The Last of the Vikings Part 38

Whilst this proceeding was confined to himself, it acted with electrical effect upon these wild men. Slowly at first, then with accelerated pace, they were worked up into a strange frenzy; first giving utterance to low pa.s.sionate interjections, then, as the infection became more feverish, they seemed completely carried away,--shouting, starting to their feet, and brandishing their swords, as though in deadly combat. Ere long every man, Sigurd included, was in a state of overwhelming excitement, capering round the Skaldstong, holding aloft their weapons in the air, and making the cave ring again with their shouts and shrieking.

The following is a sample of the rude and uncouth song which Olaf chaunted:--

"Odin, the Norse G.o.d, Skaldstong we rear; Curse us the foe near, Cold-ribbed[8] and foul.

Nithing[9] is the Saxon, Marrowless his bones; Jotun,[10] we call thee, Loose us the watch-dogs.

Snarls the fierce wolf, Creeping light[11] bearing; Gyg, woman of Jotnar, Haste on before; Gird on the Hel-shoes,[12]

Freeze up the blood.

Terror-full and shaking, The sallowy kite hovers; The wolf digs his fangs, Drinks up the blood.

Skuld[13] has gotten him Vedrfolnir's[14] prey; Told o'er the corpses Fattened with gore.

Water sprinkled heroes, Nornir hath life fated; Valkyrias hath guarded, Shout for the prey."

[Footnote 8: Cold-hearted.]

[Footnote 9: Coward.]

[Footnote 10: Race of G.o.ds.]

[Footnote 11: Lantern.]

[Footnote 12: The dead were fitted with Hel-shoes.]

[Footnote 13: Ruler of man-slaying.]

[Footnote 14: fabled Hawk.]

Gibberish it seems to modern ears; but upon these rude men,--with grossly over-grown superst.i.tions, and dwarfish reasoning faculties,--this song, jerked out in frenzied exclamations and fanatical intensity, the effect was electrical and intensely contagious.

Whilst the excitement was at its height, above the din the priest's voice was heard as he shouted,--

"_Skalds, hoi! I scent the battle_; I smell the blood of the Normans.

"Gyg,[15]" the woman of Jotun race, has gone before ye, to confound the foe. _Scalds, hoi!_ Arise! scatter your enemies!"

[Footnote 15: Witch.]

As he said this he handed to every man a small piece of wood, with runes carved upon it, and each one hid it under his garment. It was a sure protection against wounds and death. Then, catching up an image of Thor and carrying it before him, he cried,--

"Follow me."

So saying, he led the way, followed by Sigurd and the rest in a state of intense excitement. Together they scrambled out on the limestone hills above them. It was quite dark, saving as the boisterous wind sent the broken and ominous-looking clouds scurrying before it, across the face of the heavens, and permitting the stars to look down to earth. The elements seemed, indeed, to have caught the fierce infection, for the wind howled and whistled against the huge boulders, and the bare limestone precipices on the hillside; and it soughed and roared through the woods below, rocking and tossing the tree-tops until they seemed possessed by the furies. The fierce band of men responded in savage glee to this tempest of the elements; every man amongst them believing that this fierce raging of nature was the work of the supernatural agencies invoked, and already hastening to help them in this work of revenge. The old priest's vigour and animation was marvellous: he seemed to have shaken off the infirmities of age; the wild fanatic spirit within achieving a complete triumph over the weak and shattered body. He led the band at a brisk pace, chanting as he went the same weird song. Ere long, the downward trend which they had followed led them within sight of the Norman camp fires, at the sight of which they could not resist the impulse to shout and savagely brandish their swords. But the state of the elements was such that scarcely any liberties of that sort would betray them.

The Normans were encamped in an open glade, with the wood all around them and within twenty yards of their camp fires. Previous bitter experience, however, had taught them extreme caution. Two or three sentinels paced to and fro, and several fierce dogs lay curled up in the glow of the fire. Besides this, every sleeper, as he lay wrapped in the arms of peaceful sleep, grasped the hilt of his sword.

Presently one of the dogs raised his head and listened, then he started to his feet with a fierce growl.

