by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER III.
AT COURT.
Two months after Wulf had gone down to Steyning one of Harold's menbrought a short letter from the earl himself. "I am glad to hear,Wulf," it began, "from my steward, Egbert, that you are applyingyourself so heartily to your work. I have also good accounts of youfrom the Prior of Bramber, who sometimes writes to me. He is a goodand wise man, as well as a learned one, and I am right glad to hearthat you are spending your time so well. I told you that you shouldhear if there was any alteration in your affair. Some change wasmade as soon as you had left; for, two days later, meeting Williamof London in the presence of the king, I told him that I had inquiredfurther into the matter, and had found that you were by no meansthe aggressor in the quarrel with young Fitz-Urse, for that he hadfingered his dagger, and would doubtless have drawn it had therenot been many bystanders. I also said that, with all respect tothe bishop, it would have been better had he not inclined his earssolely to the tale of his page, and that under the circumstancesit was scarcely wonderful that, being but a boy, you had defendedyourself when you were, as you deemed, unjustly accused.
"The prelate sent at once for his page, who stoutly denied that hehad touched the hilt of his dagger, but I too had sent off forUlred, the armourer, and he brought with him a gossip who had alsobeen present. I asked the king's permission to introduce them, andthey entirely confirmed your story. Fitz-Urse exclaimed that it wasa Saxon plot to do him harm, and I could see that the bishop wasof the same opinion; but the king, who is ever anxious to do justice,declared at once that he was sure that the two craftsmen were butspeaking the truth. He sternly rebuked Fitz-Urse as a liar, andsignified to the bishop that he would do well to punish him severelyby sending him back to Normandy, for that he would not tolerate hispresence at court--an order which the bishop obeyed with very badgrace. But at any rate the lad was sent away by a ship a week later.
"After the bishop had left the audience-chamber the king said thathe was afraid he had acted with harshness to you, as it seemed thatthe fault was by no means wholly on your side, and that I could atonce recall you if I wished to do so. I thanked his majestydutifully, but said I thought it were best in all ways that for atime you should remain away from court. In the first place, youdeserved some punishment for your want of respect for the bishop,to whom you should have submitted yourself, even if you had thoughthim unjust. In the second place, as Fitz-Urse had been sent away,it would create an animosity against you on the part of his countrymenat court were you to reappear at once; and lastly, that I consideredit would be to your benefit to pass at least some months on yourestates, learning your duties as thane, and making the acquaintanceof your people. Therefore, I wished you to continue at Steyning.It will assuredly be pleasant for you to know that you are no longerto be considered as being there in consequence of having fallenunder the king's displeasure, but simply because it is my wish thatyou should for a time dwell among your people, and fit yourself tobe a wise lord to them."
Wulf was much pleased at the receipt of this letter, partly becausethe fact that he had been sent away in disgrace stung him, and hehad felt obliged frankly to acknowledge to the neighbouring thanesthat he had been sent down on account of a quarrel with a Normanpage; but chiefly because it showed the kindly interest that Haroldfelt in him, and that although absent he had still thought of him.
It was nigh ten months before he heard again. During that time hehad grown a good deal, and although he would never be tall, hisframe had so widened out that it was evident he would grow into anexceptionally powerful man.
At sixteen he was still a boy, and although his position at Steyning,where, although still under the nominal tutelage of the earl'ssteward, he was practically lord and master, accustomed to play thepart of host within its walls, and that of feudal lord over thewide estates, had given him the habits of authority and the bearingof one who respected himself, the merry expression of his face,aided by a slight upward turn of his nose, showed that in otherrespects he was unchanged. He had learned with his weapons all thatLeof could teach him. He could wield a light battle-axe, and withhis sword could turn aside or sever an arrow however sharply shotat him, provided that he had time to mark its flight. With aquarter-staff he was a match for any youth on the estate, and hecould hurl a dart with unerring aim.
