CHAPTER XXXIII.
DOG ROBS DOG.
"I am but a gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff."
Sir Henry Wotton.
Badger, with his valuable plunder, had four good hours start eredaybreak, which was as early as the Normans would be likely to discovertheir loss. It was slow and tedious work driving cattle through thepasses, and the wooded country, and the most that he could hope for inthe way of start would be eight or ten miles. But there was considerableprobability that the enemy would plan a night attack upon the Saxons,and in that case, if the loss was discovered by those remaining in camp,they would be quite unprepared for pursuit; and if no start could bemade by them before the return of the expedition, then he would have hisprize safely aboard the schooner.
In the meantime, Wulfhere, summarily dismissed by his comrade, returnedto the Saxon camp, ruminating upon the strange vagaries of Badger's wit.He nothing doubted but that some sufficient purpose, if not some daringexploit, dictated his erratic movements. When he reached the encampment,he lost no time in rousing his chieftain, Oswald. After a briefconsultation, they decided at once to rouse the whole camp. Then acouncil of war was held by the leaders. Hereward and Sigurd were forforming an ambush, and trying a brush with the foe; but the more prudentwere very doubtful about the success of such a movement, seeing theNormans were far more numerous than they. Ultimately, it was decided notto risk an engagement. So hasty preparations were made, and in less thanan hour's time the camp was broken up, and each party chose its ownroute for retreat.
"Wulfhere," said Oswald, when we had collected our little party, and hadstarted home. "I miss Badger. Is he on before?"
"Well, I almost think he will be, my lord, though I left him lurkingwithin a bowshot of a Norman sentinel, and within sight of their campfires. What he had in his head I know not. Some crank, I warrant, bymeans of which he will get the best of the enemy."
"He will be venturing too far, I doubt, some day, and he will find hehas got his head in a noose which all his ingenuity will not enable himto slip."
"No fear, my lord. It will take all the wit in the Norman camp to puthim in a corner where there is not room enough for him to wriggle out.There is something in that old pate of his which will make him a matchfor them all, and something to spare. I have an opinion he willcircumvent grim Death with some dodge or other."
"Well, he will know that we shall be bound homewards, I suppose, and hewill follow when it suits his humour to do so."
"Nay, I fancy he will be ahead of us even now. He gave me instructionsthat he would be rounding the Great Nab's head at daybreak, so we mayhope to meet with him ere long."
Thus we kept steadily pressing on through the darkness, and ere long thebeams of the morning sun shot up athwart the eastern sky, and our marchbecame much more easy and pleasant. By-and-by we rounded the bluffpromontory indicated by Badger, and known as the "Great Nab's head;" andshortly we espied Badger, and his comrade Grizzly, seated mostcontentedly on a mossy bank, Badger regaling himself with a hunch ofbread, and salt beef, whilst Grizzly, foraging for himself, was puttingthe finishing touches to a rabbit he had killed.
"Well, Badger," said the Earl, "alive and well, I see. What exploit haveyou been perpetrating? Reconnoitring the Norman camp, eh?"
"Reconnoitring, my lord? Mercy on us, no!--if that means sitting on aboulder like a moulting fowl, and gazing at nothing in particular. Inever reconnoitre; that means _can_ anything be done. I always _know_something can be done if one sets about it."
"Very good philosophy, Badger--well to the point. What have you been_doing_, then? What is the trick this time? and have you been found outfor once in a way?"
"Just come with me, my lord, and we'll see."
So saying, he led us over the shoulder of the hill, revealing to us alovely little dell where there was a stream of fresh water and anabundance of fresh green herbage. Here, also, were about twenty head ofcattle browsing lustily.
"There, my lord. I thought we should have a bootless errand, for thewagging of tongues and the cackling of geese I never could understand;they are both pointless, and equally profitable. I never was a greathand at crooning since I was a baby, so I give that business up. But Iowe a grudge to the Normans, and I borrowed these few cattle from them.They will be of service, I trow, on the top of the hill. And if you findyou don't need them, why, there's no harm done--send them back again."
"Well, every man wields his own staff best, Badger. You do credit toyours. But I think we had better be moving, or the Normans may fetchthem before they get to their journey's end."
"Quite ready, my lord. We can now reach the boat without another halt,if the Normans do not dock our tails in the meantime. Come, Grizzly, thedrover's trade is a thriving trade in these times. The thieving Scot andthe robber Dane have turned over their business to honester men. I neverdreamed it was so respectable and well-spoken a trade as I find it to benow."
So saying, Badger and his hound set about collecting the beasts, andsoon we were able to resume our march with as much celerity as we couldcommand. Everybody seemed anxious to hear Badger's recital of hisexploit, which he told us with much grim humour, and evidently muchinward relish.
We were able to reach our destination without molestation from theenemy, their energies being fully occupied by other matters until we hadgot clear away. It was thought desirable not to embark until nightfall,unless we were compelled to do so; for it was more than probable, had weput out to sea, the movements of the vessel would have been observed bythe enemy. A gangway, however, was laid ready for emergencies, whilstscouts were posted at points of observation, thus making it impossiblefor us to be surprised. During the day, the cattle were permitted tograze in the wood near, and when the shades of night gathered about us,they were driven aboard, and we weighed anchor and stood across the bay.Ultimately we reached our destination without mishap, though we had, inconsequence of our cattle, to travel with the utmost circumspection.