Erling the Bold

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER EIGHT.

  TELLS OF DISCUSSIONS AND EXCITING DEEDS AT ULFSTEDE.

  While the fight at the Springs which we have just described was goingon, Christian the hermit sat in the hall at Ulfstede conversing withHilda and Dame Astrid, and some of the other women. All the fightingmen of the place had been taken away--only one or two old men and Alricwere left behind--for Ulf, in his impetuosity, had forgotten to leave aguard at home.

  "I hope it will fare well with our men at the Springs," said Hilda,looking up with an anxious expression from the mantle with which hernimble fingers were busy.

  "I hope so too," said Christian, "though I would rather that there hadbeen no occasion to fight."

  "No occasion to fight!" exclaimed Alric, who was dressing the featherson an arrow which he had made to replace the one he lost in shooting atthe Dane,--and the losing of which, by the way, he was particularlycareful to bring to remembrance as often as opportunity offered--sometimes whether opportunity offered or not. "No occasion to fight!What would be the use of weapons if there were no fighting! Whereshould we get our plunder if there were no fighting, and our slaves?why, what would Northmen find to _do_ if there were no fighting?"

  The hermit almost laughed at the impetuosity of the boy as he replied--

  "It would take a wiser head than mine, lad, to answer all thesequestions, more particularly to answer them to thy satisfaction.Notwithstanding, it remains true that peace is better than war."

  "That may be so," said Dame Astrid; "but it seems to me that war isnecessary, and what is necessary must be right."

  "I agree with that," said Ada, with a toss of her pretty head--for itwould seem that that method of expressing contempt for an adversary'sopinion was known to womankind at least a thousand years ago, if notlonger. "But _thou_ dost not fight, Christian: what has war done tothee that thou shouldst object to it so?"

  "What has war done for me?" exclaimed the old man, springing up withsudden excitement, and clasping his lean hands tight together; "has itnot done all that it could do? Woman, it has robbed me of all thatmakes life sweet, and left me only what I did not want. It has robbedme of wife and children, and left a burdened life. Yet no--I sin inspeaking thus. Life was left because there was something worth livingfor; something still to be done: the truth of God to be proclaimed; thegood of man to be compassed. But sometimes I forget this when the pastflashes upon me, and I forget that it is my duty as well as my joy tosay, `The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the nameof the Lord.'"

  The old man sat down again, and leaned his brow on his hand. The women,although sympathetic, were puzzled by some of his remarks, and thereforesat in silence for a little, but presently the volatile Ada looked upand said--

  "What thinkest thou, Hilda, in regard to war?"

  "I know not what to think," replied Hilda.

  "Nay, then, thy spirit must be flying from thee, for thou wert not wontto be without an opinion on most things. Why, even Erling's sister,Ingeborg, has made up her mind about war I doubt not, though she is toomodest to express it."

  Now this was a sly hit at Ingeborg, who was sitting by, for she was wellknown to have a shrewish temper, and to be self-willed and opinionated,in so much that most men kept out of her way. She was very unlikeErling, or her father and mother, or her little sisters, in thisrespect.

  "I can express my opinion well enough when I have a mind," said Ingeborgsharply; "and as to war, it stands to reason that a Sea-king's daughtermust approve of a Sea-king's business. Why, the beautiful cloths, andgold and jewels, that are so plentiful in the dale, would never havedelighted our eyes if our men had not gone on viking cruise, and fallenin with those rich traders from the far south lands. Besides, war makesour men brisk and handsome."

  "Aye," exclaimed Alric, laughing, "especially when they get their nosescut off and their cheeks gashed!"

  "Sometimes it takes them from us altogether," observed a poor woman ofthe household, the widow of a man who had been slain on a viking cruise,after having had his eyes put out, and being otherwise cruelly treated.

  "That is the other side of the question," said Astrid. "Of courseeverything has two sides. We cannot change the plans of the gods.Sunshine and rain, heat and cold, come as they are sent. We must acceptthem as they are sent."

  "That is true," said Christian, "and thou sayest wisely that we mustaccept things as they are sent; but can it be said that war is sent tous when we rush into it of our own accord? Defensive warfare, truly, isright--else would this world be left in the sole possession of thewicked; but aggressive warfare is not right. To go on viking cruise andtake by force that which is not our own is sinful. There is a good wayto prove the truth of these things. Let me ask the question, Astrid,--How would thy husband like to have thee and all his property taken fromhim, and Ulfstede burned about his ears?"

