face to know that she could not runaway with any fellow!"
"H'm!" remarked the woman significantly.
"What say you?" demanded the chief, sharply.
"I scarcely know what to say. Perhaps the best thing to do would be totake a band of our own men and go off in search of the girl yourself."
"That's just what I've made up my mind to do; but I wanted to see ifHudibras would get up a band to join mine, for I dare not take many awayfrom the town when that scoundrel Addedomar is threatening to make araid upon us."
"My son," said the woman anxiously, "what threatened raid do you speakof?"
"Did you not hear? Since the last time we gave that robber a drubbingat the Hot Swamp, he has taken to the woods and gathered together alarge band of rascals like himself. We would not have minded that--forhonest men are always numerous enough to keep villains in order--but twochiefs who have long been anxious to take possession of the land roundthe Swamp have agreed to join with him, so that they form a formidablebody of warriors--too large to be treated with contempt."
"This is bad news, Gunrig. How does the king take it?"
"In his usual way. He does not believe in danger or mischief till ithas overtaken him, and it is almost too late for action. There is onehope, however, that he will be induced to move in time. A young fellowhas come from the far East, who was a great friend of that long-leggedfellow Bladud, and he is bent on finding out where his friend has gone.Of course the king is willing to let him have as many men as he wants,though he sternly refuses to let Bladud return home; and I hope toinduce this youth--Dromas, they call him--to join me, so that we maysearch together; for, of course, the search for the man may result infinding the girl. My only objection is that if we do find Bladud, Ishall have to fight and kill him--unless the leprosy has happily killedhim already. So, now, I will away and see what can be done about thishunt. My object in coming was to get my men, and to warn those left incharge of the town to keep a keen look-out for Addedomar, for he is adangerous foe. Farewell, mother."
The woman was not addicted to the melting mood. She merely nodded asher son went out.
In pursuance of this plan, a band of about two hundred warriors wasraised, armed, and provisioned for a long journey. Gunrig put himselfat the head of a hundred and fifty of these, and Dromas, being a skilledwarrior, was given command of the remaining fifty, with Captain Arkal,who begged to be allowed to go as his lieutenant, and little Maikar asone of his fighting men.
The orders were, that they should start off in the direction of the HotSwamp, searching the country as they went, making diligent inquiries atthe few villages they might pass, and questioning all travellers whomthey might chance to meet with by the way. If Branwen should be found,she was to be sent back escorted by a detachment of a hundred men. Ifthe retreat of Bladud should be discovered, news of the fact was to besent to the king, and the prince was to be left there in peace with anyof the men who might volunteer to live with him. But on no account werethey or Bladud to return to Hudibras' town as long as there was theleast danger of infection.
"Is he _never_ to return?" asked the queen, whimpering, when she heardthese orders given.
"No, _never_!" answered the king in that awful tone which the poor queenknew too well meant something like a decree of Fate.
"Oh, father!" remonstrated Hafrydda--and Dromas loved her for theremonstrance--"not even if he is cured?"
"Well, of course, if he is cured, my child, that alters the case. Buthow am I to know that he is cured?--who is to judge? Our court doctorknows as much about it as a sucking pig--perhaps less!"
"Perhaps the Hebrew knows," suggested Hafrydda--and Dromas loved her forthe suggestion!
"Ah, to be sure! I forgot the Hebrew. You may call at his hut inpassing and take him with you, if he has come home yet. He's an amiableold man, and may consent to go. If not--make him. Away! and cease toworry me. That's the way to get rid of business, my queen; isn't it?"
"Certainly--it is one way," answered the queen, turning to the twocommanders. "Go, and my blessing go with you!"
"Success attend you!" murmured the princess, glancing timidly atDromas--and as Dromas gazed upon her fair face, and golden curls, andmodest mien, he felt that he loved her for herself!
Success did not, however, attend them at first, for on reaching theHebrew's hut they found it empty, and no amount of shouting availed tocall Beniah from the "vasty deep" of the chasm, or the dark recesses ofthe secret chamber.
