"Right glad am I to see you again, Osgod; I have been troubled as
to how you were faring."
"In truth we have fared badly enough, master; we have been working
like beasts of burden, without having food that would suffice for
an ass. However, it was not for long, and will do us no harm, though
there are more than one of those fellows at St. Valery with whom I
would gladly have ten minutes play with cudgel or quarter-staff.
You may guess how surprised we were yesterday evening when we were
suddenly called out from the shed where we were sleeping, and with
many professions of regret and apology for our treatment conducted
to better quarters, where a good honest meal was set before us, and
we were then told that the duke himself had just arrived at Eu, and
that Harold and all his following were there to be given up to him.
We had fresh rushes for our beds, and a hearty breakfast this
morning, and were then placed in boats and taken up to Abbeville.
We had been there but an hour when the earl arrived with the thanes,
and glad were we, as you may imagine, to see his face again. They
stopped there for an hour to rest their steeds and to dine, and
then we marched hither as you saw. I had missed you and Beorn from
Harold's party, and made shift to approach the earl and humbly ask
him what had become of you. 'No harm has befallen your master and
his friend, good fellow,' the earl said. 'They have indeed done me
good service, for they made their escape from Beaurain and carried
the news of our detention to Duke William, and it is thus that we
have all obtained our liberty.
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