sleep.”

The man’s face cleared, and he shrank back with a low bow, frightened at his own boldness.  All seemed to have found their tongues again, and were telling how the matter had seemed to them without waiting to know whether they were listened to.

“No hurry,” said Sighard; “the king cannot keep up that pace, and anywise will have to wait the pack-horse train somewhere.  Let us see all well first.”

Maybe we waited for half an hour after that, for the ladies were sorely frightened.  We had the horses walked to and fro for a while, and presently they were themselves again.  And there came no more trembling of the ground, while the clouds grew blacker, and a short, sharp thunderstorm swept over us.  It was good to feel the cleared air again, and to smell the scent that rises after rain, and to hear the song of the birds break out around us.

Yet on every face was a fear that would not be put aside.  Men thought that the earthquake boded ill for the journey of the king and what might come thereof.

So when the rain had passed we rode away after the king, followed by the pack horses, and before noon caught him up.  He had heard then what had happened to set his steed beyond control, and his face was grave also.  Even he could not help fearing that the earthquake, coming at that moment as it did, might be sent as a token which he must hear though the dreams of his mother went for naught.