The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-11

his greatt sword to strike at Bjorn
but the willy rover dealt one fierce
slash at the horses neck. and sprans
| aside. while the king went down and
lay helpless. entangIed with the
| plunging animal Up flashed the
Northman's blade again and the ap-
preaching Saxons cried out in dismay;
but the stroke did not fall-the priests
lean, bare arm darted from its loose
sleeve, and the robbers sword fell to
earth. while Bjorn himself. with a
| fierce snarl of foiled rage, staggered
| to his ship. with his right arm hang
| ing limp and streaming with blood.
His men dragged him over the dark
side, and one set to work to stanch the
| flow from his wound. while the rest la
bored With the oars to thrust the drag on
| from the land.
Alfred was lifted to his feet by Edda
| and others. just as the vessel began to
move. The devout king. the peaceful
ruler. and the wise judge. were dead in
| him al that instant. and he was but a
| fierce soldier who dreaded lest his prize
! might escape him. Down the bank he
| rushed and into the stream. r"ckinG az
the oars and shouting. For ,ne cross.
thames, for the cross But behind him
rose a louder cry. Keep back lord king:
! will do battle for the cross against
Odin, ay. and even against Thor's self
And waist deep into the water surged the
mighty form of Sigismund, the son of
Caeda. who began forthwith to deal
crashing blows with his at the line
where the stream Tapped against the
dark timbers
Two or three of the Mortimer left
their oars to cut him down. but Dori-
mund held his shield over his brothers
head, nor was II till Dorimund fell be-
fore a spear that the giant sank into the
water with a sword cut deep in his Shout
der.
A groan burst from the sUarming
Saxons: but Sigismund's work was done.
The water was pouring fast through the
hole. and the ship was steadily sinking
to the bed of the stream, as she drifted
away from the bank.
Standing at the prov. with his left arm
curved about the neck of the figurehead.
Bjorn glared about him like SHARED
animal The two other ships were al
ready some distance down the stream,
and each moment the measured sweer
of their oars carried them farther away.
Indeed. the position of his own dragon
was hopeless enough. To reach the farth-
or bank was impossible. while to stay in
the deep water meant death by drown
ing. Not that Bjorn feared death. but
il goaded him to fury to see his sixty
men becoming fewer beneath the Saxon
arrows. and to mark that the spears that
few from the sinking ship produced little
or no effect upon the mass on the shore.
To be killed without staying in return.
to lose his hopes of Nalhalla, Crippled
he was. Bjorn determined on A des-
perate measure, and even while the water
was splashing against the rowing thwarts
he called to his men to follow. and
sprapg into the river.
Quickly the rovers splasEed into the
stream, and made for tn. shore With
swift long-arm strokes. and scarcely had
the last man quilted the ship when she
settled down with a mighty swirl. leav-
ing only the dragon head AMI one gur- -
vale projecting above the water.
Fast fell the Saxon shafts among the
swimmers, and man after Man .hrew
up his aims and then drifted motion
less on the tide. Still came :he
Northntn, and among them rose the
dark head of Bjorn.S as. sorely spent.
he labo!ed toward his covct d vaiha'la.
While yet a sco-e IT ellis from the bank.
the tisuntless rover received IN arrow
In the throat, and the unlocking Saxons
raised q wild shout as his body rose con-
vulsively and then sank back Into the
water.
OF the rest. but five reached the shore:
four were speared as they staggered up
the bank. but the last. a young. fair
64lQur Oh great nelgnt ana strength,
had better fortune. Determined To die.
he sprang at the nearest man with des-
perate valor, and had cut down two
churls and even gashed the thigh of the
thane Of Romsey before receiving q
stroke from Edda that brought him to
the ground as an oak falls in the forest.
There is little more to tell. Geric,
at the kings request was rewarded with
freedom and with a small holding of
land: but he was not long TO enjoy these
gifts. as he fell in the kings host at
Ethandun within the year.
me name and prowess of Black Bjorn
have passed away like summer clouds.
but the heavy timbers Of the third drag
on stand black and somber above the
waters Of the River Handle to this day.
CTHE END)
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