Chapter III. Odda, the Ealdorman of Devon.
Now I steered eastward from Sutherland, and sailed down the eastcoasts of Scotland and England; and there is nothing to say aboutsuch a cruise, that had nought more wonderful in it than thescaring of the folk when we put in for food. I had made up my mindto go to Ireland for the winter, where, as every Northman knew,there were kingdoms to be won--having no wish to be Rolf'sfollower, seeing he was but a jarl's son; and finding that Englandhad no overlord, seeing that even now Alfred of Wessex and Guthrumof East Anglia were fighting for mastery, so that the whole landwas racked and torn with strife.
Maybe I thought too much of myself at that time, but I was in nohaste to do aught but cruise about and find where I might best makea name. I had but my one ship and crew, and I would not throw themaway on some useless business for want of care in choosing.
Now, when we came into the English Channel, a gale began to blow upfrom the southwest; and we held over to the French shore, and thereput into a haven that was sheltered enough. The gale strengthened,and lasted three days; but the people were kindly enough, being ofSaxon kin, who had settled there under the headland they callGreynose, since Hengist's times of the winning of England acrossthe water. And when the gale was over, we waited for the sea to godown, and then came a fair wind from the eastward, as we expected.So we got provisions on board, and sailed westward again, taking along slant over to the English coast, until we sighted the greatrock of Portland; and then the wind came off the land, and in theearly morning veered to the northwest.
The tide was still with us as the light strengthened; then as theday broke, with the haze of late summer over the land, we foundthat we were right in the track of a strange fleet that was comingup fast from the westward--great ships and small, in a strangemedley and in no sort of order, so that we wondered what they wouldbe.
"Here comes Rolf Ganger back from Valland," said Kolgrim. "He hasgathered any vessels he could get together, and is going to land inEngland."
"We will even head out to sea from across their course," I said."Maybe they are Danes from Exeter, flying from the Saxons."
So we headed away for the open channel until at least we knew more.The fleet drew up steadily, bringing the tide with them; andpresently we fell to wondering at the gathering. For there weresome half-dozen ships that were plainly Norse like ourselves, maybetwenty Danish-built longships, and about the same number of heavytrading vessels. There were a few large fishing boats also; butleading the crowd were five great vessels the like of which none ofus had ever seen or heard of before. And even as we spoke of them,two of these shook out reefs in their sails, and drew away from therest across channel, as if to cut us off.
"Ho, men," I said, when I saw that, "get to arms; for here theycome to speak with us. Maybe we shall have to fight--and these areno easy nuts to crack!"
Whereat the men laughed; and straightway there was the pleasanthustle and talk of those who donned mail shirt and helm and set thethrowing weapons to hand with all good will.
"Let us keep on our course," I said to Kolgrim. "We will see if wecannot weather on these ships, and anyway shall fight them betterapart from the rest. It is a fine breeze for a sailing match."
So we held on; and the two great ships to windward of us began togain on us slowly, which was a thing that had never been done byany ship before. I do not know that even Harald Fairhair had anyswifter ship than this that Halfdan had taken in his flight fromhome. Kolgrim waxed very wroth when it became plain that thesecould outsail us.
"There is witchcraft about those great hulks," he growled. "Theyare neither Norse, nor Frisian, nor Danish, but better than allthree put together."
"I have sailed in ships, and talked of ships, and dreamed of themmoreover, since I could stand alone," said Thord, "but I never somuch as thought of the like of these. If they belong to some newkind of viking, there are hard times in store for some of us."
"Faith," said I, "I believe they have swept up and made prizes ofall that medley astern of them."
So we held on for half an hour, and all that time they gainedsteadily on us; and we neared them quickly at last, for we tried tohold across their bows and weather on them. That was no good, forthey were as weatherly as we.
Now we could see that their decks were covered with armed men, andit seemed certain that they meant to make prize of us. The leadingship was maybe half a mile ahead of the other, and that a mile fromus--all three close-hauled as we strove to gain a weather berth.Then the leading ship put her helm up and stood across our course,and the second followed her.
"We must out oars now if we are to weather on them," said Kolgrimat last.
Then the men shouted; and I looked at the second ship, to whichthey were pointing. Her great sail was overboard, for the halliardshad gone--chafed through maybe, or snapped with the strain as shepaid off quickly. Then a new hope came to me.
"Men," I said, "let us take the other vessel, and then come back onthis; they are worth winning."
