CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
IN WHICH IS DESCRIBED A DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT RESCUE, A BOLD LEAP FORFREEDOM, AND A TRIUMPHANT ESCAPE.
The Crow Cliff, to which Christian had referred, was a high precipitousrock that jutted out into the river just below Haldorstede. It was thetermination of the high ridge on the face of which Erling had posted hismen, and could be easily reached from the spot where they lay concealed,as well as from the stede itself, but there was no possibility ofpassing down the river in that direction by land, owing to theprecipitous nature of the ground. The ordinary path down the valley,which elsewhere followed the curvatures of the river, made at this pointa wide detour into the woods, went in a zigzag form up the steep ascentof the ridge, descended similarly on the other side, and did not rejointhe river for nearly half a mile below. The waters were so pent up bythe Crow Cliff that they rushed along its base in a furious rapid,which, a hundred yards down, descended in a perpendicular fall of aboutfifteen feet in depth. The descent of this rapid by a boat was quitepossible, for there was a little bay at the lower end of Crow Cliff,just above the foss, into which it could be steered by a dexterousrower; but this mode of descent was attended with the imminent risk ofbeing swept over the fall and dashed to pieces, so that none except thedaring young spirits of the glen ever attempted it, while all the restwere content to cross the ridge by the longer and more laborious, butsafe, path which we have just described. To descend this rapid byswimming was one of the feats which the youths of the place delighted toventure, and often had Erling and Glumm dared it together, while not afew of their companions had lost their lives in the attempt.
A few words from Erling gave the men to understand what was expected ofthem. It was arranged that while he, Ulf, Glumm, and the hermit shouldput the girls into the little boat and guide them down the rapid, themen were to leap into the water and swim down. All were to land in thelittle bay, and then make for the cave on the coast in a body, and fighttheir way thither, if need be; but it was believed there would be nooccasion for that, because before the plan was carried out most of theKing's men would probably be assembled above the Crow Cliff at thestede. A few who could not swim were sent off at once by the track towarn Haldor. All these well-laid plans, however, were suddenlyfrustrated, for, while Erling was still consulting with Ulf and Glumm asto details, and peeping through the underwood, they beheld a sight whichcaused their hearts almost to stand still.
From the elevated spot where they lay they could see the hermitadvancing rapidly towards them in a crouching attitude, closely followedby the maidens, while at the same time there advanced from the stede alarge band of men under a chief, who was evidently commissioned toexecute some order of the King. Erling and his friends could clearlysee these two parties unwittingly approaching each other, at rightangles, each making for a point where the two paths crossed, and wherethey were certain to meet. They could see their friends quietly butswiftly gliding towards the very fate they sought to avoid, andexperienced all the agony of being unable to give a shout of warning, orto prevent the foe from capturing them; for, even if there had been timeto rush upon them before the meeting, which there was not, Erling by sodoing would have been obliged to place the whole of Harald's hostbetween him and the boat at Crow Cliff. This consideration, however,would not have deterred him, but another idea had flashed upon his mind.What that was shall be seen presently.
Before the two parties met, the ears of the hermit, albeit somewhatdulled by age, became aware of the tramp of armed men, and at once hedrew the girls hastily aside into the bushes; but the bushes at thatpart happened to be not very thick, and part of Ada's dress, which was agay one with a good deal of scarlet about it, caught the attention of asharp-eyed warrior. The man uttered a shout and sprang towards them;several others joined in the pursuit, a loud scream from one of thegirls was heard, and next moment the fugitives were captured!
"Up and at them!" cried Glumm, endeavouring to rise, but he foundhimself pinned to the earth by Erling's powerful arms.
"Stay, Glumm, be quiet, I beseech thee," entreated Erling, as hiscomrade struggled violently but fruitlessly to escape from his powerfulembrace.--"Do listen, Ulf; ye will spoil all by inconsiderate haste. Ihave a plan: listen--these men are not devils, but Norsemen, and willnot hurt the girls; they will take them before the King. Hear me, andthey shall yet be rescued!"
While the power of Erling's muscles restrained Glumm, the deep-tonedimpassioned earnestness of his voice held back Ulf, who had leaped upand drawn his sword; but it was with evident reluctance that he pausedand listened.
