The Dragon and the Raven; Or, The Days of King Alfred

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER XIII: THE SIEGE OF PARIS

  On the following morning Edmund, who had returned to his ship to sleep,was aroused by loud shouts on deck. Hurrying from his cabin he saw avast fleet of ships approaching the mouth of the river. They were ofall sizes--from great sailing ships to rowing galleys. It needed but aglance at them to assure him that they were the dreaded ships of theNorthmen, for the Black Raven floated at many of the mast-heads.

  From the town the sounds of horns and great shoutings could be heard,showing that there too the approaching fleet had just been discerned asthe morning fog lifted from the sea. Edmund held a hurried consultationwith his kinsman. It was now too late to gain the sea, for the Danishships had already reached the mouth of the river. To attempt to escapeby fighting would be madness, and they hesitated only whether to runthe ship ashore, and, leaving her there, enter the town and share inits defence, or to proceed up the river with all speed to Rouen, oreven to Paris.

  The latter course was decided upon, for the Danish ships would containso vast a number of men that there was little hope that Havre couldresist their attack, nor was it likely that Rouen, which, on theprevious year had been captured and sacked, would even attempt anotherresistance, which would only bring massacre and ruin upon itsinhabitants. Paris alone, the capital of the Frankish kings, seemed tooffer a refuge. The deliberation was a short one, and by the time themen had taken their places at the oars their leaders had decided upontheir course.

  The anchor ropes were cut, for not a moment was to be lost, the leadingships of the Danes being already less than half a mile distant. Thetide was flowing, and the Dragon swept rapidly up the river. Some ofthe Danish galleys followed for a while, but seeing that the Dragon hadthe speed of them, they abandoned the pursuit, and at a more easystroke the rowers continued their work until they reached Rouen. Herethe tide failed them, and they moored against the bank under the walls.

  Edmund and Egbert went on shore. They found the city in a state of wildconfusion. Saying that they had important news, and must see thegovernor, they were led to the council-chamber, where the leading menof the town were assembled. After stating who he and his companionwere, Edmund announced the arrival of a great Danish fleet at the mouthof the river.

  "Your news, sir, is terrible for our poor country," the governor said,"but to us it scarce brings any additional horror, although it willprobably decide the question which we are engaged in discussing. Wehave news here that a great Danish army which landed at Abbeville ismarching hitherward, and we are met to discuss whether the town shouldresist to the last or should open its gates at their approach. Thisnews you bring of the arrival of a fresh army of these sea robbers atHavre renders our case desperate. So fierce is their attack that wecould hardly hope successfully to resist the approaching army, butagainst it and this fleet you tell us of resistance could only bringabout our utter destruction. That, at least, is my opinion, the othermembers of the council must speak for themselves."

  The other members, who were the principal merchants and traders of thetown, were unanimously of the same opinion.

  "Better," they said, "to give up all our worldly goods to the Northmenthan to be slaughtered pitilessly with our wives and families."

  "Such being your decision," Edmund said, "my kinsman and myself willproceed up the river to Paris; hitherto, as we hear, the Northmen havenot ventured to attack that city, and should they do so, it willdoubtless resist to the last."

  Accordingly the two Saxons returned at once to the Dragon, and as soonas the tide turned unmoored and proceeded up the river. Three daysafter leaving Rouen they arrived in sight of Paris. The capital of theFranks was but a small city, and was built entirely upon the islandsituated just at the confluence of the Seine and Marne. It wassurrounded by a strong and lofty wall.

  On the approach of a vessel differing entirely from anything they hadbefore seen the citizens flocked to the walls. The Golden Dragonfloating at the mast-head showed them that the vessel did not belong tothe Danes, and some of the more experienced in these matters said atonce that she must be a Saxon ship. The Count Eudes, who had been leftby the king in command of Paris, himself came to the walls just as theDragon came abreast of them. Edmund ordered the rowers to pause attheir work.

  "Who are you?" the Count Eudes shouted. "Whence do you come and withwhat intent?"