Osgod had sprung up into a powerful young fellow, taller than hismaster by well-nigh a head, and his equal in exercises requiringstrength rather than quickness and skill. His duties at table hadbeen delegated to another, for there was a certain clumsiness inOsgod's strength that no teaching could correct; and in his eagernessto serve his master he so frequently spilled the contents of a cup,or upset a platter, that even Egbert acknowledged that it washopeless to attempt to make a skilful servitor of him.
The earl's second letter contained only the words:
"Come up to London as soon as you receive this. Leave Egbert incharge of everything as before."
Although the time had not seemed long, and his occupations were sovaried that he had never felt dull since he had come down, Wulf wasdelighted to receive the summons. He had, unconsciously to himself,begun to feel restless, and to wonder whether Earl Harold hadaltogether forgotten his existence.
"We are going back to London, Osgod," he shouted.
"I am right glad of it," the young giant said, stretching his armslazily. "I am grievously tired of the country, and had it not beenthat nothing would induce me to leave your service, I have thoughtsometimes that I would gladly be back again in my father's smithy,hammering away on hot iron. I used to think it would be the grandestthing possible to have nothing to do, but I have found that one canhave too much of a good thing. Certainly I am glad to be going back,but I am not sure whether it won't be worse at court than it ishere."
"Perhaps we may not be staying there," Wulf said encouragingly."Maybe the earl is going to start on some expedition; though wehave heard of no trouble, either in the North or in Wales. But evenif I stay at court, Osgod, you will often be able to be away, andcan spend some hours a day at the smithy, where, if you like, youcan take off your smock and belabour iron to your heart's content.I should say you would be a rare help to your father, for, as Leofsays, for a downright solid blow there are not many men who couldsurpass you."
Osgod laughed. "Leof has not forgiven that blow I dealt him a monthago, when I flattened in his helmet with my blunted axe and stretchedhim senseless on the ground; in faith, I meant not to hit so hard,but he had been taunting me with my slowness, and seeing an openingfor a blow at his head I could not resist it, and struck, as he wasalways telling me to do, quickly."
"You well-nigh killed him," Wulf said, shaking his head; "he hasnot taken an axe in his hand since, at least not with either of us.He said to me the first time I invited him to a bout, it was hightime a man should give up teaching when he came to be struck senselessby a boy."
"Not much of a boy," Osgod replied, "seeing that I stand over sixfeet high, and got my muscles hardened early at the forge. However,he bears me no ill-will; all he ever said to me on the matter was,'I am glad to see that you can shake off your sluggishness sometimes,Osgod; I should have been less earnest in my advice to you to strikemore quickly if I had thought that you were going to do it at myexpense. Keep those blows for your master's enemies, lad. If youdeal them to his friends you will lessen their number.'"
"Have my horse brought round at once, Osgod, have the wallets packed,and be ready to start in an hour's time. I cannot go without ridingover to say good-bye to the prior and some of the monks. Do you,when you have packed, follow me; it is not greatly out of the way,and I shall meet you on the road. A short half-hour will sufficefor me there."
"So Harold has sent for you, Wulf?" the prior said, when the youngthane told him that he was on the point of starting for London."'Tis as well. Come back when you may, you will now be fit to ruleat Steyning, and to rule well, but I foresee that we are likely tohave you but seldom down here. You are in good train to rise highamong Englishmen.
You already possess the favour of Earl Harold,who is, in all respects but name, King of England. You possess farmore learning than most young men of your rank, and as Harold rightlythinks much of such knowledge, you are likely, if you live, to learnmore. But better than this, so far as your prospects are concernedin the troubled times that may be coming, you are quick witted andready. I hear that you are already very proficient in arms, and amatch for most grown men. Best of all, so far as your future happinessis concerned, you have a kind heart and a good disposition. Youcould scarce be a page of Earl Harold's and not be a true Englishmanand patriot; therefore, my son, I think that I can predict a brightand honourable future for you if Harold lives and reigns King ofEngland. Be steadfast and firm, lad. Act ever in what your hearttells you is the right; be neither hasty nor quarrelsome. But,"--hebroke off with a smile, "you have had one lesson that way already.Now I will detain you no longer. _Pax vobiscum_, may God keepand guard you! If opportunity offer, and a messenger comes thisway, write me a few lines; news of you will be always welcome atBramber."
