The two hosts stood, with the narrow water between
them, and glared on each other, silent now. And then the bowmen began to
get to work from either side, until the arrows were all gone.
Now Havelok called to the foe, and they were silent while he spoke to them.
"Is Alsi yet alive?" he said; "for if not, I have no war with his men.
If he is, let me speak with him."
None answered for a while, and the men looked at each other as if they
knew not if the man they were fighting for lived or not.
Then one came forward and said, "Alsi lives, and we have not done with
you yet. Get you back to your home beyond the sea!"
And then they charged us again; but the water was a better front for us
than it had been for them, and across it they could not win. We drove
them back once and twice; and again came a time when both sides were
wearied and must needs rest.
So it went on until night fell. We never stirred from that water's edge,
and the stream was choked with valiant English and hardy Danes; and yet
the attacks came with the shout of "Out! out!" and the answer from us of
"Havelok, ahoy!"
At last one who seemed a great chief came and cried a truce, for night
was falling; and he said that if Havelok would claim no advantage
therefrom, the men of Lindsey would get back from the field, and leave
it free for us to take our fallen.
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