The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-11
The Last Raid of Bjorn
A Story of Alfred the Greats Time
By Frank Curzon Britten
By Frank Curzon Britten

be turned in his seat to address the prior
who rode behind by half his horse S
length.
lis to secure my kingdom from the pagan;
after which land may God uphold and
guide me thereof l would do somewhat
for the comfort and welfare of my peo-
pies souls. have said that all shall
be taught to read What sayst thou.
then. if we have the Scriptures done into
English. and so placed in the churches.
that all who would may solace themselves
with the blessed words
The priest shook his head. Il like
it not he replied. 1t seemeth not
good to debase the noble Latin book
into the tongue wherewith the folk do
their buying and selling"
Well. in that case my people had best
learn Latin; it shall he the duty of ST.
Mary's and St Swithun's to teach them
the words of "Dominus regit me- as well
as to expound their meaning, through
out future ages
quiet anu Hedceiul lay tHe tONH oi
Hamtun as they came to it, nor could
aught save few tiny fishing craft be
seen on the long channel that stretched
away toward the sea. Alfred breathed
a sigh of relief.
Il had thought" he said. Ito find my
town pillaged and my ships burned At
ter all, thames. it is but a false alarm. -
No, no, lord king cried one of the
do nnlr arf nd he int
ed away toward the east: where some
two miles distant. column of dark
smoke arose from amid the trees.
BY st. Paul, it is my manor roared
Edda of HambledOn. and with one acco ri
the party wheeled their reeking horses
and dashed away at reckless speed. The
first mile lay through forest land; and
although at times they passed across a
glade. the straight course they were purs
suing was painless.
Out at last into the open. a broad mile
of rolling down-land. sweeping down TO
the Humble side. and here 1t was plain
at once that the neatherd had not told
the truth.
Close against the right bank lay
three great dragons, each flying the
black eagle, to show the presence oil
the war-god The bulk of the North
men were toilins with frenzy. driving
cattle and dragging sheep up some
sloping plans and budding them into
the vessels amid much lowing and
bleathing. Others, from the bank
were casting sacks of grain and bun
dies of hay forage to their comrades
on board. who slowed them speedily
under the half deck, while a few be-
lated robbers still struggled toward
the ships, bearing divers pillage from
the manor.
Nearer and nearer came the Saxons.
and still the king and the prior rode
side by side nigh upon fifty yards In
front of their comrades The mile was
reduced to half. and two of the dra-
CONS. laden and fully manned. began
to move away from the shore: the
third still fingered while the stray
glers were climbing aboard, and On
the bank stood huge man, who alone
among the rovers wore a helm with
two great plumes like the wings of
a swan.
Alfred had ground his teeth with
rage when he saw the other dragons
leave the shore. but at sight of the
helmed man he made haste to draw
his sword.
TT is Bjorn Bjornsen"' he gasped
joyously. "Ah. Bjorn. cunning, cum
ming plunderer. / have thee at last"
Refining up his horse. Alfred whirled