At the end of that time they entered a wood high up on the hillside.

There was a great clamour of voices round, and he judged that his conductors had met another party and that they were at the end of their journey.
The litters were now laid down and Edmund struggled to his feet.

Before him stood a tall and handsome man in the attire of a person of the upper class.

The old peasant was explaining to him the manner of their capture of the prisoners, and the reason why they had spared their lives.
"How is it," the noble asked when he had finished, turning to Edmund, "that you who are Danes and pagans, plunderers and murderers, claim to be Christians ?" Edmund did not understand the entire address, but he had already picked up a little Italian, which was not difficult for him from his acquaintance with French.
"We are not Danes," he said; "we are their enemies, I am a Saxon earl, and this my friend is a noble of Genoa." "A Saxon!" the Italian exclaimed in surprise; "one of the people of King Alfred, and this a Genoese noble! How is it that you are masquerading here as Danes ?" "I speak but a few words of Italian," Edmund said, "but my friend will tell you the whole story when he recovers.

I pray you to order aid to be given to him at once." Although still at a loss to understand how it had come about, the Count of Ugoli--for it was that noble himself--saw that his prisoner's statement must be a true one.