Then was fighting in Colchester for a while, but in the end, towards sunset, there was a sullen gathering of them enough, and many were wounded.
Then the king went and spoke to them.
"What think you that I will do to you ?" he asked.
"Even as we would do to you," one said.
"Hang me, maybe ?" said Olaf.
"Aye, what else ?" the man answered in a careless way, but looking more anxious than he would wish one to see.
"I do not hang good warriors," the king said.

"What would you do if I gave you life ?" "What bargain do you want to make ?" said the Dane.
"If I put you into a ship and let you go, will you promise to take a message for me to Cnut, and not to come back to England as foes ?" "If that is all, we will do it," the man answered, while his look grew less careful, and the other men assented readily enough with the fierce townsmen and their broad spears waiting around them.
"Go and tell Cnut, then, that Ethelred is king, and how you have fared.

That is all I bid you.

Are there any Norsemen among you ?" There were eight or ten among the six-score prisoners, and Olaf spoke aside with them.
"Go back to our own land and say what you have seen of the dealings of Olaf Haraldsson with those who fight bravely though against him.
And if when you hear that I have returned to Norway you come and mind me of today, I will give you a place among my own men." Then they said that they would fain serve him now; but he would not have that, and then they said that they would surely come to him if they heard that he was anywhere in their land.
There were two trading busses in the river, and into these vessels we put the Danes, giving them all they needed to take them back to Denmark, but leaving them no arms.

The townsfolk would have it that they would return and take revenge in spite of their promise, but Olaf told them that they must not fear so few men, but rather take care to be ready against the coming of more.
So the Danes sailed away down the river and to sea, and whether they kept their promise or not I cannot say.