The Last of the Vikings Part 23

"Very well, then; since thou wilt not be advised, take thy staff for a friendly bout," said the Saxon, unstrapping his wallet and leathern bottle, and laying them on the ground. "If I crack thy pate, thou shalt have half my wine; and marry, if thou crack mine thou shalt have the whole, for I love a bout with the staff almost as well as I like Flemish wine."

Now the Norman prided himself upon his prowess with the staff. He was also a span taller than the Saxon. The uncouth garments of the latter, also, made him appear as though much beyond the time of youth, and so disguised his stout limbs that the Norman could scarcely conceal his contempt for such an opponent. So he readily accepted the challenge, and at once the pair were toe to toe, and dealing blow or parry with right good will. The Saxon did not appear to very great advantage at the commencement of the fray. Frequently he received slight blows here and there, at which the Norman was visibly elated, and he led the attack with much vigour, and equal recklessness. The Saxon seemed to shrink from the onset, but there was a sly humour lurking about his wicked grey eye which was very ominous. Eventually taking a mild blow, without parrying, from his foe, the Saxon put a giant's strength into his arm, and like a thunderbolt his staff came down with a crash upon the Norman's skull, cutting open his head, and knocking him senseless on the ground.

"Poor fellow!" said Badger, for it was he. "You don't know how sorry I feel to have to give you a crack like this; but less would hardly do the business."

He quickly undid the Norman's doublet, and took from an inside pocket the sealed message from De Montfort. Then he deposited a similar one in its place. Next, he went down to the river and steeped a cloth in the water, then gently bathed the Norman's head, and staunched the bleeding, also carefully drawing the hair over it to hide the wound as much as possible. He next poured down his throat some of the Flemish wine he carried. The Norman slowly opened his eyes, and stared about him with a dazed, unmeaning look.

"All right, my gallant fellow," said Badger. "Here you are. Have another taste of my bottle."

The Norman took a good long pull, which seemed to revive him considerably. By degrees the whole scene came back to his stunned senses, and mechanically he put up his hand to his head, and felt the wound.

"You hound!" said he. "You've cracked my skull!"

"Not a bit of it, my hearty! Your skull is not so easy to crack. The skin is peeled a little, that is all, and a day or two will put it right again."

"I trow not, nor a week or two either. You villain! You meant to brain me, I do believe!"

"Not a bit of it, comrade. Why, if I meant you harm, what so easy whilst you have been lying here? The fact is, you beat me black and blue. My limbs will be sore for many a day after this. It was the first time I had touched you; and you were so eager to knock me out of it that you left your head unguarded. Why, man, you had the best of it up to the last stroke."

By touching up the Norman's vanity by such artful speeches, and by pouring good wine down his throat, the pair were speedily on good terms, and they parted the best of friends, Badger chuckling to his heart's content as he struck off on a short cut for the hills.

In the meantime, Oswald waited anxiously at an appointed place for the coming of Badger, profoundly hoping that his mission would be successful. He knew that, excepting some untoward accident had happened, Badger would hang on to the heels of his man until, by either fair or foul means, he secured the despatches. But he himself had prepared for drastic means, if stratagem had failed. For failure to intercept the message would probably mean disaster to the little Saxon colony on the hill. His mind, however, was greatly relieved as he beheld Badger in the distance with beaming countenance, hurrying towards him.

"Well, I'm glad to see you, Badger. How has the business gone? No miscarriage, I hope?"

Badger made no reply, but, quickly hauling out the parchment from his bosom, he handed it to Oswald.

"I trust this will make better answer than I can muster, my lord."

Oswald took the parchment, and quickly tore it open, and ran his eyes over its contents.

"All right, Badger. How came you by it? Does the messenger know that you have relieved him of his message?"

"He has not the slightest idea. He trudged off, after carefully ascertaining, as he thought, that his packet was safe."

"You are the slyest rogue in the world, Badger, I do declare. Come, let us hear the news, how you came by this paper?"

So, as the pair journeyed on together, Badger, in high glee, told how he had circ.u.mvented the Norman, and sent him on his journey with a cracked skull into the bargain, all of which Oswald highly relished.

CHAPTER XXVI.

SAXON AND VIKING AT THE SWORD'S POINT.

"Who overcomes By force hath overcome but half his foe."

Milton..