  "Methinks he would like it ill."

  "Then why should he do that to others which he would not like done tohimself?"

  "These are strange words," said Astrid in surprise; "I know not that Ihave ever heard the like before."

  "Truly no," said Christian, "because the Word of God has not yet beensounded in the dale. Thou saidst just now that we cannot change theplans of the gods; that would be true if ye had said `the plans of God,'for there is but one God, and His ways are unchangeable. But what ifGod had revealed some of His plans to man, and told him that thisrevelation was sufficient to guide him in his walk through this life,and to prepare him for the next?"

  "Then would I think it man's wisdom to follow that guide carefully,"replied Astrid.

  "Such plans do exist, such a revelation has been made," said the hermit,"and the name that stands on the forefront of it is Jesus Christ."

  As he spoke the hermit drew from his bosom a scroll of parchment, whichhe unrolled slowly. This, he said, was a copy, made by himself, of partof the Gospel. He had meant, he said, to have copied the whole of it,but war had put an end to his labours at the same time that it deprivedhim of his earthly joys, and drove him from his native land to be awanderer on the earth.

  "But if," he continued, "the Lord permits me to preach His gospel oftruth and love and peace in Norway, I shall count the sufferings of thispresent time as nothing compared with the glory yet to be revealed."

  "Christian," said Astrid, who appeared to have been struck by somereminiscence, "methinks I have heard Ulf talk of a religion which themen of the south profess. He saw something of it when he went on vikingcruise to the great fiord that runs far into the land, [theMediterranean] and if my memory is faithful he said that they calledthemselves by a name that sounds marvellously like thine own."

  "I suppose Ulf must have met with Christians, after whom I call myself,seeing that my own name is of consequence to no one," said the hermit."What said he about them?"

  "That they were a bad set," replied Astrid,--"men who professed love totheir fellows, but were guilty of great cruelty to all who did notbelieve their faith."

  "All who call themselves Christians deserve not the name, Astrid; someare hypocrites and deceivers, others are foolish and easily deceived."

  "They all make the same profession, I am told," said Dame Astrid.

  "The men of Norway are warriors," returned the hermit, "and all professcourage,--nay, when they stand in the ranks and go forth to war, theyall show the same stern face and front, so that one could not know butthat all were brave; yet are they not all courageous, as thou knowestfull well. Some, it may be very few, but some are cowards at heart, andit only requires the test of the fight to prove them. So is it withprofessing Christians. I would gladly tell the story of Jesus if yewill hear me, Dame Astrid."

  The matron's curiosity was excited, so she expressed her willingness tolisten; and the hermit, reading passages from his manuscript copy of theNew Testament, and commenting thereon, unfolded the "old old story" ofGod's wonderful love to man in Jesus Christ.

  While he was yet in the midst of his discourse the door
of the hall wasburst violently open, and one of the serving-girls, rushing in,exclaimed that the Danes were approaching from the fiord!

  The Danes referred to composed a small party who had been sent off in acutter by Skarpedin Redbeard to survey the coast beyond Horlingdalfiord, as he had intended, after herrying that district, to plunderstill farther north. This party in returning had witnessed, unseen, thedeparture of the fleet of Northmen. Thinking it probable that the placemight have been left with few protectors, they waited until they deemedit safe to send out scouts, and, on their report being favourable, theylanded to make an attack on the nearest village or farm.

  On hearing the news all was uproar in Ulfstede. The women rushed aboutin a distracted state, imploring the few helpless old men about theplace to arm and defend them. To do these veteran warriors justice theydid their best. They put the armour that was brought to them on theirpalsied limbs, but shook their heads sadly, for they felt that althoughthey might die in defence of the household, they could not save it.

  Meanwhile Christian and Alric proved themselves equal to the occasion.The former, although advanced in years, retained much of his strengthand energy; and the latter, still inflated with the remembrance of thefact that he had actually drawn blood from a full-grown bearded Dane,and deeply impressed with the idea that he was the only able-bodiedwarrior in Ulfstede at this crisis, resolved to seize the opportunityand prove to the whole world that his boasting was at all events not"empty!"

  "The first thing to be done is to bar the doors," he cried, starting upon hearing the serving-girl's report. "Thou knowest how to do it,Christian; run to the south door, I will bar the north."