They cheered. And now the fight seemed to be even--ship to ship atleast, if our foe was larger and higher and swifter than ours; forI thought that he would hardly have a crew like mine.
We up helm and stood away on the new course the foe had taken,leaving the crippled ship astern very fast. And now we began toedge up towards the other vessel, meaning to go about under herstern, and so shoot to windward of her on the other tack. But thenI thought of a plan which might help us in the fighting. There hadseemed little order and much shouting on board the ship we had leftwhen her sail fell, and maybe there was the same want of disciplinehere.
"Out oars, men! Keep them swinging, but put no weight on them. Letthem pull after us and tire themselves. I have a mind to see howour dragon looks on yonder high stem head."
The men laughed grimly, and the oars were run out. One called tome:
"Maybe they beat us in sailing, king; we can teach them somewhat inweapon play."
"See how they get their oars out," said Kolgrim, with a sour grin;"a set of lubbers they are."
One by one, and in no order, the long oars were being got to work.The great ship was half as long again as ours, pulling twenty-eightoars a side to our twenty. But while ours rose and fell as ifworked by one man, theirs were pulled anyhow, as one might say.
"Better are they at sailing than rowing," said Thord.
Nevertheless they flew down on us, and that because we only made ashow of rowing.
Then we laid on the oars, and came head to wind. The sail rattleddown, and was stowed on deck; and silently we waited, arrows onstring, for the fight that was now close at hand.
Then the great ship hove up, head to wind, right ahead of us, and aloud hail came from her.
"Who knows what tongue he talks?" I said. "I cannot make him outrightly."
"'Tis West Saxon," said an old warrior from the waist. "He asks whowe are and what is our business."
"Tell him therefore, if you can speak in his way," I answered; "andask the same of him."
So a hail or two went backwards and forwards, and then:
"Says he is Odda, jarl or somewhat of Devon in Wessex, and bids usyield to Alfred the king."
"In truth," said I, "if he had not spoken of yielding, I had hadmore to say to a king who can build ships like these. Now we willspeak with him on his own deck. Tell him he will have to fight usfirst."
The old warrior sent a mighty curt hail back in answer to Odda'ssummons; then our war horns blew, and the oars rose and fell, andwe were grinding our bows alongside the great ship's quarter beforethey knew we were there. Alfred's men had yet somewhat to learn offighting in a sea way, as it seemed, for we were on their deck aftbefore they had risen from their oar benches. There were but one ortwo men on the quarter deck, besides the steersman, to oppose us.Odda thought we should lay our ship alongside his towering sides ifwe fought, as I suppose, for he was amidships.
So we swept the decks from aft forward without any hurt toourselves: for the Saxons were hampered with
the oars, and fellbackward over them, and hindered one another. It was strange tohear my men laughing in what seemed most terrible slaughter; fortheir foes fell before they were smitten, and lay helpless underthe oars, while their comrades fell over them.
So we won to the foot of the mast, and then found that there weresome on board who were none so helpless: for as we came they swungthe great yard athwart ships, and that stayed us; while over theheap of canvas glared those who would make it hard for us to winthe ship altogether.
But before we came to stern fighting, I had a word to say; so Icalled for Odda.
A square built, brown-bearded man with a red, angry face pushed hisway to the front of his men, and frowned at me.
"What will you? here am I," he said shortly.
One could understand his words well enough when face to face, forhe spoke in the mixed tongue that any Northman understands, theplain words of which all our kin have in common.
"I am no foe of Alfred's," I said; "I do not know, therefore, why Ishould fight you."
"Are you not for the Danes?" he said.
"I hate them more or less, and I have no traffic with them."
"Well, then, what will you?"
"You bade me yield, and therefore I am here. Now I think it is amatter to be seen whether of us does so."
"It seems that you have slain about half my men," he said."Nevertheless, I do not give up without fighting for the rest of myship that you have not won."
"That is well said," I answered.
But the men were laughing, for Kolgrim had stooped, and, reachingunder an oar bench, had dragged out a rower by the neck. The manswore and struggled; but Kolgrim hove him up, and lifted him overthe yard to Odda's feet.
"They are all like that, Saxon," he said cheerfully. "Maybe thereis a head or two broken; 'tis mostly what we call seasickness,however."
Odda looked at the man, who seemed wretched enough, but had nohurt; then he stared at our laughing faces, and his own brow beganto clear.