  "My name is Edmund. I am an ealdorman of King Alfred of the Saxons.When at sea fighting the Northmen a tempest blew me down your coast,and I took refuge in the port of Havre. Four days since at daybreak avast fleet of Northmen entered the river. We rowed up to Rouen hopingto be able to find safe shelter there; but the citizens being awarethat a great army of the sea robbers was marching against their town,and being further intimidated by the news I brought them, decided uponsurrendering without resistance. Therefore we have continued ourjourney hither, being assured that here at least the Danish wolveswould not have their way unopposed. We have fought them long in ournative land, and wish for nothing better than to aid in the efforts ofthe Franks against our common enemy."

  "You are welcome, sir earl," the Count Eudes said, "though the news youbring us is bad indeed. We have heard how valiantly the thanes of KingAlfred have fought against the invaders, and shall be glad indeed ofyour assistance should the Northmen, as I fear, come hither."

  So saying the count ordered the gates to be opened, and the Dragonhaving been moored alongside, Edmund and Egbert with their crew enteredthe town, where the leaders were received with great honour by thecount. He begged them to become guests at the castle, where quarterswere also assigned to the crew. A banquet was at once prepared, atwhich many of the principal citizens were present.

  As soon as the demands of hunger were satisfied the count made furtherinquiries as to the size of the fleet which had entered the Seine, andas to the army reported to be marching against Rouen.

  "I doubt not," he said, when the Saxons had given him all theparticulars in their power, "that it is the armament of Siegfroi whohas already wrought such destruction. More than once he has appearedbefore our walls, and has pillaged and ravaged the whole of the northof France. The last time he was here he threatened to return with aforce which would suffice to raze Paris to the ground, and doubtless heis coming to endeavour to carry out his threat; but he will not findthe task an easy one, we shall resist him to the last; and right gladam I that I shall have the assistance of two of the Saxon thanes whohave so often inflicted heavy defeats upon these wolves of the sea.Your vessel is a strange one, and differs from those that I havehitherto seen, either Dane or Saxon. She is a sailing ship, and yetappears to row very fast."

  "She is built," Edmund said, "partly upon the design of King Alfredhimself, which were made from paintings he possessed of the war galleysof Italy, which country he visited in his youth. They were carried outby a clever shipwright of Exeter; and, indeed, the ship sails as wellas she rows, and, as the Danes have discovered to their cost, is ableto fight as well as she can sail and row. Had we been fairly out to seabefore the Danish fleet made its appearance we could have given a goodaccount of ourselves, but we were caught in a trap."

  "I fear that if the Northmen surround the city your ship will bedestroyed."

  "I was thinking of that," Edmund said, "and I pray you to let me havesome men who know the river higher up. There must assuredly be lowshores often overflowed where there are wide swamps covered with woodand thickets, which the enemy would not enter, seeing that no bootycould be obtained there. The ship was built in such a spot, and wecould cut a narrow gap from the river and float her well in among thetrees so as to be hidden from the sight of any passing up the river ingalleys, closing up the cut again so that none might suspect itsexistence."

  "That could be done easily enough," the count said; "there are plentyof spots which would be suitable, for the banks are for the most partlow and the ground around swampy and wooded. To-morrow I will tell offa strong body of men to accompany you in your ship, and aid your crewin their work."

  T
wenty miles up the Seine a suitable spot was found, and the crew ofthe Dragon, with the hundred men whom the Count Eudes had lent for thepurpose, at once set about their work. They had but little trouble, fora spot was chosen where a sluggish stream, some fifteen feet wide,drained the water from a wide-spreading swamp into the river. Thechannel needed widening but a little to allow of the Dragon entering,and the water was quite deep enough to permit her being taken somethree hundred yards back from the river.

  The trees and underwood were thick, and Edmund was assured that evenwhen winter, which was now approaching, stripped the last leaf from thetrees, the Dragon could not be seen from the river. Her masts werelowered, and bundles of brushwood were hung along her side so as toprevent the gleam of black paint being discerned through the trees.

  The entrance to the stream was filled up to a width of three or fourfeet, and the new work turfed with coarse grass similar to that whichgrew beside it. Bushes were planted close to the water's edge, andstakes were driven down in the narrow channel to within a few inches ofthe surface of the water.

