Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 2, 2025
It is our custom to go armed in a strange land, that we may protect our ships at the least." "Trouble not for your ships, for none will harm them," Beaduheard said, seeming to be somewhat pacified by the quiet way of the chief. "Set down your arms, and render up yourself and the other ship captains, and the theft of the cattle and damage here shall be compounded for at Dorchester."
Then Thorleif turned to his men and said: "You hear what the sheriff says; what is the answer?" That came in a crash and rattle of weapons on round shields that rang over the bay, and sent the staring cattle headlong from where they had been left at the wharf end, tail in air, down the beach. There was no doubting what that meant, and Beaduheard, brave man as he was, if foolish, recoiled.
He had hardly more than twenty men after him, and I thought he had outridden his followers who were on foot. "O fool!" groaned Elfric. "What is the use of this?" But we could do nothing, and watched in anxiety to see what Beaduheard had in his mind. It was impossible that he could have ridden in here with no warning of the real danger, as we had ridden two hours ago, before things had gone so far.
Two or three horses went riderless homeward, and that was how Dorchester learned that Beaduheard the sheriff had met his end. The Danes fell back into their places, one or two with wounds on them; and Thorleif rose up from the ground, shaking his armour into place, and looking round him on those who lay there. They were all Saxons. Not one had escaped.
"Pick up the sheriff," he said to some of his men. "I never saw a braver fool. Maybe he is not hurt." But, however he died, Beaduheard never moved again. Some of the Danes said that a horse must have kicked him; Thorleif had never drawn weapon. "Pity," said Thorleif. "He was somewhat of a Berserk; but he brought it on himself." Which was true enough, and we knew it.
I could see that he was far more deeply troubled than he cared to show, and my heart sank. "I cannot rightly make it all out," he said. "But these men are certainly the northern strangers who have harried Wales, even as we feared." "Well," I said, "we shall have the sheriff here shortly." "Beaduheard? I suppose so. Little help will be from him.
At the head of the group rode Beaduheard himself, red and hot with his ride, and plainly in a rage. His rough brown beard bristled fiercely, and his hand griped the bridle so that the knuckles were white. He had armed himself, and his men were armed also, but their gear showed poorly beside the Danish harness.
Maybe I saw more from the ships presently, for we were hurried on board, handed over to the ship guard and there left, while our captors rode away again. I only hoped that when the first messengers reached Beaduheard the sheriff he would bring force enough with him. But I doubted it.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking