The Dragon And The Raven: Or The Days Of King Alfred(Fiscle Part-3) by G. A. Henty (e book reading free TXT) 📕

Galleys At A Distance. For Some Time The Combat Was Conducted

Entirely By The Archers On Both Sides,  The Danes Suffering

Much The Most Heavily,  As The Saxons Were Protected

By The Bulwarks,  While From Their Lofty Positions They Were

Enabled To Fire Down Into The Galleys.

At Last One Of The Danish Vessels Rowed Straight At The

Broadside Of The Dragon,  And Breaking Her Way Through The

Oars Her Bow Reached The Side. Then The Danes Strove To

Leap On Board,  But The Saxons Pursued The Tactics Which Had

Succeeded So Well On Land,  And Forming In A Close Mass Where

The Danish Vessel Touched The Dragon,  Opposed A Thick Hedge

Of Spears To Those Who Strove To Board Her.

The Danes Fought Desperately. Several Notable Leaders,

Hearing That A Great Saxon Ship Had Appeared On The Thames,

Had Come Down To Capture Her,  And Leading Their Followers,

Strove Desperately To Cut Their Way To The Deck Of The Dragon.

Taking Advantage Of The Strife,  The Other Galleys Repeated The

Maneuver Which Had Succeeded,  And Each In Turn Ran Their

Stem Through The Saxon Oars,  And Reached The Side Of The

Dragon. In This Position,  However,  They Had The Immense

Disadvantage That Only A Few Men At Once Could Strive To Board,

While The Saxons Were Able To Oppose All Their Strength At

These Four Points.

For A Time The Saxons Repulsed Every Effort,  But As The

Lashings Of The Oars Gave Way Under The Pressure Of The Danish

Ships,  These Drifted Alongside,  And They Were Thus Able To

Attack Along The Whole Length Of The Bulwarks Between The

Castles. The Saxons Were Now Hard Put To It,  But Their Superior

Height Still Enabled Them To Keep The Danes In Check.

All This Time The Five Vessels Had Been Drifting Down The

River Together. Presently,  When The Conflict Was Hottest,  The

Chief Of The Sailors Made His Way To Edmund.

"If We Get Up The Sails We May Be Able To Draw Out From

The Galleys."

"Do So," Edmund Said,  "And At Once,  For We Are Hardly

Pressed; They Are Four To One Against Us."

The Sailors At Once Sprang To The Halliards,  And Soon

The Great Sail Rose On The Mast. Almost Instantly The Dragon

Began To Glide Away From The Galleys. The Danes With Ropes

Endeavoured To Lash Themselves To Her Sides,  But These Were

Severed As Fast As Thrown,  And In Two Or Three Minutes The

Dragon Had Drawn Herself Clear Of Them. The Danes Betook

Themselves To Their Oars,  But Many Of These Had Been Broken

Between The Vessels,  And Rowing Their Utmost They Could Only

Just Keep Up With The Dragon,  For The Wind Was Blowing Freely.

Fully Half The Oars Of The Dragon Were Broken,  But The Rest

Were Soon Manned,  And She Then Rapidly Drew Away From

Her Pursuers.

"I Am Not Going To Run Further," Edmund Said. "Now

That We Have Once Shaken Them Off,  Let Us Turn And Meet

Them Again."

As The Vessel's Head Was Brought Up Into The Wind The

Danes Ceased Rowing. The Fate Which Had Befallen Their Two

Galleys At The Commencement Of The Fight Was Still Before

Them. They Had Lost Great Numbers Of Men In The Attempt To

Board From The Saxon Pikes And Arrows,  And Their Desire To

Renew The Fight Vanished When They Saw That The Saxons Were

Equally Ready. Therefore,  As The Dragon Approached Them,

They Sheered Off On Either Side Of Her And Rowed For The Mouth

Of The Medway.

The Saxons Did Not Pursue. They Had Lost Eight Men

Killed,  And Seventeen Wounded By The Danish Arrows,  And

Were Well Content To Be Quit Of Their Opponents,  Upon Whom

They Had Inflicted A Severe Blow,  As Each Of The Galleys Sunk

Had Contained Fully A Hundred And Fifty Men,  And Great Numbers

Of The Danes On Board The Other Ships Had Fallen.

They Now Left The Thames And Sailed To Sandwich. The

Town Had Been Shortly Before Burned By The Danes,  But These

Had Left,  And Some Of The Inhabitants Had Returned. Here

The Dragon Waited For A Week,  By The End Of Which Time The

Traces Of The Conflict Had Been Obliterated,  And New Oars

Made. Edmund Found No Difficulty In Filling Up The Vacancies

Caused In The Fight,  As Many Of The Young Saxons Were

Burning To Avenge The Sufferings Which The Danes Had Inflicted,

And Could Have Obtained Several Times The Number

He Required Had There Been Room For Them. He Was Therefore

Enabled To Pick Out Sturdy Fellows Accustomed To The

Sea. When The Dragon Again Set Sail Her Head Was Laid To The

Northward,  As Edmund Intended To Cruise Off East Anglia,

From Whose Shores Fleets Were Constantly Crossing And

Recrossing To Denmark.

