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

And To Burn Rome. Having Obtained The Services Of A Man

Who Spoke Both The Italian And Frankish Tongues,  Edmund

Started Again. He First Went To Genoa,  As He Thought That The

People There Might Be Despatching Another Fleet Against The

Northmen In Which Case He Would Have Joined Himself To

Them. On His Arrival There He Was Well Entertained By The

Genoese When They Learned,  Through The Interpreter,  Who

They Were,  And That They Had Come From England As Enemies

Of The Danes.

Edmund And His Saxons Were Much Surprised At The

Splendour Of Genoa,  Which Immensely Surpassed Anything

They Had Hitherto Seen In The Magnificence Of Its Buildings,

The Dress And Appearance Of Its Inhabitants,  The Variety Of

The Goods Displayed By The Traders,  And The Wealth And Luxury

Which Distinguished It. It Was Indeed Their First Sight Of

Civilization,  And Edmund Felt How Vastly Behind Was Northern

Europe,  And Understood For The First Time Alfred's Extreme

Eagerness To Raise The Condition Of His People. On The Other

Hand,  The Genoese Were Surprised At The Dress And Appearance

Of The Saxons.

The Crew Of The Dragon Were Picked Men,  And Their

Strength And Stature,  The Width Of Their Shoulders,  And The

Muscles Of Their Arms,  And,  Above All,  Their Fair Hair And Blue

Eyes,  Greatly Astonished The Genoese. Edmund And His Companions

Might Have Remained In Genoa And Received Entertainment

And Hospitality From Its People For A Long Time; But

After A Stay Of A Day Or Two,  And Having Obtained The Various

Stores Necessary For Their Voyage,  Edmund Determined To

Proceed. Three Of The Young Genoese Nobles,  Fired By The

Story Which They Heard Of The Adventures Which The Dragon

Had Gone Through,  And Desirous Of Taking Part In Any Action

Which She Might Fight Against The Danes,  Begged Leave To

Accompany Them.

Edmund Gladly Acceded To The Request,  As Their Presence

Would Be Of Great Utility In Other Ports At Which The

Dragon Might Touch. At Genoa Edmund Procured Garments

For His Men Similar To Those Worn By The Italian Soldiers And

Sailors,  And Here He Sold To The Gold And Silversmiths A Large

Number Of Articles Of Value Which They Had Captured From

The Danes,  Or With Which The Count Eudes And The People Of

Paris Had Presented Them.

The Dragon Differed But Little In Appearance From The

Galleys Of The Genoese,  And Edmund Determined When He

Approached The Shores Where The Northmen Were Plundering

To Pass As A Genoese Ship,  For Should The News Come To

Sweyn's Ears That A Saxon Galley Was In The Mediterranean It

Might Put Him On His Guard,  As He Would Believe That She Was

Specially In Pursuit Of His Own Vessel.

On Arriving At The Mouth Of The Tiber The Dragon Ascended

The River And Anchored Under The Walls Of The Imperial City.

The Genoese Nobles Had Many Friends And Relations There,

And Edmund,  Egbert,  And Siegbert Were At Once Installed As

Guests In A Stately Palace.

The Pope,  Upon Hearing That The Strange Galley Which

Had Anchored In The River Was A Saxon,  Sent An Invitation To

Its Commander To Visit Him,  And Edmund And His Kinsman

Were Taken By Their Italian Friends To His Presence. The Pope

Received Them Most Graciously,  And After Inquiring After King

Alfred And The State Of Things In England,  Asked How It Was

That A Saxon Ship Had Made So Long A Voyage.

Edmund Explained That He Was In Search Of A Danish

Damsel Who Had Once Shown Him Great Kindness,  And Who

Had Been Carried Off From Her Father By One Of The Vikings Of

Hasting's Fleet. When He Said That They Had Taken Part In The

Defence Of Paris The Holy Father Told Him That He Now Recognized

His Name,  For That A Full Account Of The Siege Had Been

Sent To Him By One Of The Monks There,  And That He Had Spoken

Much Of The Valour Of A Saxon Captain And The Crew Of

His Galley,  To Whom Indeed Their Successful Resistance To The

Northmen Was In No Slight Degree Due.

"Would I Could Aid You,  My Son,  In Your Enterprise Against

These Northern Pirates. The Depredations Which They Are

Committing On The Shores Of Italy Are Terrible Indeed,  And We

Are Powerless To Resist Them; They Have Even Threatened To

Ascend The Tiber And Attack Rome,  And Though I Trust That

We Might Resist Their Attacks,  Yet Rather Than Such Misfortune

As A Siege Should Fall Upon My People I Have Paid A Large Sum

Of Money To The Leader Of The Northmen To Abstain From Coming

Hither; But I Know That The Greed Of These Pirates Does

But Increase With Their Gains,  And That Ere Long We May See

Their Pagan Banner Floated Before Our Walls. A Few Galleys I

Could Man And Place Under Your Orders,  But In Truth The

People Of This Town Are Not Skilled In Naval Fighting. I Have

Already Endeavoured To Unite The States Of Genoa,  Pisa,  And

Venice Against Them,  For It Is Only By Common Effort That We

Can Hope To Overwhelm These Wolves Of The Sea."

