The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-18
CHAPTER ".

into the spray and fresh salt wind went
joyfully lurching the old Sea Wolf. The
frothy pillow Of the foam glittering
under her prov, and behind the green
wall Of the Norway pines, and the gray
rocks, and the sweet sea surge thai
tumbled forever at their feet and threw
its white arms up as though, lover-like,
It would enlace its silver fingers with
the green hair of the nodding braches
overhead. Down went our gallant shore,
down peak, and pine, and point, and as
the great black bosom Of our mother
sea opened to US, her frstling sons,
proudly we turned our faces west
ward and each eye grew bright at
thought of the plunder to come, and
each heart beat high as we smelt the
incense Of fight in the strong breath OF
the sea. Oh! but I was proud as, my
hand on the pulsing tiller that throbbed
under the racing surges not less loudly
than my heart, stood by the high stern
and led the wild, free song to Odin.
wherewith my gallant company mocked
the waves-proud! Oh, the salt spray
rises again in these old eyes Of mine
but to remember the fierce wine of life
that usurped my blood and few here
and there in my young veins that day;
this cold mind Of mine burns again but
to recall the ecstasy OF the unfettered
passions that then beset me; but to
think for an ungodly minute on those
splendid vistas Of uEbridled lust and
cruelty and rapine which dazed my
soul.
Well! it is over, and I do wrong even
to remember. No more the salt wind
takes the war song of lila, like her
aid of death, TO the land Of the stranger;
no more for him is the joyful rattle of
the ranged shieES clatterinc on his
vessels side as she StoopS to the steep
blue valleys Of the midland sea; no
more the old vikings plough shall turn
that frothy furrow he did once delight
in; no more the lovely smoke Of burn
ing thorps shall rise from Ulla's torch
to Odin'S footstool; no more his stern
heart shall melt to pleasure as HIS YES
sci staggers homeward through the
yeast and spume, and every swirl of
the cold dark water spinning enviously
against her laboring side tell Of rich
plunder hid within. 1t is over for me,
but it was noble frenzy while it lasted.
AL that noon Of our setting out we
plunged before favoring wind across
the salt water. and by the second even
ing the wave began to wear another color
as the sea shealed up to the British
shore. At the same time the breeze
gave out with the sun and we took to
our sweeps, and all night long under
the starlight the Sea Wolf cIept silently
and secretly into the land. In the gray
of the morning that followed a haze
grew up and under the curtain of the
white sea mist that lay soft and heavy
as wool on the gently rocking sea we
heard the sound Of the waves beating
,on the dim North Umbrian shore. We
approached as close as we dared, and
then waited for the sun, rolling an idle
hour or two on the smooth, long heave
of the swell, anG, i1 tie dead slence,
~Qstening tc 49, .ae chatter OF the wild fowl
and the laugh of the kittiwake on the
unseen cliffs; or the chafe and creak Of
In oar now and then il the rQw|ocks
and the hiss Of the water swirli1g gen
sfly against our sides. So sl;il lay the
Sea Wolf in the shadow OF the morning
mist that the shy grebes and speckled
divers came padding al about her
and stared with eyes bead black with
wonder to see the silver mist turn on
sudden into painted hulk with ranked
oars, and great damp sail alap against
the ruddy mast, and golden dragon head
smiling the chill morning air aloft, and
grim warriors leaning on battle-ax and
spear crowding her deck. And strange
f1sh swan tapping ound, and the swift
gannet's white pinions stirred Hefdan's
Iistless flag as she swept unheeding by
through the milky haze. No man among
us spoke until on sudden the curling
wavelets in the east sparkled with liquid
fire, the hanging shroud OF whiteness
flushed with a yellow radiance,
strange, bright light shone through the
green crested waves, and as the free,
sweet breath Of the morning drifted
down upon us, and each man drank Of it
deep and silently, the curtain of the
night was lifted, and the yellow feet Of
the sun came striding over the black
plains OF the restless northern sea.
Silent and deep we laughed with
pleasure, and my grim, stout fellows
shook the mist-beads from their tawny
Lips, then-muttering prayer to Odin
again the white water fretted under
the stern Of our ship and The long, slow
dip OF the oars fell with pleasant
sound on the calm Of the morning.
Round under the rugged knees of great
cliffs crept the Wolf. go secret and
swift that the speckled looms stood
ngape in rows to watch the golden
dragon head go dipping by their lonely
'eyries, ard the blue pigeon on her cav
ern shelf astrioe OF her white eggs
stood wonderstruck and forgot to fly
thus she went across the mouth Of love-
ly bays and under grassy headlands and
big bights fringed with endless lonely
meadows and past fair estuaries whera
rank fields OF westral crops were all
awaste between neglected woodlands
and southwark constantly for many an
hour, but nothing could We see to sack
or burn. Noon came and went, and the
warm sweat glazed the sinewy fore
arms Of my gallant rowers until at
last ] cav them begin ~ turn their
bronze faces over the1r hither
shoulders and anSrly scan the ruined
shore and swear deep between their
strong white teeth; swear at the Dane
who had swept this fair country so
clean, swear at BioI2 Grimsar, and
Hakonson the avaricious, and 1nge tho
bloody, and Guthern Of Hagbard, who
had pillaged here last autumn and
wiped out maid and matron, croft and
castle, and left nothing for any honest
viking who came alter them. Ay! 1t
was sad, we thought, to sec 50 sweet
country SO void of life, and we pulled
Oh southwark for many miles. looking
nx~ on The sunny shore made by Eatu'"
10 lie rich and happy. and Yet had moth
ing ON it to burn or plunder. and thep
turning sadly to our piles OF bloodless
swords and battle axes, or empty
treasure bOyeS and UntrnartcG rows OF