CHAPTER FIVE.
THE VIKING RAID--ALRIC'S ADVENTURE WITH THE DANE--ERLING'S CUTTER, ANDTHE BATTLE IN THE PASS.
"Whom have we here?" exclaimed Erling, looking close into the face ofthe wounded man. "What! Swart of the Springs!"
Erling said this sternly, for he had no liking for Swart, who was anotorious character, belonging to one of the neighbouring fiords--a wildreckless fellow, and, if report said truly, a thief.
"That recent mischief has cost thee a cracked crown?" asked Erling, alittle more gently, as he observed the exhausted condition of the man.
"Mischief enough," said Swart, rising from the stone on which he hadseated himself, and wiping the blood, dust, and sweat from his haggardface, while his eyes gleamed like coals of fire; "Skarpedin the Dane haslanded in the fiord, my house is a smoking pile, my children and most ofthe people in the stede are burned, and the Springs run blood!"
There was something terrible in the hoarse whisper in which this washissed out between the man's teeth. Erling's tone changed instantly ashe laid his hand on Swart's shoulder.
"Can this be true?" he answered anxiously; "are we too late? are _all_gone?"
"_All_," answered Swart, "save the few fighting men that gained thefells." The man then proceeded to give a confused and disjointedaccount of the raid, of which the following is the substance.
Skarpedin, a Danish viking, noted for his daring, cruelty, and success,had taken it into his head to visit the neighbourhood of Horlingdal, andrepay in kind a visit which he had received in Denmark the previoussummer from a party of Norsemen, on which occasion his crops had beenburned, his cattle slaughtered, and his lands "herried", while hechanced to be absent from home.
It must be observed that this deed of the Northmen was not deemedunusually wicked. It was their custom, and the custom also of theirenemies, to go out every summer on viking cruise to plunder and ravagethe coasts of Denmark, Sweden, Britain, and France, carrying off all thebooty they could lay hold of, and as many prisoners as they wanted orcould obtain. Then, returning home, they made slaves or "thralls" oftheir prisoners, often married the women, and spent the winter in theenjoyment of their plunder.
Among many other simple little habits peculiar to the times was thatcalled "Strandhug". It consisted in a viking, when in want ofprovisions, landing with his men on any coast--whether that of an enemyor a countryman--and driving as many cattle as he required to the shore,where they were immediately slaughtered and put on board without leaveasked or received!
Skarpedin was influenced both by cupidity and revenge. Swart had beenone of the chief leaders of the expedition which had done him so muchdamage. To the Springs therefore he directed his course with six"longships", or ships of war, and about five hundred men.
In the afternoon of a calm day he reached the fiord at the head of whichwere the Springs and Swart's dwelling. There was a small hamlet at theplace, and upon this the vikings descended. So prompt and silent werethey, that the men of the place had barely time to seize their arms anddefend their homes. They fought like lions, for well they knew thatthere was no hope of mercy if they should be beaten. But the oddsagainst them were overwhelming. They fell in heaps, with many of theirfoes underneath them. The few who remained to the last retreatedfighting, step by step, each man towards his own dwelling, where he felldead on its threshold. Swart himself, with a few of the bravest, haddriven back that part of the enemy's line which they attacked. Thusthey were separated for a time from their less successful comrades, andit was not till the smoke of their burning homesteads rose up in denseclouds that they became aware of the true state of the fight. At oncethey turned and ran to the rescue of their families, but their retreatwas cut off by a party of the enemy, and the roar of the conflagrationtold them that they were too late. They drew together, therefore, and,making a last desperate onset, hewed their way right through the ranksof their enemies, and made for the mountains. All were more or lesswounded in the _melee_, and only one or two succeeded in effecting theirescape. Swart dashed past his own dwelling in his flight, and found italready down on the ground in a blazing ruin. He killed several of themen who were about it, and then, bounding up the mountain side, soughtrefuge in a ravine.
