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the good opinion of his countrymen, that will explain everything. 
The monarch 
‘Deserted at his utmost need 
By those his former bounty fed,” 
may well have felt his power collapse, and have seen no safety 
but in flight. 
And what do the valiant men of Wessex do? They fly beyond 
the sea, or submit tamely to the Danes! We hear of the King, 
indeed, in Somerset, as fighting and harassing with a sort of 
guerilla warfare the triumphant enemy ; but at the same time he 
must have been driven to great straits to have had to live on 
terms of equality with swineherds and to be set to turn their 
cakes on the fire. 
All of a sudden, but it is after six or eight months of depression, 
Alfred appears again at Egbright’stone and unfurls his flag. 
Then you hear of the men of Hampshire, Somerset and Wilts 
gathering round him overjoyed to receive their King amongst 
them again as one risen from the grave. Whatever of doubt or 
disaffection may have existed is now all removed, and he is 
surrounded by a loyal and determined band. 
It is no time for halting now. He must burst upon the Danes 
with the same suddenness as they had sprung upon Chippenham. 
And where are they? Why, on the edge of the Wiltshire Downs, 
at a point from whence the greater part of Wiltshire could be 
observed and held in subjection ; only some 15 miles in advance of 
Chippenham, where they may have left a garrison to support 
them by reinforcements, or cover their retreat into Mercia. 
Bratton Castle is their entrenched camp ; a strong position made 
ready to their hands by the ancient inhabitants of the land. 
Those who could not be so well retained in the area of the 
fortifications are in the valley below Luckam or Low Combe 
Bottom, where is still a field called “Danesley.” Here they 
would be sheltered by the sloping ridge of the hill, with a fine 
stream of water flowing beside their camp. Alfred has visited 
