CHAPTER XV.
OUTLAWS AND WOLFSHEADS.
"To be forewarned is to be forearmed."
_Proverbial Saying._
Count de Montfort, the born autocrat, it may be inferred, was not theman to permit any remnant of the conquered Saxons to assume anindependent authority, or to defy him in his exercise of unlimitedpower. Nor did he relish the fearless tone in which Oswald had addressedhim. Such an affront must not be tolerated for a moment; so hedetermined to organise an expedition which should explore the hills androot out any incipient rebellion which might be afoot. It is needless tosay that the mysterious escape and reappearance of Oswald also causedincreased vigilance in guarding the castle to be resorted to.
Now Badger had manifested a wonderful tact in ingratiating himself withthe rough Norman troopers. It was much more common to see him sallyingforth cheek by jowl with some of these, fishing, hawking, orboar-hunting, than to see him companying with his Saxon comrades. Butthere was method in it all, for he was always possessed of their plansand purposes; and when he communicated to me this determination oftheirs we made haste to apprise our countrymen of it. That night Badgerquietly issued from the postern gate of the Abbey, leading his mountainpony Shaggy, and followed by his faithful wolf-hound Grizzly. Everylight was extinguished. Not a sound fell on the stillness of the nightair, saving the horrid braying of a stag in the distant wood, and thescreeching of owlets as they fluttered amid the branches of the trees inquest of prey. No sooner had they passed through the gate at thenorthern extremity of the Abbey's ground than Badger mounted Shaggy'sback, and they steadily threaded their way through the forest, making asquickly as possible for the hill country. Steady riding for half an hourbrought them to the first spur of the mountain, when Badger threwhimself from the pony's back, and led the way at a brisk walk. Soon theyreached the top of this lower promontory, when, again mounting Shaggy,they dashed along, sending the rabbits by hundreds scurrying away totheir holes. But Badger steadily forged ahead towards the hugeeminences, which seemed to rise out of utter darkness, and throw theirblack and ominous outlines against the starlit sky. Half an hour's moreriding and patient climbing, and he neared the top. Choosing as theeasiest path a deflection between two peaks, he was proceeding at arapid pace, when, of a sudden, two men on horseback came bearing downupon him like a whirlwind, and drew up in front of him with swordsdrawn. "Saxon or Norman?" sang out one of them in a tone of inquiry.
"Saxon!" shouted Badger. "Down with the Normans!"
As the well-known voice was heard, the swords were sheathed, and the twohorsemen greeted him with a loud laugh.
"Why, you are living yet, then, Badger!" said one. "We have beencalculating your chances; and we had come to the conclusion you would bekilled and eaten by this time. You would be worth money, Badger, foryour _skins_ alone, this cold weather."
"Better shed every extra skin, Badger, or you'll lose your own, I'mthinking," said the other.
"Yes, his skins are valuable, but his carcase is good for nothing.Badgers are just carrion, and nothing more."
"We are right glad to see you, however," said the pair. And indeed theyseemed inclined to hug him in the exuberance of their delight.
"Well, and Shaggy's living too! What next, and next. These Normans arebecoming most merciful," again broke out the first one.
"Yes, yes," retorted the second one, "that's right enough. But theyaren't human beings either of them, or they'd have been murdered beforethis."
"What news, Badger? I declare he's gone in a trance. Have they burnt thecastle down? Are they murdering everybody?"
"They'll have a mighty job to murder some of you," retorted Badger,finding his tongue at last, "unless they could fly. You take mighty goodcare of your skins. And i' faith, you've only one to take care of. But Iwager that will be whole at the finish, unless you should happen totumble and break your neck with running away."
"Hold there!" said the pair, bursting into a loud laugh at Badger'sretort. "When the time comes we shall be amongst the first at theNormans' throats."
"All in good time, my hearties. They are coming in the morning todisturb your roosts, so there will be a chance for you; but come along,I can't stand here, I must see Oswald forthwith about this matter."
"This is our station for the night, Badger. This valley would almostcertainly be selected for a night attack, or day attack either, for thematter of that. So we must watch until daybreak."
"Oh, come along, I know everything is perfectly quiet. Not a Normanastir, I will be bond for it. You will be useful, so come along."
"If you will take the responsibility, Badger."
"That I will readily, so come along."
Then the pair turned their horses' heads round, and joined Badger in hiserrand. As they sped across the moor they heard to the right of them afierce baying; and presently some half-dozen wolves came bearing downupon them. The horses began to tremble in every limb, and show evidencesof bolting. So the three dismounted, and stood at the horses' heads withGrizzly fiercely growling in front. This seemed to reassure the horses;but as the wolves drew near they were evidently mistaken in their prey,for they turned tail and fled. But Grizzly with a terrific growl dashedafter them, throwing himself on the haunches of the hindmost, androlling him over. Then, seizing him by the throat, he would speedilyhave made an end of him, if the horsemen had not come up and dispatchedhim with their swords. The monster turned out to be a large gaunt dogwolf, who would have been an ugly customer for an unarmed man to meetwhen the pinch of hunger was upon him.
