"I am in favour of fighting the Danes whenever we see them." "When there is a hope of success, Egbert, yes; but you know even the finest bull can be pulled down by a pack of dogs.

The Dragon is a splendid ship, and does credit alike to King Alfred's first advice, to the plans of the Italian shipbuilders, and to the workmanship and design of the shipwright of Exeter, and I hope she will long remain to be a scourge to the Danes at sea as they have been a scourge to the Saxons on shore; and it is because I hope she is going to do such good service to England that I would be careful of her.

You must remember, too, that many of the Danish galleys are far larger than those we had to do with to-day.

We are not going to gobble them all up as a pike swallows minnows." The Dragon had now anchored again, and four days elapsed before any Danish galleys were seen.

At the end of that time six large Danish war-ships were perceived in the distance.