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

Of A Single Man,  And He Wounded,  Against A Whole Ship's Crew

Is Madness. We Are No Sea-Wolves Who Slay For The Pleasure

Of Slaying,  But Are Saxons,  Who Fight For Our Country Against

The Oppressions And Rapine Of Your People. Little Right Have

They To Mercy Seeing They Show None; But Our Religion Enjoins

Us To Have Pity Even Upon Our Enemies. You Had Best

Ascend To Your Father And See To His Wounds,  None Will Harm

You Or Him."

The Girl With An Exclamation Of Thanks Sprang Up The

Ladder. Edmund Superintended The Searching Of The Ship.

She Contained A Great Store Of Valuables,  Which Were Speedily

Transferred To The Dragon. When This Had Been Done Edmund

Ascended To The Poop. The Jarl Was Sitting In A Great Chair

Placed There. Edmund Had Already Learnt From The Crew That

He Was Jarl Siegbert,  A Noted Leader Of The Northmen. His

Daughter Had Drawn Out The Arrows And Bandaged The

Wounds.

"Jarl Siegbert," Edmund Said As He Approached Him,  "You

Have Been A Bitter Enemy Of The Saxons,  And Small Mercy

Have You Shown To Those Who Have Fallen Into Your Hands,

But Learn Now That We Christian Saxons Take No Vengeance

On A Defenceless Foe. You Are Free To Pursue Your Voyage With

Your Daughter And Your Ship To Norway. Your Stores We Have

Made Free With,  Seeing That They Are All Plunder Taken From

The Saxons,  And We Do But Reclaim Our Own."

"And Who Are You,  Young Sir?" The Jarl Asked.

"I Am One Of King Alfred's Ealdormen Of Wessex,

Edmund By Name."

"I Have Heard Of You," The Dane Said,  "As One Who Has

Taught The Saxons New Tactics,  Fighting In A Close Body Which

Has More Than Once Pierced Our Lines And Caused Our Overthrow;

But You Are A Mere Lad."

"I Am Young," Edmund Replied,  "And Had It Not Been For

The Invasions And Oppressions Of Your Countrymen,  Might

Have Still Accounted Myself As Scarce A Man; But You Have

Made Warriors Of Every West Saxon Capable Of Bearing A

Sword. Remember,  Jarl,  That Your Life Has Been In Saxon Hands,

And That They Have Spared It,  So Come Not Hither To Our Shores

Again."

"I Purpose Not Doing So," The Northman Replied. "I Have

Seen Enough Of Stricken Fields,  And Was Returning To My Own

Country To Hang Up My Sword,  Content With The Fame I Have

Gained,  Until Woden Called Me To Join His Warriors And Feast

In His Halls. Since We May Not Meet There,  Young Saxon--For

They Say That You Christians Look To A Place Where Arms Will

Be Laid Aside And The Sound Of Feasting Be Unheard--I Will

Say Farewell. For Myself,  I Thank You Not For My Life,  For I

Would Rather Have Died As I Have Lived With My Sword In My

Hand; But For My Daughter's Sake I Thank You,  For She Is But

Young To Be Left Unprotected In The World."

A Few Minutes Later,  The Danish Vessel Continued On Her

Way,  And The Dragon Again Took Her Station On The Look-Out.

She Was Now Deep In The Water,  And After Picking Up One Or

Two More Small Prizes,  Edmund And Egbert Determined To

Return Home.

It Was Probable That The Danes Would Soon Take The Alarm

And Despatch A Fleet To Attack Them. Laden Down As The

Dragon Was,  Her Speed Under Oars Was Materially Affected,

And It Was Advisable To Stow Away Their Booty Before Proceeding

With Further Adventures. Her Head Was Turned South,

And She Coasted Down The Eastern Shores Of England Without

Adventure. Several Danish Vessels Were Seen Arriving At Or

Quitting The Coast,  But The Dragon Continued Her Course Without

Heeding Them,  And Rounding The Forelands,  Sailed Along

The South Coast And Made Her Way Up The Parrot.

Upon Inquiry They Learnt That No Event Of Any Importance

Had Taken Place During Their Absence. The Danes Were

Complete Masters Of The Country. King Alfred Was In Hiding,

None Knew Where. The Greater Portion Of The Danes Were At

Their Camp At Chippenham,  But Parties Roamed Here And There

Through The Land.

Dressed As Countrymen,  Edmund And Egbert Made Their

Way To Exeter,  And There Arranged With Some Traders For The

Purchase Of The Less Valuable Portion Of The Dragons Cargo.

This Consisted Of Rich Clothing,  Silks And Other Stuffs,  Wine,

Vestments,  And Altar Hangings From Churches,  Arms And

Armour,  Hides And Skins. The Prices Obtained Were Far Below

The Real Value Of The Articles,  For Money Was Scarce,  And None

Could Say When The Danes Might Again Swoop Down And Clear

Out The Contents Of The Warehouses. Nevertheless The Sum

Obtained Was A Large One For Those Days,  And This Did Not

Include The Value Of The Gold And Silver Goblets,  Salvers,  Vases,

And Utensils Used In The Celebration Of Religious Services.