"Now hear me," cried Erling; "I and Glumm will go down and mingle withHarald's men. Our faces are doubtless not known to any of them;besides, we are so bespattered with the blood and dust of battle thateven friends might fail to recognise us. We will go boldly about amongthe men, and keep near to the girls until a fitting opportunity offers,when we will seize them and bear them off. This will not be sodifficult as ye may think."
"Difficult!" cried Glumm, grinding his teeth; "I think nothing difficultexcept sitting still!"
"Because," continued Erling, "the King's men will be taken by surprise,and we shall be through the most of them before they are aware thatthere is need to draw their blades. But (and on this everything willdepend) thou must be ready, Ulf, with all the men, to rush, in thetwinkling of an eye, to our aid, the moment my shout is heard, for, ifthis be not done, we cannot fail to be overpowered by numbers. If thoudost but keep them well in play while we make for the boat, and thenfollow and leap into the river, we shall all escape."
"Come along, then," cried Glumm, in desperate impatience.
"Does the plan like thee, Ulf?" asked Erling.
"Not much," he replied, shaking his head, "but it is the only chanceleft, so get thee gone. I will not fail thee in the moment of need--away! See, the girls are already being led before the King."
Erling and Glumm instantly pulled their helmets well down on theirbrows, wrapped their mantles round them so as to conceal their figuresas much as possible, then entered the wood and disappeared.
Meanwhile, on the open space in front of Haldor's ruined dwelling, KingHarald Haarfager stood surrounded by his court men. He was stillbespattered with the blood and dust of battle, and furiously angry atthe escape of Haldor and the burning of the stede. His gilt helmetrestrained the exuberance of his shaggy locks, and he stood on the topof a slight elevation or mound, from the base of which his men extendedin a dense ring in front of him, eager to ascertain who it was that hadbeen so unexpectedly captured. Erling and Glumm mingled with the crowdunnoticed, for so many of the men assembled there had been collectedfrom various districts, that, to each, strange faces were the ruleinstead of the exception.
When the girls were led into the ring there was a murmur of admiration,and many complimentary remarks were made about them. The old hermit wasdragged in after them, and excited a little attention for a few moments.He had experienced rough handling from his captors. His grey hair wasdishevelled and his face bloodstained, for, although he had offered noresistance, some of the men who seized him were so much out of humour inconsequence of the burning of the stede and the escape of its inmates,that they were glad to vent their anger on anyone.
"Good-looking girls, both of them," remarked the King to Jarl Rongvold,as they were being led forward.--"Who are ye?" he added, addressingthem.
Ada looked round on the circle of men with a frightened glance, and castdown her eyes, but did not reply, while Hilda raised her eyes timidly tothe King's face, but lacked courage to speak.
"Come," said the King sternly, "let us have no false modesty. Ye arebefore Norway's King, therefore speak, and to the point. Who art thou?"
He addressed himself to Hilda, who replied--
"I am Hilda, daughter of Ulf of Romsdal."
"And thou?" he added, turning to her companion.
"My name is Ada. My father is Hakon of Drontheim."
"Ha!" exclaimed the King, with
a bitter smile. "Is it so? Thy fatherhas met his desert, then, for he now lies at the bottom of the fiord."
Ada turned deadly pale, but made no reply.
"Know ye where Haldor the Fierce is, and his insolent son Erling?" askedthe King.
Hilda flushed at this, and answered with some spirit that she did notknow, and that if she did she would not tell.
"Of course not," said the King; "I might have guessed as much, and dobut waste my time with ye.--Stand aside--bring forward yonder fellow."
The hermit was immediately led forward.
"Who art thou?" asked the King.
"An old wanderer on the face of the earth," replied Christian.
"That is easily seen," answered the King; "but not too old, it wouldseem, to do a little mischief when the chance falls in thy way."
"Methinks, sire," whispered Jarl Rongvold, "that this fellow is one ofthose strange madmen who have taken up with that new religion, which Ido not profess to understand."
"Sayest thou so?" exclaimed Harald, "then will I test him.--Ho! fetch mea piece of horse flesh."
A piece of horse flesh was brought without delay, for some that had beensacrificed in the Drontheim temple had been packed up and carried offamong other provisions when the expedition set forth.
"Here, old man, eat thou a portion of that," said Harald, holding theflesh towards him.
"I may not eat what has been sacrificed to idols," said the hermit.
"Ho! ho! then thou art not a worshipper of Odin? Say, dog, what artthou?"
