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And when that was heard, we told the jarl of Alfred's wish to treat with Guthrum and the other chiefs through him. That Osmund would gladly do; indeed, he said that, in hopes of being thus useful, he had stayed so near at hand. So he and the thane talked long of the matter for Alfred had sent messages while I spoke with the lady, of Thora mostly.
And so she bade me fight bravely, speaking many noble and loving words to me, until I must go. Then I led her back to Osmund in his place among the rough huts within the wide circle of the camp ramparts, that now held but a few poor folk from the Parretside lands. "King Alfred makes some new move," I said to him, "and it is possible that we may not meet again.
What else?" "You hear," said the king to the Danes. "Is not the sentence just?" "It is what one might look for," Osmund answered, "but I will say this, that this is some new band of Danes, with whom we have nought to do." "What!" said Alfred coldly; "will you tell me that any Dane in the country did not know that I held hostages for the peace? Go to. "See to this matter, sheriff."
"I am only one," I said; "Kolgrim and Thord are in this also." Then Osmund took a heavy gold bracelet from his arm. "This is for Kolgrim, your comrade," he said, half doubtfully, "if I may give it him in remembrance of a brave deed well done. Will he be too proud to accept it?" "I may give it him, certainly," I said, taking the gift.
"I am quite willing to do that," replied Captain Rudstone. "I will not try your patience long it is a short story. My first meeting with Osmund Maiden was in Quebec, a few days after his arrival from England. There was a certain resemblance between us, and we took a fancy to each other; we decided to cast our fortunes together.
'A queen, indeed! I beg to inform you, Master Raymond, that I am a queen already, and I have reigned longer and more despotically than ever you will, I fancy. Pray, has the Queen of England any subjects more devoted to her than my Osmund and Dorimund and Phillimund and Sigismund and Armand, and twenty others, are to me?
This man was out daily, seeking news with the rest; and one day, just a week after we had come to Cannington, when the frost had bound everything fast again, he came home and sought his master. Heregar and I and Osmund sat together silently before the fire, and he looked from one to the other of us outlanders. "Speak out, Dudda," said Heregar, who knew his ways; "here are none but friends."
"None as yet; but I am not discouraged. From here I go southwest. I feel that I shall succeed in the end. I find that the factor is unable to help me, and it is no doubt needless to ask you " "Quite so," I interrupted. "Osmund Maiden is still an unfamiliar name to me." "Captain Rudstone knows the Canadas thoroughly," said Griffith Hawke. "Perhaps he has run across your man in the past."
"And elsewhere," said the jarl. "But it was ever fair fighting between us." "Else had you slain me when I was down," said Odda frankly, and with a smile coming into his face. "The score is even on that count," said Osmund, and with that, with one accord their hands met, and they laughed at each other. That was good to see, and ever should things be so between brave foes and honest.
"Ay, friends of ours sure enough; but are they the king's?" "Most truly so. Have you news of him?" "I have not; but I have heard some fenmen talking." Then Osmund rose up and went his way silently, as was his wont; and Dudda grinned at us. "He is a good Dane," he said; "now I can speak.
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