"It comes into my mind," he said, "that maybe you would listen tome if I owned first that you have the best of us, and then askedyou to fight for Alfred of Wessex. We need the help of such men asyou just now; and if you hate Danes, we have work enough for you."
"One may certainly listen to that," I answered, laughing.
"What say you, men? Shall we cast in our lot with Alfred for awhile?"
"We follow you, Ranald the king," Kolgrim answered for all. "If itseems good to you, it is good for us. There will be fightingenough, I trow, if all we have heard is true."
Then said Odda:
"And that before long. There is a Danish fleet in Poole Harbourthat is to bring Danes from Wareham to the help of those whomAlfred holds in Exeter. We have to meet this fleet and scatter it."
"Then," said old Thord, "your men must be better handled, for Danesare no new swordsmen or seamen either."
Now the men stood listening to our talk, and this sort of sayingwas not good for them to hear, if they were to meet the foe soonwith a good hope of victory. So Odda said quickly:
"If you will indeed fight for us, you must trust to Alfred to giveyou fitting reward. I do not know what I might say about that,having thought of no such chance as this. But there is no man whocan complain of him."
I had heard that the king was ever open handed, but also that atthis time he had little to give. Maybe, however, we might help himto riches again. I had the men to think of, but I will say formyself that I had not thought of asking what reward or pay shouldbe given.
I sheathed my sword, and held out my hand to Odda across the yardthat was between us; and he grasped it honestly, while the men oneither side cheered.
"Stay here and speak with me," Odda said. "Now we must get back tothe fleet."
Then went back to our ship, all but Thord and half a dozenwarriors, whom he kept as guard for me, I suppose; and thegrappling lines were cast off. Then we made sail again, and headedto rejoin the rest of the Saxon vessels. Odda's crippled ship hadrepaired her damage at this time, and went with us. But first itwas plain that she thought we had taken her consort, for sheprepared to fight us, and Odda had to hail her once or twice beforeshe was sure of what had happened. Then her crew cheered also.
Now Odda took me aft, and we sat together on his quarter deck.Thord came also, and leaned on the rail beside us, looking withmuch disfavour at the crew, who were plainly landsmen at sea forthe first time, if they were stout fighting men enough. Maybe therewere ten seamen among the hundred and fifty, but these had handledthe ship well under canvas, as we knew.
"You have come in good time, King Ranald," Odda said. "You see whatstate we are in; can you better it for us?"
"Many things I can see that need strengthening," I answered. "Butyou seem to take me into your counsels over soon, seeing that Ihave just fallen on you sword in hand."
"Why," said Odda frankly, "it is just your way of speaking to mesword in hand that makes me sure that I can trust you. I cannotdeny that you had this ship at your mercy, and that the other wouldhave been yours next; and you knew it, and yet spoke me fair. So itis plain that you mean well by us."
"Ay," said I, "but for your bidding me to yield, there would havebeen no fighting at all, when I knew to whom the ships belonged."
"You have put a thought in my mind, and I am glad you did board us,seeing there is no harm done," Odda answered. "I will tell you whatit is. Send me some of your men to order my people and tell themhow to prepare for battle. Here am I sent to sea for the firsttime, with good warriors enough who are in like case, and a fewseamen who can sail the ship and know nought else."
"You have some Norsemen yonder, if I mistake not," I said, lookingat the fleet which we were nearing.
"Ay--wandering vikings who care nought for what I say. They weregoing to Rolf, and the king persuaded them to take this cruisefirst. If you can make them follow you, there will be anothermatter for which I shall be more than thankful."
Thereat Thord growled: "They will follow Ranald Vemundsson wellenough; have no care about that."
Then said I:
"These are the finest ships I have ever seen. Where did they comefrom?"
"Alfred, our king, planned them," said Odda, with much pride; "andthey were built by our own men, working under Frisian shipwrights,in Plymouth."
"How will you like to command one of these, Thord?" I asked then.
"I like the ship well enough. The crew is bad. And then, whosecommand is the fleet under?"
"Take the ship, Thord, and lick my crew into shape; and Ranald,your king, shall command the fleet," Odda said plainly.
"Fair and softly," said Thord bluntly. "I can do the two things youask me; but will your men follow Ranald?"
"Faith," said Odda, "if I say they are to do so, they must."
