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

That Rouen,  Which,  On The Previous Year Had Been Captured

And Sacked,  Would Even Attempt Another Resistance,  Which

Would Only Bring Massacre And Ruin Upon Its Inhabitants.

Paris Alone,  The Capital Of The Frankish Kings,  Seemed To

Offer A Refuge. The Deliberation Was A Short One,  And By The

Time The Men Had Taken Their Places At The Oars Their Leaders

Had Decided Upon Their Course.

The Anchor Ropes Were Cut,  For Not A Moment Was To Be

Lost,  The Leading Ships Of The Danes Being Already Less Than

Half A Mile Distant. The Tide Was Flowing,  And The Dragon

Swept Rapidly Up The River. Some Of The Danish Galleys

Followed For A While,  But Seeing That The Dragon Had The Speed

Of Them,  They Abandoned The Pursuit,  And At A More Easy

Stroke The Rowers Continued Their Work Until They Reached

Rouen. Here The Tide Failed Them,  And They Moored Against

The Bank Under The Walls.

Edmund And Egbert Went On Shore. They Found The

City In A State Of Wild Confusion. Saying That They Had

Important News,  And Must See The Governor,  They Were Led To

The Council-Chamber,  Where The Leading Men Of The Town Were

Assembled. After Stating Who He And His Companion Were,

Edmund Announced The Arrival Of A Great Danish Fleet At The

Mouth Of The River.

"Your News,  Sir,  Is Terrible For Our Poor Country," The

Governor Said,  "But To Us It Scarce Brings Any Additional

Horror,  Although It Will Probably Decide The Question Which We

Are Engaged In Discussing. We Have News Here That A Great

Danish Army Which Landed At Abbeville Is Marching

Hitherward,  And We Are Met To Discuss Whether The Town

Should Resist To The Last Or Should Open Its Gates At Their

Approach. This News You Bring Of The Arrival Of A Fresh Army Of

These Sea Robbers At Havre Renders Our Case Desperate. So

Fierce Is Their Attack That We Could Hardly Hope Successfully

To Resist The Approaching Army,  But Against It And This Fleet

You Tell Us Of Resistance Could Only Bring About Our Utter

Destruction. That,  At Least,  Is My Opinion,  The Other Members

Of The Council Must Speak For Themselves."

The Other Members,  Who Were The Principal Merchants

And Traders Of The Town,  Were Unanimously Of The Same

Opinion.

"Better," They Said,  "To Give Up All Our Worldly Goods To

The Northmen Than To Be Slaughtered Pitilessly With Our Wives

And Families."

"Such Being Your Decision," Edmund Said,  "My Kinsman

And Myself Will Proceed Up The River To Paris; Hitherto,  As We

Hear,  The Northmen Have Not Ventured To Attack That City,

And Should They Do So,  It Will Doubtless Resist To The Last."

Accordingly The Two Saxons Returned At Once To The

Dragon,  And As Soon As The Tide Turned Unmoored And Proceeded

Up The River. Three Days After Leaving Rouen They

Arrived In Sight Of Paris. The Capital Of The Franks Was But A

Small City,  And Was Built Entirely Upon The Island Situated Just

At The Confluence Of The Seine And Marne. It Was Surrounded

By A Strong And Lofty Wall.

On The Approach Of A Vessel Differing Entirely From Anything

They Had Before Seen The Citizens Flocked To The Walls.

The Golden Dragon Floating At The Mast-Head Showed Them

That The Vessel Did Not Belong To The Danes,  And Some Of The

More Experienced In These Matters Said At Once That She Must

Be A Saxon Ship. The Count Eudes,  Who Had Been Left By The

King In Command Of Paris,  Himself Came To The Walls Just As

The Dragon Came Abreast Of Them. Edmund Ordered The Rowers

To Pause At Their Work.

"Who Are You?" The Count Eudes Shouted. "Whence Do

You Come And With What Intent?"

"My Name Is Edmund. I Am An Ealdorman Of King Alfred

Of The Saxons. When At Sea Fighting The Northmen A Tempest

Blew Me Down Your Coast,  And I Took Refuge In The Port

Of Havre. Four Days Since At Daybreak A Vast Fleet Of Northmen

Entered The River. We Rowed Up To Rouen Hoping To Be Able

To Find Safe Shelter There; But The Citizens Being Aware That A

Great Army Of The Sea Robbers Was Marching Against Their

Town,  And Being Further Intimidated By The News I Brought

Them,  Decided Upon Surrendering Without Resistance. Therefore

We Have Continued Our Journey Hither,  Being Assured That

Here At Least The Danish Wolves Would Not Have Their Way

Unopposed. We Have Fought Them Long In Our Native Land,  And

Wish For Nothing Better Than To Aid In The Efforts Of The Franks

Against Our Common Enemy."

"You Are Welcome,  Sir Earl," The Count Eudes Said,

"Though The News You Bring Us Is Bad Indeed. We Have Heard

How Valiantly The Thanes Of King Alfred Have Fought Against

The Invaders,  And Shall Be Glad Indeed Of Your Assistance

Should The Northmen,  As I Fear,  Come Hither."

So Saying The Count Ordered The Gates To Be Opened,

And The Dragon Having Been Moored Alongside,  Edmund And

Egbert With Their Crew Entered The Town,  Where The Leaders

Were Received With Great Honour By The Count. He Begged

Them To Become Guests At The Castle,  Where Quarters Were

Also Assigned To The Crew. A Banquet Was At Once Prepared,

At Which Many Of The Principal Citizens Were Present.

