第 22 页

But no sound broke the stillness of the wood.

"How foolish of Oswald and Edred," he said to Beorn.

"We told them to follow with their levies close behind us, and they must

have allowed them to fall to the rear. However, they can't be far behind."

They waited for half an hour, but the silence continued unbroken.

"Do you shout, Osgod," Wulf said; "they ought to hear miles away on a still

night like this."

Osgod--who had scarcely spoken since his fall, so furious was he at having

been outwitted by a boy, and having not only allowed him to escape, but

being himself rolled in the mire--raised his voice in a tremendous shout.

All listened intently, but no answering sound came back.

"They must have gone altogether wrong," Wulf said. "You know that we

crossed a streamlet that ran into this brook soon after we started. They

must have followed that up, thinking we had done so, and have gone up some

other valley. What is to be done, Beorn?"

"We crossed that streamlet half an hour after starting," Beorn said, "and

as we have spent half an hour here they must have by this time marched up

it two-hours' journey, and if we retrace our steps to that point they will

have got an hour and a half farther away; besides, they may have gone back

when they missed us. There is no saying which way to look for them. I think

we had better go on as before. In the morning we shall be able to see the

nature of the country, but to look for people who may be miles and miles

away, when one cannot see one's own hand, would be but lost time and

labour, and methinks we shall have need to husband all our strength before

we get out of the scrape into which we have fallen. If the two thanes had

obeyed orders and kept closer this would not have happened. They have lost

us by their own carelessness, and must manage as they can. We shall have

all our work to do to look out for ourselves. Seventy men lost in the heart

of these savage hills, which by to-morrow morning will swarm with Welsh,

have but a poor chance of ever seeing the English border again."

"It is not so bad as that, Beorn. I do not say that we are not in an

unpleasant position, but at any rate we are a great deal better off than we

were when we were driving headlong on to the coast of Normandy, or when

there were but three of us in the midst of the Bretons. They have to find

us in the first place, and it will need a good many of them to overcome us

when they do. I fancy that we are very near the head of this valley, the

ground is rising rapidly. I propose that we push on now till the trees

cease, and lie down there till morning breaks, and then cross the next hill

so as to find shelter in some other valley before the sun is fairly up.

From the top of the hill we may get a general view of the country, and

shall have some idea as to the course to take. We must first of all try to

find a native who can tell us which is the direction of Porthwyn and how

far it lies away. Our orders are to reconnoitre it and that must be done

before there is any question of return. Even if I were absolutely alone, I

would carry out that order."

Beorn was silent for a minute, and then said doubtfully, "Perhaps you are

right, Wulf; but when Gurth gave us the order he gave us more than three

hundred men to carry it out, and we have now but seventy."

By this time they were on their way up the valley, followed by their men.

"The fact that two hundred and fifty men have left us really makes the

matter easier than it would otherwise have been," Wulf said. "Of course our

guide carried the news of our coming straight to Porthwyn, and it is like

enough that fires are at present blazing on the hills. The larger division

is more likely to be seen than ours, and to be attacked, and we shall have

all the more chance of getting up unobserved. I sincerely trust that the

thanes, when they discover that they have lost us, will at once lead their

men back to Gurth's camp. In that case they may escape before the Welsh can

assemble and attack them; and as it would naturally be supposed that as

soon as we had lost our guide we retreated in a body, the Welsh will

imagine that there is no occasion for further vigilance."

"You are always too full of arguments for me, Wulf," Beorn laughed; "and if

you have made up your mind to go on, it is not of the least use my saying

anything against it; so have your own way."

At last the forest became less dense, and when they reached its edge they

lay down. Wulf slept for two or three hours, and then roused himself and

waited for the first sign of dawn. It was a heavy responsibility, for

though Beorn was of equal rank with himself he always gave way to his

opinion. He thought over whether it would not be better that Beorn should

march with all speed with the force to the east, and that he himself with

Osgod and perhaps two other men should make their way to Porthwyn; already

the Welsh might be out all over the mountains, and it was the larger body

that would be likely to be discovered and attacked. The Welsh would know

that on such a dark night, and in a strange country, they could not have

got a very long distance from the bog where the guide had escaped from

them, and the valley at whose head he now was would be the first place to

be searched. However, he did not like severing himself from the men who had

marched under his banner from Steyning, and he finally determined that the

whole should stay together. It was about half-past two when he roused the

band, and they at once started up the bare hillside.

"As it gets lighter," he said, "scatter and proceed singly. We shall be

far less likely to be noticed by anyone at a distance than if we march

together in a solid body. We must travel as fast as possible, so as to get

under shelter again before the sun is really up."

The men were all by this time well accustomed to climbing and hardened by

exercise, and at a rapid pace they breasted the hill, although it was in

some places exceedingly steep. By the time they reached its crest there was

light enough to permit of a view of the country round. In all directions

hills rose around them, bare and brown, and the growing light in the sky

showed that the east lay behind them. After waiting for a minute or two to

recover breath, they proceeded at a brisk trot. They met with no bogs of

importance, and after running for a mile the ground began to slope

downwards again, and they saw below them a wooded valley, similar to that

which they had left. By this time the hilltops were all lit up by the

rising sun. The spot where they stood, however, was still in shadow, and

in scattered order they ran rapidly down the hillside until they reached

the cover of the trees.

CHAPTER X.

PORTHWYN.

There was a short halt to enable the band to quench their thirst at a

little rivulet that trickled down the centre of the valley; then they

prepared to continue their march, Wulf impressing upon them the necessity

for moving as silently as possible.