Leaving the prior, Wulf paid a hurried visit to the chambers wherethe monks were engaged in their various avocations, and then startedat a canter and met Osgod coming along with a sumpter-horse carryingthe wallets, a store of provisions for the way, and Wulf's arms andarmour fastened to the crupper of his saddle.
"You have done well, Osgod," Wulf said as he turned his horse, andat a quieter pace proceeded beside him. "I forgot to give you anydirections or to speak about your bringing a pack-horse with you,but I am glad you thought of it, for our steeds would have beenheavily burdened had all that baggage been divided between them."
"We go back more heavily laden than we came," Osgod remarked. "Mywardrobe was then of the scantiest, and your own has been considerablyadded to since we came here. Truly, Wulf, I feel that I have changedmightily in this year, and can scarce believe that it is but atwelvemonth back since I flung down my hammer and started on mytramp to Guildford with a change of clothes dangling from the endof my cudgel. I was glad when you and your party overtook me, forI was badly scared once or twice when I met a rough fellow or twoon the way, though, fortunately, they did not deem me worth robbing.We could give a good account of four or five of such knaves now."
"There has been a change indeed, Osgod, and in me as much as inyou, though I have not shot up into such huge proportions. I was apage then, and had learned but to obey. I am a boy still, but Ihave begun to learn to rule; at any rate, to rule myself. I havenot conquered my fault of hastiness altogether."
Osgod smiled broadly.
"You are quick in temper still, Wulf. You remember it was butyesterday that you rated me soundly because I had fed your hawksearly, and they were too lazy to fly when you wanted them."
"Well, it was annoying," Wulf laughed; "and you deserved rating,since you have been told over and over again that the hawks werenot to be fed early in the morning. Besides, the rating did you noharm."
"None at all, master. I know that you mean not what you say, andhard words break no bones. I should have thought no more of it hadyou yourself not remarked that you were still somewhat hasty oftemper."
"I was wrong, Osgod," Wulf said, holding out his hand, "but youknow that I love you, and that though your carelessness andforgetfulness chafe me sorely at times, I mean not what I say."
"I know it, master, and I would not have you other than you are. Isuppose it is the thickness of my skull that prevents me from takingin all that I am told, and perhaps if I had more to do I might doit better. I shall be able to play my part when it comes to hardblows, and you must remember that no one can excel in all things.A staghound is trusty and sure when on the chase, but he could notbe taught to fetch and to carry and to perform all sorts of trickssuch as were done by the little mongrel cur that danced to the orderof the mountebank the other evening. My father always said I was afool, and that, though for a piece of rough hammering I was by nomeans amiss, I should never learn the real intricacies of repairingfine armour. Everything has its good, you see, Master Wulf; for hadmy father thought better of me in his trade, I doubt if he wouldever have given me leave to quit it, and go as your man."
"I have no doubt that is so, Osgod, and heartily glad am I that youshowed no genius for smith's work. Nature evidently intended youto damage casques and armour rather than to repair them. You havenot got all my clothes with you," he added, as he looked round atthe led horse.
"No indeed, Wulf," Osgod said, "nor a quarter of them, for in truthyour wardrobe has grown prodigiously since we came here. I had totalk it over with Egbert, having but little faith in my own wits.He advised me to take the two suits that were most fitted for court,saying that if he heard you were going to remain there he wouldsend on the rest in charge of a couple of well-armed men."
"That is the best plan, doubtless," Wulf agreed. "My hawking suitand some of the others would be useless to me at court, and it wouldhave been folly to have burdened ourselves with them if we arelikely to return hither shortly."
"Where shall we stop to-night?" Osgod asked.
"At the monastery of the Grey Friars, where we put up on our wayfrom London. It will not be a long ride, but we started late.To-morrow we shall of course make a long day's journey to Guildford.I don't know what travellers would do were it not for the priories."
"Sleep in the woods, Wulf, and be none the worse for it. For myself,I would rather lie on the sward with a blazing fire and the greenwoodoverhead, than sleep on the cold stones in a monk's kitchen,especially if it happened to be a fast-day and one had gone to reston a well-nigh empty stomach."