"What is the matter, Gripper?" said one of the sentinels stooping and patting him on the head. "'Tis only the shrieking of the wind amid the trees."

The dog listened intently with his eyes on the wood, and gave one or two impatient snarls as though somewhat appeased, but not satisfied.

"Lie down again, sir," said the sentinel, again patting him.

The dog very reluctantly obeyed this command, stretching himself again with a low, fierce growl, and placing his nose between his forepaws, whilst his eyes shone in the darkness, and rolled from side to side most ominously. Not a minute had elapsed before he sprang to his feet again; this time sending forth a loud, fierce bay, which woke the echoes and effectually roused every sleeper in the camp. Immediately the dog sprang towards the adjacent thicket with savage fierceness. But just as quickly he beat a cowardly retreat with his tail between his legs, like a whipped spaniel, for he had fronted the weird and unearthly form of the priest Olaf bearing the image of Thor before him, and the bones of the dead hero dangling from his neck and girdle.

With a savage yell and impetuous rush the Vikings burst into the centre of the camp, sending up their fierce war cry--SKALDS HOI!--to the utter terror and bewilderment of the half-awakened Normans. Like infuriated demons they laid about them with terrible effect; and as the Normans realised the position, many of them sprang forward on the instant, sword in hand, only to recoil abashed with terror as they faced the weird form of the old priest, who, without weapon, or implement of war of any kind, headed the fierce onslaught. In their terror and superst.i.tion they thought that the devil himself fought for the Vikings, and they gave back in mortal terror. Meantime their a.s.sailants made good use of these moments of abject consternation of their enemies, yelling frantically, and cutting down the Normans wholesale; they themselves being thoroughly possessed with the belief that the supernatural powers fought for them.

The onslaught was so furious that the Normans staggered and reeled before them, and hovered for a moment on the verge of an utter rout and stampede. But one Norman in this desperate strait broke the spell, for he sprang towards Olaf shouting,--

"_Witch or devil, have at thee!_ I'll try cold steel upon thy pate," and with a blow he cleft the skull of the old priest.

The effect of this was magical, the Normans sent up a shout which made the greenwood ring again, and the echoes in the distant hills to send back long reverberations.

Now the Normans laid about them with vigour, and to some purpose. They outnumbered the Saxon by two or three to one, but fully one-third had been cut down ere they had courage to face the foe. Now the battle raged with more equal fortunes. Blow upon blow, no quarter, no mercy given or taken. At a terrible pace the ranks of each party dwindled, and ere long Sigurd alone of the Saxons was left to do battle with three of the Normans. A giant he was in strength compared with his antagonists.

Better equipped also he was for defence, for he wore a coat of mail, and on his head a spiked helmet, with a shield of bronze upon his arm. But his antagonists wilily beset him behind and before. With a spring and a blow he cut down the man who fronted him; but whilst doing it, one of the others cut a deep gash in his thigh from behind, and the third drave the point of his sword between two of his ribs. Furiously Sigurd turned upon them, and with a blow cut down another of his a.s.sailants. But again a cowardly stroke from behind severed the sinews of his left arm, and his shield dropped immediately from the powerless limb. So these two alone remained of two stalwart bands of men, who a quarter of an hour ago revelled in the pride of health and vigour. Sigurd was fearfully wounded, with a deadly faint coming over him from pain and loss of blood. He still, however, retained his sword arm unimpaired. Had the Norman fought an evasive battle, time was in his favour, and the burly giant would have been helplessly at his mercy. But the Norman was not sufficiently alive to this fact, though he knew Sigurd was deeply wounded. On he came, furiously attacking his man, and the battle was ended, for with one sweep of his long broadsword Sigurd cut him down.

Then for a moment he swayed to and fro, with strength all gone. Next, he staggered forward a step or two, rolling his eyes around as though in quest of further foemen. Stumbling eventually over the corpse of a fallen enemy, he fell forward amid a heap of mangled corpses; and, with a deep groan, consciousness was gone.

CHAPTER XLIII.

THE CONQUEROR CONQUERED.

"Proceed my son! this youthful shame expel: An honest business never blush to tell."

