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

Character. Here And There Were Harpers With Groups Of

Listeners Gathered Round,  As They Sung The Exploits Of Their

Fathers,  And Animated Their Hearers To Fresh Fire And Energy By

Relating Legends Of The Cruelty Of The Merciless Danes. Other

Groups There Were Surrounding The Priests,  Who Were Appealing

To Their Religious Feelings As Well As To Their Patriotism.

Men Sat About Sharpening Their Weapons,  Fixing On More

Firmly The Handles Of Their Shields,  Adjusting Arrows To

Bowstrings,  And Preparing In Other Ways For The Coming Fight.

From Some Of The Fires,  Round Which The Marsh Men Were

Sitting,  Came Snatches Of Boisterous Song,  While Here And There,

Apart From The Crowd,  Priests Were Hearing Confessions,  And

Shriving Penitents.

The Next Morning Early,  One Of The Scouts,  Who Had

Been Sent To Observe The Movements Of The Danes,  Reported

That These Were Issuing From Their Camp,  And Advancing Into

The Country.

Algar Marshalled His Host,  Each Part Under Its Leaders,

And Moved To Meet Them. Near Kesteven The Armies Came In

Sight Of Each Other,  And After Advancing Until But A Short

Distance Apart Both Halted To Marshal Their Ranks Anew. Eldred,

With The Men Of The Marshes Near Croyland And The Contingent

From The Abbey,  Had Their Post In The Central Division,

Which Was Commanded By Algar Himself,  Edmund Took Post

By His Father,  And Egbert Stood Beside Him.

Edmund Had Never Before Seen The Danes,  And He Could

Not But Admit That Their Appearance Was Enough To Shake The

Stoutest Heart. All Carried Great Shields Covering Them From

Head To Foot. These Were Composed Of Wood,  Bark,  Or Leather

Painted Or Embossed,  And In The Cases Of The Chiefs Plated

With Gold And Silver. So Large Were These That In Naval

Encounters,  If The Fear Of Falling Into The Enemy's Hands Forced

Them To Throw Themselves Into The Sea,  They Could Float On

Their Shields; And After Death In Battle A Soldier Was Carried

To His Grave On His Buckler. As They Stood Facing The Saxons

They Locked Their Shields Together So As To Form A Barrier

Well-Nigh Impregnable Against The Arrows.

All Wore Helmets,  The Common Men Of Leather,  The Leaders

Of Iron Or Copper,  While Many In Addition Wore Coats Of

Mail. Each Carried A Sword,  A Battle-Axe,  And A Bow And

Arrows. Some Of The Swords Were Short And Curled Like A

Scimitar; Others Were Long And Straight,  And Were Wielded With

Both Hands. They Wore Their Hair Long And Hanging Down

Their Shoulders,  And For The Most Part Shaved Their Cheeks

And Chins,  But Wore Their Moustaches Very Long.

They Were,  For The Most,  Tall,  Lithe,  And Sinewy Men,  But

Physically In No Way Superior To The Saxons,  From Whom They

Differed Very Widely In Complexion,  The Saxons Being Fair

While The Danes Were Very Dark,  As Much So As Modern Gypsies;

Indeed,  The Saxon Historians Speak Of Them As The Black

Pagans. Upon The Other Hand Many Of The Northmen,  Being

Scandinavians,  Were As Fair As The Saxons Themselves.

The Danes Began The Battle,  Those In Front Shouting

Fiercely,  And Striking Their Swords On Their Shields With A

Clashing Noise,  While The Ranks Behind Shot A Shower Of Arrows

Among The Saxons. These At Once Replied. The Combat Was

Not Continued Long At A Distance,  For The Danes With A Mighty

Shout Rushed Upon The Saxons. These Stood Their Ground

Firmly And A Desperate Conflict Ensued. The Saxon Chiefs

Vied With Each Other In Acts Of Bravery,  And Singling Out The

Leaders Of The Danes Engaged With Them In Hand-To-Hand

Conflict.

Algar Had Placed His Swordsmen In The Front Line,  Those

Armed With Spears In The Second; And As The Swordsmen

Battled With The Danes The Spearmen,  When They Saw A Shield

Uplifted To Guard The Head,  Thrust Under With Their Weapons

And Slew Many. Edmund,  Seeing That With His Sword He Should

Have But Little Chance Against These Fierce Soldiers,  Fell A Little

Behind His Father And Kinsman,  And As These Were Engaged

With The Enemy He From Time To Time,  When He Saw An Opportunity,

Rushed In And Delivered A Thrust With His Spear At An

Unguarded Point. The Saxon Shouts Rose Louder And Louder

As The Danes In Vain Endeavoured To Break Through Their Line.

The Monks Fought Stoutly,  And Many A Fierce Norseman Fell

Before Their Blows.

The Danes,  Who Had Not Expected So Firm A Resistance,

Began To Hesitate,  And Algar Giving The Word,  The Saxons Took

The Offensive,  And The Line Pressed Forward Step By Step. The

Archers Poured Their Arrows In A Storm Among The Danish

Ranks. These Fell Back Before The Onslaught. Already Three

Of Their Kings And Many Of Their Principal Leaders Had Fallen,

And At Last,  Finding Themselves Unable To Withstand The

Impetuous Onslaught Of The Saxons,  They Turned And Fled In

Confusion Towards Their Camp. The Saxons With Exulting

Shouts Pursued Them,  And Great Numbers Were Slaughtered.

The Danes Had,  However,  As Was Their Custom,  Fortified The

Camp Before Advancing,  And Algar Drew Off His Troops,

Deeming That It Would Be Better To Defer The Attack On

This Position Until The Following Day.