"I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Saviour. To Him Ilive, and for Him I can die."
"Can He save you from _me_?" demanded Harald.
"He can," answered the hermit earnestly, "and will save you too, KingHarald, from your sins, and all who now hear me, if they will but turnto Him."
"Now will I test him," said the King. "Stand forth, Hake of Hadeland,and hew me the old man's head from his body."
"Spare him! O spare him!" cried Hilda, throwing herself suddenlybetween Hake and his victim, who stood with the resigned air of a manwho had made up his mind to die. "He has twice saved _my_ life, and hasnever done you evil in thought or deed."
"Stand aside, my pretty maid. Nay, then, if thou wilt not, I must grantthy request; but it is upon one condition: that this Saviour shalleither come himself or send a champion to deliver the old man.--Come,"he added, turning fiercely to the hermit, "pray that thy God shall sendthee a champion now, for if He does not, as I live thou shalt die."
"I may not pray at thy bidding," said the hermit calmly; "besides, itneeds not that I should, because I have already prayed--before dawn thismorning--that He would grant me His blessing in the form that seemedbest to Himself."
"And hast thou got it?"
"I have--in that I possess a quiet spirit, and do not fear to die, nowthat His time has come."
"'Tis something this, I admit," returned the King; "yet methinks 'tisbut a poor blessing, after all, with death as the end of it."
"Death is not the end of it," said the hermit, with a kindling eye, "forafter death is everlasting joy and glory with the Lord. Besides, KingHarald, which were better, think you: to die with a willing spirit andbright hope, or to live full of restless ambition, disappointment, andrage, even although victorious and King of Norway?"
The King's countenance grew livid with anger as he turned to the berserkand said, in a voice of suppressed passion--"Go forward, Hake, and slayhim!"
"Now--the time has come," whispered Erling to Glumm.
"Get as near to Ada as thou canst; for the rest, may Christian's God bewith us!"
As he spoke he sprang into the circle, sword in hand, and stood suddenlybetween the astonished Hake and the hermit.
There was a loud murmur of amazement at this unexpected apparition, andnot a few of the spectators were awestricken, supposing that this wasactually a champion sent from the spirit world.
"Harald," cried Erling, for the berserk had shrunk back dismayed, "I donow accept the challenge, and come here to champion the old man."
At the sound of his voice the King's face lighted up with intelligence.
"Ha!" he exclaimed suddenly; "has the old man's God sent Erling theBold?"
"Truly I think he has," replied Erling; "at all events it was not forthis purpose that I came hither to-day. But now that I have come, andof mine own free will put myself in thy power, I claim the right to dobattle for my old friend with thy stoutest man--so set him forth, KingHarald."
"What sayest thou, Hake?" said the King, turning to his berserk with asmile; "art willing to join issue with the Bold one?--bold enough,truly, and insolent as well."
Hake, who had recovered his self-possession the instant he recognisedErling's voice, and who was by no means wanting in courage, suddenlyuttered one of his terrible roars, and rushed upon Erling like athunderbolt.
Our hero was too well accustomed to the ways of his class to be caughtoff his guard. Although Hake rained blows upon him so fast that it wasalmost impossible for the spectators to follow the motions of hisflashing sword, Erling received them all on his shield, or parried themwith his short sword--which, as being more manageable in a _melee_, hehad selected for his present enterprise. The instant, however, that theberserk's furious onset began to slacken, Erling fetched him such atremendous cut on the sword that the weapon was broken close off at thehilt. Disdaining to slay an unarmed foe, he leaped upon the berserk,and struck him a blow with the hilt of his sword, which drove the casquedown upon his head and stretched him flat upon the sward.
Without waiting an instant Erling flung down his shield and walked tothe place where Hilda stood, took her by the hand, and whispered,"Courage! come with me and thou shalt be saved." At the same momentGlumm stepped to Ada's side, and took her right hand in his left. Nosword was drawn, for Glumm had not drawn his, and no one present had thefaintest idea of what the young men intended to attempt. Indeed, theywere all so amazed at the sudden termination of the fight, that the menof the inner part of the ring actually stood aside to let them pass,before the King had time to shout:--
"Seize them!"
