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

Than He Separated Himself From The Danes,  And

Following The Sea-Shore,  Set Out On His Return To The

Dragon. The Tide Was Out,  And Although The Night Was Dark

He Had No Difficulty In Finding His Way Along The Shore,

Keeping Close To The Margin Of The Waves. When He Approached

The Headland He Was Forced To Take To The Land,  As The Waves

Beat Against The Foot Of The Rock. Guided By The Stars He

Made His Way Across The Cape And Came Down On To The Shore

Of The Bay.

A Light Was Burning On The Poop Of The Dragon,  And His

Hail Was At Once Answered. A Few Minutes Later A Boat Touched

The Shore Beside Him,  And He Was Soon On Board The Ship,

And At Once Held Council With Egbert And Siegbert,  To Whom

He Related All That Had Happened. He Learned From Them

That His Two Wounded Comrades Had Been Brought Down To

The Beach That Evening By The Country People,  And Had Told

Them How Narrow An Escape They Had Had Of Death At The

Hands Of The Enraged Peasants.

After A Discussion Of All The Different Plans Upon Which

They Might Act,  It Was Determined That The Attempt To Rescue

Freda Should Be Made At Once,  As They Considered It Certain

That Sweyn With A Large Portion Of His Band Would Set Out At

Daybreak To Take Vengeance Upon The Natives.

The Plan Decided Upon Was That They Should Proceed

Along The Shore,  And That If The Danish Galleys,  Being

Undermanned,  Did Not Put Out In Pursuit,  They Should Sail In

And Attack Them. The Danes Were Indeed Greatly Superior In

Force,  For They Had Counted The Ships,  The Smallest Of Which

Would Carry A Hundred Men. Still In The Absence Of A Portion

Of Their Crews,  And From The Effects Of Surprise,  They Thought

That Success Was Possible.

The Next Morning Sail Was Hoisted,  And The Dragon Made

Her Way Along The Coast. The Hour Was Later Than That At

Which She Had Shown Herself On The Previous Day. She Sailed

On Until Within Two Miles Of The Town,  And Then Suddenly

Turned Her Head Seaward,  As If She Had Only Then Perceived

The Danish Vessels. The Instant She Did So A Great Bustle Was

Observed Among Them. Many Boats Were Seen Pushing Off

From Shore Crowded With Men,  Oars Were Got Out,  And Sails

Loosed.

"From The Number Of Men Who Are Crowding On Board," Egbert Said,

"I Believe That Sweyn Cannot Have Started In Pursuit Of

The Natives; In That Case We Shall Have A Hard Fight Of It."

"So Much The Better," Siegbert Exclaimed. "I Should Consider

Our Task Was Half Accomplished If We Rescued Freda Without

Punishing Sweyn. Let Them Come," He Said,  Shaking His

Battle-Axe At The Galleys. "Though My Leg Is Stiff My Arms Are

Not,  As Sweyn Shall Learn If I Meet Him."

The Dragon's Oars Were Now Put Out And The Galley-Slaves

Began To Row,  The Saxons Concealing Themselves Behind The

Bulwarks. In A Few Minutes The Whole Of The Danish Galleys

Were Unmoored And Started In The Pursuit Of The Supposed

Italian Vessel. The Breeze Was Light,  But Somewhat Helped

The Dragon. Four Of The Northmen Vessels Were Large Ships

With Sails,  And These Speedily Fell Behind,  But The Others With

Their Oars Gained Slowly On The Dragon.

Edmund Saw With Satisfaction That The Two Galleys Of

Sweyn,  Which He At Once Recognized,  Were Somewhat Faster

Than Their Consorts,  And The Slaves Were Made To Row As Hard

As They Could In Order To Prolong The Chase As Much As Possible,

By Which Means Sweyn's Galleys Would Be The Further

Separated From The Others.

After The Pursuit Had Been Continued For Some Miles

Sweyn's Galleys Were But A Few Hundred Yards In The Rear,  And

Were Nearly A Quarter Of A Mile Ahead Of Those Of Their

Comrades,  Which Had Gained But Little Upon The Dragon Since The

Chase Began. Edmund Ordered The Men To Cease Rowing,  As

If Despairing Of Escape. The Genoese Took Their Station On

The Poop,  And As Sweyn's Galley Came Rushing Up They Shouted

To It That They Would Surrender If Promised Their Lives. The

Northmen Answered With A Shout Of Triumph And Derision,

And Dashed Alongside.

Sweyn's Own Galley Was Slightly In Advance Of The Others.

Edmund Ordered The Oars To Be Pulled In As The

Northmen Came Up,  So As To Allow Them To Come Alongside.

Not A Word Was Spoken On Board The Dragon Till The Danes,

Leaving Their Oars,  Swarmed Up The Side Headed By Sweyn

Himself. Then Edmund Gave A Shout,  The Saxons Leaped To

Their Feet,  And Raising Their Battle-Cry Fell Upon The

Astonished Danes.

Those Who Had Climbed Up Were Instantly Cut Down Or

Hurled Back Into Their Own Galley,  And The Saxons Leaping

Down,  A Tremendous Fight Ensued. Edmund With Siegbert

And Half His Crew Boarded The Dane Close To The Poop,  And So

Cut The Northmen Off From That Part Of The Vessel,  While Egbert

With The Rest Boarded Farther Forward. The Danes Would

Have Been Speedily Overpowered Had Not The Second Galley

Arrived Upon The Spot; And These,  Seeing The Combat Which

Was Raging,  At Once Leaped Upon Sweyn's Galley. With This

Accession Of Force,  Although Numbers Of The Danes Had Fallen

In The First Attack,  They Still Outnumbered The Saxons.