"It is never so bad as that," Wulf laughed; "as a rule, howevermuch the monks may fast, they entertain their guests well."
"If it is an English monastery they do," Osgod admitted, "but notwhere there is a Norman prior, with his new-fangled notions, andhis vigils and fasts and flagellations. If I ever become a monk,which I trust is not likely, I will take care to enter a Saxonhouse, where a man may laugh without its being held to be a deadlysin, and can sleep honestly without being wakened up half a dozentimes by the chapel bell."
"You would assuredly make but a bad monk, Osgod, and come what willI do not think you will ever take to that vocation. But let us urgeon our horses to a better pace, or the kitchen will be closed, andthere will be but a poor chance of supper when we reach the priory."
"Well, Osgod," Wulf asked the next morning as they rode on theirway, "how did you fare last night?"
"Well enough as to the eating, there was a haunch of cold venisonthat a king needn't have grumbled at, but truly my bones ache nowwith the hardness of my couch. Couch! there was but the baresthandful of rushes on the cold stone floor, and I woke a score oftimes feeling as if my bones were coming through the skin."
"You have been spoilt, Osgod, by a year of sleeping softly. I markedmore than once how thickly the rushes were strewn in that cornerin which you always slept. How will it be when you have to standthe hardships of a soldier's life?"
"I can sleep well on the ground with my cloak round me," Osgod saidsteadily, "and if the place be hard you have but to take up a sodunder your hip-bone and another under your shoulder, and you neednot envy one who sleeps on a straw bed. As to cold and wet, I havenever tried sleeping out of doors, but I doubt not that I can standit as well as another. As to eating and drinking, they say thatEarl Harold always looks closely after his men, and holds that ifsoldiers are to fight well they must be fed well. At any rate,Master Wulf, I shall be better off than you will, for I have neverbeen accustomed, as you have, to such luxuries as a straw bed; andI doubt whether you ever went hungry to bed as I have done many andmany a time, for in the days when my father hoped to make an armourerof me I was sent off supperless whenever I bungled a job or neglectedhis instructions. I wonder what the earl can want you for in suchhaste?"
"I do not suppose he wants me in any haste at all. He may havespoken to the king about me, and when Edward again spoke of myreturning he would simply send for me to come at once."
Such indeed proved to be the case. When he waited on Harold as soonas he arrived the latter held out his hand; "I am glad to see youback again, Wulf. A year of country air and exercise has done wondersfor you, and though you are not as tall as you might be, you havetruly widened out into fair proportions, and should be able to swinga battle-axe of full weight. Thinking it was time for you to returnhere, I spoke to the king, who was in high good-humour, for he hadbeen mightily pleased that morning at some of the figures the monkshave wrought in stone for the adornment of his Church of St. Peter;therefore he not only consented to your return, but chided me gentlyfor not having called you up to town before. 'The matter hadaltogether slipped my mind,' he said; 'I told you that he mightreturn directly it was shown that it was the bishop's page who wasin fault, and from that day I have never thought of it.'
"I told the king that I had purposely kept silence, for I thoughtthe day had come when you should learn your duties down there insteadof dawdling away your time at court. You need not put on a page'sattire any more. You will remain here as my ward, and I have hadso good an account from the good prior of Bramber that in a shorttime I shall be able to receive your oath as Thane of Steyning. Youwill attend me to court this evening as one of my gentlemen, and Iwill then present you to the king, whom it is well that you shouldthank for having pardoned you. I hear from the prior that the varletyou took down with you has grown into a big man, and is well-nighas tall as I am already. He must have lodging with my followerswhile you are here."
Finding that he was to remain for the present at Westminster, Wulfsent off a messenger at once to request Egbert to forward the restof his clothes immediately. That evening the earl took him into achamber, where the king was seated surrounded by a few of hisfavourites.