In other circumstances, at Harald's word a thousand swords would havebeen drawn, and the doom of Erling and his friends at once been sealed;but the natural ferocity of the tyrant's followers had been spellbound,and for the time paralysed by the calm bearing of old Christian and theprowess of his champion, whose opportune appearance had all the effectof a supernatural interposition, as it might well be deemed: and it willbe readily believed that our hero and Glumm did not fail to use theadvantage thus offered. Leading those whom they had come to rescue, andclosely followed by the hermit, they passed completely through thecircle of men. But at the repetition, in a voice of thunder, of theroyal mandate, some hundreds of the King's men surrounded them, and,notwithstanding their wondrous strength and skill, they were beinggradually overpowered by numbers, when suddenly a tremendous shout washeard, and next moment Ulf with his fifty men in battle array rushed outof the forest.
King Harald endeavoured hastily to draw up his men in something likeorder. Hearing the cry in rear, the men in front of Erling and Glummfell aside, so that they quickly cut down those who still stood in theirway, and ran towards their friends, who opened their ranks to let thempass--then reclosed, and fell upon the King's men with incredible fury.Although outnumbered by at least twenty to one, the disparity did not atfirst tell against them, owing to the confusion in the enemy's ranks,and the confined space of ground on which they fought. They were thusenabled to act with great vigour, and, being animated by the spirit ofdesperate men, they actually for some time kept driving back the King'sforces.
But the continual assault of fresh foes began to tell, and several ofUlf's men had already fallen, when Erling's voice was heard ringing highabove the din of battle. Instantly every man turned on his heel andfled towards the river madly pursued by the whole of the King's host.
By this time Erling and Glumm had got th
e girls into the boat, andsteered them safely down the rapid into the little bay, where theywaited for their companions as patiently as they could.
Meanwhile Ulf's men reached the foot of the Crow Cliff and one by onesprang into the boiling rapid. Ulf was among the first there, but hestayed to see them all pass. Before the last could do so their enemieswere upon them, but Ulf kept them at bay for a few moments; and when thelast of his men took the water he retreated fighting, and leapedbackwards into the flood. One or two of the King's men followed, butthey failed to catch him, were carried down stream, and, being ignorantof the dangers of the place, were swept over the foss and killed. Mostof the host, however, turned suddenly, and set off at full speed tocross the ridge and pursue their enemies, by the path to which we havealready referred. Before they had crossed it, Erling and his men werefar on their way down the valley; and when the pursuers reached thecoast there was no sign of the fugitives anywhere.
On reaching the cave Erling found that his father had got everything inreadiness to start; so, assembling the people together without delay, hedivided them into two bands, one of which he sent into the Swan, theother into Glumm's vessel, the Crane.
Haldor also went in the Swan, along with Ulf of Romsdal, Thorer theThick, Kettle Flatnose, Alric, and the hermit, besides Dames Herfridaand Astrid, and the widow Gunhild, Ingeborg, and all Haldor's youngerchildren. With Glumm there were also several women besides Ada. Ivorthe Old and Finn the One-eyed also went with him; but most of the oldand crippled hangers-on of both families, as well as Glumm's mother,were taken by Erling into the Swan, as the accommodation there wasbetter than on board the Crane.
"Now, Glumm," said Erling, when all were on board, "we must say farewellto Norway. Keep close in my wake. If they give chase we will do ourbest to escape, but if that may not be, we will fight and falltogether." The friends shook hands; then, each getting into his ship,the stern ropes were cast off, the oars were dipped, and they shot outupon the blue fiord, which the sinking sun had left in a solemn subduedlight, although his beams still glowed brightly on the snow-cladmountain peaks.
They had proceeded some distance down the fiord before their pursuersobserved them. Then a mighty shout told that they were discovered; andthe grinding of the heavy ships' keels was distinctly heard upon theshore, as they were pushed off into deep water. Immediately after, thesplash of hundreds of oars warned them to make haste.
"Pull, my lads,--pull with heart," cried Erling; "and let these slavessee how freemen can make their ocean steeds leap across the sea! Pull!I see a breeze just off the mouth of the fiord. If we reach that, wemay laugh at the tyrant King."
"What may yonder line on the water be?" said Haldor, with an anxiouslook, as he pointed towards the mouth of the fiord.
Erling caught his breath, and the blood rushed to his temples as hegazed for a moment in silence.
"'Tis a boom," cried Kettle, who had recovered by this time, and who nowleaped towards the fore deck with terrible energy.
