midnight
He and his men alone of all Norsemen in those days bore the cross on both helm and shield . Nor would Olaf have any unchristened man in all his host . Many a stout warrior did he turn away because he was not and would not be a Christian , for many Danes were yet heathen , and most Norway men . Some of the men who had gone out to see the Danish force came back soon after midnight , and they said that there would seem to be close on a thousand of them in all . After that we knew that a hard fight was before us , and the king bade us sleep and take what rest we might . Then , very early , came men to say that the Sudbury folk had come , and Olaf and I went down to the village to meet them . Close on two hundred men had come with Prat , the son of the sheriff of Sudbury , at their head , and they were not to be despised , for they were sturdy spearmen , and many had mail , though the most wore the stout leathern jerkin that will turn a sword cut well enough .