"This is Wulf of Steyning, my lord king," Harold said, "the youthwho was unfortunate enough to incur your royal displeasure a yearsince, and who has upon your order returned from his estates. Ihave had excellent accounts of him from my good friend the priorof Bramber, who speaks well alike of his love of study and hisattention to the affairs of his estate. I have also heard from otherhands of his progress in military exercises, and that he bids fairto become a valiant and skilful soldier of your majesty. He hasprayed me to express his thanks to your majesty for having pardonedhim, and having authorized me to enrol him again in the ranks ofmy followers here."
The king nodded pleasantly in answer to the deep bow that Wulf made."I was somewhat hasty in your matter," he said graciously, "anddealt out somewhat hard measure to you, but doubtless, as EarlHarold said, your stay in the country has been for your good, andI am glad to hear that the worthy prior of Bramber speaks so wellof you."
The earl gave a little nod to Wulf, and the latter, gathering thathis case was concluded, and that he could now go at once, retiredwith another deep obeisance.
Leaving the palace he made his way to the armourer's, whither hehad sent Osgod as soon as they arrived. The smith doffed his capas he entered. "I am right glad to see you back again, young master.My son gave me a rare surprise, for truly when he walked in I didnot know him again, not having had him in my thoughts or havingheard of his arrival. The varlet saw that I did not know him, andsaid, 'Canst mend me a broken dagger, master armourer?'
"'That can I,' I answered, and would have said more, when a laughcame from his great mouth that well-nigh shook the house, and Iknew that it was my son, though the note was deeper than his usedto be, and was, as I told him, more like the bellow of a bull thanthe laugh of a young fellow of eighteen. His mother looked in frombehind the shop and said, 'Surely that must have been Osgod's laugh.''It was,' I said, 'and there he stands before you. The impudentrascal has topped me by over half a head, though I am a fair heightmyself.' Then she carried him away, and I saw no more of him untilI had finished my work. Since supper he has been telling me somewhatof what he has been doing down with you, which, as far as I canlearn, amounts to nothing, save the exercising of his arms and thedevouring of victuals."
"He did all there was to do, Ulred, except that he could not bringthat long body and those loose arms of his to offer me cup or platterwithout risk to my garments, and even Egbert was forced to agreethat he should never be able to make a courtly servant of him; butsave in that matter Osgod has got on right well. He has always beenready when I wanted him, and prepared at once to start with meeither on foot or horseback whenever I wished to go out. He isgrowing into a mighty man-at-arms, and well-nigh broke the skullas well as the casque of the captain and teacher of my house carls.Another two years, if he goes on as he has done and we go intobattle again, no thane in the land will have a stouter body-guard."
"Are you going to stay in London, Master Wulf?"
"Yes; that is, while the earl is here. When he is away hunting orattending to the affairs of the state I suppose I shall go withhim. Osgod of course will go with me. While here I shall have butlittle use for his services, and he can be at home most part of theday."
"Then I trust you will soon be off," the smith said bluntly, "forto have a youth six feet and a hand in height hanging about doingnothing would set all the men thinking it well that they too shouldbe idle. Osgod was always ready enough for a talk, though I do notsay he could not work when it was necessary, but now that he is inyour worship's service and under no orders of mine, his tongue willnever cease wagging."
"Oh, I am ready to work a bit, father. I know how long it took meto hammer out a bar before, and I shall be curious to find out inwhat time I can do it now."
"I doubt you will spoil more than you make, Osgod. Still, I tooshall be curious to see how many strokes you can give with the bighammer, and how quickly you can beat a bar into a blade."
The stay in town was, however, of short duration, for four dayslater the earl told him that he was going down to his house atBosham, and that he was to accompany him.
"'Tis three months since I was away from London," he said. "Theking is going down into Hereford to hunt, and I am therefore freefor a while, as there are no matters of state that press at present,though I fear that ere very long the Welsh will be up again. I hearthat their King Griffith, not content with the beating he had ashort time since, is again preparing for war. Still it may be sometime before the storm bursts, and I am longing to be down againamong the green woods or afloat on the water."
Harold took with him a large party of personal friends, his brotherWulfnoth, and his nephew Hakon. Among the party was Beorn, a youngthane, who also was a ward of the earl. He was two years olderthan Wulf, but there had been a close friendship between them atEdward's court. Shortly after Wulf's departure Beorn had also beensent by the earl to his estates in Hampshire, and had been recalledat the same time.
