The Iron Arrow Head or The Buckler Maiden: A Tale of the Northman Invasion

town that is known as the Cité, which is bathed by the two branches of the Seine, and is flanked with towers at the entrance of the large and the small bridge, its only m

ha, his wife, was engaged on some needlework, seated near her daughter Anne the Sweet, who was busy spinning. Agreeable to a new-fangled style of the time which, started by the royal families and their grandees, descended to the common towns-people, Eidiol had given a surname to his children. He called his daughter Anne, "the Sweet," for there was nothing in the world milder or sweeter than this child, whose nature was as angelic as her face. His son Guyrion, Eidiol surnamed "the Plunger", b

-day Father Fultrade, the worthy leader of the choi

ther, how Rustic the Gay wagered with my brother a tame quail that he would w

personage as the leader of the choir at St. Denis could aff

, and robust enough to walk any such distance. Rustic

n he lived in this town as the priest of the Church of Notre Dame, and great favorite with Seigneur Rothbert, the Count of the Cit

brother and myself. And yet you might now be wholly healed of it if you wou

t re

wl of water, boil it, and drink it down warm. Rustic the Gay has told

talking about

toward her mother and without betraying the slightest embarrassm

esists the relics? You might as well try to make me believe that any human power could return to me the dear little gi

p over her absence, althou

taken my place near you. She would n

ding from the street, interrupted at this point

with insults and blows! Only yesterday, an unfortunate fellow whom they were pursuing in that way rema

these penitents thoroughly punished. If they are penitents it is because they have

ust walk bare-footed, with irons to their limbs, for two or three years, often longer, dressed in sack-cloth, their

wound that they receive. Each wound brings them nearer to salvation. But hark! The nois

f oxen and loaded high with lumber, sank into the mud up to the hub of one of the wheels. Too heavy to be pulled out of the deep mud, the outfit completely blocked the passage, and stood in the way of several knights, who were riding from the opposite direction, with Rothbert, the Count of Paris and Duke of France, and brother of Eudes, who had himself proclaimed King, in prejudice of Charles the Simple, the weak descendant of Charles the Great, who now, in the year 912, reigned over France. Escorted by five or six knights Rothbert found his way blocked by

d force him to crawl out from under the wagon. Prick

n order to escape the point of the lance. The Frank grew nettled, began to blaspheme and was angrily prodding with his lance under the wagon, when unexpectedly

ve their lances, the skippers o

the threatening words, the knight leaped back,

in who dares to thr

the skippers of the port, jumped with one bound on top of the lumber with which the wagon was loaded, stood up boldly, holding in hi

ith lance thrusts is I! My name is Guyrion the Plunger. I

hted and leaning out of the window; "for the l

f his sister and mother, continued to defy the count's men from t

or-stricken serf who had crouched behind the wagon, "Save yoursel

of Paris, on the other hand, ever more enraged, shook his iron gaun

ted by that vile scamp? Alight, all

of their eyes at the rapid gyrations of the nautical implement, descended from their horses with cautious slowness. Leaning heavily out of the window, Martha and her daughter were imploring Guyrion to desist from the dangerou

e yourself to the ang

ver, bade him with a sign of authority to keep silent, and lowering the hook wi

n trying to wound an inoffensive serf with their lances. All of us here, myself, my son and our neighbors will put our shoulders to the wheels of this wagon and push it out of the rut in which it is f

street. The passage was now open to Rothbert and his knights. But while one of them held the bridles of his companions' horses, the others, instead of remounting, rushed upon Eidiol and his son. Both, taken by surprise, and before their neighbors could bring them help, were speedily overpowered, thrown to the ground, and to the utter dismay of Martha and Ann

Rise to your feet, my daugh

an, both Martha and Anne rose an

s. Thanks to God, we are not left to the utter mercy of our masters, like the serfs of the field. We enjoy certain fran

the sententious answer made to Eidiol by the count as he remounted his horse. "Back into the saddle," the count ordered his men. "Two of you shall follow me; the others

rowd that had in the meanwhile been gathering in the narrow thorou

y your garb; wha

the prisoners. This crowd will lend me their physical assistance, if need be, to take the pr

ishop, the right is under my authority," cried the Count of Paris. "

e crime had been committed on the side of

geant, "were on top of a wagon that obstructed the street in it

, the culprits belong to the

aim that only the bourgeois c

it more for the bishop's court!" cried the count. "

upon their respective rights, when a new personage, before whom