"All is lost!" exclaimed Ulf, in a tone of bitterness which words cannotexpress.
"Are ye sure it is a boom?" cried Erling quickly. Everyone looked withintense earnestness at the black line that stretched completely acrossthe mouth of the fiord, and each gave it as his opinion that it was aboom. There could not indeed be any doubt on the point. King Harald'sberserk, although somewhat tardy, had fulfilled his orders but too well;and now a succession of huge logs, or tree trunks, joined together bythick iron chains, completely barred their progress seaward.
"Surely we can burst through," suggested Kettle, returning to the poop,his huge frame quivering with contending emotions.
"Impossible," said Haldor; "I have tried it before, and failed. Ofcourse we must make the attempt, but I have no hope except in this," headded, touching his sword, "and not much in that either, _now_."
"But I have tried it before, and did not fail, and I'll try it again,"cried Erling heartily. "Come aft, men, quick, all of ye; every manexcept the rowers. Women, children, and cripples, get ye into thewaist. The stoutest men to the oars--jump!"
These orders were obeyed at once. All the best men in the ship seizedthe oars, Erling himself, Kettle, and Haldor setting the example, whileThorer took the helm, and, hailing Glumm, bade him do as they did.
The effect of this was that the stern of the Swan was so weighed downwith the weight of people on the poop, that her bows and a third of herkeel were raised high out of the water, while the men, straining withevery fibre of their muscles at the oars, sent her careering forwardwith trebled speed, and the foam rolled in milky billows in her wake.
"When I give the word `Forward,'" cried Erling, "leap like lightning,all of ye, to the fore deck."
The pursuers, elated by this time with the certainty of success, pulledalso with unwonted energy.
When the Swan came within about twenty yards of the boom, which floatedalmost on a level with the water, Thorer gave the word--
"One stroke for freedom!"
"Ho! ho!" shouted Erling and Haldor, straining until their oars crackedagain. The foam hissed from the blades, and the Swan rushed as if shehad been suddenly endued with true vitality.
Next moment she stuck fast--with the boom amidships beneath her!
"Forward!" shouted Erling.
All the unengaged men sprang instantly to the forecastle, and theirweight sank it slowly down, but it seemed inclined for a moment toremain balanced on the boom. Hereupon the men at the oars jumped up andalso ran forward. The bow dipped at once, the good ship slid over witha plunge, and glided out upon the sea!
A great shout or yell told that this had been noticed by their foes, whostill rowed madly after them; but heedless of this, Erling backed waterand waited for Glumm, who had made similar preparations, and was nowclose on the boom. His vessel went fairly on, and stuck halfway, as theother had done; but when she was balanced and about to turn over, therewas a terrible rending sound in the hull, then a crash, and the Cranebroke in two, throwing half of her crew into the sea on the inner sideof the boom, and the other half outside.
Well was it for them all then that the Swan had waited! She was at oncebacked towards the scene of disaster, and as many as possible werepicked up. Among the rescued was Glumm, with Ada in his arms. But manywere drowned, and a few stuck to the boom, refusing to let go, or tomake any attempt to reach the Swan.
Erling knew, however, that these were sure to be picked up by the King'sships, so he once more ordered the rowers to give way, and the vesselsprang forth on her voyage some time before the pursuers reached theboom. When these did so, most of them attempted to leap it as thefugitives had done--for none of the Norsemen there lacked spirit. Some,however, failed to get on to it at all, others got on a short way andstuck fast, while two or three ships broke their backs, as Glumm's haddone, and threw their crews into the water--but not one got over.
The men then leaped on the boom, and the sound of axes was heard as theylaboured to cut it through, or to dash away its iron fastenings. Itwas, however, a thoroughly well-executed piece of work, and for a longtime resisted their utmost efforts. When at length it did give way, andthe King's ships passed through, the Swan was beyond pursuit--far awayon the horizon, with all sail set, and running before a stiff breeze,while the shades of evening were closing in around her!
That night there was silence in the Norsemen's little ship as sheploughed her adventurous course over the northern sea, for the thoughtsof all were very sad at being thus rudely driven from their native landto seek a home where best they might in the wide world. Yet in thehearts of some of them there was also much happiness.