Sweyn,  Heading His Men,  Made A Desperate Effort To Drive

Back Edmund's Party. His Men,  However,  Fought Less Bravely

Than Usual. Their Astonishment At Finding The Ship Which

They Had Regarded As An Easy Prize Manned By Saxons Was

Overwhelming,  And The Sight Of Siegbert,  Whom Many Of Them

Knew,  In The Front Rank Of Their Enemies Added To Their

Confusion.

Sweyn Himself,  As He Recognized Edmund,  At Once Made

At Him,  And,  Wielding A Heavy Axe In His Left Hand,  Strove To

Cut Him Down; And Edmund,  Strong And Skilful As He Was,

Had Great Difficulty In Parrying The Blows Which The Northman

Rained Upon Him. The Combat,  However,  Was Decided By Siegbert,

Who Hurled His Javelin At Sweyn,  The Weapon Passing

Completely Through His Body.

Sweyn Fell On The Deck With A Crash.

The Northmen,  Dispirited At The Fall Of Their Leader,

Hesitated,  And As The Saxons Sprang Upon Them Turned And Fled

Into The Other Galley. The Door Of The Poop Opened And Freda

Flew Into Her Father's Arms.

"Quick,  Siegbert,  To The Dragon!"  Edmund Cried,

And Shouted Orders To His Men. "There Is Not A Moment To Be Lost.

The Other Galleys Are Just Upon Us!"

The Saxons Rushed Back To The Dragon; The Oars Were

Thrust Out Again,  And The Vessel Got Under Weigh Just As The

Other Danish Galleys Arrived On The Spot. While Some Of The

Saxons Poured Volleys Of Arrows And Javelins Into The

Northmen,  The Others At Edmund's Order Leaped Down And

Double-Banked The Oars. The Increase Of Power Was Soon

Manifest,  And The Dragon Began To Draw Away From The Danes.

Gradually Their Galleys Fell Back Out Of Bow-Shot,  And After

Continuing The Chase For Some Little Time Longer They Abandoned

It As Hopeless And Lay Upon Their Oars To Rest.

A Shout Of Triumph Rose From The Saxons,  And Then

Edmund,  Who Had Hitherto Been Fully Occupied With The Command

Of The Vessel,  Turned To Freda,  Who Was Still Standing

By Her Father.

"I Have Been A Long Time In Fulfilling My Promise,  Freda,"

He Said; "But As Your Father Will Tell You I Have Done My Best.

Thank God,  Who Has Given Me Success At Last!"

"I Never Doubted That You Would Come,  Edmund," She

Said,  "And The Knowledge Has Enabled Me To Stand Firm Against

Both The Entreaties And Threats Of Sweyn. How Can I Thank

You For All You Have Done For Me?"

"I Have Spoken To Your Father,  Freda; And He Has Promised Me

Your Hand If You,  Indeed,  Are Willing To Bestow It. I Promised

To Come For You If You Would Wait,  Nearly Five Years Ago,

And I Have Never Thought Of Any Other Woman."

"I Have Waited For You,  Edmund," She Said Simply,  "And

Would Never Have Wed Another Had You Not Come. You Are

My Hero,  And Methinks I Have Loved You Ever Since The Day

When You Boarded Our Ship Off The Mouth Of The Humber."

"Take Her,  Edmund," Siegbert Said; "You Have Nobly Won

Her,  And There Is No One To Whom I Could Be So Well Content

To Intrust Her. I Now Join Your Hands In Token Of Betrothal."

The Crew Of The Dragon,  Who Had Been Watching The Scene,

Raised A Shout Of Gladness As They Saw Siegbert Place

Freda's Hand In That Of Edmund. They Had Guessed That Their

Lord Must Have An Affection For This Danish Maiden In Whose

Pursuit They Had Come So Far,  And Were Delighted At The Happy

Issue Of The Expedition.

"I Trust,  Freda," Edmund Said To Her After A While,  "That

You Have Thought Of The Talk We Had About Religion,  And That

You Will Forsake The Barbarous Gods Of Your People And Become

A Christian,  As So Many Of Your People Have Done In

England,  And That You Will Be Wedded To Me Not In The Rude

Way Of The Danes,  But In A Christian Church."

"I Have Thought Much Of It," She Said,  "And Have Come To

Think That Your God Of Peace Must Be Better Than The Gods Of

War; But I Would Fain Know More Of Him Before I Desert The

Religion Of My Fathers."

"That Shall You," Edmund Said. "With Your Father's Permission

I Will Place You For A Short Time In A Convent In Rome,

And One Of The Saxon Monks Shall Teach You The Tenets Of Our

Faith. It Will Be But For A Short Time,  Dear; And While You Are

There We Will Try And Capture Some Of Hasting's Galleys,  Filled

With Plunder,  For My Men Have Come Far,  And I Would Fain

That They Returned With An Ample Booty."

Freda And Siegbert Agreed To The Plan,  And The Latter

Said,  "I Too Will Tarry In Rome While You Are Away,  Edmund. I

Could Fight Against Sweyn,  For It Was In A Private Quarrel,  But

I Cannot War Against My Countrymen. I Too Will Talk With

Your Saxon Monks,  And Hear About This New Religion Of Yours,

For I Think That As I Have No Others To Love Or Care For I Shall

Return To England With You,  And,  If You Will Have Me,  Take Up

My Abode In Your English Home So As To Be Near You And My

Daughter."

The Dragon Returned To Rome. There Edmund Procured

Lodgings For Siegbert And Freda,  And The Saxon Monks Gladly

Arranged To Visit Them And Instruct Them In The Doctrines Of

Christianity. The Dragon Sailed Again For The Coast Of Sicily

And Was Absent A Month,  During Which Time She Captured A