Here he lay down to rest a few moments. During the brief period of hisstay he saw several of his captured friends have their hands and feetchopped off by the marauders, while a terrible shriek that arose once ortwice told him all too plainly that on a few of them had beenperpetrated the not uncommon cruelty of putting out the eyes.
Swart did not remain many moments inactive. He descended by acircuitous path to the shore, and, keeping carefully out of sight, setoff in the direction of Horlingdal. The distance between the two placeswas little more than nine or ten miles, but being separated from eachother by a ridge of almost inaccessible mountains, that rose to a heightof above five thousand feet, neither sight nor sound of the terribletragedy enacted at the Springs could reach the eyes or ears of theinhabitants of Ulfstede. Swart ran round by the coast, and made suchgood use of his legs that he reached the valley in little more than anhour. Before arriving at Ulfstede his attention was attracted and hisstep arrested by the sight of a warship creeping along the fiord closeunder the shadow of the precipitous cliffs. He at once conjectured thatthis was one of the Danish vessels which had been dispatched toreconnoitre Horlingdal. He knew by its small size (having only abouttwenty oars) that it could not be there for the purpose of attack. Hecrouched, therefore, among the rocks to escape observation.
Now, it happened at this very time that Erling's brother Alric, havingexecuted his commission by handing the war-token to the next messenger,whose duty it was to pass it on, came whistling gaily down aneighbouring gorge, slashing the bushes as he went with a stout stick,which in the lad's eyes represented the broadsword or battle-axe hehoped one day to wield, in similar fashion, on the heads of his foes.Those who knew Erling well could have traced his likeness in every actand gesture of the boy. The vikings happened to observe Alric before hesaw them, as was not to be wondered at, considering the noise he made.They therefore rowed close in to the rocks, and their leader, a stoutred-haired fellow, leaped on shore, ascended the cliffs by a narrowledge or natural footpath, and came to a spot which overhung the sea,and round which the boy must needs pass. Here the man paused, andleaning on the haft of his battle-axe, awaited his coming up.
It is no disparagement to Alric to say that, when he found himselfsuddenly face to face with this man, his mouth opened as wide as did hiseyes, that the colour fled from his cheeks, that his heart flutteredlike a bird in a cage, and that his lips and tongue became uncommonlydry! Well did the little fellow know that one of the Danish vikings wasbefore him, for many a time had he heard the men in Haldorstede describetheir dress and arms minutely; and well did he know also that mercy wasonly to be purchased at the price of becoming an informer as to thestate of affairs in Horlingdal--perhaps a guide to his father's house.Besides this, Alric had never up to that time beheld a _real_ foe, evenat a distance! He would have been more than mortal, therefore, had heshown no sign of trepidation.
"Thou art light of heart, lad," said the Dane with a grim smile.
Alric would perhaps have replied that his heart was the reverse of lightat that moment, but his tongue refused to fulfil its office, so hesighed deeply, and tried to lick his parched lips instead.
"Thou art on thy way to Ulfstede or Haldorstede, I suppose?" said theman.
Alric nodded by way of reply.
"To which?" demanded the Dane sternly.
"T-to--to Ulf--"
"Ha!" interrupted the man. "I see. I am in want of a guide thither.Wilt guide me, lad?"
At this the truant blood rushed back to Alric's cheeks. He attempted tosay no, and to shake his head, but the tongue was still rebellious, andthe head would not move--at least not in that way--so the poor boyglanced slightly aside, as if meditating flight. The Dane, withoutaltering his position, just moved his foot on the s
tones, which act hadthe effect of causing the boy's eyes to turn full on him again with thatspecies of activity which cats are wont to display when expecting animmediate assault.
"Escape is impossible," said the Dane, with another grim smile.
Alric glanced at the precipice on his left, full thirty feet deep, withthe sea below; at the precipice on his right, which rose an unknownheight above; at the steep rugged path behind, and at the wild ruggedman in front, who could have clutched him with one bound; and admittedin his heart that escape _was_ impossible.