Homer.

Not many days were permitted to elapse after the marriage of Oswald and Alice, ere De Montfort, accompanied by his Saxon son-in-law, proceeded to London. The Count knew well that, if the resentment of William was once aroused, it would be a difficult matter to appease him. He was well aware also of the fact that there were Norman neighbours, who were exasperated at his conduct in bestowing his daughter upon a Saxon rebel; even though that rebel had but maintained a defensive att.i.tude, and used his influence to calm the fierce pa.s.sions which had been aroused in this strife of races. They knew he had effectually barred them in the barbarous policy on which they were bent; for which they gave him no thanks. If these malcontents but got the ear of the Conqueror, grievous complications might possibly ensue.

When De Montfort reached London the king was at Winchester; so to that place he and Oswald at once repaired. They proceeded to the castle together, but De Montfort alone sought an audience of the king.

It should here be stated that Northumbria, as the north of England generally was termed, was a grievous thorn in the side of William. To keep in check this people, and to suppress the ferocious outbursts of the downtrodden Saxons which were constantly taking place, was a most hara.s.sing and costly business; so he was keenly anxious to have reliable information and advice, with regard to the turbulent north. Thus De Montfort was welcomed heartily. As fortune would have it, Odo, who was De Montfort's chief enemy, was away in Normandy, and there was nothing, consequently, but the jealousy of Fitz-Osborne, that was likely to interfere with the success of his suit; and this n.o.bleman alone was present at the audience which De Montfort had with the king.

The Count was ushered into the audience chamber without delay. There, the king occupied a chair of state in the centre of the wall opposite to the entrance, with a richly embroidered canopy above his head, and side hangings drooping to the wall and floor on either side.

As De Montfort prostrated himself to the floor, the king rose from his seat and, bidding him rise, shook him by the hand.

"Ye did well for our cause at Hastings, De Montfort, and should not be forgotten by us; but how comes it we have had so little of your presence at court since then? I trow ye have been over busy scaring Saxon rooks from their nests, and preparing yourself a roost in them. 'Tis an occupation my valiants knights have much busied themselves in since that day. Natheless, I mind me I have set my scribes to make a _book_, so I may know where all the fat manors lie; my liegemen and barons know their business well enough, and are going scot free of taxes; whilst the king has got nothing yet but hard blows and a beggar's dole. Howsomever, I will hear thy plaint. Thou would'st have more lands, or royal warrant for what thou hast already grabbed, I suppose; for that is the usual thing."

"I crave your pardon, sire, but it is not for lands I ask, for I fought my way into savage Northumbria, and ventured to lay hold of a tolerable demesne there, and----"

"'Twill be pa.s.sing fair, I warrant, De Montfort, if thou think it tolerable. Fat, fertile, and ample. Well, proceed! proceed! I make a note of it thou didst not deem it necessary to say to thy king, May I?

But no matter, that has come to be a mere formality."

"My purpose, sire, if your majesty will hear me, is to report the state of the land and its prospects; as well as to acquaint your majesty with an alliance which I have formed with one of the ablest of the Saxon chieftains of the north."

"By my halidame, De Montfort! hast thou ventured to form an alliance _too_, with the Saxon dogs? Truly thou art over bold. Much too bold. I think also thou hast forgotten the example of the countryman who warmed the snake by the fire. I'll none of this setting at nought of my authority, De Montfort, mark me!"

"Hear me patiently, your majesty," said De Montfort, alarmed at William's testiness. "I have brought this Saxon to court, and he will, if permitted, make oath of fealty to your majesty, and there is no Saxon leader north of the Humber whose influence is so great as his."

"Aye, aye! make oath of fealty readily enough! like the rest of them, and with as much honesty also. Truly, he matches thy boldness, De Montfort, in venturing hither after the tumult which has taken place at Durham. Natheless, we will see him, we will see him nevertheless; for such boldness is catching. But if he be advised, he will be somewhat careful how he deport himself, for he ventures into the jaws of the lion; and some of these Saxon boors are too loud of the mouth, and think it fine to 'beard' me, as they call it. Thou hast brought him hither thou sayest?"