The Dragon And The Raven: Or The Days Of King Alfred(Fiscle Part-3), G. A. Henty [top business books of all time .txt] 📗
- Author: G. A. Henty
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One Gateway In The Wall On The Land Side, And This We Can
Block Up. We Need Not Fear An Attack From The Land, For
Between The River And The Castle There Are Wide Swamps; So
That Unless They Row Up And Attack Us From The Water We Are
Safe."
"I Think That They Will Not Do That," Edmund Said, "After
The Taste Which The Dragon Has Given Them Of Her Quality. At
Any Rate I Think We Are Safe Till The Storm Abates."
By This Time, Running Rapidly Before The Wind, The Dragon
Was Approaching The Great Roman Fort, Whose Massive Walls
Struck Edmund With Astonishment. No One Was To Be Seen
Moving About In The Space Inclosed By Them. The Sail Was
Lowered And The Vessel Brought To The Bank. The Anchors
Were Taken Ashore And She Was Soon Solidly Moored. Then
The Crew Leapt On To The Land And Ascended The Bank To The
Great Level Inclosure.
The Walls Were, As Egbert Had Said, Intact--And Indeed,
Except On The Side Facing The River, Remained Almost Unbroken
To The Present Day. An Hour's Labour Sufficed To Block
The Gateway, Where A Pair Of Massive Doors Were In Position,
For The Place Had Been Defended By The Saxons Against The
Danes At Their First Landing On The Coast. A Few Men Were
Placed As Sentries On The Walls, And, Feeling Now Perfectly
Safe From Any Attack On The Land Side, Edmund And His
Followers Returned On Board The Dragon For The Night.
Part 3 Chapter 8 (The Cruise Of The Dragon) Pg 74
The Night Passed Without Alarm. The Gale Continued
To Blow With Fury, And Until It Abated Edmund Had
Little Fear That The Danes Would Venture Upon An Attack.
They Had Indeed No Reason For Haste. The Saxon Vessel
Was In Their Waters, And Could Not Return So Long As The
Storm Continued To Blow From The East. The Next Day Parties
Of Danes Were Seen Making Their Way Across The Swampy
Country From The Direction Of Yarmouth.
As Soon, However, As These Approached Near Enough To
See The Saxons In Readiness On The Walls Of The Castle They
Retired At Once, Knowing That The Place Could Be Captured By
Nothing Short Of A Prolonged And Desperate Siege. On The
Fourth Day The Storm Abated, And The Saxons Prepared To Make
Their Way Seaward Again. The Wind Still Blew, But Lightly, From
The Same Quarter, And The Sails Would Therefore Be Of No Use.
With Their Great Oar-Power They Were Confident That, Once
Through The Danish Flotilla, They Could Defy Pursuit.
Accordingly They Again Embarked, And Loosing Their
Moorings Rowed Down Towards Yarmouth. They Had Chosen
A Time When The Tide Was Running In; For Although This Would
Hinder Their Progress It Would Equally Impede Their Pursuers,
While It Would Enable Them To Check Their Vessel In Time
Did They Find Any Unforeseen Obstacle In Their Way. They
Entered The River And Rowed Along Quietly Until They Neared
The Walls Of The Town. Here The River Was At Its Narrowest,
And They Saw The Danish Galleys Gathered Thickly In The Stream.
Edmund And Egbert Were On The Forecastle, And Presently
Gave The Signal For The Men To Cease Rowing.
"It Is Just As I Expected," Egbert Said; "They Have Formed
A Boom Across The River Of Trunks Of Trees And Beams Lashed
Together. We Cannot Make Our Way Down Until That Obstacle
Is Removed. What Say You Edmund?"
"I Agree With You," Edmund Replied.
"We Had Best Keep Along Close To The Right Bank Until
Within A Short Distance Of The Boom; Then We Must Land The
Greater Part Of Our Men. These Must March Along The Bank
Part 3 Chapter 8 (The Cruise Of The Dragon) Pg 75In Their Phalanx; The Others Must Keep The Boat Moving Close
Alongside, And From The Forecastle They Will Be Able To Fire
Down Upon The Danes And Aid Those On Shore To Drive Them
Back And Make Their Way To The End Of The Boom. They Have
But To Cut The Lashings There And The Whole Will Swing Round.
But Now We See The Nature Of The Obstacle, And What Is To Be
Done, It Were Best To Wait Until The Tide Turns. In The First
Place, Fewer Men Will Be Needed On Board The Ship, As She
Will Advance By Herself Abreast Of The Men On Shore. In The
Second Place, When The Lashing Is Cut The Boom Will Then
Swing Down The Stream, Will Cause Confusion Among The Boats
Behind It, And Will Open A Clear Space For Us To Make Our Way
Down."
Edmund Agreed, A Light Anchor Was Dropped, And The
Dragon Rode Quietly In The Stream. Great Animation Was Evident
Among The Danes, Large Numbers Crossed The River, And
A Strong Force Gathered At Either End Of The Boom And In
Boats Close Behind It, To Prevent The Saxons From Attempting
To Cut The Lashings. There Was Little Uneasiness On Board The
Dragon, The Saxons Were Confident Now Of The Power Of Their
Close Formation To Force Its Way Through Any Number Of The
Enemy, And They Would Gain Such Assistance From The Fire
From The Lofty Forecastle That They Doubted Not That They
Should Be Able To Drive Back The Danes And Destroy The Boom.