So in the end I left Thord and my seamen with Odda; but I would nottake his place, only saying that I would lead the Norsemen, andthat he could follow our plans. I would put more good men into eachof his five ships, and they should do what they could. At leastthey could teach the Saxons how to board a ship, and how to mantheir own sides against boarders from a foe.
Those Norsemen said they would gladly follow the son of King Vemundand foster son of Einar the jarl; and so we led the strange fleet,and held on eastward with a light breeze all that day, makinglittle way when the tide turned, and held back by the slowervessels. Men in plenty there were, but ill fitted for aught buthand fighting; though I had more Norsemen sent into the largerships, such as those that had been taken from the Danes and thebetter trading vessels. One might soon see the difference in thetrim and order on board as the vikings got to work and the Saxonsovercame their sickness.
Now we might meet the Danes at any time, and I could not tell howmatters would go. One thing was certain, however, and that was thatthey looked for no gathering of ships by Alfred. We shouldcertainly take them by surprise, and I hoped, therefore, that theywould be in no trim for fighting.
There was a very swift cutter belong
ing to the Norsemen, and asnight fell I sent her on to keep watch along the shore for thefirst coming of the Danes, while we shortened sail; for the mouthof Poole Harbour was not far distant, and if we passed that weshould be seen, and perhaps it would be guessed that we were not afriendly fleet. Towards evening, too, the wind shifted, and blewmore off the shore, and that might bring them out from their haven.Kolgrim, who was weather wise, said that a shift of wind to thesouthward was coming presently.
When morning came, the high cliffs of Swanage were on our bow, thewind was yet steady from off shore, and beyond the headland layPoole Harbour, at whose head is Wareham, where the Danes were. Itis a great sea inlet with a narrow mouth, and one must have waterenough on a rising tide to enter it. Now the ebb was running, andif the Danes came this morning, it would be soon.
They came, as it seemed, for the cutter was flying back to us undersail and oars; and before she reached us, the first Danish shipswere clear of the Swanage headlands, making for the offing. Then Igot my ships into line abreast, and Thord worked up Odda's fivealongside us to seaward; and all the while the Danish sails hoveinto sight in no sort of order, and seeming so sure that none butfriends could be afloat that they paid no heed to us.
Soon there were full a hundred vessels of all sorts off Swanagepoint, and the cutter brought word that there were but twenty more.Then I ran up my fighting flag, and everywhere along our line rosea great cheering as we hoisted sail and sped down on the foe. Itwas long since the seas had borne a fleet whence the Saxon war cryrang.
The leading Danes were ahead of us as we gathered way, and theirlong line straggled right athwart our course. We should striketheir midmost ships; and at last they saw what was coming, andheard the din of war horns and men's voices that came down wind tothem, and there were confusion and clamour on their decks, andvoices seemed to call for order that did not come.
Then one or two longships from among them struck sail and clearedfor action, and on these swooped Alfred's great ships. Odda'scrashed upon and sank the first she met, and plunged and shookherself free from the wreck, and sought another. And beyond her thesame was being wrought; and cheers and cries were strangely mixedwhere those high bows went forward unfaltering.
Now a ship crowded with men was before me. As we boarded, her crewwere yet half armed, and struggling to reach the weapon cheststhrough the press, even while our dragon head was splintering thegunwale; and I leaped on board her, with my men after me and Harekbeside me.
Then sword Helmbiter was let loose for the first time since Sigurdwielded her; and though a great and terrible cry came from over thewater as one of Alfred's ships sank another Dane, I could look nomore, for there was stern fighting before me.
What a sword that was! Hardly could my arm feel the weight of it asit swung in perfect balance, and yet I knew the weight it had as itfell. Helm and mail seemed as nought before the keen edge, and theshields flew in twain as it touched them.
Forward I went, and aft went Harek the scald, and there was soon anend. The Danes went overboard, swimming or sinking, as their fatemight be, and only the slain bided before us. The ship was ours,and I looked round to see what should be next. No other ship hadcome to help our prey.
Then I saw a wonderful sight. Panic terror had fallen on the Danes,and not one ship of all that great fleet was not flying down thewind without thought of fighting. Among them went our vessels,great and small, each doing her work well; and the Saxon shoutswere full of victory.
So we must after them, and once more we boarded a longship, and hadthe victory; and then we were off the haven mouth, and with theflood tide the wind was coming up in gusts from the southeast thatseemed to bode angry weather. By that time no two Danish ships werein company, and the tide was setting them out to sea.