"Now, lad," continued the viking, "thou wilt go with me and point outthe way to Ulfstede and Haldorstede; if not with a good will, tortureshall cause thee to do it against thy will; and after we have plunderedand burnt both, we will give thee a cruise to Denmark, and teach theethe use of the pitchfork and reaping-hook."
This remark touched a chord in Alric's breast which at once turned histhoughts from himself, and allowed his native courage to rise. Duringthe foregoing dialogue his left hand had been nervously twitching thelittle elm bow which it carried. It now grasped the bow firmly as hereplied:
"Ulfstede and Haldorstede may burn, but thou shalt not live to see it."
With that he plucked an arrow from his quiver, fitted it to the string,and discharged it full at the Dane's throat. Quick as thought the manof war sprang aside, but the shaft had been well and quickly aimed. Itpassed through his neck between the skin and the flesh.
A cry of anger burst from him as he leaped on the boy and caught him bythe throat. He hastily felt for the hilt of his dagger, and in the heatof his rage would assuredly have ended the career of poor Alric then andthere; but, missing the hilt at the first grasp, he suddenly changed hismind, lifted the boy as if he had been a little dog, and flung him overthe precipice into the sea.
A fall of thirty feet, even though water should be the recipient of theshock, is not a trifle by any means, but Alric was one of those vigorouslittle fellows--of whom there are fortunately many in this world--whotrain themselves to feats of strength and daring. Many a time had he,when bathing, leaped off that identical cliff into the sea for his ownamusement, and to the admiration and envy of many of his companions,and, now that he felt himself tumbling in the air against his will, thesensation, although modified, was nothing new. He straightened himselfout after the manner of a bad child that does not wish to sit on nurse'sknee, and went into the blue fiord, head foremost, like a javelin.
He struck the water close to the vessel of his enemies, and on rising tothe surface one of them made a plunge at him with an oar, which, had ittaken effect, would have killed him on the spot; but he missed his aim,and before he could repeat it, the boy had dived.
The Dane was sensible of his error the instant he had tossed Alric awayfrom him, so he hastened to his boat, leaped into it, and ordered themen to pull to the rocks near to which Alric had dived; but before theycould obey the order a loud ringing cheer burst from the cliffs, and inanother moment the form of Swart was seen on a ledge, high above, in theact of hurling a huge mass of rock down on the boat. The mass struckthe cliff in its descent, burst into fragments, and fell in a showerupon the Danes.
At the same time Swart waved his hand as if to someone behind him, andshouted with stentorian voice:
"This way, men! Come on! Down into the boats and give chase! huzza!"
The enemy did not await the result of the order, but pulled out into thefiord as fast as possible, while Swart ran down to the edge of the waterand assisted Alric to land. It was not until they heard both man andboy utter a cheer of defiance, and burst into a fit of laughter, and sawthem hastening at full speed towards Horlingdal, that the vikings knewthey had been duped. It was too late, however, to remedy the evil.They knew, also, that they might now expect an immediate attack, so,bending to the oars with all their might, they hastened off to warntheir comrades at the Springs.
"Now, Swart," said Erling, after hearing this tale to its conclusion,"if ye are not too much exhausted to--"
"Exhausted!" cried Swart, springing up as though he had but risen from arefreshing slumber.
"Well, I see thou art still fit for the fight. Revenge, like love, is apowerful stirrer of the blood. Come along then; I will lead the way,and do thou tread softly and keep silence. Follow us, Alric, I have yetmore work for thee, lad."
Taking one of the numerous narrow paths that ran from Ulfstede to theshores of the fiord, Erling led his companions to a grassy mound whichcrowned the top of a beetling cliff whose base was laved by deep water.Although the night was young--probably two hours short of midnight--thesun was still high in the heavens, for in most parts of Norway thatluminary, during the height of summer, sinks but a short way below thehorizon--they have daylight all night for some time. In the higherlatitudes the sun, for a brief period, shines all the twenty-four hoursround. Erling could therefore see far and wide over the fiord, as wellas if it were the hour of noon.