The burning and rankling feeling of hatred and contempt engendered in the breast of Sigurd against Oswald (as the result of his spying a second time upon the Saxon chieftain and Alice de Montfort) was of such a consuming nature that he must needs force himself into the presence of Ethel at the very first opportunity. In tones fierce and rancorous, he told her the story of Oswald's secret and unprincipled love--as he considered it--for the fair Norman.

"Ethel, girl," said he, "I have dogged this renegade myself, and know of a truth that he holds illicit intercourse with this dark-eyed Norman hussy, and that he keeps tryst with her o' nights when honest men are abed, deceiving Saxon and Norman alike."

"What have I to do with this, my lord? I pray you pursue this matter no farther," said Ethel.

"All honest men, whether Saxon or Norse, have to do with traitors to their country. This deceiver professes undying enmity against our common foe, but does not hesitate to betray his country and the Saxon cause to win a smile from this temptress."

"My lord," said Ethel, in firm tones, "I cannot listen to your harsh judgments of him. He is our chosen leader, and I do not hesitate to say in your hearing, he is our only possible leader. He is sagacious as brave, and if _he_ cannot rally our scattered and dispirited people, then our cause is hopeless. I do not believe he is a renegade, as you say. He is no traitor to his country, but her most valorous and faithful defender."

"I tell thee, girl, he is in league with this siren! I know of what I speak! How can he prostrate himself before _her_ without despising and betraying his own people?"

"My lord, what is this to _me_? If he loves this fair Norman, it is not to be wondered at; she gave him his life. She is surpa.s.singly beautiful; and she is virtuous and good as well. Listen, my lord, to what the palmers tell us of her benefactions, and her kindness to those in distress."

"She supplanted thee, girl, dost thou think of that? She hath stolen what of right should be thine--what would have been thine, but for her!

How canst thou find excuses for this she-wolf and her base paramour?"

"My lord, such words are an affront to me. A Saxon maiden does not need to go a-begging for a lover."

"Ethel, thou dost tantalise me! Thou art blind. Thy love for him doth make thee mad! But I will be avenged on them both, whether thou approve of it or not."

"My lord," said Ethel, drawing herself to her full height, whilst her eyes flashed fire, "who told you I loved him? Are you going to make a palmer's song about me, and sing it through the whole camp? I will not have you a.s.suming what I have not told you. Let me tell you, once for all, a Saxon girl will love where she pleases, and only where she pleases. Your references are an insult to me!"

This was said with all the energy she could command. Then, rising, she pa.s.sed hastily from the room. But scarcely had she closed the door behind her when her strength failed, and she sank exhausted into a seat.

"Mercy on us!" shrieked Eadburgh, rushing off for a mug of cold water, and dashing it over her face with her fingers. "Whatever is the matter?

That loutish fellow has been making love again, I'll warrant! He'll drive the poor body clean mad if he does not let her alone. Such a great mountain of flesh would frighten anybody, let alone a wee bit of a lady-like creature as my mistress."

Sigurd, we need not say, was still further maddened by this additional repulse, and in a rage which would brook no further control, he hurried off in quest of Oswald, whom he found superintending the efforts of the workmen. Oswald saw that he was greatly agitated and evidently in a terrible pa.s.sion.

"A word in thine ear," he hissed fiercely to Oswald, as he pa.s.sed.

Oswald followed him until they were beyond the hearing of others.

"What is thy business this morning, pray?" said Oswald, who saw quite plainly that a rupture was imminent.

"My errand is to unmask a traitor, and either make an honest man of him, or else make an end of him."

"If thou hast business of such import as this--and thy looks betoken it--it were best to speak plainly, and come to the point at once."

"My business is with thee, for thou art a renegade, and a trickster; dancing attendance on a Norman woman, and bartering thy country's cause and thy people's liberties, to win a smile from a trumpery Norman jade.

Now thou hast it in plain terms."

"Thou liest, Jarl. And once more thy madness pa.s.ses the bounds of toleration. Let me tell thee I will have no more ebullitions of thy ungovernable temper, or any more of thy intriguing and sowing of discord amongst my people. So be pleased at once to betake thyself to thy own domain, or anywhere thou likest, so that thou cross my path no more.

There thou art at liberty to act thine own part without let or hindrance."

"Ah, finely spoken, no doubt! and smoothly as any Norman courtier could mouth it! Thou hast the trick of it, truly. But thou mayest save thy fine speeches, and lisp them to thy lady-love, for they win not upon me.