The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-30

ished, rewarded in all that time with true Norman subtety and ferceness mixed, fastening the hold of the Frenchmen on England Little by little he granted the lands of Englands old rulers and nobles to his own hungry vassals. Little by lit tie they reduced tn English nation to servitude and drove them to despair.
 Torfrida listened to the news that came over the channel. Her heart was hot and great with a noble desire. Her mind was great with a noble ,vision. She became as English as Hereward himself and she burned to free the brave land. If she saw her Hereward an earl, nay, even the King of England who shall blame her. since she knew of none more noble, more 1 splendid?
 Noble and splendid Hereward the Wake had become in truth. Viking he was still, | but sea thief no more. Fighter he was 1 still, but killer no more. Bersek he was, | but not boaster. In his heart had grown | a dream, and with that dream shining in his eyes he sailed away one day and landed in England, and rode into it alone, save for a sigle squire, to spy out the land.
 At Boston he learned that which made him throw caution and concealment to the winds. Men told him that William the Conqueror had given his fathers house at Bourne to a Flemish cook who had accompanied him to England The cook had ridden into Bourne, burst into the house and killed Herewards young brother.
 | Bourne was dark and still when Here ward rode into it that night. Only from his fathers house came any sound, and 1t was sound that made him grit his teeth for it was the laughter and roar of men 1 sitting in his fathers hall feasting. l On the gable before the door was his brothers bloody head Hereward climbed up and took it down and gave it rever- 1 ently to his squire. Now said he, do you guard the door, and If any man passes me see that he passes not thee" And he burst open the door and went in to die in one great revenge.
 1 But he did not die. Fourteen Normans f were in the hall when he rushed in shout | ing his name and giving the terrible bat tie cry of the Vikings. They fought back | benches-anything and everything they 1 could snatch, for their swords were not in reach. Hereward did a murder grim and great-how great he did not know | himself til all at once their fell a silence and he breathed deep and looked abo1 him at IA dead men.
 "IIereward! Hereward" cried the Eng lishmen of Bourne, and awoke from their l fear. The war arrow was sent around Before the Normans learned of that wild night in Bourne, Englishmen were gath ering again for new revolt and Here ward was speeding back to Flanders to ] raise a fleet, after having taken his motn- CT, the Lady Godiva to the sanctuary of the great Crowland minister
 There was only one man strong enough to dream of fighting William. That was King Sweyn of Denmark. Hereward swore that he was the only man fit to l rule England. Sweyn was willing to as- sure the English their ancient liberties, and in the hope of being proclaimed king he sent a fleet under his brother Earl Osborn. Hereward joined it with two ships, and Torfrida was with him.
  stead of coming himself Osblorn would take no advice, attacked the wrong places and was beaten off, and at last made a mere marauding expedition out of what might have been conquest.
 Sick at heart, Hereward left him and Iwent into the Fen country to raise men to march through Norfolk and join with the Danes in helping them to land in the north
 Through all the Fen lands and away down to Lincoln and merry Sherwood went the news that Hereward the Wake was on English soil Many valiant Eng lishmen joined him with their house carles, constituting a formidable force as after years proved well.
 They waged war here and there, ap- bearing suddenly and disappearing as suddenly, falling on Norman towns in ths night and leaving ruins. living in impen- etrable fens and forests where no riders could find them, till Afterwards name