The Last of the Vikings

by John Bowling

  CHAPTER IX.

  VILLAINS OUTWITTED.

  "Drunk? and speak parrot? and squabble? swear? and discourse fustian with one's own shadow?"--Shakespeare.

  In the meantime, the darkness had gathered quickly and deepened intonight. This was greatly intensified along the forest path by the loftyand overhanging branches of the trees. The road also had its twists andturns innumerable, here to avoid a massive tree, and there to avoid ahuge boulder; and it was little better than a cattle path at any time,and totally impassable, even to the rude Saxon carts, except at broaddaylight. In these circumstances Pierre and party moved with extremedifficulty, having frequently to stop to make sure of the road, theiroaths and execrations in the meantime resounding through the wood. ButBadger, who was as familiar with the forest as the deer which roamed init, sped swiftly and noiselessly after them, catching up with themquickly. "Ah, ah!" said he, as he caught sight of the black and movingmass in front of him; "one good Saxon is equal to the half-dozen of youhere, my hearties! Some of you will have a cold bed in the damp grassto-night for your pains, or else my shafts will go mightily astray!"Then, sticking his thorn cudgel in his belt, he took his bow from hisback and adjusted an arrow, and then he crept stealthily near to them.Raising his bow, he drew the arrow to its head; then he withdrew it. "Myfingers," said he, "are in a hurry to make a cur of a Norman the less inthe world. But where is the use in bagging one of their carrioncarcasses and losing the game? To kill a Norman is a luxury; but I mustrescue Ethel. Let me see whether my purpose cannot be served best byjoining my wits to my weapons. There are three couples--two abreast; andEthel is in charge of the centre one to the right. I can send a shaft inthe nape of the last one's neck. That is _one_ certain. Then there willbe a stampede probably: I may get another one. Shall I get the villainwho has charge of Ethel? Can't make sure; and if I do, Ethel will cometo the ground with him, and perhaps be badly bruised. Well, some riskwill have to be taken, for I am but one." So saying, he stole nearer tothem. Suddenly, ahead of the party, there was a wide opening in the topsof the trees directly in the line of vision, the outlines of the figuresin front showing boldly against the starlit sky. "Now is my time," saidBadger, planting his foot firmly, and drawing back the string until ittouched his shoulder--when suddenly a hurried footfall in the pathbehind him arrested his attention, and he darted into the thicket,keeping his arrow in position. When the runner drew near, Badger sprangforward and faced the new-comer, with his shaft still in position."Who's this?" said he. "Speak, or I'll let fly my shaft!"

  "Steady, Badger," said the stranger. "Don't shoot a friend."

  "Well timed, Bretwul, I have just been wishing for a Saxon or two! Whathas brought you?"

  "The very purpose that brought you here. I heard of that Norman'sattempt to carry off my young mistress, and I knew the wolf, havingscented prey like that, would never drop the trail until he ran it down.I watched the abbey night by night, in the hope of frustrating hispurpose; but the villain has got clear off with her."

  "Not quite so fast, comrade. If you had been a minute or two later, myshafts would have overtaken one or more of them. But it is better as itis, for two of us will make a better fight of it than one. But enough ofthis; they are not two hundred yards ahead of us. There are sixhorsemen, and the second horseman at the right side has charge of Ethel.Now, how are we to effect a rescue?"

  So the pair debated the matter as they followed on the heels of theparty.

  "Well, Bretwul," said Badger, "as I was telling you, I was just going totry a rough-and-ready method when your footsteps arrested me. I knew itto be a risky venture, but I little expected any help in the business.Now I am inclined to think a more favourable opportunity will turn upby-and-by."

  "Well, I am inclined to think so myself, Badger. There is the risk thatthe game would carry the shaft, unless it were hit very squarely; andthe odds are the other way in the darkness. Any failure would make itbad for the young mistress, it is certain."

  "That we must prevent, if possible. But now, what are the chances? TheseNormans have no strong place near in which they can shut her. I canpromise you they'll not dare to carry her to the camp; there is a ladythere who rescued her before, and was desperate savage with the brutewho offered her violence then. But they will find a place elsewhere;probably leave her for the night in charge of half their number."

  "There's reason in it, Badger. Anyway, it is better to wait awhile, andsee if some better chance is forthcoming."