"I hope they've got the sheep, and cattle, and swine all trim and tight,or I'm feared they'll be missing some of them in the morning, with thesebeasts prowling about," remarked one horseman.
"They're getting too plentiful to be at all pleasant. There's beenlittle time for wolf-hunting since these Normans came; they are gettingbold too, and are beginning to pack," remarked the second horseman.
"I wish they were the worst foes we had to deal with," said Badger; "Ishould be a happier man by a good deal. But these dastardly Normans, Ifear me we shall never more shake them off. The villainous brood areswarming all over the land, and there will soon be never a patch of soilthat a Saxon can call his own. We shall all either have to be slaves orfeed on the wind ere long."
"Not me, Badger," said one. "I have neither child nor chick, and afreeman I'll be at all costs. The limestone caves and the greenwoodshall make me shelter. As for feeding on air, I'll not want somethingmore substantial if any Norman this side Baldley Heights or WhernsideFell has a sheep in the fold or an ox in the stall."
"Well, don't be downhearted, comrades," said Badger. "When the windshifts, the cloud lifts. It's a broad ford that can't be bridged. Thestrongest bow soonest relaxes, and the spent arrow falls lightly. Ourtime will come, for these Normans are not Viking rovers, but like fatliving, and that breeds laziness; and we shall be able to shakeourselves down comfortably if we can't push them out of the bed."
Whilst this conversation was proceeding the three were rapidly pressingon, Badger having by this time put eight or ten miles between himselfand the Norman foe. But in the vast distance before them there seemed toloom an unending stretch of moorland, vast and drear and dark. In thepale moonlight the mists could be seen climbing the heights, or creepinglazily along the hollows, where damp and bogs abounded. Like hugerepositories of old-world histories these grim old hillsseemed--dwarfing human nature into nothingness in theirpresence--"everlasting hills," broad-based and firm; defying the stormsof winter, and bathing their heads in the golden sunshine of summer;unmoved amid the changes, transformations, and fierce race struggleswhich were being fought out with relentless cruelty around their base;and offering a cold, unsympathetic shelter to fugitives flying to themfor safety.
"Keep to the left, Badger. We must keep on the outskirts of that vapour,or we shall be speedily up to the knees in a bog. We have not far to go.Do you see the tops of those fir-trees just peeping over those boulders?That is our headquarters, a
nd Oswald will be there."
Presently the persons of two scouts could be seen moving amid thestones, and evidently reconnoitring the new-comers. A low, shrillwhistle is given by one of them, and is answered by Badger's friends; atwhich signal they drew near to interview the strangers. Then it was seenthat the tops of the fir trees were but the outermost ring of a densewood, which lined the sides of a mammoth ravine, with a still lake ofwater, or tarn, lying placidly in its hollow.
"Is Oswald here to-night?" was the first inquiry.
"Yes. What news?"
"All right so far; but there will be a lively time to-morrow. Badger,here, has brought the news. Let him have speech with the Earlforthwith."
So the three dismounted, and began slowly to thread their way by a path,winding and difficult, with branches hanging low, and brushwood closingup, so as to make progress impossible except in single file. By-and-byethe bottom is reached, and before them there stands--what was totallyconcealed from any one skirting the wood on the outside--a spaciousone-storied building near the head of the tarn. As they drew near, afierce growling of a watch-dog was heard, and a challenge was addressedto them by some one hid from view by the dense brushwood. The answerbeing satisfactory the horses were tied to the trees, and the strangerled them by a winding path to the rear of the dwelling. A gentle tapbeing given to the door, a woman's voice challenges the visitors; butsoon the bolts are withdrawn, and the party enters what was evidentlythe kitchen quarters.
"Has the Earl retired?" said Bretwul to his wife.
"Yes, long ago. There has not been a sound in the house these twohours."
After consulting together it was deemed a matter of sufficientimportance to summon Oswald, and to him Badger briefly related the newswhich had brought him.
Then ensued a council of war, some advocating evasive tactics. But thisbrought them face to face with the fact that the Normans were all awarethat they were hiding not far away, and they would be sure to persevereuntil they had unearthed them. So it was decided that a lesson inretaliation was necessary. Word was sent round at once for all cattleand non-fighters to keep especially close, also for the able-bodied mento meet the Earl at daylight at the cave on Deepdale Head.
Badger's errand being now accomplished, he led his pony to the clear.There mounting, and accompanied by Grizzly, the return journey commencedat a steady trot, which was never broken until the monastery wasreached; and soon each one was at rest. He had thus given a timelywarning to the outlawed Saxons, from which it will be seen they were notslow to profit.