CHAPTER V: A DISCIPLINED BAND
The construction of the ship went on steadily. King Alfred, who washimself building several war vessels of ordinary size, took greatinterest in Edmund's craft and paid several visits to it while it wasin progress.
"It will be a fine ship," he said one day as the vessel was approachingcompletion, "and much larger than any in these seas. It reminds me,Edmund, not indeed in size or shape, but in its purpose, of the arkwhich Noah built before the deluge which covered the whole earth. Hebuilt it, as you know, to escape with his family from destruction. You,too, are building against the time when the deluge of Danish invasionwill sweep over this land, and I trust that your success will equalthat of the patriarch."
"I shall be better off than Noah was," Edmund said, "for he had nothingto do, save to shut up his windows and wait till the floods abated,while I shall go out and seek my enemies on the sea."
The respite purchased by the king from the Danes was but a short one.In the autumn of 875 their bands were again swarming around the bordersof Wessex, and constant irruptions took place. Edmund received asummons to gather his tenants, but he found that these no longerreplied willingly to the call. Several of his chief men met him andrepresented to him the general feeling which prevailed.
"The men say," their spokesman explained, "that it is useless to fightagainst the Danes. In 872 there were ten pitched battles, and vastnumbers of the Danes were slain, and vast numbers also of Saxons. TheDanes are already far more numerous than before, for fresh hordescontinue to arrive on the shores, and more than fill up the places ofthose who are killed; but the places of the Saxons are empty, and ourfighting force is far smaller than it was last year. If we again go outand again fight many battles, even if we are victorious, which we canhardly hope to be, the same thing will happen. Many thousands will beslain, and the following year we shall in vain try to put an army inthe field which can match that of the Danes, who will again have filledup their ranks, and be as numerous as ever. So long as we continue tofight, so long the Danes will slay, burn, and destroy wheresoever theymarch, until there will remain of us but a few fugitives hidden in thewoods. We should be far better off did we cease to resist, and theDanes become our masters, as they have become the masters ofNorthumbria, Mercia, and Anglia.
"There, it is true, they have plundered the churches and thanes' housesand have stolen all that is worth carrying away; but when they havetaken all that there is to take they leave the people alone, andunmolested, to till the ground and to gain their livelihood. They donot slay for the pleasure of slaying, and grievous as is the conditionof the Angles they and their wives and children are free from massacreand are allowed to gain their livings. The West Saxons have showed thatthey are no cowards; they have defeated the Northmen over and overagain when far outnumbering them. It is no dishonour to yield now whenall the rest of England has yielded, and when further fighting willonly bring ruin upon ourselves, our wives, and children."
Edmund could find no reply to this argument. He knew that even the kingdespaired of ultimately resisting the Danish invasion, and afterlistening to all that the thanes had to say he retired with Egbertapart.
"What say you, Egbert? There is reason in the arguments that they use.You and I have neither wives nor children, and we risk only our ownlives; but I can well understand that those who have so much to loseare chary of further effort. What say you?"
"I do not think it will be fair to press them further," Egbertanswered; "but methinks that we might raise a band consisting of allthe youths and unmarried men in the earldom. These we might traincarefully and keep always together, seeing that the lands will still becultivated and all able to pay their assessment, and may even add toit, since you exempt them from service. Such a band we could train andpractise until we could rely upon them to defeat a far larger force ofthe enemy, and they would be available for our crew when we take to theship."
"I think the idea is a very good one, Egbert; we will propose it to thethanes." The proposition was accordingly made that all married menshould be exempt from service, but that the youths above the age ofsixteen and the unmarried men should be formed into a band and keptpermanently under arms. Landowners who lost the services of sons orfreemen working for them should pay the same assessment only as before,but those who did not contribute men to the levy should pay anadditional assessment. Edmund said he would pay the men composing theband the same wages they would earn in the field, and would undertakeall their expenses. "So long as the king continues the struggle," hesaid, "it is our duty to aid him, nor can we escape from the dangersand perils of invasion. Should the Danes come near us all must perforcefight, but so long as they continue at a distance things can go on hereas if we had peace in the land."
The proposal was, after some discussion, agreed to, and the news causedgladness and contentment throughout the earldom. The younger men whohad been included in the levy were quite satisfied with thearrangement. The spirit of the West Saxons was still high, and thosewithout wives and families who would suffer by their absence or beruined by their death were eager to continue the contest. The proposalthat they should be paid as when at work was considered perfectlysatisfactory.
