King Alfred's Viking

from the town that evening, and next day coming even to the eastern end of the old bridge, and bandying words with the townsfolk who guarded it. Across it they d

a stretch of country that was, as it were, a natural fastness. Three hundred years ago the defeated Welsh had turned to bay here w

ls keep the border; on the eastern side is the river Parret, and on the north the Tone, which joins it. Except at Bridgwater, at the eastern inland corner, and Taunton, at the western--one at the head of the tidal waters of the Parret, and the other guarding the place where the Quantocks end--there is

rough to block the way; or else put into the Parret, and there, at the first landing place, where they say that Joseph of Arimathaea

nd Alfred the king here before us. But he was not; and next day we rode on to Taunton to seek him there, for that was the strongest fortress in that par

best do, and it was nothing more or less than that I should le

ings in Neustria {xii} beyond the Channel. It is your kindness only that hold

as I would; but when I said nothing he stayed his words, and then I

o what I can to help him out of it. Why, there are ships that I have put in frame for him in the western ports that the Danes will

e. "Speak thus to the king when we find him, and it will do him good,

think that of A

aw I such a look on a man's face before, and I pray that I may not see it

not believe that when the first weight of

ad rapidly in the low-lying lands. One good thing can be said of this weather, and that was that

n of the frost in even greater strength than before; and the weather-wise fishers and sh

taken by the Danes, they would have let all men know thereof soon enough. But we feared that he mi

asking for sure word of what had befallen; and the o

nd Thora were most kindly received as honoured guest

ans were, for we were both s

aught. If there were Welsh to be fought, I would fight beside you all, gladly, for Alfred; but as the war is against my own folk, I can do nothing. I will neither fight for them n

ind him,

w. I think it is not known how his plans are feared by our folk. I am sure that

ws. All that they heard was the same tale of dismay from whoever they might meet, and I think t

dgemoor, who knew all the paths through the wastes. Lean and loose-limbed he was, and somewhat wild looking, mostly silent; but where his lord we

just a week after we had come to Cannington, when the frost had

ilently before the fire, and he looked

regar, who knew his ways; "

s sure enough; but

so. Have you

I have heard some

his way silently, as was his

ne--somewhere by Long Hill, they say. Now I mind that one day when the king rode with you across the Petherton heights, he looked out over all the fens, and called me and

Heregar; "but it w

rse at your door in Chippenham the other day, and he spoke to me by name, and put me in min

t of wrong, had there been any. That is a kingly gift to remember all, and no king has ever been great who has not had

mounted and full of hope, across the southward ridge that looks down over the fens of the meeting of Tone and Parret, where they

es of peat bogs, it seemed that we might search in vain for one who would hide among them. Only the strange round hill on Stanmoor s

gers if they knew of any folk in hiding in the islets. But though we heard of poor people in one or two places, none of them k

and I another, each to distant cottages that we saw. The lane down which I and my two comrades rode seemed to lead fenwards, and it was little more than a track, deep in snow and tree bordered. The cottage we sought was a quarter mile away when we left the thane, and as we d

fter the first, shaking her fist after her, and then following her slowly, looking on the gr

l in her left. I wondered idly what she was about with these things, when she stooped and began

tch her, puzzled,

or else what is t

with much interest; for if he could learn a new spell

e snow--two going away from the cottage and one returning. That which went and returned was made

il into her own footprin

now and then she shook her fist or hammer, or both, towards where

tened herself with a sort of groan, as old da

lgrim, who was laughing at her, cursing us valian

not Danes. Here is earnest thereof," a

here it fell, and stared at us, mut

I know not what is wrought with hammer a

know not that," she said, having

e 'tis a spell against a sprained ankle, wh

cornfully; "you are over you

the sprain be bathed with spring-col

ur and

the wo

ldur's f

ing it

how it

d woman's e

ray you. Now I know that you have w

t hammer and nail

d savagely. "Now, if one does as I have done,

does the nail go

and save that Baldur's name and Thor's hammer also came into it, I do not know what i

exchanged spells

ou of any thane in

looked sha

re be I, lamed, in

s somewhere here," I said, doubting, from her manner, if

he answered. "W

moment; but Harek's

ich the king had called himself once

ot at once, so that I was sure she knew s

going, but Ha

the evil eye, mother," he said,

t?" she sa

essly. "Tell us if you know aught

here was a thane."

