King Alfred's Viking

land and England; and there is nothing to say about such a cruise, that had nou

o wish to be Rolf's follower, seeing he was but a jarl's son; and finding that England had no overlord, seeing that even now

cruise about and find where I might best make a name. I had but my one ship and crew,

ough, being of Saxon kin, who had settled there under the headland they call Greynose, since Hengist's times of the winning of England across the water. And when the gale was over, we waited for the sea to go down, and then came a fair wind from the eastw

the land, we found that we were right in the track of a strange fleet that was coming up fast from the westwa

d Kolgrim. "He has gathered any vessels he coul

their course," I said. "Maybe they are D

ips that were plainly Norse like ourselves, maybe twenty Danish-built longships, and about the same number of heavy trading vessels. There were a few large fishing boats also; but leading the crowd were five gre

or here they come to speak with us. Maybe we shall

asant hustle and talk of those who donned mail shirt and h

e cannot weather on these ships, and anyway shall fight them bett

ever been done by any ship before. I do not know that even Harald Fairhair had any swifter ship than this that Ha

growled. "They are neither Norse, nor Frisian, n

uld stand alone," said Thord, "but I never so much as thought of the like of these. If

have swept up and made prizes o

s; and we neared them quickly at last, for we tried to hold across their bo

. The leading ship was maybe half a mile ahead of the other, and that a mile from us--all three close-hauled as we strov

we are to weather on th

g. Her great sail was overboard, for the halliards had gone--chafed through maybe

other vessel, and then come back

p at least, if our foe was larger and higher and swifter than

ssel, meaning to go about under her stern, and so shoot to windward of her on the other tack. But then I thought of a plan which might help us in the fight

hem. Let them pull after us and tire themselves. I have a

, and the oars were ru

ing, king; we can teach the

t," said Kolgrim, with a sour g

half as long again as ours, pulling twenty-eight oars a side to our twenty. But while

at sailing than r

on us, and that because we

attled down, and was stowed on deck; and silently we waited

ead to wind, right ahead of us

e talks?" I said. "I can

rrior from the waist. "He asks wh

an speak in his way," I answe

ent backwards and

hat of Devon in Wessex, and bid

e to say to a king who can build ships like these. Now we will speak

efore they knew we were there. Alfred's men had yet somewhat to learn of fighting in a sea way, as it seemed, for we were on their deck aft before they had risen from their oar benches. There w

l backward over them, and hindered one another. It was strange to hear my men laughing in what seemed most terrible slaug

so helpless: for as we came they swung the great yard athwart ships, and that stayed us; while

n fighting, I had a word t

a red, angry face pushed his way to t

? here am I,"

e, for he spoke in the mixed tongue that any Northman under

said; "I do not know, there

for the Dan

less, and I have no

en, what

am here. Now I think it is a matte

e said. "Nevertheless, I do not give up without fig

ell said,"

n oar bench, had dragged out a rower by the neck. The man swore and strug

fully. "Maybe there is a head or two broken; '

ough, but had no hurt; then he stared at our l

at you have the best of us, and then asked you to fight for Alfred of Wessex. We need th

listen to that," I

ll we cast in our lot w

. "If it seems good to you, it is good for us. There will

said

that is to bring Danes from Wareham to the help of those whom Al

ust be better handled, for Danes ar

ying was not good for them to hear, if they were to meet the

itting reward. I do not know what I might say about that, having thought

o give. Maybe, however, we might help him to riches again. I had the men to think of, but

across the yard that was between us; and he graspe

me," Odda said. "Now we mu

ain, and headed to rejoin the rest of the Saxon vessels. Odda's crippled ship had repaired her damage at this time, and went with us. But first it was plain that she tho

with much disfavour at the crew, who were plainly landsmen at sea for the first time, if they were stout fighting men enou

ald," Odda said. "You see what state

red. "But you seem to take me into your counsels over so

at I can trust you. I cannot deny that you had this ship at your mercy, and that the other would hav

ield, there would have been no fighting at

you what it is. Send me some of your men to order my people and tell them how to prepare for battle. Here am I sent to sea fo

I mistake not," I said, looking a

and the king persuaded them to take this cruise first. If you can make them fo

l follow Ranald Vemundsson well

sai

ips I have ever seen. Wh

much pride; "and they were built by our own men,

command one of these

The crew is bad. And then, who

into shape; and Ranald, your king, sha

y. "I can do the two things you ask

"if I say they are t

en, and that he could follow our plans. I would put more good men into each of his five ships, and they should do what they

le way when the tide turned, and held back by the slower vessels. Men in plenty there were, but ill fitted for aught but hand fighting; though I had more Norsemen sent into the larger ships, such as th

certain, however, and that was that they looked for no gathering of ships by Alfred. We should c

the mouth of Poole Harbour was not far distant, and if we passed that we should be seen, and perhaps it would be guessed that we were not a friendly fleet. Towards evening, too, the w

lay Poole Harbour, at whose head is Wareham, where the Danes were. It is a great sea inlet with a narrow mouth, and one must

e Swanage headlands, making for the offing. Then I got my ships into line abreast, and Thord worked up Odda's five alongside us to seaward; and all t

re but twenty more. Then I ran up my fighting flag, and everywhere along our line rose a great cheering as we ho

rike their midmost ships; and at last they saw what was coming, and heard the din of war horns and men's voices that came d

a's crashed upon and sank the first she met, and plunged and shook herself free from the wreck, and sought another. And beyo

struggling to reach the weapon chests through the press, even while our dragon head was sp

d though a great and terrible cry came from over the water as one of Alfred's ship

erfect balance, and yet I knew the weight it had as it fell. Helm and mail seemed

rd, swimming or sinking, as their fate might be, and only the slain bided before us. The ship w

hat great fleet was not flying down the wind without thought of fighting. Among them went our

haven mouth, and with the flood tide the wind was coming up in gusts from the southeast that seemed to bod

t the sky and the whitening wave crests. "We had

axons were putting about and following him. So I got men into the best of the ships we had

southwest, and two Danish ships were wrecked in trying to gain the harbour--preferring to y

s empty, save for a few Saxon fishermen, who hailed us joyfully. And then Odda made for us as good a feast as he might in the best house that

that I and my men deserved well of Alfred, and that he hoped that we should

uld have been much the sa

ave found out what state my men were in. You should have heard old Thord rate them into order; it is in my mind that he even called me--Odda the ealdorman--hard names in

tily at himself

whole credit of this victory to your shoulders, and then he will not be

t," I said, "for I h

ook to for advice," he said earnestly, and half laughing at the same time. "I did but take command of t

the Exeter Danes to

ht these ships ha

thousand,"

igh table, and said that he would go down to see that the ships

a man, telling him to find one of the Poo

," he said, "for more have come lately. I th

e seen the morning's light," I answered, "for

xt morning; and if any men won to land, there waited for them the fishers and churls

s were left in Wareham, and that those from Poole had f

or will they fall on us here?" I asked; for

e answered; "but I shall not move tonight. It is far by lan

. I would go to Wareham with a guide, and see what I could find out of the Danish plans. Maybe there were fewer men than was thought, or they might be pani

was sure that we must know what was going on. And at last I took Od

m, and we went out together into the moonlight and the wind, to find the fisherman we had spoken with already and get him to act as guide. I think that Odda did not expect to see eit