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himself as a messenger from the king, he was at once conducted into their

presence.

"It is Wulf of Steyning, is it not?" Edwin said courteously. "The message

must be urgent indeed since Harold has chosen you to carry it. When did you

leave him?"

"I left Westminster at nine o'clock on the evening of Tuesday."

"And it is now but mid-day on Thursday," the earl said in a tone of

astonishment. "You have ridden nigh two hundred miles in less than forty

hours."

"The roads are good, my lord, and I had the king's order for changes of

horses whenever needed. I slept six hours at Northampton, but have ridden

without other stop save to take meals. I knew that the message I bore was

of importance, as you will see by the king's letter."

Edwin opened the letter and laid it before Morcar, and the two read it

together.

"This is serious news indeed," Edwin said when they had perused it. "So

Harold of Norway is on his way hither with five hundred warships and half

the males of Norway. Since the news has come from Denmark he must already

have been nigh a fortnight at sea, and if he had sailed hitherwards we

should have heard long ere this of his being within sight of our shores. As

we have heard nought of him it may be that his object has been misreported,

and that it is not against us that his fleet is bound."

"I fear that it can have no other destination," Wulf said; "though it may

be that it has sailed first to Scotland to obtain assistance from Malcolm.

There, too, he will find Tostig, whom the king fears is in alliance with

him."

"Then assuredly it is against us that he comes," Morcar said, "and unless

the winds shatter his fleet we shall hear of him before long. But he may

land anywhere from the border of Scotland to the Humber, and it is useless

our trying to hinder him along so great a line. He may delay his coming as

William of Normandy has done, and our men, like those of Harold, will not

remain under arms for months doing nothing. With so great an army he must

move slowly and we shall have plenty of time to gather our forces to meet

him. Harold urges us to call out the levies at once, but he does not know

the Northumbrians as we do. They will fight, and stoutly, but they will

scatter as soon as their term expires. It is but six weeks since we called

them under arms to repulse Tostig, and unless they themselves see the

danger presses they will not leave their homes again after so short an

interval. I am glad to see by the king's letter that he has charged you to

stay with us for a while. We shall be glad of your presence, both as the

agent of our royal brother and as one who has already proved himself a

valiant and skilful soldier."

Apartments were at once assigned to Wulf in the palace, and he was treated

as an honoured guest. He had been furnished by the royal chamberlain with

an ample sum of money, and every two or three days despatched messengers to

London. He was greatly disturbed in mind, for the earls made no preparation

whatever to meet the coming storm, but continued to hunt or to hawk, to

give entertainments, and to pass their time as if the news of a mighty

invasion had never reached them. The first attempts he made to urge them to

follow Harold's counsel were dismissed so curtly that he felt it useless to

persevere.

A fortnight passed by, and then a messenger rode into York with the news

that a vast fleet had entered the Tyne, and that the Norsemen were harrying

and burning the country. Harold Hardrada had first sailed to the Isles of

Shetland and Orkney, which, with the northern districts of the mainland,

formed a powerful Scandinavian province. Paul and Erning, the two young

earls of the state, and a large number of their subjects, joined the fleet,

as did a Scotch contingent sent by Malcolm and commanded by Tostig, who

also had with him the force he had brought from Flanders. Iceland, then a

great Norwegian colony, sent ships and men, as did an Irish sovereign of

Danish descent.

Roused to action at last the northern earls sent out summonses in all

directions for the levies to assemble. The invaders were next heard of at

Scarborough, which made a brave resistance, but the Norsemen took post on

the steep hill overhanging the town, and gathering there a vast pile of

wood set it on fire, and hurled blazing timbers down on the place. Many of

the houses caught fire, and this spread rapidly. The inhabitants

surrendered, but the greater portion was slaughtered and the town given up

to plunder. Holderness, like Scarborough, bravely but unsuccessfully

resisted the attack, and the great fleet sailing south entered the Humber.

Hour by hour messengers rode into York bringing news of the progress of the

invaders; hour by hour the Northumbrian levies poured into the capital.

Much as he had disapproved of their previous carelessness and delay, Wulf

acknowledged that the two northern earls now bore themselves as men. They

saw to the defences of the town, mustered all the inhabitants capable of

bearing arms, arranged for the feeding and disposition of the levies, and

did all that was possible at so short a notice to get them to take the

field But he saw, too, that this raw militia was but little calculated to

stand before the assault of the Norsemen. There was no body of seasoned

troops like the housecarls to serve as a nucleus, and to bear the chief

brunt of the battle. All alike were raw, inexperienced, and badly armed,

save for the axe, which was the favourite weapon of the English.

The great fleet made no stay but sailed up the Humber, packing closely in

the river as it narrowed, till it seemed well-nigh covered from shore to

shore with the crowded ships. It passed the little village of Selby, and

cast anchor beside the left bank of the Ouse, near the village of Riccall,

but nine miles' march from York. Olaf, the king's son, the two earls of

Orkney, and the bishop of those islands remained on board to guard the

ships, for the Northumbrian fleet, which was far too small to encounter so

great an armament, had taken refuge up the Wharfe, and might descend and

attack the Norse vessels were they left unguarded. The main body of the

great army under the king and Tostig landed and prepared to march upon

York. Sudden as the call had been there was no lack of spirit or

patriotism in the English levies. Among their ranks were many priests and

monks, who felt that it was their duty to aid in the defence of the land

against the semi-heathen host that invaded it. The memory of the past

invasion of the Norsemen, when the churches had been sacked and the priests

slain on the altar, inspired them, and they and the monks responded as

readily as did the laymen to the summons of the earls. These had not

hesitated to consult Wulf as to the post where they had best station

themselves to give battle, and the disposition of their forces. One who had

distinguished himself under Duke William of Normandy, and under Harold in

Wales, had, young though he was, more experience of war than any of the

northern thanes, and as the representative of Harold all these were ready

to listen with respect to his advice. He had already spent four or five

days in surveying the ground in the direction from which the Norsemen were

likely to advance, and had decided that a place known as Gate Fulford, two

miles from the city, was best calculated for defence, it being situated on

a narrow ridge, having the river and its swampy banks on one side, and a

flat marshy country on the other. Thither the army of the earls marched to

take up its position.

