by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER VI: THE SAXON FORT
A strict watch was kept all night, and several scouts were sent out.These on their return reported that the Danes were feasting, havingslain many cattle and broached the casks of mead which they found inthe cellars of Edmund's house. This they had not burned nor the housesaround it, intending, as the scouts supposed, to make it theirheadquarters while they attacked the fort.
Edmund and Egbert agreed that it would be well to show the Danes atonce that they had an active and enterprising foe to deal with; theytherefore awakened their band, who were sleeping on skins close to thegate, and with them started out.
It was still two hours before dawn when they approached the house. Savea few men on watch, the great Danish host, which the messengerscalculated to amount to ten thousand men, were asleep. Cautiouslymaking their way so as to avoid stumbling over the Danes, who layscattered in groups round the house, the Saxons crept forward quietlyuntil close to the entrance, when a sleepy watchman started up.
"Who are ye?"
The answer was a blow from Egbert's battle-axe. Then the leaders withtwenty of their men rushed into the house, while the rest remained onguard at the entrance.
The combat was short but furious, and the clashing of arms and shoutsof the Danes roused those sleeping near, and the men who escaped fromthe house spread the alarm. The fight lasted but three or four minutes,for the Danes, scattered through the house, and in many cases stillstupid from the effects of the previous night's debauch, were unable togather and make any collective resistance. The two jarls fought in amanner worthy of their renown, but the Saxon spears proved more than amatch for their swords, and they died fighting bravely till the last.Between Saxon and Dane there was no thought of quarter; none asked formercy on either side, for none would be granted. The sea rovers neverspared an armed man who fell into their hands, and the Saxons wereinfuriated by the sufferings which the invaders had inflicted uponthem, and had no more pity upon their foes than if they had been wildanimals. Besides the jarls some thirty of their minor leaders were inthe house, and but five or six of them escaped. It was well for theDanes that the detachment which lay there was not their principal body,which was still a few miles in the rear, for had it been so two oftheir kings and six jarls, all men of famed valour, would have beenslain. The instant the work was done the Saxons rejoined thoseassembled at the entrance.
Already the Danes were thronging up, but at present in confusion anddisorder, coming rather to see what was the matter than to fight, andhardly believing that the Saxons could have had the audacity to attackthem. In an instant the Saxons fell into their usual formation, andoverturning and cutting down those who happened to be in their path,burst through the straggling Danes, and at a trot proceeded across thecountry.
It was still quite dark, and it was some time before the Danes becamethoroughly aware of what had happened; then missing the voices of theirleaders, some of them rushed into the house, and the news that the twojarls and their companions had been slain roused them to fury. At oncethey set off in pursuit of the Saxons in a tumultuous throng; but theband had already a considerable start, and had the advantage of knowingevery foot of the country, of which the Danes were ignorant. When oncefairly through the enemy, Edmund had given the word and the formationhad broken up, so that each man could run freely and without jostlinghis comrades. Thus they were enabled to proceed at a rapid pace, andreached the fort just as day was breaking, without having beendiscovered or overtaken by the Danes.
The news of this successful exploit raised the spirits of the garrisonof the fort. The Danes swarmed nearly up to the walls, but seeing howformidable was the position, and being without leaders, they fell backwithout making an attack, some of the more impetuous having fallen fromthe arrows of the bowmen.
About mid-day a solid mass of the enemy were seen approaching, and thebanners with the Black Raven on a blood-red field showed that itcontained leaders of importance, and was, in fact, the main body of theDanes. It was an imposing sight as it marched towards the fort, withthe fluttering banners, the sun shining upon the brass helmets andshields of the chiefs, and the spear-heads and swords of the footmen.Here and there parties of horsemen galloped about the plain.
"Their number has not been exaggerated," Egbert said to Edmund, "theremust be ten thousand of them. There are full twice as many as attackedus on the field of Kesteven."
