The Last of the Vikings Part 30

"Never fear, comrade, I know my way about, whether it be light or dark.

Besides, my business is such as would disgrace a half-bred knight like thyself. Dost thou see, Grizzly here, and myself, have no dignity to uphold? so we may do anything either boldly or slily, as it suits our humour, if it only brings grist to the mill. Well, now be off. There is no time to talk, for it only hinders business. Come, Grizzly," said Badger, addressing his hound as soon as the form of Wulfhere was lost to view. "You know, Grizzly, you and I are not supposed to be above borrowing a few head of cattle, or to be too proud to do our own droving, at a pinch."

The fact was, the lynx eyes of Badger had espied a herd of cattle lying together under the trees by the side of the lake, although the darkness was so deep that none but keen eyes would have detected their presence.

He had seen them at once, and instantly his nimble brain began revolving some scheme for carrying them off.

"The cackling and talking has come to naught, as it mostly does," said he grunting to himself; "but beshrew me if I like a bootless errand.

I'll try a cast of my own net, whether there is aught to it or not."

Now there was but one formidable obstacle in the way, and that was the solitary sentinel who still stood at his post, and who continued slowly pacing to and fro in a limited s.p.a.ce.

Badger turned to the hound and addressed him, for he was in the habit of having sundry conferences with his favourite, who had partnered him in many a daring exploit.

"Well, Grizzly, what is to be done now? Eh, sir? We must have yon cattle, Grizzly, come fair or come foul. There is this scurvy Norman in the way. What are we to do with him? I think we can dispose of him somehow or other. What say you?"

Grizzly answered by a vigorous attempt to lick Badger's chops.

"Eh, sir? I don't doubt but we can finish him off easily enough, you and I together, Grizzly. But what will our Abbot say? Are you aware, sir, that you and I have a sacred calling--that we belong to the monastic order? Don't you remember the many sermons we have from our Abbot, on loving our enemies? I don't quite see the turn of the wit in the case of these Norman dogs, somehow or other. No doubt it is sound doctrine enough, but bad to practise. Well, let that pa.s.s. I have a feeling, though, I would rather not brain this fellow, if another turn will serve as well. Now it would certainly ease my mind to do it if I caught him, _flagrante delicto, flagrante delicto_. Grizzly, did you note, that is the _monk_ that is speaking? You see I can mouth my Latin when it pleases me, Grizzly. There is many a scurvy monk knows less. But I say, Grizzly, I fancy the fellow's knees are knocking together already with fear at being left alone, and that is very suggestive. Let us try playing ghost with him."

So saying, Badger divested himself of his upper garments, leaving his shoulders and the upper parts of his body exposed. Then he took the garments and tied them deftly about the shoulders of Grizzly, giving him a most strange and uncouth appearance. Having done this, and without exposing themselves to view, Badger commenced to give forth, in a low tone, the most dismal groans, and varying this by most piercing shrieks of pain.

The Norman turned a terrified gaze in the direction from whence these strange noises came, evidently in great trepidation and fear. Then he darted off a few paces, as though about to beat a hasty retreat. This was enough. Badger saw at once that the ruse would answer. So, without more ado, he dropped down on all fours, and, accompanied by the dog, each of them presenting a most unearthly and fantastic appearance, they started off in the direction of the sentinel, the groans and shrieking of Badger deepening, and becoming most diabolical in tone and intensity.

The Norman for one moment turned a scared gaze on the advancing figures, which appeared to him to be none other than the Saxon devil Zernebock, of which many Normans went in mortal dread. Then, with the speed of the wind, he took to his heels and dashed off towards the camp. Quick as thought, Badger freed the dog from his trammels, and bade him fetch the cattle. In a very few minutes he was making off, all speed, with the herd.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

DOG ROBS DOG.

"I am but a gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff."

Sir Henry Wotton.

