"Art quite sure?"
"Yes, and now I see men advancing from the shade of yonder thicket of beech."
"And I see them too; go and warn Tosti, Sexwulf, Ulf and Frithgift, and be sure that thou keepest out of the fen thyself."
"Only thou wilt bring father back home with thee?"
"By God's help, my child."
At this moment a numerous and warlike band of Normans emerged from the woods, in full view, and paused on the edge of the Swamp.
"Now they come forth to their doom. The Lord hath delivered them into our hands," said Haga.
Foremost amongst them the old man recognised his son Ordgar; his arms were bound, and a cord attached to the thongs which confined them, held by a man-at-arms.
We will transport ourselves to the other side of the Swamp.
Hugo sat there on his steed, in the full panoply of warlike pride, throbbing with the desire of vengeance, and with the hope of recovering his son--whom he was destined never to see again; for justice, although her pace may seem tardy, seldom fails to overtake evildoers, even in this world; and he who, as men thought, had slain others by fire, was destined to perish by the same avenging element.