"Here is a gale coming," said Kolgrim, looking at the sky and thewhitening wave crests. "We had best get our ships into this havenwhile we can."
It seemed that Thord was of the same mind, for now he was headinghomeward, and the other Saxons were putting about and followinghim. So I got men into the best of the ships we had taken, andwaited till Thord in Odda's ship led the way, and so followed intoPoole Harbour.
Well it was for us that we had refuge so handy. For by noonday thegale was blowing from the southwest, and two Danish ships werewrecked in trying to gain the harbour--preferring to yield to usrather than face the sea, with a lee shore, rocky and hopeless,waiting for them.
We went into the Poole inlet, which is on the eastern side of thewide waters of the haven, and there found good berths enough. Thevillage was empty, save for a few Saxon fishermen, who hailed usjoyfully. And then Odda made for us as good a feast as he might inthe best house that was there, bidding every shipmaster to it.Merry enough were all, though we had but ship fare; for the Saxonshad great hopes from this victory.
Now Odda made much of what I had done--though it was littleenough--saying that I and my men deserved well of Alfred, and thathe hoped that we should stay with him for this winter, which wouldperhaps see the end of the war.
"Why," said I, "things would have been much the same if I had notbeen here."
"That they would not," he answered. "I should have blundered pastthis place in the night, and so lost the Danes altogether; or if Ihad not done that, they would soon have found out what state my menwere in. You should have heard old Thord rate them into order; itis in my mind that he even called me--Odda the ealdorman--hardnames in his broad Norse tongue. But at least he gave us somewhatmore to think of than the sickness that comes of heaving planksthat will by no means keep steady for a moment."
He laughed heartily at himself, and then added:
"Good King Alfred thought not at all of that matter. Now I canshift the whole credit of this victory to your shoulders, and thenhe will not believe that I am the born sea captain that he wouldhave me think myself."
"I will not have that," I said, "for I have not deserved it."
"Ay; but, I pray you, let me put it from myself, else shall I besent to sea again without any one to look to for advice," he saidearnestly, and half laughing at the same time. "I did but takecommand of this fleet because the king could find no one else at apinch. Heaven defend me from such a charge again!"
"Now you have only the Exeter Danes to deal with," I said.
"How many men might these ships have held?" he asked.
"Maybe five thousand," I answered.
Thereat his face changed, and he rose up from his seat at the hightable, and said that he would go down to see that the ships weresafe, for the gale was blowing heavily as the night fell.
So we went outside the house, and called a man, telling him to findone of the Poole fishermen and bring him to speak to us.
"There were twelve thousand Danes in Wareham," he said, "for morehave come lately. I thought they would all have been in the ships."
"If that had been possible, not one would have seen the morning'slight," I answered, "for their ships are lost in this galecertainly."
Now I will say that I was right. The wrecks strewed the shore ofDorset and Hants next morning; and if any men won to land, therewaited for them the fishers and churls, who hated them. No Danishfleet was left in the channel after that gale was spent.
When the fisher came, he told us that as many more Danes were leftin Wareham, and that those from Poole had fled thither when theysaw what had happened to the fleet.
"Shall you march on Wareham and scatter them, or will they fall onus here?" I asked; for we had no more than two thousand men atmost.
"I would that I knew what they thought of this business," heanswered; "but I shall not move tonight. It is far by land, and Isuppose we could not get the ships up in the dark."
So he posted pickets along the road to Wareham, and we went back tothe house for a while. And presently, as it grew dark, a wildthought came into my mind. I would go to Wareham with a guide, andsee what I could find out of the Danish plans. Maybe there werefewer men than was thought, or they might be panic-stricken at ourcom
ing in this wise; or, again, they might march on us, and if so,we should have to get to sea again, to escape from double ournumbers.
Now the more I thought of this, the more I grew bent on going, forI was sure that we must know what was going on. And at last I tookOdda aside while Harek sang among the men, and told him what Iwould do.
At first he was against my running the risk; but I told him that aNorseman might go safely where a Saxon could not among the Danes,and at last I persuaded him. Then I called Kolgrim, and we went outtogether into the moonlight and the wind, to find the fisherman wehad spoken with already and get him to act as guide. I think thatOdda did not expect to see either of us again; and when I came toknow more of Saxons, I learned that he trusted me most fully, formany thanes would have thought it likely that I went on sometreacherous errand.