As Soon As The Demands Of Hunger Were Satisfied The

Count Made Further Inquiries As To The Size Of The Fleet Which

Had Entered The Seine,  And As To The Army Reported To Be

Marching Against Rouen.

"I Doubt Not," He Said,  When The Saxons Had Given Him

All The Particulars In Their Power,  "That It Is The Armament Of

Siegfroi Who Has Already Wrought Such Destruction. More

Than Once He Has Appeared Before Our Walls,  And Has Pillaged

And Ravaged The Whole Of The North Of France. The Last Time

He Was Here He Threatened To Return With A Force Which Would

Suffice To Raze Paris To The Ground,  And Doubtless He Is Coming

To Endeavour To Carry Out His Threat; But He Will Not Find

The Task An Easy One,  We Shall Resist Him To The Last; And Right

Glad Am I That I Shall Have The Assistance Of Two Of The Saxon

Thanes Who Have So Often Inflicted Heavy Defeats Upon These

Wolves Of The Sea. Your Vessel Is A Strange One,  And Differs

From Those That I Have Hitherto Seen,  Either Dane Or Saxon.

She Is A Sailing Ship,  And Yet Appears To Row Very Fast."

"She Is Built," Edmund Said,  "Partly Upon The Design Of

King Alfred Himself,  Which Were Made From Paintings He

Possessed Of The War Galleys Of Italy,  Which Country He Visited

In His Youth. They Were Carried Out By A Clever Shipwright Of

Exeter; And,  Indeed,  The Ship Sails As Well As She Rows,  And,  As

The Danes Have Discovered To Their Cost,  Is Able To Fight As

Well As She Can Sail And Row. Had We Been Fairly Out To Sea

Before The Danish Fleet Made Its Appearance We Could Have

Given A Good Account Of Ourselves,  But We Were Caught In A

Trap."

"I Fear That If The Northmen Surround The City Your Ship

Will Be Destroyed."

"I Was Thinking Of That," Edmund Said,  "And I Pray You

To Let Me Have Some Men Who Know The River Higher Up. There

Must Assuredly Be Low Shores Often Overflowed Where There

Are Wide Swamps Covered With Wood And Thickets,  Which The

Enemy Would Not Enter,  Seeing That No Booty Could Be Obtained

There. The Ship Was Built In Such A Spot,  And We Could

Cut A Narrow Gap From The River And Float Her Well In Among

The Trees So As To Be Hidden From The Sight Of Any Passing Up

The River In Galleys,  Closing Up The Cut Again So That None

Might Suspect Its Existence."

"That Could Be Done Easily Enough," The Count Said;

"There Are Plenty Of Spots Which Would Be Suitable,  For The

Banks Are For The Most Part Low And The Ground Around

Swampy And Wooded. To-Morrow I Will Tell Off A Strong Body

Of Men To Accompany You In Your Ship,  And Aid Your Crew In

Their Work."

Twenty Miles Up The Seine A Suitable Spot Was Found,

And The Crew Of The Dragon,  With The Hundred Men Whom The

Count Eudes Had Lent For The Purpose,  At Once Set About Their

Work. They Had But Little Trouble,  For A Spot Was Chosen Where

A Sluggish Stream,  Some Fifteen Feet Wide,  Drained The Water

From A Wide-Spreading Swamp Into The River. The Channel

Needed Widening But A Little To Allow Of The Dragon Entering,

And The Water Was Quite Deep Enough To Permit Her Being

Taken Some Three Hundred Yards Back From The River.

The Trees And Underwood Were Thick,  And Edmund Was

Assured That Even When Winter,  Which Was Now Approaching,

Stripped The Last Leaf From The Trees,  The Dragon Could Not Be

Seen From The River. Her Masts Were Lowered,  And Bundles Of

Brushwood Were Hung Along Her Side So As To Prevent The

Gleam Of Black Paint Being Discerned Through The Trees.

The Entrance To The Stream Was Filled Up To A Width Of

Three Or Four Feet,  And The New Work Turfed With Coarse Grass

Similar To That Which Grew Beside It. Bushes Were Planted

Close To The Water's Edge,  And Stakes Were Driven Down In The

Narrow Channel To Within A Few Inches Of The Surface Of The

Water.

Certain Now That No Danish Boats Would Be Likely To

Turn Aside From The River To Enter This Channel Into The Swamp,

The Party Embarked In Some Boats Which Had Been Towed Up

By The Dragon And Returned Down The River To Paris.

The Afternoon Before Starting All The Valuable Booty

Which Had Been Captured From The Danes Was Landed And

Placed In Security In The Castle,  And Upon His Return To Paris

Edmund Disposed Of This At Good Prices To The Traders Of The

City.

A Fortnight After They Had Returned To Paris The News

Was Brought In That A Vast Fleet Of Northmen Was Ascending

The River. The Next Morning It Was Close At Hand,  And The

Citizens Mounting The Walls Beheld With Consternation The

Approaching Armament. So Numerous Were The Ships That

They Completely Covered The River. The Fleet Consisted Of

Seven Hundred Sailing Ships,  And A Vastly Greater Number Of

Rowing Galleys And Boats. These Vessels Were Crowded With

Men,  And Their Fierce Aspect,  Their Glittering Arms,  And