  The hermit smiled at the lad's energy, but he was too well aware of theimportance of speed to waste time in talking. He dropped his outergarment and ran to the south door, which was very solid. Closing it,and fastening the ponderous wooden bar which stretched diagonally acrossit, he turned and ran to the chamber in which the weapons were kept. Onthe way he was arrested by a cry from Alric--

  "Here! here, quick, Christian, else we are lost!"

  The hermit sprang to the north door with the agility of a youth. He wasjust in time. Poor Alric, despite the strength of his bold heart andwill, had not strength of muscle enough to close the door, which hadsomehow got jammed. Through the open doorway Christian could see a bandof Danish vikings running towards the house at full speed. He flung thedoor forward with a crash, and drew the bar across just as the vikingsran against it.

  "Open, open without delay!" cried a voice outside, "else will we tearout the heart of every man and child under this roof."

  "We will not open; we will defend ourselves to the last; our trust is inGod," replied Christian.

  "And as to tearing out our hearts," cried Alric, feeling emboldened nowthat the stout door stood between him and his foes, "if ye do not makeoff as fast as ye came, we will punch out your eyes and roast yourlivers."

  The reply to this was a shower of blows on the door, so heavy that thewhole building shook beneath them, and Alric almost wished that hisboastful threat had been left unsaid. He recollected at that moment,however, that there was a hole under the eaves of the roof just abovethe door. It had been constructed for the purpose of preventing attacksof this kind. The boy seized his bow and arrows and dashed up theladder that led to the loft above the hall. On it he found one of theold retainers of the stede struggling up with a weighty iron pot, fromwhich issued clouds of steam.

  "Let me pass, old Ivor; what hast thou there?"

  "Boiling water to warm them," gasped Ivor, "I knew we should want it erelong. Finn is gone to the loft above the south door with another pot."

  Alric did not wait to hear the end of this answer, but pushing past theold man, hastened to the trap-door under the eaves and opened it. Hefound, however, that he could not use his bow in the constrainedposition necessary to enable him to shoot through the hole. Indesperation he seized a barrel that chanced to be at hand, andoverturned its contents on the heads of the foe. It happened to containrye-flour, and the result was that two of the assailants were nearlyblinded, while two others who stood beside them burst into a loud laugh,and, seizing the battle-axes which the others had been using, continuedtheir efforts to drive in the door. By this time old Ivor had joinedAlric. He set down the pot of boiling water by the side of the hole,and at once emptied its contents on the heads of the vikings, whouttered a terrific yell and leaped backward as the scalding water flowedover their heads and shoulders. A similar cry from the other door ofthe house told that the defence there had been equally successful.Almost at the same moment Alric discovered a small slit in the roofthrough which he could observe the enemy. He quickly sent through it anarrow, which fixed itself in the left shoulder of one of the men. Thishad the effect of inducing the attacking party to draw off for thepurpose of consultation.

  The breathing-time thus afforded to the assailed was used instrengthening their defences and holding a hurried council of war.Piling several heavy pieces of furniture against the doors, anddirecting the women to make additions to these, Christian drew Alricinto the hall, where the ancient retainers were already assembled.

  "It will cost them a long time and much labour to drive in the doors,defended as they are," said the hermit.

  "They will not waste time nor labour upon them," said Ivor, shaking hishoary head. "What think ye, Finn?"

  The women, who had crowded round the men, looked anxiously at Finn, whowas a man of immense bulk, and had been noted for strength in hisyounger days, but who was now bent almost double with age. "Fire willdo the work quicker than the battle-axe," answered Finn, with grimsmile, which did not improve the expression of a countenance alreadydisfigured by the scars of a hundred fights, and by the absence of aneye--long ago gouged out and left to feed the ravens of a foreign shore!"If this had only come to pass a dozen years ago," he added, while agleam of light illumined the sound eye, "I might have gone off toValhalla with a straight hack and some credit. But mayhap a good onsetwill straighten it yet, who knows?--and I do feel as if I had strengthleft to send at least _one_ foe out of the world before me."

  Ivor the Old nodded. "Yes," he said; "I think they will burn us out."

  "I had already feared this," said Christian, with a look of perplexity."What wouldst thou recommend should be done, Ivor?"

  "Nothing more can be done than to kill as many as possible before wedie."

  "I pray the Lord to help us in our extremity," said Christian; "but Ibelieve it to be His will to help those who are willing to helpthemselves, depending upon Him for strength, courage, and victory. Itmay be that Ulf and his men will soon return from the Springs, so thatif we could only hold out for a short time all might be well. Have yenothing to suggest?"