Beorn was far less strong and active than Wulf, having been veryweakly during the early years of his life, nor had he had the sameadvantages of education, as he only became Harold's ward a yearafter Wulf was installed as a page at Westminster. He was a youthof good and generous disposition, and looked with feelings ofadmiration upon the strength and skill in arms of the younger lad,and especially at his power of reading.
"I can never be like you there, Wulf," he would say, "but I hope Imay some day grow as strong as you and as skilful in arms."
Beorn's stay in the country had done much for him, his thin tallframe had filled out and there was a healthy colour on his cheek.He had practised diligently at military exercises, and although hefound when, on the first day after Wulf's arrival in London, hechallenged him to a trial in arms, he was still very greatly hisinferior in skill and strength, he bade fair to become a gallantfighter.
"It is a disappointment to me, Wulf," he said as he picked up thebattle-axe that had been struck from his hand and sent flying acrossthe hall by a sweeping blow of Wulf's weapon. "I have really workedvery hard, and I did think that I ought to have caught you up,seeing that I am two years the elder. But you have gained more thanI have. I did as well as the other youths who were taught with meby the house-carl Harold sent down with me, b
ut I am sure I shallnever be as quick or hit as strongly as you do."
"Oh yes, you will, Beorn. Age is nothing. You see you were sick andailing till you were fifteen years old, so those years counted fornothing, and instead of being two years older than I am you aremany years younger. In another four or five years you will come toyour full strength, and will be able to strike a far heavier blowthan I can now; although I do not say heavier than I may be ableto do then, as you are neither so wide nor so deep chested as I am.But what does it matter, one only fights sometimes. You have otheradvantages, you are gentler in speech and manner and have a handsomeface. When we were pages together the bower-maidens of the queenalways made much of you, while they called me impudent, and wouldgive me many a slap on the cheek."
"Well, you deserved it richly, Wulf, for you were always playingtricks upon them--hiding their distaffs or tangling their thread,and giving them pert answers when they wanted you to do theirerrands. Well, I hope we shall be always great friends, Wulf. Yourestates lie not far from mine, and though we can scarce be calledneighbours we shall be within a day's ride of each other, and Itrust that we shall fight together under the good earl, and oftenspend our time at each other's houses, and hunt and feast together."
"I hope we shall be much together, Beorn," Wulf said warmly, "andthat we shall be sworn friends; but as for feasting, I care butlittle for it. We Saxon thanes are too fond both of food and wine-cup,and though I am no monk I would that our customs could be altered.I hate foreigners, but their ways are in many respects better thanours. The Normans, it is true, may not be much better than we are,but then they are but Northmen a little civilized; but I have heardthe earl say that the French, and still more the Italians, arevastly ahead of us in all arts, and bear themselves with a courtesyand gentleness to each other that puts to shame our rough manners."
"We should be neither happier nor better that I can see, Wulf, didwe adopt the manners of these Italians you speak of instead of ourown."
"Perhaps not, Beorn, but we should be able to make the people happierand better if we could raise them."
"I will not even grant that, Wulf. Think you that the smith and theshepherd, the bowmaker and the weaver, would be any the happiercould they read or even write than they are as they sing Saxon songsover their work? I should like to be able to read, because Haroldthinks much of it, but except for that I see not that it would dome much good. If the king makes me any further grant of land itwill be doubtless properly made out, and I can get a clerk or amonk to read it to me. My steward will keep the tallies of thetenants' payments. I can learn the history of our forefathers aswell from the songs and tales of the gleemen as from books."
"You are as bad as my man Osgod," Wulf said indignantly.
"Well, you need not get hot about it, good Wulf," Beorn laughed."When you come to see me I will have gleemen to sing the deeds ofour fathers to you. When I come to you I will sit as mum as a mousewhile you read to me from some monk's missal. I will force youneither to eat nor to drink more than it pleases you, and you shallgive me as much to eat and drink as it pleases me, then we shallbe both well satisfied. As for your man Osgod, I wish I had sucha fellow. He will be well-nigh a giant one of these days, and instrength may come to rival the earl, who is said to be the strongestman on English soil."