Pursuing their way, therefore, the small army was soon lost to view inthe forest.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.
CROSS PURPOSES AND COMPLICATIONS.
We turn now to another scene in the wild-woods, not far distant from theHot Swamp.
It is a thickly-wooded hollow on the eastern slopes of the high ridgethat bounds one side of the valley of the Springs. Sturdy oaks, tallpoplars, lordly elms and beeches, cast a deep shade over the spot whichwas rendered almost impenetrable by dense underwood. Even in brightestsunshine light entered it with difficulty, and in gloomy weather a sortof twilight constantly prevailed, while at night the place became thevery abode of thick darkness.
In this retreat was assembled, one gloomy afternoon, a large body ofarmed men, not connected with the searching parties which had beenransacking the region in the vain duplex search which we have tried todescribe. It was a war-party under the command of Addedomar theoutlaw--if we may thus characterise a man in a land where there waslittle or no law of any kind, save that of might.
It was a strong band, numbering nearly four hundred warriors, all ofwhom were animated with the supposed-to-be noble desire to commit thefton a very large scale. It is true, they called it "conquest," whichword in those days, as in modern times even among civilised people,meant killing many of the natives of a place and taking possession oftheir lands. Then--as now--this was sometimes styled "right ofconquest," and many people thought then, as some think even now, that byputting this word "right" before "conquest" they made it all right! andhad somehow succeeded in abrogating the laws, "Thou shalt not steal,"and "Do to others as thou wouldest have others do to thee," laws whichwere written by God in the human understanding long before Mosesdescended with the decalogue from Sinai.
However, as we have said, there was little or no law in the land of oldAlbion at the time of which we write, so that we can scarcely wonder atthe aspirations of the band under Addedomar--aspirations which were tothe full as strong--perhaps even as noble--as those of Alexander theGreat or the first Napoleon.
It had been ascertained by some stray hunter of Addedomar's party thatconsiderable bands of men were ranging the valley of the Springs and itsneighbourhood in search of something or some one, and that they wentabout usually in small detached parties. The stray hunter, with an eye,doubtless, to his personal interest, conveyed the news to the robberchief, who, having made secret and extensive preparations, happened atthe time to be on his way to raid the territories of King Hudibras,intending to take the town of Gunrig as a piece of by-play in passing.
Here, however, was an opportunity of striking a splendid blow withouttravelling so far. By keeping his force united, and sending a number ofscouts in advance, he could attack and overwhelm the scattereddetachments in succession. He, therefore, in the meantime, abandonedhis original plan, and turned aside to the neighbourhood of the HotSwamp. There he remained in the sequestered hollow, which has beendescribed, awaiting the return of his scouts. There was no difficultyin feeding an army in those days, for the forests of Albion aboundedwith game, and the silent bow, unlike the noisy fire-arm, could be usedeffectively without betraying the presence of the hunter.
The eyes of Addedomar opened wider and wider as his scouts dropped inone by one, and his heart beat high with glee and hope at the news theybrought, for it opened up a speedy conquest in detail of more foes thanhe had counted on meeting with, and left the prospect of his afterwardscarrying into execution his original plan.
The first scout broug
ht the intelligence that it was not the men of KingHudibras who were in the neighbourhood, but those of Gadarn, the greatchief of the far north, who had come there with an armed force in searchof his daughter--she having gone lost, stolen, or strayed in thewilderness.
"Is the band a large one?" demanded Addedomar.
"It is; but not so large as ours, and it is weakened every day by beingsent into the woods in different directions and in three detachments."
"Excellent! Ha! we will join Gadarn in this search, not only for hisdaughter, but for himself, and we will double the number of hisdetachments when we meet them, by slicing each man in two."
A loud laugh greeted this pleasantry, for robbers were easily tickled inthose days.
"I also discovered," continued the scout,
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