CHAPTER XIX.

STAMFORD BRIDGE.

Owing to the difficulty of getting the levies formed up and set in motion,

the Norsemen had arrived on the ground and had taken up a defensive

position before the English reached it. Had the force contained a strong

body of housecarls, Wulf, who had talked the matter over with the earls,

would have advised that they should fight on the defensive and allow the

Norsemen to attack; but with freshly-raised troops, ready and eager for

battle, but wanting the discipline that alone enables trained soldiers to

endure patiently a long series of attacks, he thought that there was more

chance of victory in attacking the enemy. Morcar commanded on the left,

Edwin on the right. Wulf took up his position by the side of Morcar, and

exchanged a few words with Osgod before advancing to the charge.

"This will be a right royal contest, master," the latter said as he

fingered his heavy axe. "Never before have I seen a set battle like this."

"Do you keep close to me, Osgod."

"That I am sure to do, master," the latter broke in.

"Yes, I know that while we fight you will be by my side, but it may be that

we shall have to fly. The Norsemen outnumber us greatly, and their king is

a host in himself. This is a good position to defend, but a bad one to fly

from. The king's last words were a charge to me not to throw away my life,

and therefore while I shall fight as long as fighting can avail, I shall

also do my best to save myself if we are defeated. As we came along I kept

near to the edge of the swamp, and some hundred yards back I marked a spot

where, as it seemed to me, there was a sort of path, worn either by broken

men and outlaws, who may dwell somewhere in its recesses, or by men from a

village beyond it. For this point, then, I shall make if we are defeated.

It may be that it was not a path, but at least it offers a chance of

escape. So when I give you the word, keep close to my side."

Osgod nodded. His confidence in Wulf was absolutely boundless, and though

he revolted at the thought of retreat he knew well that so long as a chance

of victory remained Wulf would not quit the field. When within two or three

hundred yards of the enemy, Morcar advanced to the front of the line with

his standard-bearer beside him.

"On men!" he shouted, and with a yell the English poured down to the attack

The line of the Norsemen was on this side less strong than it was near the

river where their king had posted himself, and the Norsemen gave way before

the furious attack of the English. Morcar and many of his thanes fought in

the front rank. Wulf was close beside him, and before their swords and the

terrible axe of Osgod the invaders fell back foot by foot, and shouts of

triumph rose from the English; but it was not for long. On the left Edwin

could make no impression on the shield-wall of the enemy, and presently

their king caused his horns to blow the signal for attack, and his line,

hitherto immovable, flung itself on the English. The king, a head taller

than any of his men, fought in their front rank, his terrible two-handed

sword hewing down every man who opposed him. As the English gave way the

assault became more and more impetuous, and in a few minutes the English

broke and fled all along the line.

"All is lost, Osgod," Wulf said; as after fighting to the last he turned

his back on the foe. The scene on the ridge was now terrible; the exulting

Norsemen followed hard upon the flying English, uttering their shouts of

victory and cutting down all they overtook. Hampered by the crowd in front

of them great numbers of the English fell beneath the weapons of their

pursuers, others turned to the right or left, and hundreds were smothered

in the swamp by the river or in that on the other side. Once the flight

began, Osgod placed himself in front of his master, his powerful figure and

his weight enabling him to push his way through the crowd of fugitives.

Wulf kept close behind him, and they followed the edge of the swamp until

Wulf saw the faint indication of a path he had before noticed.

"Turn off here, Osgod; this is the place I spoke of. Let me go first, I am

lightest."

The ground shook beneath their feet, the slime oozed up to their ankles,

but, moderating their pace now, they sprang from tussock to tussock until

two or three hundred yards from the edge of the swamp. Then they paused and

looked round. The work of slaughter was still proceeding. Along the edge

of the swamp numbers of English could be seen, some half immerged, some

fast disappearing. In the din of the struggle none heard or heeded their

cries, each man was occupied solely with the thought of flight or

slaughter. Some half-dozen of the fugitives, seeing the two men were making

their way across the swamp, had followed in their footsteps.

Slowly and cautiously Wulf moved forward again. Sometimes a treacherous

tuft gave way and he slipped waist-deep into the mire, but Osgod was always

close at hand, and his long arm enabled him to reach forward to his master

from a firmer spot and to draw him from the bog. After an hour's painful

work the ground began to be firmer, and before long they were safe in the

forest beyond the swamp. Here for a while the party threw themselves down

exhausted. After an hour's rest the others asked Wulf what they had best

do.

"There is but one thing to be done," he replied; "make off to your homes.

The remnant of the army will reach York, and the Norsemen will doubtless

surround the city and lay siege to it. For the present our cause is lost,

and there is nought for us to do but to try and save our lives, which have

been spared well-nigh by a miracle."

Keeping south through the forest Wulf and his follower were several hours

before they emerged from its shade. Another three miles' walking brought

them to a village, where they learned they were six miles west of Selby.

Here they obtained some food, and then bearing off so as to strike the

south road arrived soon after nightfall at the house of the thane who had

supplied them with their last change of horses on their way north. The news

they brought excited the greatest consternation, but their host saw at once

that the only hope now was that Harold might bring help, and at once placed

the two horses which they had ridden to his house at their disposal. Wulf

and Osgod mounted at once, and travelled southwards at a speed equal to