Swiftly I rode on, for my horse was a good one and fresh, and at last, after many miles were passed, I came to a place where I could see a long stretch of road before me.  There rode the king on his white horse, and with him those four thanes.  I could not mistake that party, and I thought I knew where they were going.  The king would warn my people himself, and so take refuge beyond Hoxne, on the other side of the river, at South Elmham, with Bishop Humbert.

I rode after, but I gained little on them; nor did I care much, for the king would do all that I might.  In a few minutes more I should know if he crossed Hoxne bridge, and if he did so they were safe.

I lost sight of the party as they came into a wood, and there my horse stumbled.  He had lost a shoe.  That was little to me now, but it kept me back; and now I heard the quick gallop of horses behind me, and looked to see who came, for I thought that more fugitives followed, most likely.  I had heard the sound coming on the wind more than once before as I rode on the wayside grass.

They were Danes.  Twelve of them there were, and foremost of all rode Ingvar on his black horse.  Well for the king that they had no change of steeds, but had ridden hotfoot after him from the battlefield.  Now their horses were failing them, but they would take me, and delay would give the king another chance; and I was half-minded to stay and fight.  Then I thought of Hoxne, and I put spurs to my horse and rode on again.

Now I came in sight of Hoxne bridge, and half feared that I should see the bridal train passing over; but many men were even now leaving the bridge, going towards the church, and I knew that they were there.  But of Eadmund and his thanes I saw nothing—­only a lame white horse, that I thought like his, grazed quietly in a field by the roadside, so that for a moment my eyes went to it, thinking to see king and thanes there.

Ingvar was not a mile behind me, and I spurred on.  And now I won to the turning that leads to the thane’s house whence the company had passed, and a few villagers stood at the road corner.  Them I asked how long it was since the bride had gone, and they stared at me in stupid wonder, making no answer.  Then I bade them fly, for the Danes were coming; and at that they laughed, looking at one another slyly, proud of their own fancied wisdom.  So I left them and rode on.

Even as I came to the hill down to the bridge my horse stumbled and almost fell, and when I gathered him up, not losing my seat, I knew he was beaten.  And now I halted for good, unslinging my axe, and waiting to fight and hinder the Danes from going further, as yet.  It was all I could do.

Hand over hand they came up to me, and now Hoxne bells rang out in merry peals as the bride and bridegroom left the church.  The service was over, and unless our king had warned them, they would be coming back over the bridge in a few minutes.  Yet, if he had warned them, surely the bells had not pealed out thus.