Of These,  Spoiled From The Houses Of The Wealthy,  And

The Churches And Monasteries,  They Had Obtained A Considerable

Number. These Were Buried In The Wood Near The Lonely

Spot At Which The Dragon Was Moored,  The Rest Of The Cargo

Was Sent In Wagons--The More Valuable Portions Hidden Under

The Hides And Skins--To Exeter. The Amount Which Had Been

Obtained From The Cargo Was Divided As Agreed Before Starting:

Twenty-Five Shares Were Set Apart For The King,  Twenty-Five

Shares Were Divided Between The Two Leaders,  And Each

Soldier And Sailor Had One Share. All Were Well Satisfied With

The Success Of The Adventure,  And With The Damage Which

They Had Inflicted Upon The Danes.

Fortnight's Leave Was Given,  For The Men To Visit Their

Homes,  And The Money Which They Had Gained In Their Trip

Was Of Great Use To Their Friends In Enabling Them To Repair

The Damages Effected By The Danes. Not A Man Was Absent At

The Appointed Time,  And The Dragon Again Made Her Way Down

To The Sea.

It Was Midwinter Now,  And They Cruised Along The Southern

Coast Of England Without Perceiving A Single Hostile Sail.

They Lay For A Week Off The Mouth Of The Thames,  And Then

Saw Four Large Danish Vessels Making Their Way Down The River.

They Were All Vessels Of The Largest Size,  Strongly Built,  And

Full Of Men,  And The Saxons Judged Them To Be Too Strong To

Be Attacked In Company. The Northmen,  On Seeing The Golden

Dragon Flying At The Mast-Head Of The Saxon Ship,  At Once

Made Towards Her,  Keeping In A Close Body; But The Dragon

With Sails And Oars Easily Left Them Behind,  And The Danes

Giving Up The Pursuit Continued On Their Way.

The Dragon Fell Into Their Wake And Followed At A Distance,

Hoping That One Might Prove Slower Than The Others,

Or That They Might In The Night Get Separated. At Nightfall,

However,  The Danes Lit Cressets Of Tar And Hemp,  Which Enabled

Them Not Only To Keep Close Together,  But Sent Out A

Wide Circle Of Light,  So That They Could Perceive The Dragon

Should She Venture To Approach.

For Two Days And Nights The Dragon Followed Patiently.

"The Weather Is About To Change," Egbert Said On The

Third Morning. "Methinks That There Is A Storm Brewing,  And

If This Be So The Northmen May Well Get Separated,  And We

May Pick Up One Away From Her Fellows."

Darker And Darker Grew The Sky,  And The Wind Soon Blew

In Furious Gusts,  Raising A Sea So Heavy That The Saxons Were

Obliged To Lay In Their Oars. By Nightfall It Was Blowing A

Furious Gale. In The Gathering Darkness And The Flying Scud

The Ships Of The Danes Were Lost Sight Of; But This Was Of Little

Consequence Now,  For The Attention Of The Saxons Was Directed

To Their Own Safety.

For The Next Three Days Their Position Was One Of The

Greatest Danger. With Only A Rag Of Sail Set They Ran Before

The Gale From The South-West. Every Wave As It Overtook Them

Threatened The Destruction Of The Ship; But The Dragon,  Light

And Buoyant,  And Ably Handled,  Rode Safely Over The Waves.

On The Fourth Morning The Wind Was Still Blowing Fiercely,

Although Its Force Had In Some Degree Moderated. As The

Daylight Dawned Edmund And Egbert,  Who Had Hardly Left

The Poop Since The Storm Began,  Looked Anxiously Ahead.

"Surely,  Edmund,  I See A Dark Mass Ahead?" Egbert Exclaimed.

For A Minute Or Two Edmund Gazed Silently Ahead.

"It Is So,  Egbert," He Said; "It Is A Rocky Coast. Do You Not

See A White Fringe Below Where The Waves Strike Against It?"

As The Light Became Clearer The Imminence Of Their Peril

Grew More Distinct. A Lofty Iron-Bound Coast Rose In Front Of

Them,  And Extended As Far As The Eye Could Reach On Either

Hand. The Seas Broke With Terrible Force Against Its Base,

Sending Its Spray Far Up On The Cliffs.

"Could We Bring Her About?" Edmund Asked The Chief Of

The Sailors.

"It Would Be Useless," The Man Said. "She Could Not Make

Her Way In The Teeth Of This Gale."

"That I See," Edmund Said; "But At Present We Are Rushing

On To Destruction. If We Bring Her To The Wind We May

Run Some Distance Along The Coast Before We Are Driven Ashore,

And May Perceive Some Spot Towards Which We May Direct

Her With A Chance Of Making Land Ere She Goes To Pieces."

The Sail Was Still Further Lessened And The Ship's Head

Brought Round Parallel With The Coast.

The Dragon Laboured Tremendously As The Sea Struck Her

Full On The Beam,  And Every Wave Flooded Her Low Waist. Each

Sea Which Struck Her Lifted Her Bodily To Leeward,  And For

Every Foot She Sailed Forward She Was Driven One Towards The

Coast. This Was Now But Three Miles Distant,  And Another

Hour Would Ensure Her Destruction; For None There Hoped

That The Anchors,  Even Should They Find Bottom,  Could Hold

Her For An Instant In The Teeth Of The Gale. Every Eye Was

Directed Towards The Shore,  But No Break Could Be Seen In The

Wall Of Rock Which Rose Almost Perpendicularly From The Water.

"I Fear It Is Hopeless," Edmund Said To Egbert; "The Strongest

Swimmer Would Be Dashed To Pieces