  Certain now that no Danish boats would be likely to turn aside from theriver to enter this channel into the swamp, the party embarked in someboats which had been towed up by the Dragon and returned down the riverto Paris.

  The afternoon before starting all the valuable booty which had beencaptured from the Danes was landed and placed in security in thecastle, and upon his return to Paris Edmund disposed of this at goodprices to the traders of the city.

  A fortnight after they had returned to Paris the news was brought inthat a vast fleet of Northmen was ascending the river. The next morningit was close at hand, and the citizens mounting the walls beheld withconsternation the approaching armament. So numerous were the ships thatthey completely covered the river. The fleet consisted of seven hundredsailing ships, and a vastly greater number of rowing galleys and boats.These vessels were crowded with men, and their fierce aspect, theirglittering arms, and their lofty stature, spread terror in the heartsof the citizens.

  "This is truly a tremendous host!" the Count Eudes said to Edmund, whostood beside him on the walls.

  "It is indeed," Edmund replied. "Numerous as are the fleets which havepoured down upon the shores of England, methinks that none approachedthis in strength. It is clear that the Northmen have united theirforces for a great effort against this city; but having at homesuccessfully defended fortifications, which were not to be named incomparison with those of Paris, against them, I see no reason to doubtthat we shall be able to beat them off here."

  The Danes landed on the opposite bank and formed a vast camp there, andthe following morning three of their number in a small boat rowedacross the river and said that their king Siegfroi desired to speakwith Goslin, archbishop of Paris, who stood in the position of civilgovernor. They were told that the archbishop would receive the king inhis palace.

  An hour later a stately figure in glittering armour was seen to takehis place in a long galley, which, rowed by twenty men, quickly shotacross the stream. Siegfroi landed, and, accompanied by four of hisleading warriors, entered the gates, which were opened at his approach.The chief of the Northmen was a warrior of lofty stature. On his headhe wore a helmet of gold, on whose crest was a raven with extendedwings wrought in the same metal. His hair fell loosely on his neck; hisface was clean shaved in Danish fashion, save for a long moustache. Hewore a breastplate of golden scales, and carried a shield of thetoughest bull's-hide studded with gold nails.

  He was unarmed, save a long dagger which he wore in his belt. He andhis followers, who were all men of immense stature, walked with a proudand assured air between the lines of citizens who clustered thickly oneach side of the street, and who gazed in silence at these dreadedfigures. They were escorted by the chamberlain of the archbishop, andon arriving at his palace were conducted into the chamber where Goslin,Count Eudes, and several of the leading persons of Paris awaited them.

  Siegfroi bent his head before the prelate.

  "Goslin," he said, "I beg you to have compassion upon yourself and yourflock if you do not wish to perish. We beseech you to turn a favourableear to our words. Grant only that we shall march through the city. Wewill touch nothing in the town, and we undertake to preserve all yourproperty, both yours and that of Eudes."

  The archbishop replied at once:

  "This city has been confided to us by the Emperor Charles, who is,after God, the king and master of the powers of the earth. Holdingunder his rule almost all the world, he confided it to us, with theassurance that we should suffer no harm to come to the kingdom, butshould keep it for him safe and sure. If it had happened that thedefence of these walls had been committed to your hands, as it has beencommitted to mine, what would you have done had such a demand been madeupon you? Would you have granted the demand?"

  "If I had granted it," Siegfroi replied, "may my head fall under theaxe and serve as food for dogs. Nevertheless, if you do not grant ourdemands, by day we will overwhelm your city with our darts, and withpoisoned arrows by night. You shall suffer all the horrors of hunger,and year after year we will return and make a ruin of your city."

  Without another word he turned, and followed by his companions, strodethrough the streets of Paris, and taking his place in the boat returnedto his camp.

  At daybreak the next morning the Norsemen were seen crowding into theirships. The trumpets sounded loudly, and the citizens seized their armsand hastened to the walls. The Norsemen crossed the river, and directedtheir attack against a tower which stood at the head of the bridgeconnecting the city and island with the farther bank. Those who landedwere provided with picks, crowbars, and other implements for effectinga breach, and their approach was protected by a cloud of arrows andjavelins from the fleet which covered the surface of the river.

