Page:The child's pictorial history of England; (IA childspictorialh00corn).pdf/70

 have been lost in the bogs, if they had ventured to approach.

28. But they had built a castle close by, at Cam Bridge, and they brought boats and tried to make causeways by which they might get into the camp of refuge; but the English would go out in bands at night and destroy all that their enemies had done, and kept constantly on the watch for straggling parties, who were often attacked unawares, and many of them killed, while the English could always retreat to their camp, where they were safe from pursuit.

29. At last the Normans established a blockade of boats round the island, and provisions began to get scarce within it; so two or three bad selfish men, who lived in the abbey, went to the Normans at Cam Bridge, and said, they would show them the way into the island, if they would promise not to meddle with the abbey.

30. These men led the Normans secretly into the island, and a terrible battle was fought, in which almost all the English were killed.

31. When Hereward saw it was useless to fight any longer, he made his escape, and went to his own castle of Bourn, in Lincolnshire; where I believe, he afterwards made peace with the king, and was allowed to keep his estate.