There Was High Feasting In The Saxon Camp That Evening,

But This Was Brought To An Abrupt Conclusion By The Arrival

Of A Scout,  Who Reported That A Great Danish Army Marching

From The Humber Was Approaching The Camp Of The Compatriots.

The News Was But Too True. The Kings Guthorn,  Bergsecg,

Oskytal,  Halfdene,  And Amund,  And The Jarls Frene,  Hingwar,

Hubba,  And The Two Sidrocs,  With All Their Followers,

Had Marched Down From Yorkshire To Join The Invaders

Who Had Just Landed.

The News Of This Immense Reinforcement Spread Consternation

Among The Angles. In Vain Their Leaders Went About

Among Them And Exhorted Them To Courage,  Promising Them

Another Victory As Decisive As That They Had Won That Day.

Their Entreaties Were In Vain,  For When The Morning Dawned

It Was Found That Three-Fourths Of Their Number Had Left The

Camp During The Night,  And Had Made Off To The Marshes

And Fastnesses.

A Council Of The Chiefs Was Held. The Chances Of Conflict

Appeared Hopeless,  So Vastly Were They Out-Numbered By

The Danes. Algar,  However,  Declared That He Would Die Rather

Than Retreat.

"If We Fly Now," He Said,  "All East Anglia Will Fall Into The

Hands Of The Heathen. Even Should We Fight And Fall,  The

Example Of What A Handful Of Brave Men Can Do Against The

Invaders Will Surely Animate The Angles To Further Resistance;

While If We Conquer,  So Great A Blow Will Be Dealt To The

Renown Of These Danes That All England Will Rise Against Them."

On Hearing These Words All The Chiefs Came To The Determination

To Win Or Die As They Stood. Eldred Took Edmund Aside After

This Determination Had Been Arrived At.

"My Son," He Said,  "I Allowed You Yesterday To Stand By

My Side In Battle,  And Well And Worthily Did You Bear Yourself,

But To-Day You Must Withdraw. The Fight Is Well-Nigh

Hopeless,  And I Believe That All Who Take Part In It Are Doomed

To Perish. I Would Not That My House Should Altogether

Disappear,  And Shall Die More Cheerfully In The Hope That Some

Day You Will Avenge Me Upon These Heathen. Therefore,

Edmund,  I Bid You Take Station At A Distance Behind The Battle,

So That When You See The Day Goes Against Us You May Escape

In Time. I Shall Urge Our Faithful Egbert To Endeavour,  When

He Sees That All Is Lost,  To Make His Way From The Fight And

Rejoin You,  And To Journey With You To Wessex And There

Present You To The King. For Myself,  If The Battle Is Lost I Shall

Die Rather Than Fly. Such Is The Resolution Of Algar And Our

Other Brave Chiefs,  And Eldred The Ealdorman Must Not Be

The Only One Of The Leaders To Run From The Fray."

Edmund Was Deeply Touched At His Father's Words,  But

The Parental Rule Was So Strict In Those Days That It Did Not

Even Enter His Mind To Protest Against Eldred's Decision.

As The Morning Went On The Danes Were Engaged In The

Funeral Ceremonies Of Their Dead Kings,  While The Saxons,

Quiet And Resolute,  Received The Holy Sacrament And Prepared

For The Fight. Algar Chose A Position On Rising Ground. He

Himself With Eldred Commanded The Centre,  Toley And Morcar

Led The Right Wing,  Osgot And Harding The Left.

Each Of These Wings Contained About Five Hundred Men.

Algar's Centre,  Which Was A Little Withdrawn From Its Wings,

Contained About 200 Of His Best Warriors,  And Was Designed

As A Reserve,  With Which,  If Need Be,  He Could Move To The

Assistance Of Either Of The Wings Which Might Be Sorely Pressed

And In Danger. The Saxons Formed In A Solid Mass With Their

Bucklers Linked Together. The Danish Array Which Issued Out

From Their Camp Was Vastly Superior In Numbers,  And Was

Commanded By Four Kings And Eight Jarls Or Earls,  While Two

Kings And Four Earls Remained In Charge Of The Camp,  And Of

The Great Crowd Of Prisoners,  For The Most Part Women And

Children,  Whom They Had Brought With Them.

With The Danes Who Had Come Down From Yorkshire

Were A Large Body Of Horsemen,  Who Charged Furiously Down

Upon The Saxons; But These Maintained So Firm An Array With

Their Lances And Spears Projecting Outward That The Danes

Failed To Break Through Them,  And After Making Repeated Efforts

And Suffering Heavy Loss They Drew Back. Then The Danish

Archers And Slingers Poured In A Storm Of Missiles,  But

These Effected But Little Harm,  As The Saxons Stooped A Little

Behind Their Closely Packed Line Of Bucklers,  Which Were Stout

Enough To Keep Out The Shower Of Arrows. All Day The Struggle

Continued. Again And Again The Danes Strove To Break The

Solid Saxon Array,  And With Sword And Battle-Axe Attempted

To Hew Down The Hedge Of Spears,  But In Vain. At Last Their

Leaders,  Convinced That They Could Not Overcome The Obstinacy

Of The Resistance,  Ordered Their Followers To Feign A Retreat.

As The Danes Turned To Fly The Saxons Set Up A Triumphant

Shout,  And Breaking Up Their Solid Phalanx Rushed After Them

In Complete Disorder. In Vain Algar,  Osgot,  Toley,

Eldred,  And The Other Leaders Shouted To Them To Stand Firm.

Weary Of Their Long Inactivity,  And Convinced That The Danes

Were Routed,  The Saxons Pursued Them Across The Plain.

Suddenly The Danish Horse,  Who After Failing To Break Through

The Ranks Had Remained Apart At