on its hind legs, according to bear-nature, to attack. At the same
moment both men discharged arrows at it with all their force. One arrow
stuck in the animal's throat, the other in his chest. But bears are
proverbially hard to kill, and no vital part had been reached. Dropping
their bows, the men turned and made for the nearest trees. They
separated in doing so, and the bear lost a moment or two in making up
its mind which to follow. Fortunately it decided in favour of Maikar.
Had it followed Arkal, it would have caught him, for the captain, not
being as agile as might be wished, missed his first spring up his tree,
and slid back to the bottom.
Maikar, on the other hand, went up like a squirrel. Now, the little
seaman had been told that some kinds of bears can climb while others
cannot. Remembering the fact, he glanced anxiously down, as he went up.
To his horror he saw that this bear could climb! and that his only
chance would be to climb so high, that the branches which would bear his
weight would not support the bear. It was a forlorn hope, but he
resolved to try it.
Arkal, in the meantime, had recovered breath and self-possession.
Seeing the danger of his comrade, he boldly dropped to the ground,
picked up his bow, ran under the other tree, and sent an arrow deep into
the bear's flank. With a savage growl, the animal looked round, saw the
captain getting ready a second arrow, and immediately began to descend.
This rather disconcerted Arkal, who discharged his arrow hastily and
missed.
Dropping his bow a second time he ran for dear life to his own tree and
scrambled up. But he need not have been in such haste, for although
some bears can ascend trees easily, they are clumsy and slow in
descending. Consequently the captain was high up before his enemy began
to climb. That was of little advantage, however, for in a few moments
the bear would have been up with him, had not Maikar, moved by the
consideration no doubt, that one good turn deserves another, dropped
quickly to the ground, picked up his bow and repeated the captain's
operation, with even more telling effect, for his arrow made the bear so
furious, that he turned round to bite it. In doing so he lost his hold,
and fell to the ground with such a thud, that he drove the arrow further
into him, and a vicious squeal out of him.
At this point little Maikar resolved to vary the plan of action. He
stood his ground manfully, and, when the bear arose with a somewhat
confused expression, he planted another arrow up to the feathers in its
chest. Still the creature was unsubdued. It made a rush, but the
sailor sprang lightly behind a tree, getting ready an arrow as he did
so. When the animal rushed at him again, it received the shaft deep in
the left shoulder, so that, with blood pouring from its many wounds, it
stumbled and fell at its next rush.
Seeing how things were going, you may be sure that Arkal did not remain
an idle spectator. He dropped again from the outer end of the bough he
had reached, and when the bear rose once more to its feet, it found a
foe on either side of it.
"Don't shoot together," panted Maikar, for all this violent action was
beginning to tell on him. "Do you shoot first."
This was said while the bear was in a state of indecision.
The captain obeyed and put another arrow in its neck. The bear turned
savagely on him, thus exposing its side to Maikar, who took swift
advantage of the chance, and, sending an arrow straight to its heart,
turned it over dead!
It must be remarked here, that all this shooting was done at such close
range that, although the two seamen were, as we have said, rather poor
shots, they had little difficulty in hitting so large an object.
"Now, then, out with your knife and off with the claws for the little
woman at home with the black eyes," said Arkal, wiping the perspiration
from his brow, "and be quick about it, so as to have it done before the
troops come up."
The little man was not long in accomplishing the job, and he had just
put the claws in his pouch, and was standing up to wipe his knife, when
the captain suddenly grasped his arm and drew him behind the trunk of a
tree, from which point of vantage he cautiously gazed with an anxious
expression and a dark frown.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
ENEMIES, FRIENDS, SCOUTS, SKIRMISHES, AND COUNCILS OF WAR.
Arkal's attention had been arrested by the figure of a man who suddenly
appeared from behind a cliff not four hundred yards distant from the
scene of their recent exploit. The stealthy manner in which the man
moved among the bushes, and the earnest gaze which he directed from time
to time in one particular direction, showed clearly that he was watching
the movements of something--it might be a deer or an enemy.
"Evidently he has not seen us," whispered Maikar.
"Clear enough that, for he is not looking this way," returned Arkal.
