ROLF'S COURTSHIP.
The large fleet of the pirates pulled from the banks on which the abbey
of St. Denis rose, and, driven by a favorable wind, steered for Paris
since early sunrise of the next morning. The fleet numbered more than
two thousand vessels, carrying twenty-five thousand combatants. The
sailing order was determined by the river's channel. The light vessels
of the draft of _holkers_ navigated close to the two banks; toward the
center of the river sailed the "_snekars_", vessels with twenty
oarsmen's benches; finally along the deepest part of the channel came
the "_drekars_", men-of-war that greatly resembled the Roman galleys.
Thick sheets of iron defended the flanks of the latter; a "_kastali_", a
semicircular wooden tower from eight to ten feet high, rose at their
poop. Posted upon the platform of these towers, the Northmans hurled
against their foe stones, bolts, javelins, fire-brands, heavy beams of
wood, and also fragile little vases filled with a corrosive dust that
blinded whoever sought to board them, while other pirates, armed with
long scythes, cut the cordage of the hostile ships.
The Northman vessels, that, ascending the Seine, made sail for Paris,
covered the river from bank to bank, and a full league in length. Its
waters disappeared under the mass of craft of all sizes, and all filled
with pirates. As the fleet moved up it presented the aspect of a huge
swarm of men, of casques, of arms, of cuirasses, of bucklers and of
uncouth figures, painted or gilded and placed either at the prow or the
poop of the vessels, sometimes on the tops of the masts. Pavilions of
all colors surmounted with large painted streamers on which fabulous
animals were depicted--winged dragons, double-headed eagles, fishes with
the heads of lions, and other monsters--floated in the wind. The savage
war-songs of the Northmans resounded far and wide, and were answered by
and mingled with the joyful cries of the revolted serfs who followed the
banks of the river and regulated their march by the progress of the
fleet. At last the Northmans reached a part of the river whence were
seen in the distance, across the evening haze, the steeples, towers and
walls of the city of Paris, enclosed within a fortified island, at the
extremity of which rose the cathedral. On the opposite sides, and along
either arm of the river, where the open fields and the suburbs lay, the
belfries of churches were discernible, as well as the numerous buildings
of the abbeys of St. Germain-d'Auxerre, St. Germain-des-Prés, and St.
Etienne-des-Grès, while further away along the distant horizon loomed
the high hill on which stood the basilica of St. Geneviève. At the sight
of the city that had during the last century been so often attacked,
ravaged, pillaged and levied ransom upon by the men of their race, the
Northmans uttered wild shouts of triumph, and cried out: "Paris!"
"Paris!"
The fleet was headed by the _drekar_ of Rolf the Sea-King. This vessel
was named Grimsnoth. Rolf captured it from another pirate after a
murderous combat. According to the saga of Gothrek, Grimsnoth surpassed
the other _drekars_ of the seas of the North by its beauty and size as
much as Rolf himself surpassed the other pirates by his valor. Indeed,
never yet was ship seen comparable with Grimsnoth. The _drekar_
resembled a gigantic dragon, whose copper head and scaly neck protruded
from the prow that represented the monster's massive breast equipped
with two folded and gilded wings, thrown backward and fashioned in such
manner as to represent the coil of the marine monster's tail. In the
middle of the huge square red sail of the _drekar_ another dragon was
designed. At its poop rose the _kastali_--the little semicircular
fortress in itself, constructed of strong smooth beams circled by iron
bands and pierced by narrow loop-holes through which the archers on the
inside could shoot their darts from cover, in case the foe attempted to
board the _drekar_. A wide platform, spacious enough to hold twenty
armed men, crowned the fortification, and had a belt of iron bucklers
for its parapet.
