“Look them in the face? Do that at once--now--without losing a moment. Call them together and tell them all. If their hearts are staunch, you may do great things without the traitor earl. If their hearts fail them, you would have done nothing with them worthy of yourself, had you had Norway as well as Denmark at your back. At least, be true with them, as your only chance of keeping them true to you.” “Wise, wise wife,” said Hereward, and went out and called his band together, and told them every word, and all that had passed since he left Calais Straits. “And now I have deceived you, and entrapped you, and I have no right to be your captain more. He that will depart in peace, let him depart, before the Frenchmen close in on us on every side and swallow us up at one mouthful.” Not a man answered. “I say it again: He that will depart, let him depart.” They stood thoughtful. Ranald, the Monk of Ramsey, drove the White-Bear banner firm into the earth, tucked up his monk’s frock, and threw his long axe over his shoulder, as if preparing for action. Winter spoke at last. “If all go, there are two men here who stay, and fight by Hereward’s side as long as there is a Frenchman left on English soil; for they have sworn an oath to Heaven and to St. Peter, and that oath will they keep. What say you, Gwenoch, knighted with us at Peterborough?” Gwenoch stepped to Hereward’s side. “None shall go!” shouted a dozen voices. “With Hereward we will live and die. Let him lead us to Lincoln, to Stafford, where he will. We can save England for ourselves without the help of Danes.” “It is well for one at least of you, gentlemen, that you are in this pleasant mind,” quoth Ranald the monk. “Well for all of us, thou valiant purveyor of beef and beer.” “Well for one. For the first man that had turned to go, I would have brained him with this axe.” “And now, gallant gentlemen,” said Hereward, “we must take new counsel, as our old has failed. Whither shall we go? For stay here, eating up the country, we must not do.” “They say that Waltheof is in Lindsay, raising the landsfolk. Let us go and join him.” “We can, at least, find what he means to do. There can be no better counsel. Let us march. Only we must keep clear of Lincoln as yet. I hear that Gilbert has a strong garrison there, and we are not strong enough yet to force it.” So they rode north, and up the Roman road toward Lincoln, sending out spies as they went; and soon they had news of Waltheof,--news, too, that he was between them and Lincoln. “Then the sooner we are with him, the better, for he will find himself in trouble ere long, if old Gilbert gets news of him. So run your best, footmen, for forward we must get.” And as they came up the Roman road, they were aware of a great press of men in front of them, and hard fighting toward. Some of the English would have spurred forward at once. But Hereward held them back with loud reproaches.