  The French leaders soon assembled at the threatened point. Chief amongthese were Eudes, his brother Robert, the Count Ragenaire, and the AbbeEbble, a nephew of the archbishop. The Franks bore themselves bravely,and in spite of the rain of arrows defended the walls against thedesperate attacks of the Northmen.

  The fortifications in those days were very far from having attained thestrength and solidity which a few generations later were bestowed uponthem. The stones of which they were constructed were comparativelysmall, and fastened together by mortar, consequently they could illresist even an assault by manual weapons. Covered by their shields theNorthmen worked untiringly at the foundations, and piece by piece thewalls crumbled to the ground. Every effort, however, to enter at thebreaches so made was repulsed, and Siegfroi kept back his warriors,determined to delay the grand assault until the next day. By nightfallthe tower was in ruins, scarce a portion of the walls remaining erect.Many of the besieged had been killed. The archbishop was wounded withan arrow. Frederic, a young soldier who led the troops of the churchwas killed.

  The besiegers had suffered much more severely, great numbers havingbeen killed by the stones and missiles hurled down by the defenderswhile engaged in the demolition of the walls. At nightfall the Danescarried off their wounded and recrossed the river, confident that nextday they would succeed in their assault. As soon as darkness had set inCount Eudes collected the citizens, and these, bearing beams andplanks, crossed the bridge to the tower, and set to work. Outside thecircle of ruins holes were dug and the beams securely fixed. Plankswere nailed to these, and earth heaped up behind them.

  All night the work continued, and by morning a fortification muchhigher than the original tower had been erected all round the ruin. TheDanes again crossed the river in their ships, and the assault wasrenewed. Javelins and great stones were hurled at the fortification,and clouds of arrows from the shipping fell within them. Covered withportable roofs constructed of planks the Danes strove to destroy thewall. The besieged poured upon them a blazing mixture of oil, wax, andpitch. Numbers of the Danes were burned to death, while others,maddened by the pain, threw themselves into the river.

  Over and over again Siegfroi led his warriors to
the attack, but thedefenders, headed by Eudes and the brave Abbe Ebble, each time repelledthem. The abbe particularly distinguished himself, and he is reportedto have slain seven Danes at once with one javelin, a blow which may beconsidered as bordering on the miraculous. But the number of thedefenders of the tower was small indeed to that of the enemy, and theloss which they inflicted upon the Danes, great as it was, was asnothing in so vast a host.

  The flames of the machines, lighted by the pitch and oil, communicatedto the planks of the fortification, and soon these too were on fire. Asthey burned, the earth behind them gave way, and a breach was formed.Encouraged by this result the Danes brought up faggots, and in severalplaces lighted great fires against the fortifications. The defendersbegan to lose all hope, when a tremendous storm of rain suddenly burstover Paris quenching the fire.

  The besieged gained heart, reinforcements crossed from the town, andthe Danes again withdrew to their ships, having lost in the day'sfighting three hundred men. After this repulse the Northmen desistedfor a time from their attack. They formed a strong fortified camp nearthe church of St. Germain, and then spread over the country slaying andburning, sparing none, man, woman, or child. From the walls of Paristhe smoke could be seen rising over the whole country, and every heartwas moved with rage and sorrow.

  Edmund and his party had taken no part in the defence of the tower. Itsloss would not have involved that of the town, and Eudes requested himto keep his band in reserve in order that they might remain intactuntil the Danes should make a breach in the walls of the city itself,when the sudden reinforcement of a party of such well-trained warriorsmight decide the result.

  While a portion of the Danish host were engaged upon the work ofdevastation, a large number were employed upon the construction ofthree great towers. These were built on wheels, and were each largeenough to hold sixty men. They far overtopped the walls, and thecitizens viewed with alarm the time when an assault should be deliveredunder the protection of these formidable machines. Eighteen ships ofequal size were moored by the bank six deep. Great planks were laidacross them, and a sloping platform having been formed, the towers wereby the efforts of thousands of men moved up and placed on the ships.