Old Rolf stood erect on top of his _kastali_. His mien was savage. It
looked inspired. His weapon and hands streamed blood. At his feet,
stretched out in a pool of blood, and still palpitating with its ebbing
life, lay the body of a white horse that was taken from the stables of
the Abbot of St. Denis, bound by the four feet, and raised with the aid
of pulleys and cordage to the platform of the _kastali_ in order to be
there solemnly sacrificed to Odin and the gods of the North. When the
sacrifice was done, the old pirate took his ivory horn and blew three
times, giving a particular intonation to each blast. The chief of each
vessel put his horn to his own lips and repeated the signal given by
Rolf. Thus the signal ran from mouth to mouth, from one end of the fleet
to the other. The war-songs of the pirates were hushed, and immediately,
obedient to the order given by the blast from their chief's horn, the
Northmans maneuvered their sails in such manner that their vessels
remained motionless on the current of the stream. The _holkers_ of Gaëlo
and of Shigne served as scouts to the _drekar_ of Rolf and sailed a
little distance ahead of him. The old pirate hailed the two young
leaders and ordered them to board his _drekar_. Both obeyed and crossed
over a narrow plank furnished with solid cramp-irons that was thrown out
to each of the _holkers_ from the sides of Grimsnoth. The Buckler
Maiden, still pale from the loss of blood, wore her head bandaged under
the iron hair-net that she used for a casque. At the moment when she was
about to ascend the _kastali_ of Rolf, Gaëlo said to the heroine:
"Shigne, war has its hazards; I may be killed to-morrow. Become my wife
this night. Let our union be consummated."
The Buckler Maiden blushed; her eyes, that never before were dropped at
the sight of man, now felt veiled by a mist before the ardent gaze of
Gaëlo; in a low and trembling voice she answered:
"Gaëlo, you vanquished me; I belong to you; I am proud that I do; I
could belong to no braver man. Rolf has been a father to me. I should
consult him on your request. If he says yes, I will say yes, and from
to-night I shall be yours." Without another word the warrior maid
preceded Gaëlo to the platform of the _kastali_ where the old pirate
stood awaiting them.
"Gaëlo," said Rolf, "you and Shigne shall precede the fleet; ply your
oars and reach Paris with your two _holkers_."
"Never shall I have obeyed you with greater joy."
"Order yourselves to be conducted before the Count of Paris. Shigne is
to say to him: 'The King of the Franks has a young and handsome
daughter. Rolf demands that daughter in marriage.'" The pirate thereupon
rubbed his beard, laughed aloud with his usual roar, and added: "I have
taken it into my head to wed a maid of royal race!" And addressing
Gaëlo, the pirate continued: "As to you, Gaëlo, you shall tell the Count
of Paris that I shall want, together with the daughter, and for dower,
the territory of Neustria. It is a rich and fertile region, and it is
washed by the sea, exactly suitable to a mariner who loves the ocean.
Old Hastain obtained from Charles the Bald the country of Chartres;
Rolf, the Chief of the Northmans will have Neustria, which we shall call
Northmandy, and where I shall establish you both, my champions!"
"We shall carry your orders to the Count of Paris, who, for all answer,
will have us stabbed, both of us, Shigne and myself."
"By Odin, he will not dare to! You will tell the count that my fleet
will cast anchor under the walls of Paris; and that if, to-morrow,
before sunset, you and Shigne are not back on my _drekar_, I shall set
the city on fire, sack it, and kill all its inhabitants. If to-morrow,
before the close of day, Charles the Simple has not granted me his
daughter, Neustria, and ten thousand pounds of silver for the ransom of
Paris, there will be left not one stone upon the other in the city. That
is my message."
"Rolf, we shall immediately depart to carry out your orders. To-morrow
we shall be either dead or back to you before sunset. I have requested
Shigne to accept me for her husband this very night. She answered
saying: 'I shall say yes, if Rolf says yes, and from to-night I shall be
yours.'!"
"Gaëlo," answered the old pirate with a sly look, "will wed the
Beautiful Shigne the day that Rolf weds Ghisèle, the daughter of the
King of the Franks! Go on the mission that I have charged you with--duty
and love, each in its season."