The men of Sherborne had under their young leader gained great creditby their steadiness and valour in the battles four years before, andthey looked forward to fresh victories over the invader. The result wasthat ninety young men assembled for service. Edmund had sent off amessenger to the king saying that the people were utterly weary of warand refused to take up arms, but that he was gathering a band of youngmen with whom he would ere long join him; but he prayed for a shortdelay in order that he might get them into a condition to be useful onthe day of battle.
After consultation with Egbert, Edmund drew up a series of orderssomewhat resembling those of modern drill. King Alfred had once, inspeaking to him, described the manner in which the Thebans, a people ofNorthern Greece, had fought, placing their troops in the form of awedge. The formation he now taught his men. From morning to night theywere practised at rallying from pursuit or flight, or changing from aline into the form of a wedge. Each man had his appointed place both inthe line and wedge. Those who formed the outside line of this formationwere armed with large shields which covered them from chin to foot, andwith short spears; those in the inner lines carried no shields, butbore spears of increasing length, so that four lines of spearsprojected from the wedge to nearly the same distance. Inside the fourlines were twenty men armed with shields, bows, and arrows. The sidesof the wedge were of equal length, so that they could march either way.
Egbert's place was at the apex of the wedge intended generally forattack. He carried no spear, nor did those at the other corners, asthey would be covered by those beside and behind them; he was armedwith a huge battle-axe. The other leaders were also chosen for greatpersonal strength. Edmund's place was on horseback in the middle of thewedge, whence he could overlook the whole and direct their movements.
In three weeks the men could perform their simple movements toperfection, and at a sound from Edmund's horn would run in as whenscattered in pursuit or flight, or could form from line into the wedge,without the least confusion, every man occupying his assigned place.
The men were delighted with their new exercises, and felt confidentthat the weight of the solid mass thickly bristling with spears wouldbreak through the Danish line without difficulty, or could draw offfrom the field in perfect order and safety in case of a defeat, howevernumerous their foes. The two front lines were to thrust with theirpikes, the others keeping their long spears immovable to form a solidhedge. Each man carried a short heavy sword to use in case, by anyfatality, the wedge should get broken up.
When assured that his band were perfect in their new exercise Edmundmarched and joined the king. He found on his arrival that the summonsto arms had been everywhere disregarded. Many men had indeed come in,but these were in no way sufficient to form a force which would enablehim to take the field against the Danes.
/> Edmund therefore solicited and obtained permission to march with hisband to endeavour to check the plundering bands of Danes, who werealready committing devastations throughout the country.
"Be not rash, Edmund," the monarch said, "you have but a handful ofmen, and I should grieve indeed did aught of harm befall you. If youcan fall upon small parties of plunderers and destroy them you will dogood service, not only by compelling them to keep together but byraising the spirits of the Saxons; but avoid conflict with partieslikely to defeat you."
"You shall hear of us soon, I promise you," Edmund replied, "and Itrust that the news will be good."
The little party set out towards the border, and before long metnumbers of fugitives, weeping women carrying children, old men andboys, making their way from the neighbourhood of the Danes. The men hadfor the most part driven their herds into the woods, where they wereprepared to defend them as best they could against roving parties. Theylearned that Haffa, a Danish jarl, with about 600 followers, wasplundering and ravaging the country about twelve miles away. The forcewas a formidable one, but after consultation with Egbert, Edmunddetermined to advance, deeming that he might find the Danes scatteredand cut off some of their parties.
As they neared the country of which the Danes were in possession thesmoke of burning villages and homesteads was seen rising heavily in theair. Edmund halted for the night in a wood about a mile distant from ablazing farm, and the band lay down for some hours.
Before daybreak three or four of the swiftest-footed of the men weresent out to reconnoitre. They learned, from badly wounded men whom theyfound lying near the burning farms, that the Danes had been plunderingin parties of twenty or thirty, but that the main body under Haffa layfive miles away at the village of Bristowe.
A consultation was held, and it was agreed that the party should remainhidden in the wood during the day, and that upon the following nightthey should fall upon the Danes, trusting to the surprise to inflictmuch damage upon them, and to be able to draw off before the enemycould recover sufficiently to rally and attack them.
Accordingly about nine o'clock in the evening they started, andmarching rapidly approached Bristowe an hour and a half later. Theycould see great fires blazing, and round them the Danes were carousingafter their forays of the day. Great numbers of cattle were penned upnear the village.
Edmund and Egbert having halted their men stole forward until close tothe village in order to learn the nature of the ground and the positionof the Danes. Upon their return they waited until the fires burned lowand the sound of shouting and singing decreased. It was useless to waitlonger, for they knew that many of the Danes would, according to theircustom, keep up their revelry all night. Crawling along the ground theband made for the great pen where were herded the cattle which theDanes had driven in from the surrounding country, and over whichseveral guards had been placed. Before starting Egbert assigned to eachman the special duties which he was to fulfil.