Badger, with his valuable plunder, had four good hours start ere daybreak, which was as early as the Normans would be likely to discover their loss. It was slow and tedious work driving cattle through the pa.s.ses, and the wooded country, and the most that he could hope for in the way of start would be eight or ten miles. But there was considerable probability that the enemy would plan a night attack upon the Saxons, and in that case, if the loss was discovered by those remaining in camp, they would be quite unprepared for pursuit; and if no start could be made by them before the return of the expedition, then he would have his prize safely aboard the schooner.

In the meantime, Wulfhere, summarily dismissed by his comrade, returned to the Saxon camp, ruminating upon the strange vagaries of Badger's wit.

He nothing doubted but that some sufficient purpose, if not some daring exploit, dictated his erratic movements. When he reached the encampment, he lost no time in rousing his chieftain, Oswald. After a brief consultation, they decided at once to rouse the whole camp. Then a council of war was held by the leaders. Hereward and Sigurd were for forming an ambush, and trying a brush with the foe; but the more prudent were very doubtful about the success of such a movement, seeing the Normans were far more numerous than they. Ultimately, it was decided not to risk an engagement. So hasty preparations were made, and in less than an hour's time the camp was broken up, and each party chose its own route for retreat.

"Wulfhere," said Oswald, when we had collected our little party, and had started home. "I miss Badger. Is he on before?"

"Well, I almost think he will be, my lord, though I left him lurking within a bowshot of a Norman sentinel, and within sight of their camp fires. What he had in his head I know not. Some crank, I warrant, by means of which he will get the best of the enemy."

"He will be venturing too far, I doubt, some day, and he will find he has got his head in a noose which all his ingenuity will not enable him to slip."

"No fear, my lord. It will take all the wit in the Norman camp to put him in a corner where there is not room enough for him to wriggle out.

There is something in that old pate of his which will make him a match for them all, and something to spare. I have an opinion he will circ.u.mvent grim Death with some dodge or other."

"Well, he will know that we shall be bound homewards, I suppose, and he will follow when it suits his humour to do so."

"Nay, I fancy he will be ahead of us even now. He gave me instructions that he would be rounding the Great Nab's head at daybreak, so we may hope to meet with him ere long."

Thus we kept steadily pressing on through the darkness, and ere long the beams of the morning sun shot up athwart the eastern sky, and our march became much more easy and pleasant. By-and-by we rounded the bluff promontory indicated by Badger, and known as the "Great Nab's head;" and shortly we espied Badger, and his comrade Grizzly, seated most contentedly on a mossy bank, Badger regaling himself with a hunch of bread, and salt beef, whilst Grizzly, foraging for himself, was putting the finis.h.i.+ng touches to a rabbit he had killed.

"Well, Badger," said the Earl, "alive and well, I see. What exploit have you been perpetrating? Reconnoitring the Norman camp, eh?"

"Reconnoitring, my lord? Mercy on us, no!--if that means sitting on a boulder like a moulting fowl, and gazing at nothing in particular. I never reconnoitre; that means _can_ anything be done. I always _know_ something can be done if one sets about it."

"Very good philosophy, Badger--well to the point. What have you been _doing_, then? What is the trick this time? and have you been found out for once in a way?"

"Just come with me, my lord, and we'll see."

So saying, he led us over the shoulder of the hill, revealing to us a lovely little dell where there was a stream of fresh water and an abundance of fresh green herbage. Here, also, were about twenty head of cattle browsing l.u.s.tily.

"There, my lord. I thought we should have a bootless errand, for the wagging of tongues and the cackling of geese I never could understand; they are both pointless, and equally profitable. I never was a great hand at crooning since I was a baby, so I give that business up. But I owe a grudge to the Normans, and I borrowed these few cattle from them.

They will be of service, I trow, on the top of the hill. And if you find you don't need them, why, there's no harm done--send them back again."

"Well, every man wields his own staff best, Badger. You do credit to yours. But I think we had better be moving, or the Normans may fetch them before they get to their journey's end."