The sight of the great array struck terror into the minds of a greatpart of the defenders of the fort; but the confident bearing of theiryoung ealdorman and the thought of the strength of their wallsreassured them. The Danes halted at a distance of about a quarter of amile from the walls, and three or four of their chiefs rode forward.These by the splendour of their helmets, shields, and trappings wereclearly men of great importance. They halted just out of bowshotdistance, and one of them, raising his voice, shouted:
"Dogs of Saxons, had you laid down your arms, and made submission tome, I would have spared you; but for the deed which you did last night,and the slaying of my brave jarls, I swear that I will have revengeupon you, and, by the god Wodin, I vow that not one within your walls,man, woman, or child, shall be spared. This is the oath of King Uffa."
"It were well, King Uffa," Edmund shouted back, "to take no rash oaths;before you talk of slaying you have got to capture, and you will needall the aid of your false gods before you take this fort. As to mercy,we should as soon ask it of wolves. We have God and our good swords toprotect us, and we fear not your host were it three times as strong asit is."
The Saxons raised a great shout, and the Danish king rode back to histroops. The lesson which had been given them of the enterprise of theSaxons was not lost, for the Danes at once began to form a camp,raising an earthen bank which they crowned with stakes and bushes as adefence against sudden attacks. This work occupied them two days, andduring this time no blow was struck on either side, as the Danes posteda strong body of men each night to prevent the Saxons from sallyingout. On the third day the work was finished, and the Danish kings withtheir jarls made a circuit round the walls, evidently to select theplace for attack.
The time had passed quietly in the fort. In one corner the priests haderected an altar, and here mass was said three times a day. The priestswent among the soldiers exhorting them to resist to the last,confessing them, and giving them absolution.
The pains which the Danes had taken in the preparation of their campwas a proof of their determination to capture the fort, however longthe operation might be. It showed, too, that they recognized thedifficulty of the task, for had they believed that the capture could beeasily effected they would at once upon their arrival have advanced tothe attack.
"To-morrow morning early," Egbert said, "I expect that they willassault us. In the first place probably they will endeavour to carrythe fort by a general attack; if they fail in this they will set toconstruct engines with which to batter the wall."
At daybreak the following morning the Danes issued from their camp.Having formed up in regular order, they advanced towards the castle.They divided into four bands; three of these wheeled round to oppositesides of the fort, the fourth, which was as large as the other threetogether, advanced towards the entrance. The Saxons all took the postspreviously assigned to them on the walls. Edmund strengthened the forceon the side where the gate was by posting there in addition the wholeof his band. Altogether there were nearly 350 fighting men within thewalls, of whom the greater part had fought against the Danes in thebattles of the previous year. The attack commenced simultaneously onall sides by a discharge of arrows by the archers of both parties. TheSaxons, sheltered behind the parapet on the walls, suffered butslightly; but their missiles did considerable execution among themasses of the Danes. These, however, did not pause to continue theconflict at a distance, but uttering their battle-cry rushed forward.
Edmund and Egbert had but little fear of the attack on the other facesof the fort proving successful; the chief assault was against the gate,and it was here that the r
eal danger existed.
The main body of the Danes covered themselves with their shields andrushed forward with the greatest determination, pouring through the gapin the outer bank in a solid mass, and then turned along the fossetowards the inner gate. Closely packed together, with their shieldsabove their heads forming a sort of testudo or roof which protectedthem against the Saxons' arrows, they pressed forward in spite of theshower of missiles with which the Saxons on the walls assailed them.Arrows, darts, and great stones were showered down upon them, thelatter breaking down the shields, and affording the archers anopportunity of pouring in their arrows.
Numbers fell, but the column swept along until it gained the gate. Herethose in front began an attack upon the massive beams with their axes,and when they had somewhat weakened it, battered it with heavy beams oftimber until it was completely splintered. While this was going on theSaxons had continued to shoot without intermission, and the Danish deadwere heaped thickly around the gate. The Danish archers, assisted bytheir comrades, had scrambled up on to the outer bank and kept up aheavy fire on the defenders of the wall. The Saxons sheltered theirheads and shoulders which were above the parapet with their shields;and between these, as through loopholes, their archers shot at theDanes.
