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This he did by accustoming Englishmen to the sight of strangers not national kinsmen like Cnut's Danes, but Frenchmen, men of utterly alien speech and manners enjoying every available place of honour or profit in the country. The great national reaction under Godwine and Harold made England once more England for a few years.

But the words of Streone prevailed as ever, and the council broke up, and the nobles fell to feasting, while this foolish message was sent to Swein's veterans in their towns. Then Sigeferth and Morcar made no secret of their belief that Streone was playing into Cnut's hands for reasons of his own.

There was a mist from the river, and one might think that one saw many things moving therein. And I know not that I saw anything more than mortal though maybe I did until as we went to Cnut's dune, under which Egil's ship lay, and we passed that place where the left wing of our line had been driven back on the marsh.

Wessex is covered with nameless battlefields; but ere long half of Cnut's fleet was sent round to the Severn, and Ethelred, sick and despairing, came back to London with but a few men. It angers me even to think of what befell after that. Eadmund and Streone gathered each a good force, and came together within touch of Cnut.

But none knew better than Earl Ulfkytel that Olaf must not bide here longer. Now our scouts kept coming in with news of Cnut, and at last I could see by which road to fly with most chance of safety. I would go by Winchester and so to Southampton and there take ship with the queen. Cnut's fleet would be in the Thames ere long, if it barred not the mouth already. But Abbot Elfric had not come.

So we came up the Severn river to Berkeley, passing the endless lines of Danish ships that lay along the strand below Anst cliffs and Oldbury. Cnut's ship guard held the ancient fort in force, men said. His men boarded us, but Wulfnoth's name was well known, and it was not Cnut's plan to make an enemy of him.

Olaf and the Kentish levies had fought and had been driven back, and now day by day we looked to see Cnut's armies before London, and also for the coming of Eadmund with his men. But neither came, for the Mercian levies would not fight unless the king himself headed them, and Cnut passed through Surrey into Wessex and none could withstand him. Aye, they fought him.

It was a poor watch enough though, I thought, if he knew the talk about Olaf and not the plans for sailing, which should surely have been told him first of all. "Maybe he minded him of some old plan of Cnut's that he heard when you were in Lindsey," I said, that being all that I could imagine. "That were enough to return to the mind of our king in his sickness, and trouble him."

Through the foresters and retainers who had at Cnut's shout of joy crowded up, Cuthbert made his way, shaking hands right and left with the men, among whom he was greatly loved, for they regarded him as being in a great degree the cause of their having been freed from outlawry, and restored to civil life again. The earl was really affected.

He recognized him at once as one of Cnut's party. "Where are the band?" he gasped. "Half a mile or so to the right," replied the man. Guided by the man, Cuthbert ran at full speed, till, panting and scarce able to speak, he arrived at the spot where Cnut's band were gathered.