"Quite ready, my lord. We can now reach the boat without another halt, if the Normans do not dock our tails in the meantime. Come, Grizzly, the drover's trade is a thriving trade in these times. The thieving Scot and the robber Dane have turned over their business to honester men. I never dreamed it was so respectable and well-spoken a trade as I find it to be now."

So saying, Badger and his hound set about collecting the beasts, and soon we were able to resume our march with as much celerity as we could command. Everybody seemed anxious to hear Badger's recital of his exploit, which he told us with much grim humour, and evidently much inward relish.

We were able to reach our destination without molestation from the enemy, their energies being fully occupied by other matters until we had got clear away. It was thought desirable not to embark until nightfall, unless we were compelled to do so; for it was more than probable, had we put out to sea, the movements of the vessel would have been observed by the enemy. A gangway, however, was laid ready for emergencies, whilst scouts were posted at points of observation, thus making it impossible for us to be surprised. During the day, the cattle were permitted to graze in the wood near, and when the shades of night gathered about us, they were driven aboard, and we weighed anchor and stood across the bay.

Ultimately we reached our destination without mishap, though we had, in consequence of our cattle, to travel with the utmost circ.u.mspection.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

WILD DARING OF SIGURD THE VIKING.

"When Greeks joined Greeks, then was the tug of war."

Nathaniel Lee.

It was a most grievous disappointment to Sigurd when the Saxon leaders finally decided not to attack the Normans, and thus checkmate them as they sought to capture the Saxons whilst in council. When he saw that there was no hope of the Saxons uniting in this, he appealed most importunately to Hereward to join him, but in vain. When everything failed, so insatiate was his thirst for vengeance that he determined to attack them single-handed, trusting to his prowess, and his familiarity with the pa.s.ses and the mountain retreats, to secure for himself immunity from capture.

"If I had but a dozen of my hardy mountaineers, I would lead these Normans a dance before this day was done!" he muttered, as he saw the remnant of the Saxons departing. His hatred of the Normans had so eaten into his soul, that every opportunity to attack them was a favourable one, and he was ready for any scheme of wild daring if only Norman blood could be spilled. So, alone, he grimly and resolutely strode up the pa.s.s, until he reached a spot he deemed suitable for his purpose.

Boulders and bushes intermingled thickly on one side; on the other was a precipice--a sheer drop of twenty feet into a trout-stream, which threaded its way amid limestone boulders.

Behind him the gaunt, gloomy mountains shot up far away, their lower parts covered thickly with bracken, bushes, and boulders; behind and amid which a retreating figure need never be exposed for more than a second at a time. Looking around for a second or two, he gave a grunt of satisfaction, and then he climbed a few yards from the path, and laid himself down amid the bracken and deep gra.s.s, with his broad sword unsheathed and laid by his side, ready for the fray. Thus he waited for the oncoming Norman soldiery. For more than an hour he lay thus in ambush, with wild and turbulent pa.s.sions fermenting in his breast, and a wild look in his eyes--reason for the moment dethroned by this one overmastering pa.s.sion.

Presently on the still night air was borne the sound of stealthy footsteps. Sigurd bounded to his feet as the first sounds broke upon his ear. He fixed tightly his helmet, closed his visor, and adjusted his coat of link-mail, which had swung a little awry. Then, grasping his powerful broadsword, he made a vigorous lunge at an invisible foe, and then, with a grunt of satisfaction, he took his stand behind a ma.s.sive boulder, flanked on the side next the advancing foe with a thick network of shrubs, through which, however, he could watch the movements of the Normans. The darkness was ebbing away fast. Already the morning's sun had smitten the head of mighty Helvellyn in the distance, and bathed his kingly head in a halo of golden glory; but substantial remains of laggard night still hung moodily about the bottom of the pa.s.s, as though nature, in shame and sadness, would fain cast her mantle over this mad strife of men, and over the deed about to be enacted before her eyes.