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Ulf took Canute on board his own ship and brought him in safety to a Danish island, while leaving his men to aid those of Canute in their escape from the Swedes. Yet the king bore a grudge against the earl, and this was its cause. At one time Ulf ruled over Denmark as Canute's regent and made himself greatly beloved by the people from his just rule.
And to give Ulf one spear's length advantage in a hot scurry across country was never to come up with him again. "Thou art the man of men I long have hunted for!" Leif cried. "Let your ship rest for a season; or, better, let your longest-headed seaman captain it for a voyage, trading, and come thou with me. Far to the southward and westward lie rich timber lands.
I wanted to find out the kind of weather they had in these high altitudes in the Arctic regions. "Some of us will go with you," they replied; and added: "There are several trails leading to the Arctic Ocean. We can reach the sea by going to the Ofoden, the Ulf, the Lyngen, the Quananger, or the Alten fjords." I took my map out. After a conference it was agreed that we should go to the Ulf fjord.
The hood of the cloak was drawn over his head. Ulf raised himself to his knees and gazed after the figure. The man was walking more slowly than the others had done, for most of them had hurried along as if in haste to get their errands finished and to be in shelter again from the keen wind.
I did but point to my poor weapons. Besides, I have good legs. If I cannot fight, methinks I can run." "Out upon thee " "Nay, Haldor," said Ulf, interrupting the discussion, "thou art too hard on the lad. Can he run well?" "I'll answer for that," said Erling, laying his large hand on his brother's flaxen head. "I doubt if there is a fleeter foot in all the dale."
So it came to pass that nothing was wrought by that awful fighting, and both sides claimed victory, for our men deemed that they had won, and the Danes claimed it because they were not followed, and because Ulf the jarl had cut through our line. It was through this last that I lost Godwine as a companion.
Something rattled within the bone, and taking out a pretty stopper the Jarl let fall in his lap five slender, shining rods of steel, so beautifully round and smooth and glistening that he cried, "Well done, Ulf! When the year is ended I think none other will surpass this." And, indeed, in all the village round the vik there was not another such a set of knitting needles.
Wulf had bought a horse for the armourer, and when they started the latter took his place by Osgod's side, while Ulf was seated in one of the waggons. The king rode with Bishop Wulfstan, next to them rode the four thanes who had accompanied them through their journey, and next to these Wulf and Beorn came on together.
He had not been near the forge since he had begun the search, and was supposed to have gone down to stay with his family, who lived near Reading. He had hidden away his apprentice dress beneath some stones in a field half a mile from Westminster, and he presented himself in this at the forge in the morning. "You are back sooner than I expected, Ulf," Ulred said as he entered.
Ulf offered Godwin all sorts of rewards if he would leave his herd and conduct him to a place of safety. Godwin said that the attempt, were he to make it, would endanger his own life without saving that of the fugitive. The country, he said, was all in arms.
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