"Nothing in sight!" he exclaimed in a tone of chagrin. "I was a fool tolet thee talk so long, Swart; but there is still a chance of catchingthe boat before it rounds the ness. Come along."
Saying this hurriedly, the youth descended into what appeared to be ahole in the ground. A rude zigzag stair cut in the rock conducted theminto a subterranean cavern, which at first seemed to be perfectly dark;but in a few seconds their eyes became accustomed to the dim light, andas they advanced rapidly over a bed of pebbles, Swart, who had neverbeen there before, discovered that he was in an ocean-made cave, for thesound of breaking ripples fell softly on his ears. On turning round acorner of rock the opening of the cave towards the sea suddenly appearedwith a dazzling light like a great white gem.
But another beautiful sight met his astonished gaze. This was Erling'sship of war, the Swan, which, with its figurehead erect, as though itwere a living thing, sat gracefully on the water, above its ownreflected image.
"All ready?" asked Erling, as a man stepped up to him.
"All ready," replied Thorer.
"Get on board, Swart," said Erling; "we will teach these Danes a lessonthey will not forget as long as the Springs flow. Here, Alric--whereare ye, lad?"
Now, unfortunately for himself, as well as for his friend, Alric wasalmost too self-reliant in his nature. His active mind was too apt toexert itself in independent thought in circumstances where it would havebeen wiser to listen and obey. Erling had turned with the intention oftelling his little brother that he had started thus quietly in orderthat he might have the pleasure of capturing the scouting boat, and ofbeginning the fight at the Springs with a small band of tried men, thuskeeping the enemy in play until reinforcements should arrive; for heshrewdly suspected that if the whole valley were to go out at onceagainst the vikings, they would decline the combat and make off. He hadintended, therefore, to have warned Alric to watch the Swan past acertain point before sounding the alarm at Ulfstede. But Alric hadalready formed his own opinions on the subject, and resolved to act onthem.
He suspected that Erling, in his thirst for glory, meant to have all thefun to himself, and to attack the Danes with his single boat's crew offifty or sixty men. He knew enough of war to be aware that sixty menagainst six hundred would have very small chance of success--in fact,that the thing was sheer madness--so he resolved to balk, and by sodoing to save, his headstrong brother.
When Erling turned, as we have said, he beheld Alric running into thecave at full speed. Instantly suspecting the truth, he dashed afterhim, but the boy was fleet, and Erling was heavily armed. The resultwas, that the former escaped, while the latter returned to the beach andembarked in the Swan in a most unenviable state of mind.
Erling's "longship" was one of the smaller-sized war vessels of theperiod. It pulled twenty oars--ten on each side--and belonged to theclass named Snekiars, or cutters, which usually had from ten to twentyrowers on a side. To each oar three men were apportioned--one to row,one to shield the rower, and one to throw missiles and fight, so thather crew numbered over sixty
men. The forecastle and poop were veryhigh, and the appearance of height was still further increased by thefigurehead--the neck and head of a swan--and by a tail that rose fromthe stern-post, over the steersman's head. Both head and tail wererichly gilt; indeed, the whole vessel was gaudily painted. All roundthe gunwales, from stem to stern, hung a row of shining red and whiteshields, which resembled the scaly sides of some fabulous creature, sothat when the oars, which gave it motion, and not inaptly representedlegs, were dipped, the vessel glided swiftly out of the cavern, likesome antediluvian monster issuing from its den and crawling away overthe dark blue sea. A tall heavy mast rose from the centre of the ship.Its top was also gilded, as well as the tips of the heavy yard attachedto it. On this they hoisted a huge square sail, which was composed ofalternate stripes of red, white, and blue cloth.