The Saxons crept up quite close to the Danish guards unobserved. Toeach of these three or four bowmen had been told off, and they, onnearing the sentries lay prone on the ground with bows bent and arrowsfixed until a whistle from Edmund gave the signal. Then the arrows wereloosed, and the distance being so short the Danish sentries were allslain. Then a party of men removed the side of the pen facing thevillage; the rest mingled with the cattle, and soon with the points oftheir spears goaded them into flight. In a mass the herd thundered downupon the village, the Saxons keeping closely behind them and adding totheir terror by goading the hindermost.
The Danes, astonished at the sudden thunder of hoofs bearing down uponthem, leaped to their feet and endeavoured to turn the course of theherd, which they deemed to have accidentally broken loose, by loudshouts and by rattling their swords against their shields. The oxen,however, were too terrified by those in their rear to check theircourse, and charged impetuously down upon the Danes.
Numbers of these were hurled to the ground and trampled under foot, andthe wildest confusion reigned in the camp. This was increased when, asthe herds swept along, a number of active men with spear and sword fellsuddenly upon them. Scores were cut down or run through before theycould prepare for defence, or recover from their surprise at the novelmethod of attack.
At last, as the thunder of the herd died away in the distance, and theybecame aware of the comparative fewness of their foes, they began torally and make head against their assailants. No sooner was this thecase than the note of a horn was heard, and as if by magic theirassailants instantly darted away into the night, leaving thesuperstitious Danes in some doubt whether the whole attack upon themhad not been of a supernatural nature.
Long before they recovered themselves, and were ready for pursuit, theSaxons were far away, no less than 200 of the Danes having been slainor trampled to death, while of Edmund's band not one had received somuch as a wound.
The Saxons regained the wood in the highest state of exultation attheir success, and more confident than before in themselves and theirleader.
"I am convinced," Edmund said, "that this is the true way to fight theDanes, to harry and attack them by night assaults until they dare notbreak up into parties, and become so worn out by constant alarms thatthey will be glad to leave a country where plunder and booty are onlyto be earned at so great a cost."
Knowing that Haffa's band would for some time be thoroughly on thealert Edmund moved his party to another portion of the country, wherehe inflicted a blow, almost as heavy as he had dealt Haffa, uponSigbert, another of the Danish jarls. Three or four more verysuccessful night attacks were made, and then the Danes, by this timethoroughly alarmed, obtained from some Saxon country people whom theytook prisoners news as to the strength of Edmund's band.
Furious at the heavy losses which had been inflicted upon them by sosmall a number, they determined to unite in crushing them. By threatsof instant death, and by the offers of a high reward, they succeeded inpersuading two Saxon prisoners to act as spies, and one day thesebrought in to Haffa the news that the band had that morning, afterstriking a successful blow at the Danes ten miles away, entered atdaybreak a wood but three miles from his camp.
The Northman, disdaining to ask for assistance from one of the otherbands against so small a foe, moved out at once with 300 of his mentowards the wood. The Saxons had posted guards, who on the approach ofthe Danes roused Edmund with the news that the enemy were close athand. The Saxons were soon on their feet.
"Now, my friends," Edmund said to them, "here is the time for tryingwhat benefit we have got from our exercise. We cannot well draw off,for the Danes are as fleet-footed as we; therefore let us fight andconquer them."
The men formed up cheerfully, and the little body moved out from thewood to meet the Danes. The latter gave a shout of triumph as they sawthem. The Saxon force, from its compact formation, appeared evensmaller than it was, and the Norsemen advanced in haste, each eager tobe the first to fall upon an enemy whom they regarded as an easy prey.As they arrived upon the spot, however, and saw the thick hedge ofspears which bristled round the little body of Saxons, the first comerschecked their speed and waited till Haffa himself came up, accompaniedby his principal warriors.
Without a moment's hesitation the jarl flung himself upon the Saxons.In vain, however, he tried to reach them with his long sword. As heneared them the front line of the Saxons dropped on one knee, and asthe Danes with their shields dashed against the spears and strove tocut through them, the kneeling men were able with their pikes to thrustat the unguarded portions of the bodies below their shields, and manyfell grievously wounded. After trying for some time in vain, Haffa,finding that individual effort did not suffice to break through theSaxon spears, formed his men up in line four deep, and advanced in asolid body so as to overwhelm them.