"He presents his back to us in a careless way, which he would hardly do
if he knew that two crack bowmen were a hundred yards astern of him."
"Shall I shoot him?" whispered Maikar, preparing his weapons.
"He may be a friend," returned the captain. "But, see! yonder comes
what interests him so much. Look!"
He pointed to a distant ridge, over the brow of which the head of
Gunrig's column of men was just appearing.
"He is a scout!" exclaimed Maikar.
"Ay, and you may be sure that an enemy is not far off ahead of our
column--unless, perchance, he may be the scout of some tribe friendly to
the king. Hold your hand, Maikar. You are ever too ready to fight.
Listen, now; yonder is a convenient hollow where I may get into the
thick wood unseen by this scout, and run back to warn our friends.
Ahead, yonder, is a narrow pass which leads, no doubt, into the next
valley. Run you, as fast as your legs can wag, get through that pass,
and see what you can see. In the nature of things the scout is almost
sure to return through it, if he intends to carry the news of our
approach to his people, who are probably there. You must hide and do
the best you can to prevent him from doing this--either by killing him
or knocking him down. Be off, we have no time to lose."
"But how if he should be a friend?" asked Maikar with a smile. "How am
I to find out?"
Arkal paused and was perplexed.
"You must just exercise your wisdom," he replied. "If the fellow has an
ill-looking countenance, kill him. If he looks a sensible sort of man,
stretch him out somehow. I would offer to go instead of you, being more
of a match for him, but I could not match his legs or yours, so it might
well chance that he would reach the pass before me."
"Pooh, captain," retorted Maikar, with a look of scorn. "Ye think too
much of yourself, and are unwarrantably puffed up about the advantage of
size."
Without a reply--save a grin--Arkal turned, and, jumping into the
bushes, was immediately out of sight. His comrade, before starting off
to carry out his part of the programme, took a good look at the scout
whom he was bound to circumvent.
He was evidently a tall, powerful man, armed with a bow, a short sword,
and a stout staff somewhat longer than himself. That he was also a
brave and cool man seemed probable, from the fact that, instead of
hurrying off hastily to warn his friends that troops were in sight, he
stood calmly leaning on his staff as if for the purpose of ascertaining
the exact number of the strangers before reporting them.
He was still engaged in this inspection when Maikar started off and fled
on the wings of hope and excitement toward the pass. Arrived there, his
first glance revealed to him the troops of Addedomar busy with their
evening meal in the valley below.
"The question is, are they friends or foes?" thought the little seaman.
"H'm! it's an awkward thing for a poor fellow not to be quite sure
whether to prepare for calms or squalls. Such a misfortune never could
befall one at sea. Well, I must just take them to be foes till they
prove themselves to be friends. And this scout, what in the world am I
to do about _him_? I have no heart to hide in the bushes and shoot him
dead as he passes."
The little man had probably forgotten his readiness to shoot the scout
in the back only a few minutes before--but is not mankind at large prone
to inconsistency at times?
"I know what I'll do," he muttered, pursuing his thoughts, and nodding
his head, as he stepped aside into the shrubbery that clothed the slopes
of the pass.
Cutting down a suitable branch from a tree, he quickly stripped off the
smaller branches and reduced it to a staff about six feet in length.
Then, hiding himself behind a part of the cliff which abutted close on
the footpath that had been worn through the pass by men and wild
animals, he laid his bow and quiver at his feet and awaited the coming
of the scout.
He had not to wait long, for that worthy, having ascertained the size of
the invading band, came down the pass at a swinging trot. Just as he
passed the jutting rock his practised eye caught sight of Maikar in time
to avoid the blow of the pole or staff, which was aimed at his head, but
not to escape the dig in the ribs with which the little man followed it
up.
Instantly the scout's right hand flew to his quiver, but before he could
fix an arrow another blow from the staff broke the bow in his left hand.
Blazing with astonishment and wrath at such rough treatment from so
small a man, he stepped back, drew his sword and glared at his opponent.
Maikar also stepped back a pace or two and held up his hand as if for a
truce.
"I too have a sword," he said, pointing to the weapon, "and can use it,
but I have no desire to slay you till I know whether you are friend or
foe."
"Slay me! thou insignificant rat!" cried the scout in savage fury.
"Even if we were friends I would have to pay thee for that dig in the
ribs and the broken bow. But I scorn to take advantage of such a
squirrel. Have at thee with my staff!"
Running at him as he spoke, the scout delivered a blow that would have
acted like the hammer of Thor had it taken effect, but the seaman deftly
dipped his head and the blow fell on a neighbouring birch, and a foot or
so of the staff snapped off. What remained, however, was still a
formidable weapon, but before the scout could use it he received another
dig in the ribs which called forth a yell of indignation rather than of
pain.
The appropriateness of the name squirrel now became apparent, for Maikar
even excelled that agile creature in the rapidity with which he waltzed
round the sturdy scout and delivered his stinging little blows. To do
the scout justice, he played his part like a brave and active warrior,
so that it seemed to rain blows and digs in all directions, and, once or
twice, as by a miracle, Maikar escaped what threatened to be little, if
at all, short of extermination. As in running, so in fighting, it is
the pace that kills. After five minutes or so both combatants were
winded. They separated, as if by mutual consent, and, leaning on their
staves, panted vehemently.
Then at it they went again.
"Thou little scrap of a pig's snout, come on," shouted the scout in huge
disdain.
"Thou big skinful of pride! look out!" cried Maikar, rendering the
adoption of his own advice impossible by thrusting the butt of his staff
against the scout's nose, and thereby filling his eyes with water. At
the next moment he rendered him still more helpless by bestowing a whack
on his crown which laid him flat on the footpath.
A cheer behind him at that moment caused the little man to look round,
when he found that the head of Gunrig's column, led by Arkal, had come
up just in time to witness the final blow.
They were still crowding round the fallen man, and asking hurried
questions about him, when a voice from the heights above hailed them.
Instantly a score or two of arrows were pointed in that direction.
"Hold your hands, men!" shouted Gunrig. "I know that voice--ay, and the
face too. Is it not the white beard of our friend the Hebrew that I
see?"
A few minutes more proved that he was right, for the well-known figure
of Beniah descended the sides of the pass.
The news he brought proved to be both surprising and perplexing, for up
to that moment Gunrig had been utterly ignorant of the recent arrival of
Gadarn from the far north in search of his lost daughter, though of
course he was well aware of the various unsuccessful efforts that had
been made by King Hudibras in that direction. Moreover, he chanced to
be not on the best of terms with Gadarn just at that time. Then the
fact that Bladud had recovered his health and was actively engaged in
the search--not, indeed, so much for Branwen as for a youth named
Cormac--was also surprising as well as disagreeable news to Gunrig.
"And who is this Cormac in whom the prince seems to be so interested?"
he asked.
Here poor Beniah, held fast by his solemn promise, was compelled to give
an evasive answer.
"All that I can tell about him," he replied, "is that he is a kind young
fellow to whose attention and nursing the prince thinks himself indebted
for his life. But had we not better question this young man?" he added,
turning to the scout. "I have heard rumours about robbers lurking
somewhere hereabouts--hence my coming out alone to scout the country
round, little dreaming that I should find the men of King Hudibras so
near."
"If robbers are said to be hereabouts," broke in Maikar at this point,
"I can tell you where to find them, I think, for I saw a band of men in
the hollow just beyond this pass."
"Say you so?" exclaimed Gunrig; "fetch the prisoner here."
The scout, who had recovered his senses by that time, was led forward,
but doggedly refused to give any information.
"Kindle a fire, men; we will roast him alive, and perhaps that will
teach him to speak."
It was by no means unusual for men in those days to use torture for the
purpose of extracting information from obstinate prisoners. At first
the man maintained his resolution, but when he saw that his captors were
in earnest, and about to light the fire, his courage failed him. He
confessed that he was a scout, and that Addedomar was there with several
other well-known chiefs and a body of four hundred men.
Thereupon the man was bound and put in the safe keeping of several men,
whose lives were to be forfeited if he should escape. Then Gunrig,
Dromas, Beniah, Arkal, Maikar, and several other chief men retired under
a tree to hold a council of war. Their deliberations resulted in the
following conclusions.
First, that the number of warriors at their disposal, counting those of
King Hudibras and those under Gadarn, amounted to a sufficient force
wherewith to meet the invaders in open fight; second, that a junction
between their forces must be effected that night, for, according to
usual custom in such circumstances, the enemy would be pretty sure to
attack before daybreak in the morning; and, third, that what was to be
done must be set about as soon as darkness favoured their operations.
"You can guide us in the dark, I suppose," said Gunrig, turning to
Beniah.
"Ay, as well almost as in the light," replied the Hebrew.
"Let the men feed, then, and be ready for the signal to start," said the
chief to his officers, "and see that no louder noise be heard than the
crunching of their jaws."
The night was favourable to their enterprise. The moon was indeed
risen, but clouds entirely hid it, yet allowed a soft light to pass
through which rendered objects close at hand quite visible. Before
midnight they started on the march in profound silence, and, led by
Beniah, made a wide _detour_ which brought them to the encampment of
Gadarn. As may easily be understood, that chief was well pleased at the
turn events had taken, for, to say truth, his little joke of trotting
Beniah about the land and keeping him in perplexity, had begun to pall,
and he had for some days past been hunting about for a plausible excuse
for abandoning the search and going to visit King Hudibras.
His difficulty in this matter was increased by his unwillingness to
reveal the true state of matters to Bladud, yet he knew that unless he
did so the prince would utterly refuse to abandon the search for Cormac.
Another thing that perplexed the chief greatly was--how the Hebrew,
knowing Branwen as he did, had failed to recognise her in the lad
Cormac, for of course he knew nothing of the promise that held the
Hebrew's lips tied; his daughter--who was as fond of a joke as himself--
having taken care not to reveal _all_ the complications that had arisen
in regard to herself.
The sudden appearance, therefore, of foes with whom he could fight
proved to be a sort of fortunate safety-valve, and, besides, he had the
comfort of thinking that he would fight in a good cause, for the region
of the Hot Swamp belonged to his friend Hudibras, and this robber
Addedomar was a notorious rascal who required extirpating, while the
chiefs who had joined him were little better.
The council of war that was hastily called included Bladud, who was sent
for, being asleep in his own booth when the party arrived. The council
chamber was under an old oak tree.
When Bladud came forward he was suddenly struck motionless and glared as
if he had seen a ghost. For the first time in his life he felt an
emotion of supernatural fear--for there, in the flesh apparently, stood
his friend Dromas.
A smile from the latter reassured him. Leaping forward he seized his
friend's hand, but the impulsive Greek was not to be put off thus. He
threw an arm round the prince's neck and kissed his cheek.
"Dromas!" cried Bladud, "can it be? Am I dreaming?"
"This is all very well," interrupted the impatient Gadarn, "and I have
no doubt you are excellent friends though somewhat demonstrative, but we
are holding a council of war--not of affection--and as the enemy may be
close at hand it behoves us to be smart. Shake hands, Gunrig; you and I
must be friends when we fight on the same side. Now, let us to work.
Who is to have the chief command?"
By universal desire the council appointed Gadarn.
"Well, then," said the commander-in-chief, "this is my view: Addedomar
will come expecting to find us all asleep. He will find us all very
wide awake. There is a slope in front of this camp leading down to the
Swamp. At the bottom is a nice level piece of flat land, bordering on
the Swamp, that seems just made for a battlefield. We will drive him
and his men down the slope on to that flat, from which, after giving
them the toothache, we will drive them into the Swamp, and as close up
to the spring-head as we can, so that they may be half boiled alive, if
possible. Those who escape the Swamp will find men ambushed on the
other side who will drive them into the river. Those who escape the
river may go home and take my blessing along with them."
"Then do you intend to divide our troops into two bodies?" asked Bladud.
"Of course I do. We can't have an ambush without dividing, can we?"
"Division means weakness," observed Gunrig.
"You were ever obstinate, Gunrig," said Gadarn, sharply.