"He is a good fellow, Beorn, and I could wish for no better to holda shield over me in the day of battle or to stand back to back withme in a hand-to-hand fight."
"You should get him to stand in front of you," Beorn laughed. "Hewould be a rare screen against arrows and javelins."
The friends were well pleased when they heard they were both toaccompany Harold to Bosham, which was one of the favourite abodesof the Earls of Wessex. It had originally been built as a hunting-seat,but Godwin had grown to love the place, with its woods extendingfor miles back and its quiet landlocked harbour, and additions hadbeen made until it had grown to be, in point of size at least, aresidence worthy of the great earls, and Harold preferred it to anyof the many mansions belonging to him. It was a large and gay partythat rode down the road through the quiet woods of Surrey and Sussex.They put up each night at the houses of thanes, where, as noticehad been sent of their coming, they were royally entertained, andthose selected were proud to afford hospitality to the earl.
For a week they stayed at Bosham, hunting in the forests, going offin parties under the guidance of the foresters, some who cared notfor hard labour, hunting in the woods between Bosham and the hills,while others went far inland into the weald, which was for the mostpart covered by a great forest, with but a few scattered hamletshere and there. Smoke rising among the trees showed where thecharcoal-burners were at work, or where the furnaces were glowing,converting the ore into the tough iron that furnished arms andarmour for the greater portion of the men of the south. At the endof the week the earl announced to his guests that he had provideda new diversion for them.
"You see those three ships in the harbour," he said. "They werebrought here last night, and three hundred men have been at workall day preparing them for our reception. I propose that we allembark with our dogs and servants, and sail along the coast, landingwhere we please and taking our sport. As we sail eastward thereare abundant forests, and the game is far more plentiful than here,and our trip will partake of the character of an adventure in thusdropping upon unknown places. Tents have been stored on board thevessels, with abundance of good cheer of all kinds, so that we canestablish ourselves where we will, and sleep on shore instead ofrocking uneasily on the waves."
The proposal was received with acclamation, and the following morningthe whole party embarked upon the three ships. The largest wasoccupied by Harold himself, his brother and nephew, and six or sevenof his principal thanes. In this craft too went Wulf and Beorn withtheir men. On issuing from the harbour the ships' heads were turnedto the east. The wind was light and fitful, the sails thereforewere not loosed, and they proceeded under oars. There was but littletide until they reached the extremity of the long point of Selsea,past which they were hurried at great speed by the rapid current.Rowing closer inshore they got into quieter water, and continuedtheir way until tide turned, when they anchored, and landing withtheir dogs hunted in the woods for some hours.
On their return to the sea-shore they found the tents erected andsupper prepared, and the sport having been good they remained anotherday. The tide took them the next day past the shore of Wulf's estate,and he begged the earl to land there and to pass a day or two withhis company at Steyning; but all were bent upon the chase, and theykept on until they reached the point where the white cliffs beganto rise from the edge of the water. Here they landed again, andspent two or three days in hunting. Neither Wulf nor Beorn had beento sea before, and the quiet motion of the ships with their bellyingsails and banks of sturdy oarsmen delighted them. There had beenscarcely any motion, and neither had felt the qualms which they hadbeen warned were generally experienced for a while by those whowent upon the sea for the first time.
When the journey was resumed Wulf was struck with surprise andalmost awe by the mighty cliffs that rose up from the water's edge.Neither he nor Beorn had seen anything like this, for although boththeir estates bordered the sea, the shores were flat, and vessels,if needs be, could be hauled up on shore.
"What would happen if a gale were to burst upon us here?" Wulf saidto his companion. "If the waves were to dash us against those whiterocks the ships would be broken up like egg-shells."
"Your question is answered," Beorn said, as a bay suddenly openedto their sight. "You see we are going in here, and shall anchorsnugly somewhere up this river in front of us, which is truly thebest haven we have seen since we left Bosham." Half an hour laterthe vessels were moored to the bank, close to a wooden bridge whichspanned the little river.