Edmund and Egbert had debated much on the previous days whether theywould pile stones behind the gate, but had finally agreed not to do so.They argued that although for a time the stones would impede theprogress of the Danes, these would, if they shattered the door, sooneror later pull down the stones or climb over them; and it was better tohave a smooth and level place for defence inside. They had, however,raised a bank of earth ten feet high in a semicircle at a distance oftwenty yards within the gate.
When it was seen that the gates were yielding Edmund had called downhis own band from the walls and formed them in a half-circle ten yardsfrom the gate. They were four deep, as in their usual formation, withthe four lines of spears projecting towards the gate. The mound behindthem he lined with archers.
At last the gates fell, and with an exulting shout the Danes poured in.As they did so the archers on the mound loosed their arrows, and thehead of the Danish column melted like snow before the blast of afurnace. Still they poured in and flung themselves upon the spearmen,but they strove in vain to pierce the hedge of steel. Desperately theythrew themselves upon the pike-heads and died there bravely, but theywere powerless to break a passage.
The archers on the mound still shot fast among them, while those on thewall, turning round, smote them in the back, where, unprotected bytheir shields, they offered a sure and fatal mark. Soon the narrowsemicircle inside the gate became heaped high with dead, impeding theefforts of those still pressing in. Several of the bravest of theDanish leaders had fallen. The crowd in the fosse, unaware of theobstacle which prevented the advance of the head of the column andharassed by the missiles from above, grew impatient, and after half anhour of desperate efforts, and having lost upwards of three hundred ofhis best men, the Danish king, furious with rage and disappointment,called off his men.
On the other three sides the attack equally failed. The Danes sufferedheavily while climbing the steep side of the inner mound. They broughtwith them faggots, which they cast down at the foot of the wall, butthis was built so near the edge of the slope that they were unable topile sufficient faggots to give them the height required for asuccessful assault upon it. Many climbed up on their comrades'shoulders, and so tried to scale the wall, but they were thrust down bythe Saxon spears as they raised themselves to its level, and in noplace succeeded in gaining a footing. Over two hundred fell in thethree minor attacks.
There were great rejoicings among the Saxons, on whose side buttwenty-three had been killed. A solemn mass was held, at which all savea few look-outs on the walls attended, and thanks returned to God forthe repulse of the pagans; then the garrison full of confidence awaitedthe next attack of the enemy.
Stones were piled up in the gateway to prevent any sudden surprisebeing effected there. The Danes in their retreat had carried off theirdead, and the next morning the Saxons saw that they were busy with theceremonies of their burial. At some little distance from their camp thedead were placed in a sitting position, in long rows back to back withtheir weapons by their sides, and earth was piled over them until agreat mound fifty yards long and ten feet high was raised.
Three jarls and one of their kings were buried separately. They wereplaced together in a sitting position, with their helmets on theirheads, their shields on their arms, and their swords by their sides.Their four war-horses were killed and laid beside them; twenty slaveswere slaughtered and placed lying round them, for their spirits toattend them in the Walhalla of the gods. Golden drinking-vessels andother ornaments were placed by them, and then a mound forty feet indiameter and twenty feet high was piled over the whole.
The whole force were occupied all day with this work. The next daynumbers of trees were felled and brought to the camp, and for the nexttwo days the Danes were occupied in the manufacture of war-engines forbattering down the walls. Edmund and Egbert utilized the time ininstructing the soldiers who did not form part of the regular band, inthe formation of the quadruple line of defence which the Danes hadfound it so impossible to break through, so that if more than onebreach was effected, a resistance similar to that made at the gatecould be offered at all points. The skins of the oxen killed for theuse of the garrison were carefully laid aside, the inside being thicklyrubbed with grease.
The Danish preparations were at length completed, the war-engines werebrought up and began to hurl great stones against the wall at threepoints. The Saxons kept up a constant fire of arrows at those employedat working them, but the Danes, though losing many men, threw upbreastworks to protect them.
