"We cannot lose him.

If chance is, we will take him against his will.
Hinder us not." "That is well," said I."I will help you, for he is the hope of England." Maybe Ashingdon hilltop is full fifty acres in the more level summit, and we could not guard it all; so we waited on that edge nearest the Danes, the half circle that faces inland from the marshes towards the battle ground we had lost, and to Hockley from the river.

And presently the Danes began to come up the hill in even line, and we watched them drawing nearer in silence.
Then Eadmund bade our bowmen get to work; but the arrows were as nought against the long line that did but quicken its advance as they felt their sting here and there.
The Danes spread out along the hillside to surround us, and then when they had gained the summit they charged on us, and again we were hand to hand with them.
I suppose we fought so, without stirring from the place where we were, for half an hour.

Our circle thinned, but never broke, and Dane after Dane fell or drew back to let fresh men come forward, and as we might we also sent fresh men from our inner ranks to relieve those who had grown weary.

It was stern hand-to-hand fighting, and one knows how that will ever be--one of two men must go down or give way, and our men fell, but give way they would not.
I have said we were on the edge of the hilltop circle, and therefore the attack from the steep hill slope was weakest.