In An Hour The Tide No Longer Rose. They Waited Till It Ran
Down With Full Force, Then The Anchor Was Hauled Up, And The
Dragon Rowed To The Bank.
Sixty Of The Fighting Men Headed By Egbert Leapt On
Shore. Edmund With The Remainder Took His Place On The
Forecastle. The Oars Next To The Bank Were Drawn In, And
Some Of Those On The Outward Side Manned By The Sailors.
Then In Its Usual Order The Phalanx Moved Slowly Forward
While The Ship Floated Along Beside Them Close To The Bank.
The Danes With Loud Shouts Advanced To Meet Them, And The
Arrows Soon Began To Fly Thickly. Covered By The Long Shields
Of The Front Rank The Saxons Moved Forward Steadily, While,
As The Danes Approached, The Archers On The Forecastle
Opened A Destructive Fire Upon Them.
The Confidence Of The Saxons Was Justified, For The Combat
Was Never In Doubt. Although The Northmen Fought
Bravely They Were Unable To Withstand The Steady Advance Of
The Wedge Of Spears, And Very Many Fell Beneath The Rain Of
Arrows From Above. Steadily The Wedge Made Its Way Until It
Reached The End Of The Boom. A Few Blows With Their Axes
Sufficed To Cut The Cables Which Fastened It In Its Place. As
Soon As This Was Done Edmund Gave A Shout, And The Saxons
At Once Sprang On Board The Ship, Which Before The Danes
Could Follow Them Was Steered Out Into The Stream.
As Egbert Had Foreseen, The Boom As It Swung Round
Swept Before It A Number Of The Danish Boats, And Imprisoned
Part 3 Chapter 8 (The Cruise Of The Dragon) Pg 76Them Between It And The Shore. The Oars Were Soon
Run Out, And While The Men On The Forecastle Continued Their
Fire At The Danish Boats, The Others Seizing The Oars Swept The
Dragon Along The Stream. The Danes Strove Desperately To
Arrest Her Progress. Some Tried To Run Alongside And Board,
Others Dashed In Among The Oars And Impeded The Work Of
The Rowers, While From The Walls Of The Town Showers Of Missiles
Were Poured Down Upon Her. But The Tide Was Gaining
Every Moment In Strength, And Partly Drifting, Partly Rowing,
The Dragon, Like A Bull Attacked By A Pack Of Dogs, Made Her
Way Down The River. Every Effort Of The Danes To Board Was
Defeated, And Many Of Their Boats Sunk, And At Last She Made
Her Way Into The Open Sea. There Her Sails Were Hoisted, And
She Soon Left Her Pursuers Behind. Once At Sea Her Course
Was Again Turned North, And Picking Up Some Prizes On The
Way She Took Up Her Station Off The Mouth Of The Humber.
Several Ships Were Captured As They Sailed Out From The
River. After The Spoil On Board Was Taken Out, These, Instead
Of Being Burnt, As Had Always Been The Case Before, Were
Allowed To Proceed On Their Way, Since Had They Been Destroyed
The Crews Must Either Have Been Slain Or Landed. The First
Course Was Repugnant To Edmund, The Second Could Not Be
Adopted, Because They Would Have Carried The News To The
Danes, That The Dragon Was Off The River And No More Ships
Would Have Put To Sea; And Indeed, So Large Was The Number
Of Danish Vessels Always Up The Humber That A Fleet Could
Easily Have Been Equipped And Sent Out, Before Which The
Dragon Must Have Taken Flight.
One Day A Large Sailing Ship Was Seen Coming Out. The
Dragon Remained With Lowered Sail Until She Had Passed; Then
Started In Pursuit, And Speedily Came Up With The Danish
Vessel. Edmund Summoned Her To Surrender, And Was Answered
By A Norseman Of Great Stature And Noble Appearance, Who
From The Poop Hurled A Javelin, Which Would Have Pierced
Edmund Had He Not Leapt Quickly Aside. A Few Other Darts
Were Thrown And Then The Dragon Ran Alongside The Enemy
And Boarded Her.
The Opposition Of The Northmen Was Speedily Beaten
Down, But Their Leader Desperately Defended The Ladder Leading
To The Poop. He Was Struck By Two Arrows, And Fell On
One Knee, And Edmund Was About To Climb The Ladder When
The Door Of The Cabin In The Poop Opened, And A Norse Maiden
Some Sixteen Years Old Sprang Out. Seeing Her Father Wounded
At The Top Of The Ladder And The Saxons Preparing To Ascend
It, While Others Turned Their Bows Against The Wounded
Northman, She Sprang Forward And Throwing Herself Upon
Her Knees Before Edmund Besought Him To Spare Her Father's
Life. Edmund Raised His Hand And The Bows Were Lowered.
"I Have No Wish To Slay Your Father, Maiden," He Said Gently;
"We Slay Only Those Who Resist, And Resistance On The Part
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