Hilda's sanguine mind pictured many sweet and peaceful abodes, far fromthe haunts of warlike men. Alric was happy, because he was beginning,as he fondly hoped, a life of wild adventure. So was Kettle Flatnose,for he was now sailing westward, and he knew that Ireland was somewherein that direction. But Glumm the Gruff was perhaps the happiest of allon board, for, besides the delight of h
aving at last got possession ofhis bride, he enjoyed, for the first time in his life, the pleasure ofcomforting a woman in distress!
Ada's wild spirit was--we dare not say eradicated, but--thoroughlysubdued at last. When she thought of her father she laid her head onGlumm's broad chest and wept bitterly.
Thus did those Sea-kings sail away from and forsake the land of Norway.On their voyage westward they fell in with many ships from otherquarters containing countrymen, Sea-kings and vikings like themselves,who had also left their native land to seek new homes in Shetland,Orkney, and the other isles north of Scotland, rather than submit to theyoke of Harald Haarfager.
They joined company with these, and all sailed westward together.
Among them was a man named Frode, who was celebrated for daring andwisdom, especially for his knowledge of the stars, and his power ofnavigating the unknown ocean of the west. To this man was assigned thedirection of the fleet, and all submitted to his guidance; but theSea-kings invariably assembled together in council when it was intendedto decide, what they should do or to what part of the world they shouldsteer.
"My advice is," said Kettle Flatnose, the first time they assembled thusin council, "that we steer first to Ireland, where I can promise ye alla hearty welcome, for it is well known that the Irish are a hospitablepeople, and my father is a great man there."
"I fall in with that," said Glumm, glancing at Ada, whose eyes had nowbecome his guiding stars!
"The advice is good," said Erling, "for, wherever we may finally come toan anchor, we will be none the worse of getting some provisions on theway."
As Haldor, Ulf, Frode, and all the rest were of one mind on this point,the ships were steered to Ireland; and when they reached that countrythey put ashore in a small bay not far from Dublin, where was a log hut.To this Kettle went up with Erling and Glumm, and asked the man of thehouse how things were going on in Ireland.
"As ill as can be in this district," said the man; "there is nothing butvengeance in the hearts of the people."
"That is a bad state," said Kettle, with a look of anxiety; "what may bethe cause of discontent? Is the old King hard on ye?"
"Thou must have been long away to ask that. The old King is dead," saidthe man.
At this Kettle uttered a great and bitter cry; but, restraining himself,asked eagerly if the old Queen were alive. The man replied that shewas. Then Kettle asked how the King met his death.
With a dark frown the man replied that Haabrok the Black had murderedhim and seized the throne. On hearing this Kettle became pale, but wasvery calm, and listened attentively while the man went on to say thatHaabrok was such a tyrant that the whole district was ready to start upas one man and dethrone him, if they had only someone who was fit tolead them.
"That they shall not long want for," said Kettle.
After some more earnest conversation he turned away, and went down tothe shore.
"Now, Erling and Glumm," said he, "we must do a little fighting before Ican offer ye the hospitality I spoke of. Will ye aid me in a venture Ihave in my mind?"
"That will we," they replied heartily.
Kettle thereupon explained his views, and said that he had learned fromthe man that his wife was still alive and well, but in the hands of theking of the district, who was a regicide and a tyrant. It was thenarranged that the Swan should be rowed quietly up towards the town, andthe men landed in the night at a spot where they could be ready toanswer the summons of Kettle, Erling, Glumm, and Ulf, who were to go upunattended to the King's house in Dublin, with no other arms than theirshort swords.
On drawing near, these four found the hall of the King's housebrilliantly lighted, for great festivities were going on there. No oneinterfered with them, because none guessed that so small a party woulddare to go up half-armed for any other than peaceful purposes. Theytherefore went through the streets unmolested, and easily passed theguards, because Kettle plied them with a good deal of that which hassince come to be known by the name of "blarney."
When they got into the hall, Kettle went straight up to the high seat orthrone on which Haabrok the Black was seated.
"Ye are presumptuous knaves," said the tyrant, eyeing the strangerssternly; "is it thus that ye have been taught to approach the King?What is your errand?"
"For the matter of that, thou well-named villain," said Kettle, "ourerrand will but add to our presumption, for we have come to slay thee."
With that Kettle whipped out his sword and cut off Haabrok's head, sothat it went rolling over the floor, while the body fell back andspouted blood all over the horrified court men!