"If we come upon a village of any size," he said, "we must avoid it. The

main point is to capture a native, and find out exactly where we are."

After walking for an hour they came suddenly upon a hut. It stood in a

cleared patch of ground; a small herd of goats were browsing round, and

some smoke curled up from a hole in the roof. Wulf halted his men.

"Beorn, you and I and Osgod and one of the interpreters had best go in

alone; there are not likely to be more than one or two men within, and it

will be well at any rate that our numbers should not be known."

Before advancing, however, he told the band to surround the clearing. "Let

no one escape," he said; "it would cost us our lives did one get away to

tell of our being here. See, too, that you bring down two or three of the

goats. Our meat is nearly exhausted, and it is well to replenish our

store."

After waiting until the men were in their places, Wulf ran forward across

the open ground with his three companions. There was no door to the hut,

and on entering it they saw that its only occupant was a decrepit old

woman. She gave a cry of dismay at the entrance of the strangers.

"Tell her not to be alarmed," Wulf said to the interpreter.

"We do not desire to do her any harm. Now ask her if she lives here by

herself," he went on, when the interpreter had spoken to the old woman.

"She lives here with her two sons," the man said; "they are away. There

were beacon-fires on the hills last evening, and they went out. She does

not know when they will return."

"Ask her how far it is to Porthwyn."

The answer was most satisfactory. "It is but three miles away, my lord. It

lies in the valley of which this is a branch."

"That is good news indeed, Beorn," Wulf said. "The boy led us in the right

direction, perhaps because he thought that if he did not do so we should

perceive it and tax him with treachery. But it is more likely that he

wished to lead us so close that he could, when he escaped, carry the news

of our being in the neighbourhood, in time for the Welshmen to surround and

cut us off before we could return. As she says that the beacon-fires were

lighted in the evening he can have lost no time, and the country must be

aroused. I wish we had the whole force here."

"What shall we do with this old crone?" Beorn said. "It would never do to

risk her giving an alarm, and though she looks feeble she might be able to

get down to Porthwyn."

"We will tie her securely, Beorn; we can't hurt the poor old creature. Her

sons are no doubt out with the Welsh bands hunting for us; but they will

return here sooner or later, so that no harm will come to her."

By his orders Osgod securely bound the old woman with a rope he found in

the hut, and then leaving her they went outside and called upon the men to

close in. Eight of the goats were killed, and were then cut up and divided

among the men. After a consultation Wulf and Beorn agreed that instead of

following the valley down, where they might meet with other huts, or even a

good-sized village, they had best keep along on the hillside, just inside

the line of trees, as in that way they would come out high up on the side

of the main valley, and probably obtain a good view of the fortalice.

In single file they made their way among the trees, and in an hour the

valley that they were in opened considerably, and through the trees they

saw a large village at their feet. A quarter of a mile farther and they

stood on the side of a wide valley. There were numerous flocks and herds to

be seen grazing in it, and four or five villages could be made out; their

attention, however, was chiefly directed to the object of their journey.

Some three hundred feet below the spot where they stood a rock jutted out

from the hillside, and extended some five or six hundred feet into the

valley. Its sides were perpendicular save where it stood out from the hill.

Here a strong wall some forty feet high ran across it; two square towers

stood at the angles, but there was no gateway visible. The wall was

continued right round the top of the rock, which was crossed by two other

walls each defended by flanking towers. The castle itself stood at the

extremity of the rock, and was a strong and massive-looking building. The

men were all ordered to lie down as soon as the castle was visible between

the trees, and among these Wulf and Beorn followed by Osgod moved

cautiously, until they reached a spot whence they could obtain through the

foliage a full view of the building.

"It is a formidable place," said Beorn. "The chief who first planted

himself here knew what he was doing. Yes. I should fancy from the look of

it the castle at the end was built first, then gradually the walls were

added until the whole rock was inclosed. This bit nearest to us is

evidently an addition during the last few years. You can see that by the

colour of the stone. You see the other two walls have gateways in them

while this has none. I should say until this was built the entrance to the

castle was along the neck, but they must have got some other way now, and

so shut it up altogether. How on earth can they get in?"

"Certainly not at the sides," Wulf said, "for they are as near

perpendicular as possible. It must be at the other end of the rock, which

we can't see. It may slope a little more gradually there, and they may have

cut a zigzag road up. Suppose we climb the hill behind us, till we get

high enough to see over the trees and get a complete view of the valley.

There is no fear of our being noticed. We are a good five hundred feet

above it now, and even if anyone did see us up there they would take us for

two herdsmen. Of course we will leave our shields and weapons behind us."

On attaining a spot from which a clear view of the whole valley could be

obtained, Wulf said:

"There, Beorn, do you see the hill juts out into the plain on the right,

half a mile from the castle, and is wooded to its foot. I think if we were

to make our way down there we should be able to obtain a view of the face

of the rock below the castle without leaving the shelter of the trees."

Beorn agreed that it was worth trying, and they returned to the men,

rearmed themselves, and spoke to Osgod.

"We are going to reconnoitre, Osgod, and may be an hour away. As we shall

not leave the forest there is no danger, and even were we seen we can climb

the hill again as fast as any Welshman can follow us. Do you keep an eye on

the castle, but do not stir until we return even if you hear shouts. I have

no doubt that we shall be able to rejoin you, and it is most important that

even if they do make us out they should have no reason for supposing that

there is any force behind us." After half an hour's walking Beorn and Wulf

found themselves at the edge of the wood in the valley.