The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-01

auu tnence NJ once deScr1ed three watch hres
blazing brilliantly at three several spots on the
circumference OF the morass, one almost direct
' ly ahead of him. and nearly at the spot where
} he proposed to issue on to wild heathery moors
OF Bolland forest, on the verge of the counties
OF York and Lancaster, and within fifty miles o.
; the provincial capital and famous sands Of the
latter. BY these fires he judged easily that
thus tar they had traced him, and found the
spot where he had entered the Dogs, the circuit
of which they were skirting in order once more
to lay the death-hounds on his track, where he
should again strike the firm ground.
In one hour. perceiving the position of his
pursuers, he passed out of the marsh at about
mile north of the westernmost watch fire, and
in order as much as possible to battle them
crawled for q couple of hundred yards up q
shallow srunnel of wntsr. which drained down
from the moorland into the miry bottom land.
Once more he had secured a start of six
hours over the Normans but with this disadvan-
tage-that they would have little difficulty in
finding his trail on the morrow, and that the
country which he had to traverse was so opon
that he dared not attempt to journey over it by
daylight.
Forward he Jared, therefore, though growing
very weak and weary, for he was foot-sore and
exhausted, and chilled with his long immersion
in the waters, until the sun had been over the
hills for about two hours, much longer than
which he dared not trust himself on the moors
when he began to look about eagerly for some
intercourse or extensive bog, by which he
might again hope to avoid the scent of the
unerring hounds.
None such appeared, however, and despe
rately he plodded onward, almost despairing and
utterly austed, without hope of escaping
by speeds6f foot, and seeing no longer hope
of concealment. Suddenly, when the sun was
getting high, and he began to expect, al
every moment, the sounds of the death dogs
opening behind him, he. crossed the brow of a
Handicapped heathery hill, crested with crags
of gray limestone, and from its brow at some
twenty miles distance family discerned the
glimmering expanse of Morecambe bay, and the
great fells of Westmoreland and Cumberland
looming up like blue clouds beyond them.
But, through the narrow ghyll, Immediately
at his feet, brawling stream rushed noisily
down the steep gorge from the north, southerly
t Headlong he leaped down to it, through the tai
heather, which here grew rank, and overtopped
his head but, before he reached it, he blum
dered into knot of six or seven men, sleeping
on bare spot of greensward, round the extinct
ashes of fire, and the carcase of deer which
they had slain, and on which they had broken
their fast.
. Startled by his rapid and unceremonious in
trusion into their circle, the men sprang tc
their feet with the speed of light each laying a
cloth-yard arrow to the string of Bonded long
bow, bidding him "Stand, or die"
For moment, he thought his hour was come
but the next glance treasured him, and he saw
that his fortune had again brought him safety
in the place of ruin.
The men were Saxons, outlaws, fugitives
from the Norman tyranny, and several of them
like himself serfs escaped from the cruelty OF
their masters. One of them had Joined the
party so recently, that like Eadwulf, he vel
wore the brazen collar about his neck, the
badge of servitude, and easy means of detec
ton, of which he had not yet found the means
to rid himself.
A few words suniced to describe his piteous
flight and to win the sympathy and promise
of protection from the outlaws; but when the
bloodhounds were named, and their probably
) close proximity, they declared with one voice
that there was not a moment to be lost, and
that they could shelter him without possibility
of danger.
Without farther words, one by one they en-
tered the brook, scattering into it as if they
were about to pass down it to the southwark
, but, the moment their feet were in the water
turning upward and ascending the gorge, which
grew wilder and sleeper as they proceeded, I'M
til, at miles distance, they came to a great
| circular cove of rocks walled in by crags Of
three hundred feet in height, with the little
stream plunging down it, at the upward ex
tremity, small in volume, but sprinkling the
staircase of rocks, down which it foamed, with
iHcessant sheets of spray.
Up this perious ladder, one by one, where to
an Impractical eye no ascent appeared possible
the outlaws struggled painfully but in safety
the spray effacing every track of their footsteps
and the water carrying off every trace of the
scent where they had passed, until they reached
the topmost landing-place. There the stream
was projected in an arch from the rock, which
jutted out in bold table; and there, STOPPING
under the foamy sheet, the leader entered low
cavern, with mouth scarce exceeding that Of
fox earth, but expanding within into large
and roomy apartment, where they ate and ca
reused and slept at their ease, during the whole
day and all the succeeding night; for the rob
bers insisted that no foot must be set without
their cavern by the fugitive, until they should
have ascertained by their spies that the Nor
mans had quilted their neighborhood. This
they did not until late in the following day
when then divided themselves into three par
: ties, and struck off northwesterly toward the
J upper sands at the head of the bay, for which
they had evidently concluded that Eadwulf was
making, after they had exhausted every effort
Of ingenuity to discover the means of his mex
phcable disappearance, on the verge of that
tiny rivulet, running among open moors on the
bare hill-sides.
So soon as they were certain of the direction
which the enemy had taken, and of the fac,
that they had abandoned the farther use Of the
bloodhounds, as Improbable, the whole party
struck due westerly across the hills, on a right
|, line for Lancaster, guiding their companion
with unerring skill across some ten miles OF
ma rtially cultivated country tn the unner end
of the estuary of the Lon, about one mile north
of the city, which dreary water they reached, in
the cleaning twilight Here skiff was pro-
duced from its concealment in the rushes, and
he was ferried over the firth, as a last act OF
kindness, by his entertainers, who, directing
him on his way to the sands, the roar of which
might be heard already in the distance, re-
treated with all speed to their hill Businesses
from which they felt it would be most unsafe
for them to be found far distant by the morn.
ing light
The distance did not much exceed four
miles but, before he arrived at the end, Fad
wulf met the greatest alarm which had yet be
fallen him; for, just as it was growing too
dark to distinguish objects clearly, horseman
overlook him, or rather crossed him from the
northward, riding so noiselessly over the sands
that he was upon him before he heard the
sound of his tread.
Though escape was impossible, had it been
foe, he started instinctively to Ay, when q
voice hailed him friendly in the familiar Saxon
tongue.
"Ho! brother Saxon, this is thou, then, i,
it?n
81 know not who thou art, replied Eadwulf,
} nor thou me- I'll be sworn"
Aye but do, though, bravely. Thou art
| the Saxon with the price of blood on thy head