The Saxons manufactured many broad ladders, and in the middle of thenight, lowering these over the walls, they descended noiselessly, andthree strong bodies fell upon the Danes guarding the engines. Thesefought stoutly, but were driven back, the engines were destroyed, andthe Saxons retired to their walls again and drew up their laddersbefore the main body of Danes could arrive from the camp. This caused adelay of some days in the siege, but fresh engines having beenconstructed, the assault on the walls was recommenced, this time thewhole Danish army moving out and sleeping at night close to them.
After three days' battering, breaches of from thirty to fifty feet widewere effected in the walls. The Saxons had not been idle. Behind eachof the threatened points they raised banks of earth ten feet high, andcut away the bank perpendicularly behind the shattered wall, so thatthe assailants as they poured in at the gaps would have to leap tenfeet down.
Each night the masses of wall which fell inside were cleared away, andwhen the breach was complete, and it was evident that the assault wouldtake place the next morning, the hides which had been prepared werelaid with the hairy side down, on the ground below. Through them theydrove firmly into the ground numbers of pikes with the heads stickingup one or two feet, and pointed stakes hardened in the fire. Thensatisfied that all had been done the Saxons lay down to rest.
In the morning the Danes advanced to the assault. This time they werebut little annoyed in their advance by the archers. These were postedon the walls at each side of the gaps to shoot down at the backs of theDanes after they had entered. On the inner semicircular mounds theSaxon force gathered four deep.
With loud shouts the Danes rushed forward, climbed the outer mounds,and reached the breaches. Here the leaders paused on seeing the gulfbelow them, but pressed by those behind they could not hesitate long,but leapt down from the breach on to the slippery hides below.
Not one who did so lived. It was impossible to keep their feet as theyalighted, and as they fell they were impaled by the pikes and stakes.Pressed by those behind, however, fresh men leapt down, falling intheir turn, until at length the hides and stakes were covered, andthose leaping down found a foothold on the bodies of the fallen. Thenthey crowded on and strove to climb the inner bank and attack theSa
xons. Now the archers on the walls opened fire upon them, and,pierced through and through with the arrows which struck them on theback, the Danes fell in great numbers. Edmund commanded at one of thebreaches, Egbert at another, and Oswald, an old and experiencedwarrior, at the third.
At each point the scene was similar. The Danes struggled up the moundsonly to fail to break through the hedge of spears which crowned them,fast numbers dying in the attempt, while as many more fell pierced witharrows. For an hour the Danes continued their desperate efforts, andnot until fifteen hundred had been slain did they draw off to theircamp, finding it impossible to break through the Saxon defences.
Loud rose the shouts of the triumphant Saxons as the Danes retired, andit needed all the efforts of their leaders to prevent them from pouringout in pursuit; but the events of the preceding year had taught theSaxon leaders how often their impetuosity after success had provedfatal to the Saxons, and that once in the plain the Danes would turnupon them and crush them by their still greatly superior numbers.Therefore no one was allowed to sally out, and the discomfited Danesretired unmolested.
The next morning to their joy the Saxons saw that the invaders hadbroken up their camp, and had marched away in the night. Scouts weresent out in various directions, and the Saxons employed themselves instripping and burying the Danes who had fallen within the fort, only afew of the most distinguished having been carried off. The scoutsreturned with news that the Danes had made no halt, but had departedentirely from that part of the country. Finding that for the presentthey were free of the invaders, the Saxons left the fort and scatteredagain, to rebuild as best they might their devastated homes.
But if in the neighbourhood of Sherborne the Danes had been severelyrepulsed, in other parts of the kingdom they continued to make greatprogress, and the feeling of despair among the Saxons increased. Greatnumbers left their homes, and taking with them all their portablepossessions, made their way to the sea-coast, and there embarked forFrance, where they hoped to be able to live peaceably and quietly.