Edmund Expressed His Thanks To The Pope For His Offer,

But Said That He Would Rather Proceed With The Dragon Alone.

"She Is To The Full As Swift As The Northmen's Vessels," He

Said; "And Although I Would Right Gladly Join Any Great Fleet

Which Might Be Assembled For An Attack Upon Them,  I Would

Rather Proceed Alone Than With A Few Other Ships. Not Being

Strong Enough To Attack Their Whole Armament I Must Depend

Upon Stratagem To Capture The Galley Of Which I Am

Specially In Pursuit,  And Will With Your Permission Set Out As

Soon As I Have Transformed My Ship So That She Will Pass Muster

As A Galley Of Genoa Or Venice."

The Holy Father Gave Orders That Every Assistance Should

Be Afforded To Edmund To Carry Out His Designs,  And The Next

Morning A Large Number Of Artisans And Workmen Took Possession

Of The Dragon. She Was Painted From Stem To Stern

With Bright Colours. Carved Wood-Work Was Added To Her

Forecastle And Poop,  And A Great Deal Of Gilding Overlaid Upon

Her. The Shape Of Her Bow Was Altered,  And So Transformed

Was She That None Would Have Known Her For The Vessel Which

Had Entered The Tiber,  And She Would Have Passed Without

Observation As A Galley Of Genoa.

A Number Of Prisoners Accustomed To Row In The State

Galleys Were Placed On Board To Work The Oars,  Thus Leaving

The Whole Of The Crew Available For Fighting Purposes,  And A

State Officer Was Put In Command Of These Galley-Slaves. The

Ship Was Well Stored With Provisions,  And After A Farewell

Interview With The Pope,  Edmund And His Companions Returned

On Board Ship,  And The Dragon Took Her Way Down The River.

The Fleet Of The Northmen Was At Palermo,  And Keeping

Under The Land,  The Saxon Ship Sailed Down The Coast Of

Calabria,  And At Night Crossed Near The Mouth Of The Straits

To The Shore Of Sicily. They Entered A Quiet Bay,  And Edmund

Dressed As A Dane,  With The Two Northmen Who Had Accompanied

Him From Paris,  Landed And Journeyed On Foot To Palermo.

Everywhere They Came Upon Scenes Similar To Those With

Which They Were Familiar In France. Villages Burned And

Destroyed,  Houses Deserted,  Orchards And Crops Wasted,  And

A Country Destitute Of Inhabitants,  All Having Fled To The

Mountains To Escape The Invader. They Did Not Meet With A Single

Person Upon Their Journey. When They Approached Palermo

They Waited Until Nightfall,  And Then Boldly Entered The Town.

Here The Most Intense State Of Misery Prevailed. Many Of The

Inhabitants Had Fled Before The Arrival Of The Danes,  But Those

Who Remained Were Kept In A State Of Cruel Subjection By Their

Conquerors,  Who Brutally Oppressed And Ill-Used Them,  Making

Free With All Their Possessions And Treating Them As Slaves.

The Danes Entered Into Conversation With Some Of Their

Countrymen,  And Professing To Have That Evening But Newly

Arrived From Home,  Learned Much Of The Disposition Of The

Fleet Of The Northmen. They Pretended That They Were Desirous

Of Joining The Galleys Under The Command Of Sweyn,  And

Were Told That These Had Arrived Three Weeks Before,  And Were

Now Absent With Some Others On The Southern Side Of The

Island.

Having Obtained This Information,  Edmund And His Companions

Started Without Delay To Rejoin The Dragon. Upon

Reaching Her She At Once Put To Sea. Palermo Was Passed In

The Night,  And The Vessel Held Her Way Down The Western Coast

Of Sicily. She Was Now Under Sail Alone,  And Each Night Lay

Up At Anchor In Order That She Might Not Pass The Danish

Galleys Unobserved. On The Third Day After Passing Palermo,

Several Galleys Were Seen Riding Off A Small Port. The Wind

Was Very Light,  And After A Consultation With His Friends

Edmund Determined To Simulate Flight So As To Tempt The

Danes To Pursue,  For With So Light A Breeze Their Smaller

Galleys Would Row Faster Than The Dragon; Besides,  It Was

Possible That Sweyn Might Be On Shore.

It Was Early Morning When The Danish Galleys Were Seen,

And Apparently The Crews Were Still Asleep,  For No Movement

On Board Was Visible,  And The Dragon Sailed Back Round A

Projecting Point Of Land And Then Cast Anchor. It Was So

Important To Learn Whether Sweyn Was With Freda On Board His

Ship,  Or Whether,  As Was Likely,  He Had Established Himself On

Shore,  That It Was Decided It Would Be Better To Send The Two

Danes To Reconnoitre Before Determining What Plan Should

Be Adopted.