I cannot ask the men who have marched well-nigh night and day since
we left London, and borne the brunt of the day's battle, to do more.
England has need of their strength. The messenger was to stop at Helmsley,
and bid every soul left there to hurry to the field. It is but two miles
away, and in half an hour they will be here. The first thing for them to do
is to carry water to the wounded; there are no lack of vessels in the
Norsemen's camp."
"I will go to the bridge, my lord, and take them in charge when they
arrive, and set them at the work."
"You need rest as much as any, Wulf."
"I can rest to-morrow," Wulf said; "and at any rate could not sleep
to-night, for I must see to Osgod, who will, I fear, lose an arm."
"I am sorry to hear it," Harold said, "for one could ill spare so brave a
fellow. I saw the Norsemen going down under his axe, and assuredly no man
did more than he to-day."
"I will tell him what you say, my lord; it will do him good. I left him
sitting down on a bank bemoaning himself that he might not be cured in time
to fight the Normans."
Harold shook his head. "I would give half my estates, Wulf, that he should
be well enough to fight by your side in our first battle with the Normans.
That would mean that they would not land before two months have passed, and
by that time I would have all the force of England gathered to receive
them. As you are willing that it should be so, I will leave you in charge
of the camp to-night.
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