The Saxons now rose to their feet. The spears, instead of being pointedoutwards, were inclined towards the front, and the wedge advancedagainst the Danes. The Saxon war cry rose loud as they neared theDanish line, and t
hen, still maintaining their close formation, theycharged upon it. The assault was irresistible. The whole weight wasthrown upon a point, and preceded, as it was, by the densely-packedspears, it burst through the Danish line as if the latter had beencomposed of osier twigs, bearing down all in its way.
With shouts of surprise the Danes broke up their line and closed in athick mass round the Saxons, those behind pressing forward and impedingthe motions of the warriors actually engaged. The Saxons no longer keptstationary. In obedience to Edmund's orders the triangle advanced,sometimes with one angle in front, sometimes with another, butwhichever way it moved sweeping away the Danes opposed to it, while thearchers from the centre shot fast and strong into the mass of the enemy.
Haffa himself, trying to oppose the advance of the wedge, was slain bya blow of Egbert's axe, and after half an hour's fierce fighting, theDanes, having lost upwards of fifty of their best men, and finding alltheir efforts to produce an impression upon the Saxons vain, desistedfrom the attack and fled.
At once the wedge broke up, and the Saxons followed in hot pursuit,cutting down their flying enemies. Obedient, however, to Edmund'srepeated shouts they kept fairly together, and when the Danes, thinkingthem broken and disordered, turned to fall upon them, a single note ofthe horn brought them instantly together again, and the astonishedDanes saw the phalanx which had proved so fatal to them prepared toreceive their attack. This they did not attempt to deliver, but took toflight, the Saxons, as before, pursuing, and twice as many of the Daneswere slain in the retreat as in the first attack.
The pursuit was continued for many miles, and then, fearing that hemight come across some fresh body of the enemy, Edmund called off hismen. Great was the triumph of the Saxons. A few of them had sufferedfrom wounds more or less serious, but not one had fallen. They haddefeated a body of Danes four times their own force, and had killednearly half of them, and they felt confident that the tactics whichthey had adopted would enable them in future to defeat any scatteredbodies of Danes they might meet.
For a week after the battle they rested, spending their time in furtherimproving themselves in their drill, practicing especially thealterations of the position of the spears requisite when changing froma defensive attitude, with the pikes at right angles to each face, tothat of an attack, when the spears of both faces of the advancing wedgewere all directed forward. A messenger arrived from the king, to whomEdmund had sent the news of his various successes, and Alfred sent hiswarmest congratulations and thanks for the great results which had beengained with so small a force, the king confessing that he was unable tounderstand how with such disproportionate numbers Edmund could sototally have routed the force of so distinguished a leader as Haffa.
For some weeks Edmund continued the work of checking the depredationsof the Danes, and so successful was he that the freebooters becameseized with a superstitious awe of his band. The rapidity of itsmaneuvering, the manner in which men, at one moment scattered, were inanother formed in a serried mass, against which all their efforts brokeas waves against a rock, seemed to them to be something superhuman. Inthat part of Wessex, therefore, the invaders gradually withdrew theirforces across the frontier; but in other parts of the country, the tideof invasion being unchecked, large tracts of country had beendevastated, and the West Saxons could nowhere make head against them.One day a messenger reached Edmund telling him that a large Danish armywas approaching Sherborne, and urging him to return instantly to thedefence of his earldom.
With rapid marches he proceeded thither, and on arriving at his househe found that the Danes were but a few miles away, and that the wholecountry was in a state of panic. He at once sent off messengers in alldirections, bidding the people hasten with their wives and families,their herds and valuables, to the fort. His return to some extentrestored confidence. The news of the victories he had gained over theDanes had reached Sherborne, and the confidence of their power todefeat the invaders which his followers expressed as they scattered totheir respective farms again raised the courage of the people.
All through the night bands of fugitives poured into the fort, and bymorning the whole of the people for many miles round were assembledthere. Egbert and Edmund busied themselves in assigning to each hisduty and station. All the men capable of bearing arms were told off toposts on the walls. The old men and young boys were to draw water andlook after the cattle; the women to cook and attend to the wounded. Themen of his own band were not placed upon the walls, but were held inreadiness as a reserve to move to any point which might be threatened,and to take part in sorties against the enemy.
Soon smoke was seen rising up in many directions, showing that theenemy were at their accustomed work. Cries broke from the women, andexclamations of rage from the men, as they recognized by the directionof the smoke that their own homesteads and villages were in the handsof the spoilers. About mid-day a party of mounted Danes rode up towardsthe fort and made a circuit of it. When they had satisfied themselvesas to the formidable nature of its defences they rode off again, andfor the rest of the day none of the enemy approached the fort.