Edmund placed no hindrance in the way of such of his people who chosethis course, for the prospect appeared well-nigh hopeless. The majorityof the Saxons were utterly broken in spirit, and a complete conquest ofthe kingdom by the Danes seemed inevitable. In the spring, however, of877 King Alfred again issued an urgent summons. A great horde of Daneshad landed at Exeter and taken possession of that town, and hedetermined to endeavour to crush them. He sent to Edmund begging him toproceed at once to Poole, where the king's fleet was ready for sea, andto embark in it with what force he could raise, and to sail andblockade the entrance to the river Exe, and so prevent the Danes fromreinforcing their countrymen, while he with his forces laid siege toExeter.
Edmund would have taken his own vessel, but some time would have beenlost, and the king's ships were short of hands. He was not sorry,indeed, that his men should have some practise at sea, and taking hisown band, in which the vacancies which had been caused in the defenceof the fort had been filled up, he proceeded to Poole. Here he embarkedhis men in one of the ships, and the fleet, comprising twenty vessels,put to sea.
The management of the vessels and their sails was in the hands ofexperienced sailors, and Edmund's men had no duties to perform exceptto fight the enemy when they met them.
The news of the siege of Exeter reached the Danes at Wareham, which wastheir head-quarters, and 120 vessels filled with their troops sailedfor the relief of Exeter.
The weather was unpropitious, heavy fogs lay on the water, dissipatedoccasionally by fierce outbursts of wind. The Saxon fleet kept the sea.It was well that for a time the Danish fleet did not appear in sight,for the Saxons, save the sailors, were unaccustomed to the water, andmany suffered greatly from the rough motion; and had the Danes appearedfor the first week after the fleet put to sea a combat must have beenavoided, as the troops were in no condition to fight.
Presently, however, they recovered from their malady and became eagerto meet the enemy; Edmund bade his men take part in the working of theship in order to accustom themselves to the duties of seamen. The fleetdid not keep the sea all the time, returning often to the straitsbetween the Isle of Wight and the mainland, where they lay in shelter,a look-out being kept from the top of the hills, whence a wide sweep ofsea could be seen, and where piles of wood were collected by which asignal fire could warn the fleet to put to sea should the enemy'svessels come in sight.
A full month passed and the Saxons began to fear that the Danes mighthave eluded them, having perhaps been blown out to sea and having madethe land again far to the west. One morning, however, smoke was seen torise from the beacon fire. The crews who were on shore instantlyhurried on board. From the hills the Danish fleet was made out far tothe west and was seen to be approaching the land from seaward, havingbeen driven far out of its course by the winds.
The weather was wild and threatening and the sailors predicted a greatstorm. Nevertheless the fleet put to sea and with reefed sails ran tothe west. Their vessels were larger than the Danish galleys and couldbetter keep the sea in a storm. Many miles were passed before, from thedecks, the Danish flotilla could be seen. Presently, however, a greatnumber of their galleys were discerned rowing in towards Swanage Bay.
In spite of the increasing fury of the wind the Saxons spread more sailand succeeded in intercepting the Danes. A desperate fight began, butthe Danes in their low, long vessels had all they could do to keepafloat on the waves. Many were run down by the Saxons. The showers ofarrows from their lofty poops confused the rowers and slew many.Sweeping along close to them they often broke off the oars and disabledthem. Sometimes two or three of the Danish galleys would try to closewith a Saxon ship, but the sea was too rough for the boats to remainalongside while the men tried to climb up the high sides, and theSaxons with their spears thrust down those who strove to do so.Confusion and terror soon reigned among the Danes, and fearing to tryto escape by sea in such a storm made for the shore, hotly pursued bythe Saxons.
But the shore was even more inhospitable than their foes. Great rocksbordered the coast, and upon these the galleys were dashed intofragments. The people on shore, who had gathered at the sight of theapproaching fleets, fell upon such of the Danes as succeeded in gainingthe coast, and everyone who landed was instantly slain. Thus, partlyfrom the effects of the Saxon fleet but still more from that of thestorm, the whole of the Danish fleet of one hundred and twenty vesselswas destroyed, not a single ship escaping the general destruction.