  "If we do not destroy those towers, Egbert," Edmund said one day as hesaw them slowly moving into their position on board the ships, "all islost, for from their summits the Northmen with their bows and javelinswill be able to clear the walls, while those below effect a breach attheir leisure."

  "That is true enough, Edmund, but I do not see any way to destroy them.Unfortunately we have no boats, or we might fill some of them withcombustibles, and tow them down until near enough for the stream tocarry them upon those vessels; but even then the chance were smallindeed, for the Danes would swarm out in their boats and manage to towor push them so that they would not touch the ships."

  "I should think, Egbert, that if we could get some skins or planks weand our band might, when it is quite dark, sally out and take to thewater at the lower end of the island and float down quietly for a mileor two, and then gain the further bank; then we might march alongquietly until we reach those ships. The Danes know that we have noboats, and will not fear an attack. We must not do it until an hour ortwo before morning, when, after spending the early hours of the nightas usual in feasting and drinking, they will sleep heavily. Just beforewe are ready to begin a small party can unmoor two or three of theboats by the bank and push them out, one to the outside of each tier ofsix vessels, so that we may have a means of retreat across the river.When that is done we will make a rush on board the ships, cut down anyDanes we may find there, and set fire to all the vessels. We must holdthe gangways to the shore until the flames get well alight, and thentake to the boats and return."

  "I think the plan is a good one, Edmund, and may well be carried outwithout great loss. There are plenty of empty wine skins at present inParis. I will at once set about collecting a hundred of them. We willfasten to each a stout cord so as to form a loop to go over the headand shoulders, then we had best attach them all together by one longcord, by which means we shall float in a body."

  "Fortunately the night is very dark and I think that we shall succeed.Say nothing about it, Egbert, and tell the men to keep silent. The goodpeople of Paris shall know nothing of the matter until they see theflames dancing round the towers which they hold in so much dread."

  The Saxons received with satisfaction the news of the intendedexpedition. They had been disappointed at being kept back from takingany part in the fighting during the two days' attack upon the tower,and longed for an opportunity to inflict a blow upon their hated enemythe Danes. The wine skins were fitted up with ropes as Egbert hadsuggested, and soon after nightfall the party, armed with spear andsword, and carrying each his float, sallied out from the gates, asEdmund was by this time so well known among the citizens that the gatewas opened without demur on his order.

  They crept along the foot of the wall until they reached the lowerextremity of the island. Across the river innumerable fires blazedhigh, and the songs and shouts of the Danes rose loud in the air.Numbers of figures could be seen moving about or standing near thefires, the tents of the chiefs were visible some distance back, but thenumber of these as well as of the fires was much less than it had beenon the first arrival of the Northmen, owing to the numbers who had goneto the camp round St. Germain.

  The night was very dark and a light rain was falling. Before taking tothe water Edmund bade his men strip off the greater portion of theirclothes and fasten them in a bundle on their heads, as it would be sometime after they landed before they could advance upon the camp, and thecold and dripping garments would tend to lessen their spirits andcourage.

  When all was ready they stepped into the water, and keeping in a body,drifted down the stream. The wine skins floated them well above thewater, the stream was running strong, and the lights of the Danishfires were soon left behind.

  In half an hour Edmund and Egbert deemed that they were now far beyonda point where they might chance upon any Danish stragglers. The wordwas therefore given, and all made for the bank. The stream had alreadydrifted them in that direction, and they soon reached the shore. Herethe skins which had proved so useful were left behind, and putting ontheir dry clothes, they felt comparatively comfortable. Edmund orderedthem to lay down their spears and swords by their sides, and to swingtheir arms violently. This they continued to do until they were nearlybreathless, by which time the blood was coursing warmly in their veins.

  They were now in December, and the water was extremely cold, and Egbertcongratulated Edmund upon having made the men strip, for had they beencompelled to remain in their wet garments while waiting for the Danishfires to die down, they would scarce have been in a fit state to fightwhen the moment for so doing had arrived.

  Three hours elapsed before the glare of the distant fires began tosubside, another half hour passed, and then the band were formed up andmoved along on the bank of the river.