Ned, the son of Webb: What he did.

by William Osborn Stoddard

  CHAPTER XII.

  A RIDE IN OLD ENGLAND.

  Ned, the son of Webb, stood still, gazing very earnestly at the King ofEngland.

  "I suppose he feels badly about his brother," Ned was thinking. "Iwould, no matter what he'd been up to. I'm sorry Tostig was killed,anyhow. He was a friend of mine. I didn't see King Harold do any handto hand fighting, either. I guess he kept back on purpose."

  "My boy!" sharply whispered Father Brian. "The king wheeleth his horsetoward thee. Stand thou still, for he hath his eye upon thee."

  In a moment more the hot blood was flushing Ned's cheeks to redness,for the king drew rein in front of him and spoke in Saxon. If Nedcould have understood him he might have been astonished, for he wassaying:

  "I saw thee row under the bridge, O boy with a battered shield. Thouart the cunning spearman that slew for me the Berserker and openedthe way for the advance. I thank thee, whoever thou art. Thou art butyoung, too, for such a doing. What is thy name?"

  Ned more than half guessed that such a question was asked him, and hepromptly responded in Latin:

  "I am Ned, the son of Webb, O king!"

  "Aha! Thou speakest Latin?" exclaimed the king. "Thou seemest to bewell born, and thou art a scholar. What can I do for thee? Speakquickly!"

  "O Harold the King," said Ned. "I would that I might ride with the armywhen it marcheth away from York. William the Norman is coming. I wishto be with thy house-carles and fight the Normans for thee and forEngland."

  He felt that he had made a tremendously long speech, and he had, but abright smile shot across the face of the king.

  "That thou shalt have," he said, and he added, to a horseman near him,"Wolfram of Hythe, get good horses for this youth and for his teacherthat attendeth him. O priest, remain thou with thy pupil. Go both ofyou now to York. Ned, the son of Webb, I will see thee again."

  "I will be with him, O king," replied Father Brian, loudly. "He is ayouth of much promise, and he needeth my continual instruction."

  King Harold spurred away, followed by his chiefs and thanes and earls,while the good missionary turned almost indignantly upon Ned.

  "This is wrong!" he exclaimed. "Thou art deceiving the king. I didnot understand at first, but I heard others of them repeat his words.He believeth thee the slayer of Sikend the Berserker from under thebridge. Thou art not!"

  "Was that it?" almost gasped Ned. "I never said I was. I think it was amean thing to do, anyhow, to stab Sikend in the legs, in that way, sohe couldn't stand up and fight. I'm sorry the king should think I woulddo anything so unfair as that."

  "So am I," said Father Brian, "for a lie is a bad thing, any day. Thoumust yet find an opportunity to tell him the truth of that matter. ButI am glad, nevertheless, that we are to have horses and get away fromYork in good company. I have a great desire to get speedily to London,whatever may happen afterward."

  Wolfram of Hythe did not have far to go for his horses, and those whichhe was now bringing forward were big enough for war-horses. They had asomewhat jaded appearance, for they had travelled far that day. Theyhad lost their riders in the battle, it was explained, and in a momentmore Ned and the missionary were as well mounted as if they both werehouse-carles of the king.

  "It is well for us, indeed," said Father Brian. "We shall have goodquarters, and rations, too, while we are on the march. Thou wilt setthe king right concerning Sikend in due season, for truth's sake. Thoudidst not harm thy fellow soldier, and yet I tell thee that the worldcannot be civilised until there are no more Berserkers. Small matter itis how they are killed."

  "I didn't even hurt the Saxon that did kill him," said Ned. "He wasdrowned."

  "I am glad of that, almost," replied Father Brian. "It will be betterfor thee to make thine own explanation than for that house-carle tocome and tell the king thou art a false witness."

  "It's awful!" said Ned. "I'm a fraud! It isn't any fault of mine,though, and I can straighten it, as soon as I've a chance."

  The shadows of evening were deepening when the two friends rode overStamford bridge and galloped on toward York. When they reached the cityit was almost dark, and in all directions hundreds of men were goingabout with torches and rude lanterns.

  "The panes of glass in those lanterns," said Ned to himself, "are allmade of cow's horn, scraped thin. I guess they don't break easily. Theyare better than nothing, though, and we can find our way to the tavern."

  So they did, and once more Ned had something to say about lights.

  "There's an awful difference," he remarked, "between these rush-lightsmokers and electric bulbs or gas, or even kerosene or candles. Hollowrushes with fat poured into them! They stand up pretty well in thesticks, but they don't last long, and how they do smoke!"

  He did not allow his own rush-light to burn down, however. As soon asthe horses were cared for and supper was eaten, he was glad enough toget into bed.