They Picked Up Several Prizes At The Mouths Of The Eastern

Rivers,  Scarcely Having To Strike A Blow,  So Surprised Were

The Danes At The Appearances Of The Great Saxon Galley.

Whenever The Danes Surrendered Without Resistance Edmund

Gave Them Quarter And Landed Them In Small Boats On The

Shore; Their Ships,  After Being Emptied Of The Booty They

Contained,  Were Burned. When Off Yarmouth,  Where They Had

Captured Four Danish Vessels Sailing Out Unsuspicious Of Danger,

The Wind Veered Round To The North-East And Began To Blow

Very Strongly.

The Long Line Of Sandbanks Off The Coast Broke Somewhat

The Violence Of The Sea,  And The Dragon Rode All Night To

Her Anchors; But In The Morning The Wind Continued To Rise.

The Sea Became More And More Violent,  And The Anchors

Began To Drag. Edmund And Egbert,  After A Consultation,

Agreed That Their Only Chance Of Saving The Vessel Was To Enter

The River. The Tide Was Running In,  But The Sea Was So

Heavy On The Bar Of The River That The Efforts Of The Crew At

The Oars Barely Sufficed To Keep Her On Her Course. At Length,

However,  She Made Her Way Safely Between The Posts Which

Marked The Entrance,  And Rowing Up Until They Passed A Turn,

And Were Sheltered From The Force Of The Gale,  They Again

Anchored.

The Oars Were All Lashed Out Firmly To Keep Any Boats

From Approaching Her Sides. Bales Of Goods With Which Her

Hold Was Filled Were Brought On Deck,  And Piled High Along

The Bulwarks So As To Afford A Shelter From Missiles. Even As

They Entered The Harbour Numbers Of Danes Had Assembled

At The Point; For The Capture And Destruction Of Their Ships

Had Of Course Been Seen,  And The Crews Set Ashore Had Spread

The News That The Strange Vessel Was A Saxon. The Norfolk

Bank Being Somewhat Higher Than The Suffolk,  The Boat Was

Anchored Rather Nearer To The Latter,  As It Was From The Town

Of Yarmouth That An Attack Was Anticipated.

As Soon As The Anchors Were Let Go The Danes Began To

Fire Their Arrows; But So Powerful Was The Gale That The Greater

Part Of Them Were Swept Far Away. As The Day Went On The

Numbers Of Danes On The Bank Increased Largely,  And Vast

Numbers Of Arrows Were Discharged At The Dragon. The Crew

Kept Under Shelter,  And Although She Was Often Struck No

Damage Was Done.

In The Afternoon A Fleet Of Galleys Was Seen Coming Down

The River. The Danes Possessed A Large Number Of These Boats

At Yarmouth,  And In These They Navigated The Inland Waters

Far Into The Interior. The Wind Had Shifted Until It Was Blowing

Nearly Due East,  And Edmund And Egbert Had Agreed Upon

The Best Course To Be Pursued. In Case Of Attack They Could

Hardly Hope Finally To Beat Off The Assault Of A Large Fleet Of

Galleys,  And Would Besides Be Exposed To Attack By Boats Laden

With Combustibles. Therefore As Soon As The Galleys Were

Seen Approaching The Oars Were Unlashed,  The Great Sail

Hoisted,  And At Her Best Speed The Dragon Advanced Up The

River To Meet Her Foes. The Danes Gave A Shout Of Alarm As

The Vessel Advanced To Meet Them With The Water Surging In A

White Wave From Her Bows,  And The Greater Part Of Them Hurried

Towards One Bank Or The Other To Escape The Shock. Some,

Slower In Movement Or Stouter In Heart,  Awaited The Attack,

While From All A Storm Of Missiles Was Poured Upon The

Advancing Boat.

Heedless Of These She Continued Her Way. Her Sharp

Bow Crashed Right Through The Side Of The Danish Boats,  And

Having Destroyed Seven Of Them On Her Way She Passed Through

The Flotilla And Continued Her Course. The Dragon Waved

Triumphantly From Her Mast As She Passed Under The Walls Of

Yarmouth. These Were Crowded With Danes,  Who Vainly Showered

Arrows And Javelins As She Flew Past,  With The Fleets Of

Galleys Rowing In Her Wake. A Few Minutes And She Was Out

On The Broad Sheet Of Water Beyond. The Danish Galleys

Paused At The Entrance. In So Wild A Storm They Would Have

Had Difficulty In Keeping Their Boats Straight,  While The Great

Galley With Her Sails And Oars Would Be Able To Maneuver Freely,

And Could Strike And Run Them Down One By One.

"What Is That Pile Of Buildings On The Rising Knoll Of

Ground Some Three Miles Away?" Edmund Asked.

"It Is Bamborough Castle," Egbert Replied,  "A Roman

Stronghold Of Immense Strength."

"Let Us Run Up Thither," Edmund Said. "If,  As Is Likely

Enough,  It Is Unoccupied,  We Will Land There And Take

Possession. Are The Walls Complete?"

"Assuredly They Are," Egbert Said. "They Are Of Marvellous

Strength,  Such As We Cannot Build In Our Days. They Run

In A Great Semicircle From The Edge Of The Water Round The

Crest