"Division sometimes means strength," said Dromas in a conciliatory tone,
for he was anxious at least to prevent division in the council. "As
Addedomar is ignorant of the strength of our force, his being attacked
unexpectedly, and in the dark, by two or three bands at once, from
different quarters, will do much to demoralise his men and throw them
into confusion."
"Right, my young friend," rejoined Gadarn; "though you do speak in the
tones of one who has been born under other stars, there is sense in your
head. That is the very thing I mean to do. We will divide into four
bands. I will keep the biggest at the camp to drive them down the slope
and begin the fight. Prince Bladud will take one detachment round
through the woods to the river and fall upon them from that side.
Gunrig, who I know loves the post of danger, will go down between the
two mounds and meet the enemy right in the teeth when they are being
driven out upon the flat land, and Dromas, as he seems to be a knowing
man, might take the ambush on the other side of the Swamp."
"Nay, if I may choose, I would rather fight under my friend Bladud."
"Be it so. Settle that among yourselves. Only I must have Konar with
me, for he knows the Swamp well and can roar splendidly. All the enemy
below a certain point of courage will turn and split off when they hear
his yell. I'm going to make him keep it for them as a little treat at
the last. The Hebrew will also keep by me. Now marshal your men and
take them off at once. We shan't have to wait long, for Addedomar is an
active villain."
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
THE BATTLE OF THE SPRINGS.
Gadarn was right. The robber chief was very early astir that morning,
and marched with his host so silently through the forest, that the very
birds on the boughs gave them, as they passed underneath, but a sleepy
wink of one eye and thrust their beaks again under their wings.
Not knowing the country thoroughly, however, Addedomar met some slight
obstructions, which, necessitating occasional detours from the straight
path, delayed him a little, so that it was very near dawn when he
reached the neighbourhood of Gadarn's camp. Hesitation in the
circumstances he knew would be ruinous; he therefore neglected the
precaution of feeling his way by sending scouts in advance, and made
straight for the enemy's camp. Scouts previously sent out had
ascertained its exact position, so that he had no doubt of effecting a
complete surprise.
Many noted battles have been fought and described in this world, but
few, if any, we should think, will compare with the famous battle of the
Springs in the completeness of the victory.
Coming out upon the flat which Gadarn had determined should be the
battle-field, and to the left of which the hot springs that caused the
swamp were flowing, Addedomar marshalled his men for the final assault.
Before reaching the flat they had passed almost within bow-shot of the
spot where Gunrig and his men lay in ambush, and that chief might easily
have fallen upon and killed many of them, had he not been restrained by
the strict orders of Gadarn to let them pass on to the camp unmolested.
It is true Gunrig found it very hard to hold his hand, but as Gadarn had
been constituted commander-in-chief without a dissentient voice, in
virtue of his superior intelligence and indomitable resolution, he felt
bound to obey.
Bladud and his friend Dromas, with their contingent, being at the lower
end of the flat and far out of bow-shot, were not thus tempted to
disobey orders. The ambuscade on the other side of the Swamp had been
put under the command of Captain Arkal, with Maikar for his lieutenant.
Being entirely ignorant of what was going on, the men of this contingent
lay close, abiding their time.
Inaction, during the development of some critical manoeuvre, while
awaiting the signal to be up and doing, is hard to bear. Arkal and his
men whiled away the time in whispered conversations, which related more
or less to the part they were expected to play.
"If any of the robbers reach this side of the swamp alive," remarked
Arkal, "there will be no need to kill them."
"What then? would you let them escape?" asked Maikar in surprise.
"Not on this side of the river," returned the captain. "But we might
drive them into it, and as it is in roaring flood just now, most of them
will probably be drowned. The few who escape will do us service by
telling the tale of their defeat to their friends."
He ceased to whisper, for just then the dawning light showed them the
dusky forms of the enemy stealing noiselessly but swiftly over the flat.
At their head strode Addedomar and a few of his stoutest men. Reaching
the slope that led to the camp the four hundred men rushed up, still,
however, in perfect silence, expecting to take their victims by
surprise. But before they gained the summit a body of men burst out
from the woods on either side of the track, and leaped upon them with a
prolonged roar that must have been the rudimentary form of a British
cheer.