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

One Gateway In The Wall On The Land Side,  And This We Can

Block Up. We Need Not Fear An Attack From The Land,  For

Between The River And The Castle There Are Wide Swamps; So

That Unless They Row Up And Attack Us From The Water We Are

Safe."

"I Think That They Will Not Do That," Edmund Said,  "After

The Taste Which The Dragon Has Given Them Of Her Quality. At

Any Rate I Think We Are Safe Till The Storm Abates."

By This Time,  Running Rapidly Before The Wind,  The Dragon

Was Approaching The Great Roman Fort,  Whose Massive Walls

Struck Edmund With Astonishment. No One Was To Be Seen

Moving About In The Space Inclosed By Them. The Sail Was

Lowered And The Vessel Brought To The Bank. The Anchors

Were Taken Ashore And She Was Soon Solidly Moored. Then

The Crew Leapt On To The Land And Ascended The Bank To The

Great Level Inclosure.

The Walls Were,  As Egbert Had Said,  Intact--And Indeed,

Except On The Side Facing The River,  Remained Almost Unbroken

To The Present Day. An Hour's Labour Sufficed To Block

The Gateway,  Where A Pair Of Massive Doors Were In Position,

For The Place Had Been Defended By The Saxons Against The

Danes At Their First Landing On The Coast. A Few Men Were

Placed As Sentries On The Walls,  And,  Feeling Now Perfectly

Safe From Any Attack On The Land Side,  Edmund And His

Followers Returned On Board The Dragon For The Night.

The Night Passed Without Alarm. The Gale Continued

To Blow With Fury,  And Until It Abated Edmund Had

Little Fear That The Danes Would Venture Upon An Attack.

They Had Indeed No Reason For Haste. The Saxon Vessel

Was In Their Waters,  And Could Not Return So Long As The

Storm Continued To Blow From The East. The Next Day Parties

Of Danes Were Seen Making Their Way Across The Swampy

Country From The Direction Of Yarmouth.

As Soon,  However,  As These Approached Near Enough To

See The Saxons In Readiness On The Walls Of The Castle They

Retired At Once,  Knowing That The Place Could Be Captured By

Nothing Short Of A Prolonged And Desperate Siege. On The

Fourth Day The Storm Abated,  And The Saxons Prepared To Make

Their Way Seaward Again. The Wind Still Blew,  But Lightly,  From

The Same Quarter,  And The Sails Would Therefore Be Of No Use.

With Their Great Oar-Power They Were Confident That,  Once

Through The Danish Flotilla,  They Could Defy Pursuit.

Accordingly They Again Embarked,  And Loosing Their

Moorings Rowed Down Towards Yarmouth. They Had Chosen

A Time When The Tide Was Running In; For Although This Would

Hinder Their Progress It Would Equally Impede Their Pursuers,

While It Would Enable Them To Check Their Vessel In Time

Did They Find Any Unforeseen Obstacle In Their Way. They

Entered The River And Rowed Along Quietly Until They Neared

The Walls Of The Town. Here The River Was At Its Narrowest,

And They Saw The Danish Galleys Gathered Thickly In The Stream.

Edmund And Egbert Were On The Forecastle,  And Presently

Gave The Signal For The Men To Cease Rowing.

"It Is Just As I Expected," Egbert Said; "They Have Formed

A Boom Across The River Of Trunks Of Trees And Beams Lashed

Together. We Cannot Make Our Way Down Until That Obstacle

Is Removed. What Say You Edmund?"

"I Agree With You," Edmund Replied.

"We Had Best Keep Along Close To The Right Bank Until

Within A Short Distance Of The Boom; Then We Must Land The

Greater Part Of Our Men. These Must March Along The Bank

In Their Phalanx; The Others Must Keep The Boat Moving Close

Alongside,  And From The Forecastle They Will Be Able To Fire

Down Upon The Danes And Aid Those On Shore To Drive Them

Back And Make Their Way To The End Of The Boom. They Have

But To Cut The Lashings There And The Whole Will Swing Round.

But Now We See The Nature Of The Obstacle,  And What Is To Be

Done,  It Were Best To Wait Until The Tide Turns. In The First

Place,  Fewer Men Will Be Needed On Board The Ship,  As She

Will Advance By Herself Abreast Of The Men On Shore. In The

Second Place,  When The Lashing Is Cut The Boom Will Then

Swing Down The Stream,  Will Cause Confusion Among The Boats

Behind It,  And Will Open A Clear Space For Us To Make Our Way

Down."

Edmund Agreed,  A Light Anchor Was Dropped,  And The

Dragon Rode Quietly In The Stream. Great Animation Was Evident

Among The Danes,  Large Numbers Crossed The River,  And

A Strong Force Gathered At Either End Of The Boom And In

Boats Close Behind It,  To Prevent The Saxons From Attempting

To Cut The Lashings. There Was Little Uneasiness On Board The

Dragon,  The Saxons Were Confident Now Of The Power Of Their

Close Formation To Force Its Way Through Any Number Of The

Enemy,  And They Would Gain Such Assistance From The Fire

From The Lofty Forecastle That They Doubted Not That They

Should Be Able To Drive Back The Danes And Destroy The Boom.

