Wherever they went Edmund and Egbert brought by their news lamentation and woe to the households they entered, and at last Edmund said: "Egbert, let us enter no more houses until we reach the end of our journey; wherever we go we are messengers of evil, and turn houses of feasting into abodes of grief.

Every night we have the same sad story to tell, and have to witness the weeping and wailing of women.

A thousand times better were it to sleep among the woods, at any rate until we are among the West Saxons, where our news may cause indignation and rage at least, but where it will arouse a brave resolve to resist to the last instead of the hopelessness of despair." Egbert thoroughly agreed with the lad, and henceforth they entered no houses save to buy bread and mead.

Of meat they had plenty, for as they passed through the forests Wolf was always upon the alert, and several times found a wild boar in his lair, and kept him at bay until Edmund and Egbert ran up and with spears and swords slew him.

This supplied them amply with meat, and gave them indeed far more than they could eat, but they exchanged portions of the flesh for bread in the villages.