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

Of Pigs Were Feeding Under The Trees Around It; The Door

Was Open,  And The Shrill Tones Of A Woman's Voice Raised In

Anger Could Be Heard As They Approached.

"You Are An Idle Loon,  And I Will No Longer Put Up With

Your Ways,  And You May Seek Another Mistress. You Are Worse

Than Useless Here. I Do But Ask You To Watch These Cakes While

I Go Over To Speak With My Neighbour,  And Inquire How She

And The Child Born Yestereven Are Getting On,  And You Go To

Sleep By The Fire And Suffer The Case To Burn.

"You Were Not Asleep,  You Say? Then So Much The Worse.

Where Were Your Eyes,  Then?  And Where Was Your Nose? Why,

I Smelt The Cakes A Hundred Yards Away,  And You Sitting Over

Them,  And As You Say Awake,  Neither Saw Them Burning Nor

Smelt Them! You Are Enough To Break An Honest Woman's

Heart With Your Mooning Ways. You Are Ready Enough To Eat

When The Meal-Time Comes,  But Are Too Lazy Even To Watch

The Food As It Cooks. I Tell You I Will Have No More Of You.

I Have Put Up With You Till I Am Verily Ashamed Of My Own

Patience; But This Is Too Much,  And You Must Go Your Way,  For

I Will Have No More Of You."

At This Moment Edmund And Egbert Appeared At The Door Of

The Hut. As He Had Expected From The Nature Of The

Colloquy Edmund Saw King Alfred Standing Contrite And

Ashamed Before The Angry Dame.

"My Beloved Sovereign!" He Cried,  Running In And Falling

On His Knees.

"My Trusted Edmund," Alfred Exclaimed Cordially,  "Right

Glad Am I To See You,  And You Too,  My Valiant Egbert; Truly I

Feared That The Good Ship Dragon Had Long Since Fallen Into

The Hands Of Our Enemy."

"The Dragon Lies Not Many Miles Hence,  Your Majesty,  In

The Hole In Which She Was Built,  By The River Parrot; She Has

Done Bravely And Has Brought Home A Rich Store Of Booty,  A

Large Share Of Which Has Been Hidden Away For Your Majesty,

And Can Be Brought Here In A Few Hours Should You Wish It."

"Verily I Am Glad To Hear It,  Edmund,  For I Have Long

Been Penniless; And I Have Great Need Of Something At Least

To Pay This Good Woman For All The Trouble She Has Been At

With Me,  And For Her Food Which My Carelessness Has Destroyed,

As You May Have Heard But Now."

Edmund And Egbert Joined In The King's Merry Laugh.

The Dame Looked A Picture Of Consternation And Fell Upon

Her Knees.

"Pardon Me,  Your Majesty," She Cried; "To Think That I

Have Ventured To Abuse Our Good King Alfred,  And Have Even

In Mine Anger Lifted My Hand Against Him!"

"And With Right Good-Will Too," The King Said Laughing.

"Never Fear,  Good Dame,  Your Tongue Has Been Rough But

Your Heart Has Been Kindly,  Or Never Would You Have Borne

So Long With So Shiftless A Serving-Man. But Leave Us Now,

I Pray Ye,  For I Have Much To Say To My Good Friends Here.

And Now,  Edmund,  What News Do You Bring? I Do Not Ask After

The Doings Of The Dragon,  For That No Doubt Is A Long Story

Which You Shall Tell Me Later,  But How Fares It With My Kingdom?

I Have Been In Correspondence With Several Of My Thanes,

Who Have From Time To Time Sent Me News Of What Passes Without.

From What They Say I Deem That The Time For Action Is At Last

Nigh At Hand. The People Are Everywhere Desperate At The

Oppression And Exactions Of The Danes,  And Are Ready To

Risk Everything To Free Themselves From So Terrible A Yoke.

I Fled Here And Gave Up The Strife Because The Saxons

Deemed Anything Better Than Further Resistance. Now That They

Have Found Out Their Error It Is Time To Be Stirring Again."

"That Is So," Edmund Said; "Egbert And I Have Found The

People Desperate At Their Slavery,  And Ready To Risk All Did A

Leader But Appear. My Own People Will All Take Up Arms The

Instant They Receive My Summons; They Have Before Now

Proved Their Valour,  And In My Crew Of The Dragon You Have A

Body Which Will,  I Warrant Me,  Pierce Through Any Danish

Line."

"This Tallies With What I Have Heard," Alfred Said,  "And

In The Spring I Will Again Raise My Banner; But In The Meantime

I Will Fortify This Place. There Are But Two Or Three Spots

Where Boats Can Penetrate Through The Morasses; Were Strong

Stockades And Banks Erected At Each Landing-Place We Might

Hold The Island In Case Of Defeat Against Any Number Of The

Enemy."

"That Shall Be Done," Edmund Said,  "And Quickly. I Have

A Messenger Here With Me,  And Others Waiting Outside The

Swamp,  And Can Send And Bring My Crew Of The Dragon Here

At Once."