  So the pair continued to dog the steps of their adversaries, until,emerging from the wood, they struck across an open glade, or clearing,in the forest, formerly cultivated by a Saxon yeoman. Soon they reachedthe fringe of the forest again, where, embowered within its shelter, wasthe house of this Saxon; but it was deserted and plundered ofeverything. Here they dismounted, Pierre lifting Ethel down and carryingher into the house. The cloak was removed, and, lighting a torch, itsflickering blaze made visible a two-roomed dwelling, rude and damp inits tenantless condition. The inner room was doorless, and the outerdoor was thrown back and dilapidated. The floors were of earth troddenhard. There was a rude attempt at a fireplace in the first room; it wasbuilt entirely of rough, unhewn stone, whilst its huge, gaping chimneywas such, that a man would have had no difficulty in ascending it. Intothe inner room Pierre led, or dragged, Ethel; then he fetched a roughstone from the fireplace for her to sit upon.

  "Now, fair one," said he, "this is rather a cold place to call home, butwe'll soon make it a bit more comfortable. I can see no furtheradvantage in lying in this matter--and I keep a conscience, and don'tmake a practice of lying for nothing--so I may as well tell you at oncethat my master admires that pretty face of yours. It is a weakness hehas. The more fool he; for it spoils his chances of higher game. Well,that's a riddle you need not puzzle out. But my master is a knightrenowned for valour, and for some other things not recommended by theworthy Order of Cistercians, or indeed any strict Orders of the piousgentry. That, of course, is neither here nor there. But my master, whenhe hears of your distress, is bound, I believe, by his oath, to succouryou; and he is well able to do so. It is the highest wisdom on your partto be friends with him. But heigho! no more of that! A fig for doinganother man's wooing; 'tis worse than carving for another's eating!"

  Happily, much of this jargon was perfectly unintelligible to Ethel.

  "Here, men," said he, turning to his comrades in the other room. "One ofyou must mount guard inside the house, and another outside. We will tocamp, and return soon with both eatables and drinkables; so make thebest of a bad bargain for a little while. Come, men, let us cut the tailoff this business as quickly as we can." So saying, they mounted theirhorses, and, leading the disengaged ones, their forms were speedily lostin the darkness.

  "My fingers itch most dreadfully to try the effect of a shaft upon thecarcass of the big lubberly villain who leads the party," said Badger,raising his bow with the arrow directed towards the hazy formsdisappearing in the night.

  "Stay, Badger!" said Bretwul, laying his hand on him. "The game's in thenet; don't rend it."

  "Aye, aye. The fool acts on the thought as it is made, but the wise manwhen it is weighed. But as surely as the gallows nods when the roguegoes by, so his time will come!"

  "Well, Badger, what is to be the next move? We must get to businesswhilst our chance lasts."

  "Right, Bretwul. Well, we shall have to work round from the rear of thehouse, and we shall thus get close on them if we move stealthily. Idoubt not but we can brain the one outside before he knows where he is;then, two to one is more than the other will be prepared for."

  So saying, the pair stole to the rear of the house, and crept round bythe gable, until Badger peered round the corner at the fellow on dutyoutside. Fortunately, he had his back to them, and was talking throughthe open door to his comrade within.

  "Are you ready, Bretwul?" said Badger, in a whisper to his companion,who followed closely at his heels.

  Bretwul made no reply, but brandishe
d his Saxon broadsword aloft intoken of his readiness. Then, with the agility of a panther, Badgersprang round the corner of the hovel, and, delivering a powerful blowwith his cudgel upon the back of the Norman's head, he felled him ininsensibility to the ground, whilst another spring quick as lightninglanded him within grappling distance of the other Norman. He also, it isneedless to say, was quite unprepared for any attack, and had barelytime to spring to his feet and raise his arm to ward off Badger's firststroke, which sent him staggering against the wall; and Bretwul being inclose attendance at that instant, with a sweep of his sword effectuallycut short all further resistance. Then, returning to the door where theother soldier was lying prostrate, he quickly finished the work ofrevenge.

  Meanwhile, Ethel from within witnessed the scuffling going on, butwithout comprehending in the least the import of it; she improved theopportunity for flight which the struggle afforded her, by boundingthrough the open door, and fled like a Will-o'-the-wisp across the openglade in a frantic effort to gain the shelter of the forest, whilst herrescuers followed full chase in her wake. Very quickly, however,Badger's nimble feet caught up to her; when, to her infinite relief, shediscovered that they were faithful friends, who had risked much to freeher from the custody of the brutal Norman troopers.