It need scarcely be said that Erling's crew pulled with a will, and thatthe waters of the fiord curled white upon the breast of the Swan thatnight; but the vikings' boat had got too long a start of them, so that,when they doubled the ness and pulled towards the Springs, theydiscovered the enemy hurrying into their ships and preparing to push offfrom the land.
Now, this did not fall in with Erling's purpose at all, for he was wellaware that his little Swan could do nothing against such an overwhelmingforce, so he directed his course towards the mouth of a small stream,beside which there was a spit of sand, and, just behind it, a piece oflevel land, of a few acres in extent, covered with short grass. Theriver was deep at its mouth. About a hundred yards upstream it flowedout of a rugged pass in the mountains or cliffs which hemmed in thefiord. Into this dark spot the Northman rowed his vessel and landedwith his men.
The vikings were much surprised at this manoeuvre, and seemed at a losshow to act, for they immediately ceased their hurried embarkation andheld a consultation.
"Methinks they are mad," said Skarpedin, on witnessing the movements ofthe Swan. "But we will give them occasion to make use of all the spiritthat is in them. I had thought there were more men in the dale, but ifthey be few they seem to be bold. They have wisely chosen their ground.Rocks, however, will not avail them against a host like ours. Methinkssome of us will be in Valhalla to-night."
Saying this Skarpedin drew up his men in order of battle on the littleplain before referred to, and advanced to the attack. Erling, on theother hand, posted his men among the rocks in such a way that they couldcommand the approach to the pass, which their leader with a few pickedmen defended.
On perceiving the intention of the Danes to attack him, Erling's heartwas glad, because he now felt sure that to some extent he had them inhis power. If they had, on his first appearance, taken to their ships,they might have easily escaped, or some of the smaller vessels mighthave pulled up the river and attacked his ship, which, in that case,would have had to meet them on unequal terms; but, now that they wereabout to attack him on land, he knew that he could keep them in play aslong as he pleased, and that if they should, on the appearance ofreinforcements, again make for their ships, he could effectively harassthem, and retard their embarkation.
Meditating on these things the young Norseman stood in front of his menleaning on his battle-axe, and calmly surveying the approaching foeuntil they were within a few yards of him.
"Thorer," he said at length, raising his weapon slowly to his shoulder,"take thou the man with the black beard, and leave yonder fellow withthe red hair to me."
Thorer drew his sword and glanced along its bright blade withoutreplying. Indeed, there was scarce time for reply. Next moment thecombatants uttered a loud shout and met with a dire crash. For sometime the clash of steel, the yells of maddened men, the shrieks of thewounded, and the wails of the dying, resounded in horrible commotionamong the echoing cliffs. The wisdom of Erling's tactics soon becameapparent. It was not until the onset was made, and the battle fairlybegun, that the men whom he had placed among the rocks above theapproach to the pass began to act. These now sent down such a shower ofhuge stones and masses of rock that many of the foe were killed, and bydegrees a gap was made, so that those who were on the plain dared notadvance to the succour of those who were fighting in the pass.
Seeing this, Erling uttered his war-cry, and, collecting his mentogether, acted on the offensive. Wherever his battle-axe swung, orThorer's sword gleamed, there men fell, and others gave way, till atlast they were driven completely out of the pass and partly across theplain. Erling took care, however, not to advance too far, althoughSkarpedin, by retreating, endeavoured to entice him to do so; but drewoff his men by sound of horn, and returned to his old position--one manonly having been killed and a few wounded.
Skarpedin now held a council of war with his chiefs, and from the lengthof time they were about it, Erling was led to suspect that they did notintend to renew the attack at the same point or in the same manner. Hetherefore sent men to points of vantage on the cliffs to observe themore distant movements of the enemy, while he remained to guard thepass, and often gazed anxiously towards the ness, round which heexpected every minute to see sweeping the longships of Ulf and hisfather.