"Let That Be One Man's Mission," The King Said; "The Others

I Will Send Off With Messages To The Thanes Of Somerset,

Who Are Only Awaiting My Summons To Take Up Arms. I Will

Bid Them Send Hither Strong Working Parties,  But To Make No

Show In Arms Until Easter,  At Which Time I Will Again Spread

The Golden Dragon To The Winds. The Treasure You Speak Of

Will Be Right Welcome,  For All Are So Impoverished By The Danes

That They Live But From Hand To Mouth,  And We Must At Least

Buy Provisions To Maintain The Parties Working Here. Arms,

Too,  Must Be Made,  For Although Many Have Hidden Their

Weapons,  The Danes Have Seized Vast Quantities,  Having Issued

An Order That Any Saxon Found With Arms Shall Be At

Once Put To Death. Money Will Be Needed To Set All The

Smithies To Work At The Manufacture Of Pikes And Swords. Hides

Must Be Bought For The Manufacture Of Shields. It Will Be Best

To Send Orders To The Ealdormen And Thanes To Send Hither

Privately The Smiths,  Armourers,  And Shield-Makers In The

Villages And Towns. They Cannot Work With The Danes Ever About,

But Must Set Up Smithies Here. They Must Bring Their Tools

And Such Iron As They Can Carry; What More Is Required We

Must Buy At The Large Towns And Bring Privately In Carts To

The Edge Of The Morass. The Utmost Silence And Secrecy Must

Be Observed,  That The Danes May Obtain No News Of Our

Preparations Until We Are Ready To Burst Out Upon Them."

A Fortnight Later Athelney Presented A Changed Appearance.

A Thousand Men Were Gathered There. Trees Had Been

Cut Down,  A Strong Fort Erected On The Highest Ground,  And

Formidable Works Constructed At Three Points Where Alone A

Landing Could Be Effected. The Smoke Rose From A Score Of

Great Mounds,  Where Charcoal-Burners Were Converting Timber

Into Fuel For The Forges. Fifty Smiths And Armourers Were

Working Vigorously At Forges In The Open Air,  Roofs Thatched

With Rushes And Supported By Poles Being Erected Over Them

To Keep The Rain And Snow From The Fires. A Score Of Boats

Were Threading The Mazes Of The Marshes Bringing Men And

Cattle To The Island. All Was Bustle And Activity,  Every Face

Shone With Renewed Hope. King Alfred Himself And His Thanes

Moved To And Fro Among The Workers Encouraging Them At

Their Labours.

Messengers Came And Went In Numbers,  And From All

Parts Of Wessex King Alfred Received News Of The Joy Which

His People Felt At The Tidings That He Was Again About To Raise

His Standard,  And Of The Readiness Of All To Obey His Summons.

So Well Was The Secret Kept That No Rumour Of The

Storm About To Burst Upon Them Reached The Danes. The

People,  Rejoicing And Eager As They Were,  Suffered No Evidence

Of Their Feelings To Be Apparent To Their Cruel Masters,

Who,  Believing The Saxons To Be Finally Crushed,  Were Lulled

Into A False Security. The King's Treasure Had Been Brought

From Its Hiding-Place To Athelney,  And Edmund And Egbert

Had Also Handed Over Their Own Share Of The Booty To The

King. The Golden Cups And Goblets He Had Refused To Take,

But Had Gladly Accepted The Silver.

Edmund And Egbert Had Left Athelney For A Few Days On

A Mission. The King Had Described To Them Minutely Where

He Had Hidden The Sacred Standard With The Golden Dragon.

It Was In The Hut Of A Charcoal-Burner In The Heart Of The

Forests Of Wiltshire. Upon Reaching The Hut,  And Showing To

The Man The King's Signet-Ring,  Which When Leaving The

Standard He Had Told Him Would Be The Signal That Any Who Might

Come For It Were Sent By Him,  The Man Produced The Standard

From The Thatch Of His Cottage,  In Which It Was Deeply

Buried,  And Hearing That It Was Again To Be Unfurled Called

His Two Stalwart Sons From Their Work And At Once Set Out

With Edmund And Egbert To Join The Army.

Easter Came And Went,  But The Preparations Were Not

Yet Completed. A Vast Supply Of Arms Was Needed,  And While

The Smiths Laboured At Their Work Edmund And Egbert Drilled

The Fighting Men Who Had Assembled,  In The Tactics Which

Had On A Small Scale Proved So Effective. The Wedge Shape

Was Retained,  And Edmund's Own Band Claimed The Honour

Of Forming The Apex,  But It Had Now Swollen Until It Contained

A Thousand Men,  And As It Moved In A Solid Body,  With Its

Thick Edge Of Spears Outward,  The King Felt Confident That It

Would Be Able To Break Through The Strongest Line Of The Danes.

From Morning Till Night Edmund And Egbert,  Assisted

By The Thanes Of Somerset Who Had Gathered There,  Drilled

The Men And Taught Them To Rally Rapidly From Scattered Order

Into Solid Formation. Unaccustomed To Regular Tactics

The Ease And Rapidity With Which These Movements Came To

Be Carried Out At The Notes Of Edmund's Bugle Seemed To All

To