Leof in these combats acted as judge, decided which side had gained
the victory, praised the skilful, and chided the careless and
sluggish. He gave lessons in the use of the sword and battle-axe
to Wulf and Osgod, sometimes pitting them against each other,
sometimes fighting himself against Wulf, and teaching Osgod how to
assist his master by covering him with his shield.
Sometimes he would order three or four of the men to shoot with
blunted arrows at Wulf, whom he taught to catch them on his shield
or to sever the shafts with a blow of his sword, while Osgod standing
by helped to cover him when two or three arrows flew at him together.
This was a daily exercise, and even after the month's regular work
was over some of the men came up every day to shoot, until Wulf had
attained such coolness and skill that he could in the great majority
of cases cut the shafts in two with his sword.
But the whole day was by no means given up to warlike exercises.
Wulf rode out with the steward inspecting the houses and farms,
learning what there was to be learned of the rude processes of
agriculture, investigating the complaints of the depredations
committed by errant herds of swine or by neighbours' cattle and
sheep, seeing what was required in the repairs of farmhouses, and
learning from Egbert to discriminate between those who were unable
to pay their dues owing to misfortune, illness, or murrain among
the animals, and those whose Josses were due to their own sloth or
carelessness.
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