Eldred placed in the pouch which hung at his side a bag containing a number of silver cubes cut from a long bar and roughly stamped.

The chest was then buried again in its place of concealment among the bushes near the hut, Edmund placed his bows and arrows in the boat--not that in which Edmund had fished, but the much larger and heavier craft which Eldred and Egbert had used--and then the party, with the hound, took their places in it.

The ealdorman and Egbert were provided with long poles, and with these they sent the little boat rapidly through the water.
After poling their way for some eight hours they reached the town of Norwich, to which the Danes had not yet penetrated; here, procuring what articles they needed, they proceeded on their journey to Croyland, making a great circuit to avoid the Danes at Thetford.

The country was for the most part covered with thick forests, where the wild boar and deer roamed undisturbed by man, and where many wolves still lurked, although the number in the country had been greatly diminished by the energetic measures which King Egbert had taken for the destruction of these beasts.

Their halting-places were for the most part at religious houses, which then served the purpose of inns for travellers, being freely opened to those whom necessity or pleasure might cause to journey.