  Whilst this was transpiring, Pierre and the remainder of his troopstumbled along through the darkness of the forest, all unconscious thattheir footsteps had been dogged, and their evil purposes frustrated,just when they thought they had been crowned with perfect success.

  "This has been neatly done, men," said Pierre. "Now, I wonder what theBaron will do for us in the shape of reward!"

  "Well, I guess none of our pouches will burst with gold pieces, Pierre.I expected better pay or more plunder when I took service, I promiseyou; but his scurvy humours are even worse than his pay. Why don't youtake the lead? The whole company is ready for a new master."

  "Hold hard a bit. There are others who are getting as tired of hishumours as yourself; and if you hear the clash of steel between us youneed not be very much surprised, for my temper is none of the smoothest,and he may play the bully some day until nothing will settle it but coldsteel."

  When they reached the camp, Pierre alone carried the news to his master.No sooner, however, had he put his head within the tent than he gave agrunt of infinite disgust as he set eyes upon the Baron; for he was fargone in his cups.

  "Hilloa, Pierre! What now, you scowling villain! What has brought you?"he bawled, with drunken incoherency; but, drunk as he was, he hadnoticed Pierre's disgust.

  "We have executed your order, Baron," Pierre replied.

  "Executed my order? Who? What have they done?"

  "The commission you gave me about the Saxon lady down at the monastery."

  "The wench that all the pother's about?"

  "Yes, the same."

  "Ah, I remember. Have you got her, Pierre?"

  "Yes, as snug as anybody could wish. Not a whisper has got abroad."

  "Bravo, Pierre! You are a gentleman. Pierre, do you hear? You are agentleman, or a thief, I don't care which," giving a drunken chuckle."Drink, Pierre," said he, handing him a flagon of wine with a tremblinghand.

  Pierre took the goblet and drained it to the last drop.

  Vigneau took it again, and looked into it for a moment with maudlinpensiveness, as though he could scarcely realise that it was really thebottom he gazed at. But the quarrelsome humour in him was never sorampant as when he was in his cups.

  "There's a pint of good Rhenish gone, Pierre. Gone, too, into a stomachthat must be about rotted out with Saxon ale by this time."

  "Well, we'll bring them round with soothing draughts of Rhenish,master."

  "Eh, dog? Not with mine, Pierre. With swill if you like, Pierre! Swillwill do for a hog like you, Pierre! Eh! Do you hear me? Swill will dofor you!" said the Baron, becoming quarrelsome with drunken excitement.

  Fortunately, Pierre was sober, or matters would speedily have becomeserious. Checking the rising choler, he said,--

  "What is to be done with this Saxon--Ethel, as she is called?"

  "What do you know about Ethel, eh? Have you got her, scurvy villain? Isay, have you got her? Answer me that."

  "I told you we had, not a minute since."

  "Eh? Then speak civilly, varlet! Do you know who I am? D---- me, I allowthy tongue too much licence. I'll not have such impudence from a scurvytrooper as I've taken lately. I'll teach you I'm a gentleman. Now markme, Pierre. Keep a civil distance. I'll not have it," and he beganfumbling for the hilt of his sword.

  "Pshaw!" said Pierre, assuming both a look and a tone of disgust.

  "Eh, churl, what now?" roared Vigneau, in a towering rage, with greateffort staggering to his feet, and after prolonged exertion getting outhis sword, and lunging furiously at Pierre. But the act was too much forhim. Lurching head foremost, the sword's point came ignominiously to theground with his weight upon it, to prevent his falling flat. The resultwas, his great weight forced it a foot into the ground, from which hisutmost efforts failed to extricate it, Pierre, meanwhile, vanishing fromthe tent with a horse-laugh. Vigneau dropped into his seat and staredvacantly at the point where Pierre had vanished, then at the swordstanding upright in the ground. But his efforts to recall what it wasall about were a total failure. Slowly his bleared eyes closed, and soonafter he slid from his seat to the ground, to sleep off the effects ofthe night's debauch.

  "The Baron is drunk and quarrelsome as usual to-night," said Pierre tohis comrades, as he issued from the tent. "Nothing can be done with himtill morning, and if he be not in a pleasanter humour in the morning,and come down handsome for us, you will have to be led by another, Itrow. Well, we'll finish the business we have begun. Let us takevictuals and a few other things down yonder. It will be a little morelike a habitation, and not so like a sty."