Ned, the son of Webb

he room where Ned was sleeping, and woke him. With it poured in

er it all now! There's Lars. I saw his hawks and the dogs and all the rest. Then came the blacksmith business and the songs and the harping. I know whe

warlike enthusiasm, and began to talk eagerly about the mustering of the army. They helped one another with the mail and the pieces of armour, for clothing of that sty

there, myself, and see where the sky touches the earth. It's as har

t he needs is the primary and then four years in a grammar school. I want to see Ha

largest force that ever had sailed from the Northland. Even Knud the Great, the conqueror of England, had never gathered su

-table except that of first come fi

ch he could see the landing, and he watched the b

can," he remarked. "I'd rather go b

in a few minutes more they were among a cons

es," he said, "but Lars

g crew. Their arms and equipments were of all sorts, for each man had suited himself, and nothing like a uniform was called for by the army regulations. Most of them were tal

the old race that was here when Woden and Thor and our people came in here from the east. They are all miners. They

d long-armed, and seemed so strong. It was enough to make one shudder to look at him and see him move. There could not have been an ounce of fat on him,

no spear can hit him. He can catch an arrow on his ax-edge and he can cleave a steel

irection. Vebba remained behind to bring on the main body of his following, whi

ming. Say that I have sent on great store of provisions and

f excitement which was in the way of conversation. Even

the Norway women can fight. His mother killed a wolf once. I wouldn't like to have my

eard the sound of galloping hoofs behind him. He turned his head to look, and a horseman wea

the missionary, from the Clontarf School and

and his father had bored him horribly with it, year after year, making him talk it as well as read it. He could, therefore, really do something in t

ven after they are converted, they stick to their old gods,-such as they are. They are all murderous pirates, anyhow. If it were not for the like of them and

were going out than from any other. Already had they done wonders for the English and Scotch and similar idolaters. Alfred the Great, said Father Brian, had welcomed the Irish scholars gladly, givi

Tostig are going to

dy. He is a pious man. He speaketh Latin. He will bring with him shiploads of teachers and missionaries. He will build churches and found schools,

is said to be a hard f

of with one enemy only, and each of the twain is his equal, I think. I hear that the English themselves are little more than half-h

ngland. The Saxon king was to be forced to defend the northern and southern ends of his kingdom at the same time, and there was no fairness in it. A great de

an doesn't seem to know much about him. Perhaps his biography hasn't been

en he spoke to Father Brian in modern English concerning the

sharply inquired the missionary, in g

altogether at sea, for his reverend friend had not the

y remarked. "Let me tell thee, then, t

completely, and g

world that he and all these others live in is pretty near a thousand years behind time. I wish I co

as discovering that a steel mail overcoat, put on over lea

to Father Brian. "Those Vikings don't seem to mind it muc

he good man, "but something would go throu

unpeaceful, just then, f

," said Ned, "would want

word Ber meaneth bear, that's so, but some weak minds will spell it b-a-r-e, as if t

then?" asked

re descended from bears, and fight like wild beasts. There are other

aviour. At all events, Ned did not contradict him. He was just then recalling the savage countenance of

e said to himself, "but the old grizzly h

ain on the crest of a ridge. Beyond this lay a wide, deep valley, bordered westerly by the blue waters of the No

Hardrada th

ed keels o

of the Wor

he banner

Harold

will be many

ill cleav

eak the mail

f the valley, and also at the right of the very commodious harbour, were what looked like extensive fortifications. These were composed mainly of strong palisade works, surrounded by ditches or moats. Nowhere was to be seen anything like a castle of s

ith yards and topsails, but a good many of them have two masts and some have three or four. They are all single sticks w

housands of war-horns, followed by a great shout that ran along the line

lt hasten to deliver to him the greeting of thy father. Let Ned, the son of Webb, ride with thee. I go to the shore speedily, to seek

l have little to say to me. I wouldn't know what o

of riding, nevertheless, before La

e of men, and wait for the king. See thou! He and his jarls and capt

ht presume to go out in front of the lines to greet the r

he said to Father Brian. "We

eathen king like him is no better than the rest of us; besides th

halt with the rest and w

ing blue eyes were searching the array of his warriors, man by man, and rank by rank, while his proud face flushed with exul

ight red hair, from which he took his name, flowed down his shoulders in a mass of ripples, instead of being worn in braids like those of numbers of his followers. At his saddle-bow was slung a huge battle-ax, which few arms but his could wield. Fro

t of the Vikings, Lars! The Saxons will find him a hard man to meet. Wh

k with Hardrada. He is a brother of Harold Godwinson, the King of the Saxons. Men say he is a good fighte

r between Tostig the Earl

They read the old runes on the tombstones. They boil snakes and lizards and evil roots, to make charms with, and salve ointments

ight thing from the advertisements. I don't remember any liniment, though, that they said was m

d the head of the column, with which Vebba's men were posted. Its captain had not yet

er Brian, and, by their dire

to the warrior. "What

Lars, the son of Vebba, will deliver

," said the king

, that all swordsmen are ready. They march this day to join thee. The last of the provision

value of thy father. Who is the youth w

came by sea. Haste, thou and thine, or William the Norman will reach England before thee. T

matter, already. Nevertheless, I will freely hear it from thee. Thou hast spoken

the Latin charter name of the American city that he came from, and from it a somewhat crooked understanding had a

he is somewhat of a jarl. He is an Angle, and he come

ame promptly from

d and in mine own city of York? He is welcome. He shall sail with us, and we shall be joined by many more as so

king. "What sayest thou

n doing it, "I will do as Tostig the Earl hath said. Lars and I are chums. I would give much to see Sik

ng, and as loudly roared Tostig

rdrada. "Thou shalt have

this for him, that he is the best sword, for his age, that I

f what sort are my men of Northumberland. It is a good thing th

he royal party rode slo

nds wheeled back to their post at the head of the Viking column. "But what

old Viking at his

and thine. We were questioning much in our minds as to how we might deal with thee, and some said it were well to take of

sed with the suggestion concerning

nd he expressed great gratification upon learning that he would n

l, and he biddeth him to remain with me. He is the son of a Sa

n had been assigned an open space a little north of the town, and to this his first detachment had marched. Their first duty was to prepare all things for further arrivals, and this work began, of course, with the kindling of camp-fire

mmering out sparks with his flint and steel. It'll take him all

the kind, and his sparks fell vai

he world! I guess I'll show them a point they don't know. I've a whole box of lighters

d and put something into the little heap of pine splinters. Nobody had seen him scratch his match upon a stone, and, in a m

oung Saxon of Tostig the

skill with a flint. Who ever saw such

n a Norway dwelling great care was always taken to keep fire from day to day, the whole year round. If the fire of one household should at any time be extinguished,

last me clean through the conquest of England, if I'm careful. Old newspapers are the rig

, and the supposed favourite of Tostig, the great Earl, slept like a to