They had, however, no more to tell me than I had already learnt, beyond tales of horror brought by the fugitives of last night, which I will not write.
Those people had soon passed on, fearing, as each new group came up, that the enemy was on their heels.

They had doubtless scattered into the villages beyond.
So the time went idly, and the sun rose, while yet the tide fell and the ships lay beneath us.

Smoke, as of cooking fires, rose from their decks, and they were evidently in no hurry.

Nor need they be.

In those days we had no warships such as our wise king has made us since then, and none could harm them on the open water.
In an hour's time, however, there came a change over the sea.