In An Hour The Tide No Longer Rose. They Waited Till It Ran

Down With Full Force,  Then The Anchor Was Hauled Up,  And The

Dragon Rowed To The Bank.

Sixty Of The Fighting Men Headed By Egbert Leapt On

Shore. Edmund With The Remainder Took His Place On The

Forecastle. The Oars Next To The Bank Were Drawn In,  And

Some Of Those On The Outward Side Manned By The Sailors.

Then In Its Usual Order The Phalanx Moved Slowly Forward

While The Ship Floated Along Beside Them Close To The Bank.

The Danes With Loud Shouts Advanced To Meet Them,  And The

Arrows Soon Began To Fly Thickly. Covered By The Long Shields

Of The Front Rank The Saxons Moved Forward Steadily,  While,

As The Danes Approached,  The Archers On The Forecastle

Opened A Destructive Fire Upon Them.

The Confidence Of The Saxons Was Justified,  For The Combat

Was Never In Doubt. Although The Northmen Fought

Bravely They Were Unable To Withstand The Steady Advance Of

The Wedge Of Spears,  And Very Many Fell Beneath The Rain Of

Arrows From Above. Steadily The Wedge Made Its Way Until It

Reached The End Of The Boom. A Few Blows With Their Axes

Sufficed To Cut The Cables Which Fastened It In Its Place. As

Soon As This Was Done Edmund Gave A Shout,  And The Saxons

At Once Sprang On Board The Ship,  Which Before The Danes

Could Follow Them Was Steered Out Into The Stream.

As Egbert Had Foreseen,  The Boom As It Swung Round

Swept Before It A Number Of The Danish Boats,  And Imprisoned

Them Between It And The Shore. The Oars Were Soon

Run Out,  And While The Men On The Forecastle Continued Their

Fire At The Danish Boats,  The Others Seizing The Oars Swept The

Dragon Along The Stream. The Danes Strove Desperately To

Arrest Her Progress. Some Tried To Run Alongside And Board,

Others Dashed In Among The Oars And Impeded The Work Of

The Rowers,  While From The Walls Of The Town Showers Of Missiles

Were Poured Down Upon Her. But The Tide Was Gaining

Every Moment In Strength,  And Partly Drifting,  Partly Rowing,

The Dragon,  Like A Bull Attacked By A Pack Of Dogs,  Made Her

Way Down The River. Every Effort Of The Danes To Board Was

Defeated,  And Many Of Their Boats Sunk,  And At Last She Made

Her Way Into The Open Sea. There Her Sails Were Hoisted,  And

She Soon Left Her Pursuers Behind. Once At Sea Her Course

Was Again Turned North,  And Picking Up Some Prizes On The

Way She Took Up Her Station Off The Mouth Of The Humber.

Several Ships Were Captured As They Sailed Out From The

River. After The Spoil On Board Was Taken Out,  These,  Instead

Of Being Burnt,  As Had Always Been The Case Before,  Were

Allowed To Proceed On Their Way,  Since Had They Been Destroyed

The Crews Must Either Have Been Slain Or Landed. The First

Course Was Repugnant To Edmund,  The Second Could Not Be

Adopted,  Because They Would Have Carried The News To The

Danes,  That The Dragon Was Off The River And No More Ships

Would Have Put To Sea; And Indeed,  So Large Was The Number

Of Danish Vessels Always Up The Humber That A Fleet Could

Easily Have Been Equipped And Sent Out,  Before Which The

Dragon Must Have Taken Flight.

One Day A Large Sailing Ship Was Seen Coming Out. The

Dragon Remained With Lowered Sail Until She Had Passed; Then

Started In Pursuit,  And Speedily Came Up With The Danish

Vessel. Edmund Summoned Her To Surrender,  And Was Answered

By A Norseman Of Great Stature And Noble Appearance,  Who

From The Poop Hurled A Javelin,  Which Would Have Pierced

Edmund Had He Not Leapt Quickly Aside. A Few Other Darts

Were Thrown And Then The Dragon Ran Alongside The Enemy

And Boarded Her.

The Opposition Of The Northmen Was Speedily Beaten

Down,  But Their Leader Desperately Defended The Ladder Leading

To The Poop. He Was Struck By Two Arrows,  And Fell On

One Knee,  And Edmund Was About To Climb The Ladder When

The Door Of The Cabin In The Poop Opened,  And A Norse Maiden

Some Sixteen Years Old Sprang Out. Seeing Her Father Wounded

At The Top Of The Ladder And The Saxons Preparing To Ascend

It,  While Others Turned Their Bows Against The Wounded

Northman,  She Sprang Forward And Throwing Herself Upon

Her Knees Before Edmund Besought Him To Spare Her Father's

Life. Edmund Raised His Hand And The Bows Were Lowered.

"I Have No Wish To Slay Your Father,  Maiden," He Said Gently;

"We Slay Only Those Who Resist,  And Resistance On The Part