  "As to Ulf and the men returning from the Springs," said Finn, "there issmall chance of that before morning. With regard to holding out, I knowof nothing that will cause fire to burn slow once it is well kindled.An hour hence and Ulfstede will be in ashes, as that sound surelytells."

  He referred to a crashing blow which occurred just then at the northdoor. Nearly all present knew full well that it was the first bundle ofa pile of faggots with which the assailants meant to set the house onfire.

  "Had this arm retained but a little of the strength it once knew,"continued Finn bitterly, as he stretched out the huge but withered limb,"things had not come to this pass so quickly. I remember the day, nowforty years ago, when on the roof of this very house I stood alone withmy bow and kept thirty men at bay for two full hours. But I could notnow draw an arrow of Alric's little bow to its head, to save the livesof all present."

  "But _I_ can do it," cried Alric, starting forward suddenly; "and ifthou wilt show me the window in the roof I will--"

  "Brave boy," said old Ivor, with a kindly smile, as he laid his hand onAlric's head, "thy heart is large, and it is sad that one so full ofpromise should come to such an end; but it needs not that ye should fallbefore thy time. These s
hafts may do against the crows, but they wouldavail nothing against men in mail."

  "Is there not a warrior's bow in the house?" asked Christian quickly.

  "There is," replied Ivor, "but who will use it?"

  "I will."

  "Thou?" exclaimed Ivor, with a slight touch of contempt in his tone.

  "Hold thy peace, Ivor," said Hilda quickly. "This man has saved my lifeonce, as thou knowest, and well assured am I that what he undertakes todo he will accomplish."

  "Now thanks to thee, Hilda, for that," said the hermit heartily; "notthat I boast of being sure to accomplish what I undertake, yet I neveroffer to attempt what I have not some reasonable hope of being able todo. But it is not strange that this old warrior should doubt of thecourage or capacity of one who preaches the gospel of peace.Nevertheless, when I was a youth I fought in the army of the greatThorfin, and was somewhat expert in the use of the bow. It is possiblethat some of my ancient skill may remain, and I am willing to use it ina good cause. I pray thee, therefore, let us not waste more time inuseless talk, but fetch me a bow and quiver, and show me the window inthe roof."

  Ivor went at once to the place where the armour was kept, and broughtout the desired weapons, which he placed in the hands of the hermit, andwatched his mode of handling them with some curiosity. Christian,unconscious of the look, strung the bow and examined one of the arrowswith the air of a man who was thoroughly accustomed to such weapons.Ivor regarded him with increased respect as he conducted him to theloft, and opened the window.

  The hermit at once stepped out, and was instantly observed by the Danes,who of course seized the opportunity and let fly several arrows at him,which grazed him or stuck quivering in the roof close to the spot wherehe stood. He was not slow to reply. One of the vikings, who wasapproaching the house at the moment with a bundle of faggots on hisback, received a shaft in his shoulder, which caused him to drop hisbundle and fly to the woods, where he took shelter behind a tree.Almost before that shaft had reached its mark another was on the string,and, in another instant, transfixed the biceps muscle of the right armof one of the vikings who was preparing to discharge an arrow. He alsosought shelter behind a tree, and called to a comrade to come and assisthim to extract the shaft.

  "Mine ancient skill," said the hermit in an undertone, as if the remarkwere made half to himself and half to Ivor, whose head appeared at thewindow, and whose old countenance was wrinkled with a grin of delight atthis unexpected display of prowess; "mine ancient skill, it would seem,has not deserted me, for which I am thankful, for it is an awful thing,Ivor, more awful than thou thinkest, to send a human being into eternityunforgiven. I am glad, therefore, to be able thus to render ourassailants unfit for war without taking away their lives--ha! that wasbetter aimed than usual," he added, as an arrow passed through hisjerkin, and stuck deep into the roof. "The man shoots well, he wouldsoon end the fight if I did not--stop--that."

  At the second-last word the hermit bent his bow; at the last, which wasuttered with emphasis, he let the arrow fly, and sent it through theleft hand of his adversary, who instantly dropped his bow. At the samemoment it seemed as though the whole band of vikings had become suddenlyconvinced that they stood exposed to the shafts of a man who could usethem with unerring certainty, for they turned with one consent and fledinto the woods--each man seeking shelter behind the nearest tree.

  Here they called to one another to stand forth and shoot at the hermit.

  "Go thou, Arne," cried the leader; "thine aim is true. Surely one oldman is not to keep us all at bay. If my left hand were unscathed Iwould not trouble thee to do it, thou knowest."