not. Come now; I think what I ca

at in her mind, as it seemed, and then sh

that he who bides in Denewulf's cottage is a thane, for he wears a gold ring, and wipes his hands in the middle of the towel, and sits all day studying and

egar; but he was coming, and so I waited. Then the dame clamour

l with hammer and nail, the footprint into which the

o it sh

rive it into yo

alongside the nailed one, and it was true. She had paid no heed

is. I fear that I have even nailed t

o. Draw the nail out while saying the spell backwards, and then put it into the right place carefull

the old witch, with much content. "You ar

d Heregar, coming up in time to hear this. "But

ould answer she cried out and came and clung to my stirrup, taki

s this?

roud are his ways, and so strange things they hear him speak when he sleeps. But now I am glad, for I have seen the king

to say; but Heregar b

e cruel to spoil it, and maybe s

Denewulf's cottage; while in the track stood the witch, bless

the cottage," Dudda said; "but it will be s

e of a mere, and there were five men who bore fishing nets and eel spears, which had not been used,

orman, and young Ethered of Mercia. It was strange to see those no

d they came on, for they knew him. It would be hard to

the king?"

ed said. "But supperless you must be tonight. We h

surprised

, when the ice is at its thickest we ca

thered, laughing ruefully, "and we will r

you," I said; "let

isherman," said Har

aughed in ligh

e charms of some sort needed befor

matter as breaking a hole in the ice and dropping a line among the hungry fish, who would swarm to the air, had not been thought of. We

hard snow into a bottomless peat bog. The alder thickets grew everywhere round dark, ice-bound pools of peat-stained water, and we could nowhere see more than a few yards before us; and it was hard to sa

within which to pen the cattle and swine outside that, and all around were the thickets. None could have known that such an island was here, for not even the house overtopped the low trees; and though all the higher ground was cleared, there were barely two acres above the watery level--a lo

lnoth; and a man came to the door to see what roused them, and he had a hunting spear in his hand. I to

he king?" as

d he slept well, and now has just wakened wonderfully cheerful. I have not seen him so brigh

him beforehand," said Heregar. "Our king ha

the house Alfred'

the voice of my

ar, for all men know th

hich the house had, and a strew of chips and shreds of feathers and the like was round him; for he was arrow making--an art in which he was skilful, and he had all

e you thus hidden yourself from us?

sadly at him and wi

would be hidden: but between these two reasons

grief and anxiousness and thought and waiting fo

leave a man while he has life, and friends like these, and counsellor

iled and t

would bide with a lost cause, nor should I have thought of blame for you had

here are things that bind m

ugh to say that he could not take my saying to himself, as I meant it.

ith us. The deer have fled from our daily hunting, and the wild fowl have sought open water. Un

thelno

no fish caught

n; and meanwhile I will hear all the news, for

knew, and he asked many que

rd king?" asked Hereg

e I in any known place, thither would they come. Therefore I said that now I choose to bide hidden. Moreover, in this quiet and loneliness there comes to me

s outside. The door opened, and in stumbled Ethered, bearing a heavy basket of great fish, which he

ch of us is thus laden. Fish enough for an army could we have take

se up and stared,

n now--that my fishers should return laden with spoil, even for an army, although frost and snow have pr

fred," said Ethered, thinking that I had spoken of

or my doubt of help against the heathen; and when he knew that I was sorry, he foretold to me that all would yet be well, and that I should obtain the kingdom once more with even greater honour than I h

was plain took no mean plac

as wrought, I pray you,

e us make holes in the ice and fish through them. So

ng are by the hand of God," said De

of the sign; and it seemed to me that I was most truly under a power

the fishing for the Midgard snake by Asa Thor. And that grated on me, though I ever waited to hear what song the blithe s

ly share in its bodings of good," he said, quickl

led at the wisdom of this strange man, but I never knew how he gained it. King Alfred was ever wont to say that in him he had found his veriest counsellor against despair in that dark t