  "I do believe there is nothing else in all the world," he said,"that will tire a fellow out like a great battle. Father Brian wasright, though, about the trap that was set for King Hardrada. Thosetwo English earls, Edwin and Morcar, knew well enough that Haroldwas coming, and they had everything ready when he got here. Hardradaought to have watched. He knew he was dealing with his enemies. So didTostig, and I believe he suspected something."

  Sleep stopped him there, and he arose the next morning with a feelingthat he was going to walk out into something entirely new. He was nowno longer a Norway Viking, invading England with Harold Hardrada theSea King. Nor was he any longer under the special protection of Tostigthe Earl. All of his previous experiences, as he said of them, were somany back numbers, and he was now King Harold of England's devotedfollower. He winced a little, also, when he remembered that he wasregarded as one of the heroes of the great battle of Stamford bridge.

  During this day and several more which followed, he was left almostaltogether by himself, for Father Brian had affairs of his own toattend to.

  "It is just the way I'd like to have it," said Ned. "Now I've a goodhorse that won't pitch me over his head, as Nanny did, I'm going toride all around and see the country. I'll see the city better, too. I'dlike to tell father and mother what I'm doing, too."

  The city gates were open now, and all men came and went at their will.There were throngs of them, for all the country people were eager toget a glimpse of their victorious king and his wonderful army. Nedfound nothing to hinder him, therefore, and he made his horsebackexcursions industriously. The very first of them carried him once moreover Stamford bridge and across the battle-field. He had thought hewould wish to look at it and remember the fighting, but he did notlinger there for a moment.

  "It is too dreadful!" he exclaimed, urging his horse forward. "I neverwant to see a battle-field again, that is, not after all the battle isover. I'll ride on and see if I can visit Lars and Vebba."

  It was not so very long a gallop to the bank of the Humber. Largenumbers of Norway war-ships were still there, anchored or moored to theshore, but Ned searched among them in vain for a glimpse of his oldfriend, the _Serpent_. The fact was that these ships which remainedwere such as had been surrendered after the defeat of Hardrada's army.Quite a number, which had been ready for sea, had sailed away at once,carrying such Vikings as had not marched to the Derwent at all, andwith them a great many of the first arriving fugitives.

  "I guess she got away," said Ned. "She belonged to Vebba. I hope he andLars are on board of her. Some day I mean to visit Norway again and goand see them, but they'd do better if they'd emigrate to America."

  King Harold of England was dealing very mercifully with the beateninvaders. It was said that he had given two dozen of the capturedvessels for his prisoners to go home in.

  "It wouldn't do for him to kill them," remarked Ned, as he rodehomeward. "I guess he was glad to be rid of them."

  Other days went by, and Ned spent most of the in on horseback, so thathe saw a great deal of that part of Northumberland. He returned to thetavern pretty well tired out, on
e evening, and, just as he was carryinga sputtering rush-light up-stairs, he heard heavy footsteps behind himand a cheery voice that shouted:

  "My boy! Our luck hath come! A messenger came from London to theking, to-day, to tell him that the fleet of Duke William of Normandyhath been seen off the southern coast. Before Harold and his armycan get there, the Normans will all be landed. They will have beforethem, soon, a greater battle than the one that was fought with theNorwegians, putting Fulford and Stamford bridge together."

  "That's bad news for England," said Ned. "A host of men will be killed.I'm ready, anyhow. I want to see King Harold win another victory."

  "Thou knowest very little about that," replied the missionary, goingon up the stairs with him. "No man may say how a battle will turn outuntil after the fighting is over. I will ask thee one thing, however.Canst thou speak at all in French?"

  "Of course I can," said Ned. "I learned it at home, when I was a littlechap."

  "It may yet be a good thing for thee," said Father Brian. "I have itupon my mind, however, that the greater part of Duke William's motleyarmy speak tongues of their own, and not a word of French. It is aspeech I have not yet heard. It may be that thou and I will listen toit before long."

  "I guess so," said Ned. "I'll have a talk with King Harold's Frenchprisoners, after he whips the duke."

  Ned's admiration for the Saxon king had been strengthening rapidly fromday to day, as he heard men talk about him. He did not now entertainany idea that his hero could really be beaten by Duke William. Atthe same time, he had begun to pick up rapidly a number of words ofseveral kinds of Saxon. This had helped him very much in a numberof conversations with the king's house-carles. It had also provedconvenient at the tavern, among the citizens of York, and among thecountry people.

  The Saxon army had been resting well during all these days, and it hadbeen preparing for the long, severe march which its royal commanderhad known it must soon perform. He, statesman as well as general,had been setting in order the tangled affairs of the great northernearldoms. The two Earls of Mercia and Northumberland, Edwin and Morcar,had professed utter loyalty to him. They had promised to bring all theforces they could muster to join the army which was to oppose DukeWilliam of Normandy.

  This, nevertheless, would require time, and the king could not now waitfor any new levies. He was needed to defend the southern counties ofEngland, and, especially, to prevent the speedy capture of London bythe Normans.