  "I have no desire to get an arrow in mine eye," cried Arne; "see, I didbut show the tip of my right elbow just now, and the skin of it is cutup as though the crows had pecked it."

  In the excess of his wrath Arne extended his clenched fist and shook itat the hermit, who instantly transfixed it with an arrow, causing thefoolish man to howl with pain and passion.

  "I have always held and acted on the opinion," said Christian to Ivor,who was now joined by his comrade Finn, "that whatever is worth doing atall, is worth doing well. Thou seest," he continued, wiping his browwith the sleeve of his coat, "it is only by being expert in the use ofthis weapon that I have succeeded in driving bark the Danes without theloss of life. There is indeed a passage in the Book of God (which Ihope to be spared to tell thee more about in time to come), where thisprinciple of thoroughness in all things is implied, if not absolutelytaught--namely, `Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thymight.'"

  "A just maxim," said Finn, shading his one eye with his hands and gazingearnestly into the woods, "and if acted upon, makes a man fit for everyduty that falls upon him; but it seems to me that while we are talkinghere, there is some movement going on. See, Christian (since that isthy name), they are retiring in haste, and exposing themselves. Now, Ipray thee, as thine eye is so sure, do drop a shaft on the nape ofyonder fellow's neck, that we may have something to show of this night'swork."

  "I told thee, Finn, that my desire is to avoid taking life."

  "Humph," said Finn testily, "whatever thy desire may be matters littlenow, for he is beyond range. Hark! That shout accounts for the flightof the Danes. Ulf must have returned."

  As he spoke, a loud cry, as if of men in conflict, arose from the fiord.Immediately after, the vikings who had not already taken to flight lefttheir places of shelter and dashed into the underwood. The hermit letthem go without moving a hand; but Alric, who was actuated by nomerciful principles, suddenly opened the north door, sprang out, and letfly an arrow with so true an aim that it struck one of the Danes betweenthe shoulders. Fortunately for him, the Dane had, in accordance withthe usual custom of the time, hung his shield on his back when he tookto flight, so that the shaft rebounded from it and fell harmless to theground.

  By this time the hermit had descended from the roof. Running out heseized Alric, and, dragging him into the house, reclosed the door.

  "Ye know not, foolish boy, whether or not this is Ulf whom we hear."

  As he spoke, the tramp of approaching footsteps and the voices ofexcited men were heard outside. The door flew open, and Ulf, Erling,and Haldor, with a number of the house-carles, strode into the hall andflung down their arms.

  "Not much too soon, it would seem," said Ulf, with a look of stern joy.

  "Thou wouldst have been altogether too late, Ulf," said Astrid, "had notChristian been here to save us."

  "How so?" exclaimed Ulf, turning with an enquiring look to the hermit;"hast turned warrior after all thy preaching of peace? But thou artpale. Ho! fetch a horn of ale here; fighting has disagreed with thystomach, old man."

  "I think," said Christian, pressing his hand to his side, "that one ofthese arrows must have--"

  He paused suddenly, and would have fallen to the ground had not Erlingcaught him. Letting him gently down at full length, our hero raised hishead on his knee, while Hilda came forward with a horn of ale. As shekneeled by the old man's side she glanced anxiously at her lover's face,which was covered with blood and dust, and presented anything but anattractive appearance.

  "Hast thou been wounded?" whispered Hilda.

  "No, not wounded," muttered Erling, "but--"

  "Not wounded!" exclaimed Ulf, who overheard the words, but misunderstoodtheir application, "not wounded! Why, Erling, where have thy wits gone?The man is wellnigh dead from loss of blood. See, his jerkin issoaking. Bring hither bandages; come, let me see the wound. If the oldman has indeed saved Ulfstede this day, eternal disgrace would be ourdue did we let his life slip out under our roof-tree for want of propercare. And hark'ee; get ready all the dressings thou hast, for woundedmen enough will be here ere long, and let the boards be spread with thebest of meat and ale, for we have gone through hard work to-day, andthere is harder yet in store for us, I trow."

  Thus admonished, the women went to make preparation for the reception ofthe wounded, and the entertainment of
those who had been more fortunatein the recent conflict. Meanwhile the hermit was conveyed to Ulf's ownbed, and his wound, which proved to be less serious than had beenfeared, was carefully dressed by Hilda, to whom Erling, in the mostattentive and disinterested manner, acted the part of assistant-surgeon.