Instantly every man drew his sword; but Erling, Ulf, and Glumm leaped onthe low platform of the throne, and presented such a bold front, thatthe bravest men there hesitated to attack them. At the same momentKettle raised his sword and shouted, "If there be yet a true man in thishall who loves his country and reveres the memory of the good old Kingwhom this dead dog slew, let him come hither. It is the voice of theKing's son that calls!"
"Sure, 'tis Kettle; I'd know his red head anywhere!" exclaimed ashrivelled old woman near the throne.
"Aye, nurse, it is Kettle himself--come back again," he said, glancingtowards the old woman with a kindly smile.
A ringing cheer burst from the crowd and filled the hall; again andagain it rose, as nearly all the men present rushed round the throne andwaved their swords frantically over their heads, or strove to shakehands with the son of their old King. In the midst of the tumult a wildshriek was heard; and the crowd, opening up, allowed a beautifuldark-eyed woman to rush towards Kettle, with a stalwart boy of aboutfive years of age clinging to her skirts.
We need scarcely pause to say who these were, nor who the handsomematron was who afterwards went and clung round Kettle's neck, and heapedfervent blessings on the head of her long-lost son. It is sufficient tosay that the feast of that night was not interrupted; that, on thecontrary, it was prolonged into the morning, and extended into everyloyal home in the city; and that Kettle Flatnose entertained his Norsefriends right royally for several days, after which he sent them awayladen with gifts and benedictions. They did not quit Ireland, however,until they had seen him happily and securely seated on the throne ofDublin.
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Sailing northward, the fleet touched at the Orkney and Shetland Islands,where they found that a number of the expatriated Sea-kings hadcomfortably settled themselves. Here some of Haldor's people would fainhave remained, but Frode, who was a man of enterprise, resolved topenetrate farther into the great unknown sea, to lands which rumour saiddid certainly exist there. Accordingly they left Shetland, and went onuntil they came to the Faroe Islands. Here they thought of settling,but on landing they found that a few of the Sea-kings had taken up theirabode there before them.
"Now," said Frode, "it is my great desire to break new ground. Shall wego and search farther to the west for that new island which has beenlately discovered by Ingoll?"
To this Haldor and Ulf said they were agreed. Hilda plucked Erling bythe sleeve, and whispered in his ear, after which he said that he toowas agreed. Glumm glanced at Ada, who, with a little blush and smile,nodded. A nod was as good as a word to Glumm, so he also said he wasagreed, and as no one else made objection, the ships' prows were againturned towards the setting sun.
North-westward they sailed over the world of waters, until they came onefine morning in sight of land. As they drew near they saw that it wasvery beautiful, consisting partly of snow-capped mountains, with greenfertile valleys here and there, and streams flowing through them. Theyran the vessels into a bay and landed, and the country looked sopeaceful, and withal so desirable, that it was at once resolved theyshould make this place their abode. Accordingly, while most of the menset themselves to work to land the goods, put up the tents, and make thewomen and children comfortable, a select band, well armed, prepared togo on an expedition into the country, to ascertain wheth
er or not it wasinhabited. Before these set out, however, Christian the hermit stood upon a rising ground, and, raising his eyes and hands to heaven, prayedfor God's blessing on their enterprise.
Thereafter plots of land were marked out, houses were built, "Things"were held, a regular government was established, and the island--forsuch it proved to be--was regularly taken possession of.
The exploring party found that this was indeed the island which theywere in search of. It had been discovered about the middle of the ninthcentury, and a settlement had been made on it by Ingoll in the year 874;but the band of immigrants under Frode and Haldor was by far the mostimportant that had landed on it up to that time.
In this manner, and under these circumstances, was Iceland colonised byexpatriated Norsemen about the beginning of the tenth century!
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Good reader, our tale is told. Gladly would we follow, step by step,the subsequent career of Erling and Glumm, for the lives of such men,from first to last, are always fraught with interest and instruction;but this may not be. We have brought them, with the other chief actorsin this little tale, to a happy point in their adventurous career, andthere we feel that we ought to leave them in peace. Yet we would faintouch on one or two prominent points in their subsequent history beforebidding them a final farewell.