  The mounted house-carles, the thingmen, were ready to march on theday following the arrival of the messenger who brought the tidingsconcerning Duke William's fleet. It may be that even then King Haroldwas aware of the terrible truth, that the landing of the Normans hadalready begun at Pevensey, on the southern coast, only three days afterthe battle of Stamford bridge. He was also aware, nevertheless, thatthe transfer from ship to shore of such a host as that of William, withits supplies, and with a vast number of horses for its cavalry, wasa task which would surely require a number of days. More time wouldnecessarily be consumed, after that, in getting the invading army intoshape for any considerable forward movement. It was still possible,therefore, for Harold and his army to get to London in season. If hecould save his capital city, then would follow the awful struggle thatwas sure to come for England's throne and freedom.

  Out of the Ouse gate of the old city of York rode the mailed horsemen,in close array. Behind them, in endless columns, strode the footmen,thousand after thousand. Perhaps not a man who saw them march awaycould have believed what a fate was waiting for them on the southernshore of the land they were going to defend.

  "My boy," said Father Brian, "thou and I will keep close along towardthe front. The king himself rideth far ahead of all. He intendeth tostir up, as he goeth along, all the fighting strength of the middlecounties."

  "I'm afraid I won't have a chance to get at him," replied Ned. "I wantto let him know the truth about that affair of Sikend the Berserker."

  "Thou mayest let that rest," said the good missionary. "He hath quiteenough to busy him just now. I think he may be caring very little whoit was that speared one Viking. Only I bid thee keep good care of thytongue and speak only the truth. It is always bad for a man to win uponfalse pretences. See that thou maintain thy honesty, my boy."

  "I guess I will," said Ned. "There isn't anything crooked about me. Ifa man will tell a falsehood, the next thing he will be caught passingcounterfeit money."

  "Thou hast a great many of thy York Saxon sayings," remarked FatherBrian, "that thou art not able to turn into good Latin. I have found itso with all the heathen I have ever been among. It sometimes maketh mewish that I were back at Clontarf, to hear men talking good sense oncemore. I give that up, however, for my duty biddeth me to remain, that Imay do somewhat for the civilisation and instruction of these ignorantEnglish people."

  This was an undertaking concerning which the good man was becoming moreand more enthusiastic. It was plain that he cared for it much more thanhe did for any victories or defeats of either Norman William or SaxonHarold.

  Ned had heard him saying to himself:

  "Little odds is it which of the two shall wear the crown, provided thatthese millions of human beings shall be made over into something betterthan so many two-legged cattle. They are little more than that now."

  At first, even after exploring York, Ned had hardly agreed with him,but he learned a great deal as they rode along and as he saw the actualstate of things in England.

  Day followed day, and the mounted house-carles rode steadily onward.Town after town, camp after camp, was reached and left behind.Everywhere the king was welcomed with noisy acclamations. He appeared,indeed, to be exceedingly well beloved by his subjects of every rankand kind.

  "They are all sorts, though," was a remark that Ned was forced to makeconcerning them, and he added: "What they want is about forty thousandFather Brians."

  Large numbers, he discovered, were no better than slaves, the propertyof the landholders. They had no hope whatever of improving theircondition. Even the freemen were only a shade better off. Not many,even of the rich and titled, were able to read and write. There were agreat many other faults to find.

  "Sometimes," said Ned, "I almost think England ought to be conquered.Harold or somebody else ought to stir up things with a long pole."

  He was hardly able to say what he would try to do first, if he wereking, and he determined to have a talk about it with Harold some dayafter he should have beaten the Normans.

  The country they rode through was very beautiful, after all. Some ofthe towns were fairly well built. Some of the castles and palaces werepicturesque and attractive. There were numberless green fields andfruitful orchards. The flocks of sheep and the herds of cattle lookedlike prosperity.

  Then, too, there were grand old forests of oaks and other trees, andNed saw herd after herd of beautiful red deer.

  "No poor man dares to hunt them, they tell me," he said of the deer."They'd hang him as if he'd killed a man. Not even if he were starving.It is a good deal as Father Brian says, the lower kinds of people inEngland are treated as if they were beasts."

  Above these, nevertheless, were the hundreds of thousands ofstrong-armed yeomanry,--the farmers, the squires, the thanes, great andsmall, and from among these King Harold was now trying to strengthenhis army. No doubt his success in doing so would have been better ifmore time had been given him, but as he pushed onward messenger aftermessenger came riding swiftly to tell him of the vast numbers andwarlike appearance of the host of William of Normandy. This was now alllanded, they reported, and it was almost ready for a march upon London,where there was nothing to oppose it but a moderate force under Gyrth,Earl of the East Angles and younger brother of the king.

  "I want to see Gyrth," said Ned to the missionary. "They say he isanother hero like Harold."