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

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

CHAPTER I: THE FUGITIVES

CHAPTER II: THE BATTLE OF KESTEVEN

CHAPTER III: THE MASSACRE AT CROYLAND

CHAPTER IV: THE INVASION OF WESSEX

CHAPTER V: A DISCIPLINED BAND

CHAPTER VI: THE SAXON FORT

CHAPTER VII: THE DRAGON

CHAPTER VIII: THE CRUISE OF THE DRAGON

CHAPTER IX: A PRISONER

CHAPTER X: THE COMBAT

CHAPTER XI: THE ISLE OF ATHELNEY

CHAPTER XII: FOUR YEARS OF PEACE

CHAPTER XIII: THE SIEGE OF PARIS

CHAPTER XIV: THE REPULSE OF THE NORSEMEN

CHAPTER XV: FRIENDS IN TROUBLE

CHAPTER XVI: FREDA

CHAPTER XVII: A LONG CHASE

CHAPTER XVIII: FREDA DISCOVERED

CHAPTER XIX: UNITED

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The following morning early the little party started. The great chest was dug up from its place of concealment, and they resumed their ordinary dresses. The ealdorman attired himself in a white tunic with a broad purple band round the lower edge, with a short cloak of green cloth. This was fastened with a gold brooch at the neck; a necklet of the same metal and several gold bracelets completed his costume, except that he wore a flat cap and sandals. Edmund had a green tunic and cloak of deep red colour; while Egbert was dressed in yellow with a green cloak—the Saxons being extremely fond of bright colours.

All wore daggers, whose sheaths were incrusted in silver, in their belts, and the ealdorman and his kinsman carried short broad-bladed swords, while Edmund had his boar-spear. Eldred placed in the pouch which hung at his side a bag containing a number of silver cubes cut from a long bar and roughly stamped. The chest was then buried again in its place of concealment among the bushes near the hut, Edmund placed his bows and arrows in the boat—not that in which Edmund had fished, but the much larger and heavier craft which Eldred and Egbert had used—and then the party, with the hound, took their places in it. The ealdorman and Egbert were provided with long poles, and with these they sent the little boat rapidly through the water.

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The news of this immense reinforcement spread consternation among the Angles. In vain their leaders went about among them and exhorted them to courage, promising them another victory as decisive as that they had won that day. Their entreaties were in vain, for when the morning dawned it was found that three-fourths of their number had left the camp during the night, and had made off to the marshes and fastnesses.

A council of the chiefs was held. The chances of conflict appeared hopeless, so vastly were they out-numbered by the Danes. Algar, however, declared that he would die rather than retreat.

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