Let it be recorded, then, that many years after the date of the closingscene of our tale, there might have been seen in Iceland, at the head ofa small bay, two pretty cottages, from the doors of which there was amagnificent view of as sweet a valley as ever filled the eye orgladdened the heart of man, with a distant glimpse of the great oceanbeyond. On the sward before these cottages was assembled a large partyof young men and maidens, the latter of whom were conspicuous for thesparkle of their blue eyes and the silky gloss of their fair hair, whilethe former were notable because of the great size and handsomeproportions of their figures; some, however, of the men and maidens weredark and ruddy. The youths were engaged in putting the stone andthrowing the hammer; the maidens looked on with interest--as maidenswere wont to do on manly pastimes in days of old, and as they are notunwilling to do occasionally, even in modern times. Around these rompeda host of children of all ages, sizes, and shades.
These were the descendants of Erling the Bold and Glumm the Gruff. Thetwo families had, as it were, fused into one grand compound, which wasquite natural, for their natures were diverse yet sympathetic; besides,Glumm was dark, Erling fair; and it is well known that black and whitealways go hand in hand, producing that sweet-toned grey, which Naturewould seem to cherish with a love quite as powerful as the abhorrencewith which she is supposed to regard a vacuum.
Beside each other, leaning against a tree, and admiring the prowess ofthe young men, stood Erling and Glumm, old, it is true, and past thetime when men delight to exercise their muscles, but straight andstalwart, and still noble specimens of manhood. The most interestinggroup, however, was to be seen seated on a rustic bench near the door.There, sometimes conversing gravely with a silver-haired old man at hisside, or stooping with a quiet smile to caress the head of a child thathad rushed from its playmates for a little to be fondled by the "oldone"--sat Haldor the Fierce, with Christian the hermit on one side, andUlf of Romsdal on the other. Their heads were pure white, and theirframes somewhat bent, but health still mantled on the sunburnt cheeks,and sparkled in the eyes of the old Norse Sea-kings.
Within the house might have been seen two exceedingly handsome matrons--such as one may see in Norway at the present time--who called each otherHilda and Ada, and who vied with a younger Hilda and Ada in theirattentions upon two frail but cheery old women whom they called "GrannyHeff" and "Granny Ast". How very unlike--and yet how like--were theseto the Herfrida and Astrid of former days!
Between the old dames there sat on a low stool a man of giganticproportions, who had scarcely reached middle age, and who was stilloverflowing with the fun and fire of youth. He employed himself inalternately fondling and "chaffing" the two old women, and he was suchan exact counterpart of what Erling the Bold was at the age of thirty,that his own mother was constantly getting confused, and had to bereminded that he was _Alric_, and not Erling!
Alric's wife, a daughter of Glumm, was with the young people on thelawn, and his six riotous children were among the chief tormentors ofold Haldor.
Ingeborg was there too, sharp as ever, but not quite so sour. She wasnot a spinster. There were few spinsters in those days! She hadmarried a man of the neighbouring valley, whom she loved to distraction,and whom she led the life of a dog! But it was her nature to becross-grained. She could not help it, and the poor man appeared to growfonder of her the more she worried him!
As for Ivor the Old and Finn the One-eyed, they, with most of theircontemporaries, had long been gathered to their fathers, and their bonesreposed on the grassy slopes of Laxriverdale.
As for the other personages of our tale, we have only space to remarkthat King Harald Haarfager succeeded in his wish to obtain the undividedsovereignty of Norway, but he failed to perpetuate the change; for thekingdom was, after his death, redivided amongst his sons. The lastheard of Hake the berserk was, that he had been seen in the midst of agreat battle to have both his legs cut off at one sweep, and that hedied fighting on his stumps! Jarl Rongvold was burnt by King Harald'ssons, but his stout son, Rolf Ganger, left his native land, andconquered Normandy, whence his celebrated descendant, William theConqueror, came across the Channel and conquered England.
Yes, there is perhaps more of Norse blood in your veins than you wot of,reader, whether you be English or Scotch; for those sturdy sea roversinvaded our lands from north, south, east, and west many a time in daysgone by, and held it in possession for centuries at a time, leaving alasting and beneficial impress on our customs and characters. We havegood reason to regard their memory with respect and gratitude, despitetheir faults and sins, for much of what is good and true in our laws andsocial customs, much manly and vigorous in the British Constitution, ofour intense love of freedom and fairplay, are pith, pluck, enterprise,and sense of justice that dwelt in the breasts of the rugged oldSea-kings of Norway!
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