The Norsemen in the West

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

  A GREAT BUT COMPARATIVELY BLOODLESS FIGHT, WHICH ENDS PECULIARLY, ANDWITH SINGULAR RESULTS.

  When the sun rose above the trees next day, Karlsefin began to thinkthat the natives had left the place, for there was no sign of themanywhere, and he was about to issue from behind his defences and go outto reconnoitre, when a man came running from the ship shouting"Skraelingers!"

  It is probable that by that term he meant savages generally, because themen who had been seen bore very little resemblance to the hairy savagesof Greenland. They were taller, though not stouter, and clothed inwell-dressed skins of animals, with many bright colours about them. Butwhatever they were, the sensation they created among the Norsemen wasconsiderable, for it was found, on going to the margin of the lake, thatthey were now approaching in canoes by water. This at once accountedfor the delay in their appearance.

  That their intentions were hostile was plain from the fact that thecanoes came on abreast of each other in regular order, while the menshouted fiercely and brandished their weapons. There could not havebeen fewer than three or four hundred of them.

  Karlsefin saw at once that his only chance of saving the ship was to goon board of it and fight on the water.

  "Get on board all of you," he cried to those who stood beside him."Away, Biarne, Thorward, call in the outposts and have them on boardwithout delay. Here, Swend, Heika, Tyrker, station the men as theyarrive. Get up the war-screens round the sides of the ship; and,harkee, give orders that the men use their weapons as little aspossible, and spare life. I shall want you on the poop, Hake. See thatno one throws down the gangway or loosens the ropes till the order isgiven. I will see to the women.--Away!"

  Each man ran with speed to obey, for the case was urgent.

  Karlsefin found the women, with Olaf, assembled in the large housewaiting for orders.

  "Come," he cried; "not a moment to be lost. Give me your hand, Gudrid."

  He seized it as he spoke, and hurried down to the ship, where the menwere already trooping on board as fast as they could. The women weresoon put under cover out of the reach of missiles, and in a few minutesmore all were on board. Of course the cattle, and live stock generally,being scattered about the hamlet, were left to their fate. Then theropes were cast loose, the gangway was thrown down, the ship was pushedout into the bay, and the anchor let go.

  All this had barely been accomplished when the canoes came sweepinground the nearest point of land and made straight for the ship, with thefoam curling at their bows.

  Then Karlsefin's voice rose loud and clear as he issued his finalcommands.

  "My lads," he cried, "remember my orders about using your weapons aslittle as possible. Be careful to throw only the smaller stones. Killno one if you can avoid it, but give as many of them the toothache asyou can. We must be friends with these people if we are to live inpeace here, and that won't be possible if we kill many of them."

  The men answered with a great shout, mingled with some laughter, whichlatter was such a strange sound to hear on the eve of an engagement,that the savages stopped short for a moment. But soon they came onagain with redoubled impetuosity.

  No sooner were they within range than the Norsemen rose up in a body andhurled a shower of stones at them. They were evidently not prepared forsuch artillery, for they again stepped short, but after a brief pauseonce more advanced. Three times did they receive a shower of stonesbefore getting alongside. These hurt many, but disabled none, for,according to orders, no heavy stones were used. When within a few yardsof the ship the canoes surrounded her and lay still while the savagesbegan to discharge arrows in abundance. The Norsemen kept well behindthe shields, which formed a screen round the ship, and replied withstones, only a few of the best marksmen using arrows, when they saw achance to wound without killing any of the foe.

  Karlsefin stood exposed on the high poop with Hake and Heika beside him.All three wore iron helmets, and the leader protected himself with hisshield. Heika devoted his attention to warding off missiles from hisbrother, who, having to use his bow, could not manage a shield.

  Presently the savages made a grand assault. But the moment they came toclose quarters they found that they had to cope with a formidable foe,for the Norsemen, using only bludgeons, knocked them down whenever theycame within reach, and one or two of the boldest among them whosucceeded in clambering up the sides were seized by the legs and armsand hurled back into the lake as if they had been mere puppets.

  Thus beaten off they continued the arrow shower, and some of theNorsemen were wounded.

  All this time Karlsefin stood close to the helm, looking sharply abouthim, and whenever he saw a savage who was bolder and stouter than hisfellows, he made Hake send an arrow through his right hand. In this waymost of the best men among them were sent off howling with pain, and forthe time disabled. Suddenly a very tall active savage succeeded inclambering up by the rudder unobserved, and leaping on the poop, stoodbehind Karlsefin with uplifted club. Karlsefin, without turning quiteround, gave him a back-handed slap under the left ear and sent himflying overboard. He fell into a canoe in his descent and sank it.

  At this juncture a number of the canoes were detached from the fight,and Karlsefin observed, with much anxiety, that the savages were goingto ransack the houses.

  "Would that I were on shore with twenty of my best men!" he saidbitterly. "Send a shaft, Hake, at yonder fellow who leads. It is outof range, I fear, but--ha! well hit!" he exclaimed, on seeing an arrowfrom Hake's prompt hand strike the man full in the back. The savagefell, and his comrades crowded round him.

  By that time others of the canoes had put ashore, and their owners ranup to the crowd who surrounded the fallen leader.

  At this moment an incident occurred which put a most unexpectedtermination to the fight.

  For a considerable time Olaf's huge pet, Blackie, had viewed the fightwith calm indifference from the heart of a thicket close by, in which hechanced to be cooling himself at the time. Now, it happened that one ofthe many arrows which were discharged by the savages on the offshoreside of the ship glanced from a neighbouring tree and hit the bull onthe flank. Associating the pain resulting therefrom with the group ofsavages before him, Blackie at once elevated his tail, lowered his head,and, with a bellow that would have shamed a thousand trumpets, chargedfuriously down upon the foe.

  Horror-struck is but a feeble word to indicate the feelings of that foe!Although, no doubt, some of them might have heard of, perhaps seen, theponderous and comparatively quiet bison of the Western prairies, none ofthem had ever imagined anything so awful as a little black bull withtremendous horns, blood-red nostrils, flashing eyes, and cat-likeactivity. One awe-struck look they gave it, and then fled howling intothe woods. The sounds were so startling that those of the enemy stillround the ship were panic-stricken and made off by water as fast astheir fellows had escaped by land, leaving the Norsemen victorious!

  "Hurrah for Blackie!" shouted Olaf, who was wild with excitement anddelight.

  The cheer thus claimed was given with intense enthusiasm, and then theship was rowed back to the shore.

  Here a great prize was found, in the shape of twenty canoes, which hadbeen left by the party that had fled to the woods. These were carriedcarefully up to the hamlet and placed in security. On the way upanother prize was found, which afterwards turned out to be of the utmostimportance. This was the wounded savage, who had been forsaken by hisfriends when the bull charged, and who only escaped from the horns ofthat infuriated animal by lying quite motionless beside a log whichfortunately chanced to be near him.

  "Take care, Krake; lift him gently," said Biarne, as he came up andfound that worthy turning the poor savage over as if he had been alreadya dead carcase. "Let me see; the arrow does not seem to have gone farin. He'll recover, perhaps. Come, Hake and Swend, lift his shoulders,and run, Olaf, tell Astrid or one of the other women to--ha! Bertha,well met. Here is a subject for your care. You ar
e a good nurse, I'mtold."

  "I try to be," replied Bertha.

  "She who tries to be is sure to be," returned Biarne; "nursing, likefighting, is an art, and must be acquired; though, to say truth, somefolk seem born to learn more rapidly than others, whether as regardsnursing or fighting. Have the poor fellow into the house, and do yourbest for him, Bertha."

  While this was being said the native was lying on his back, looking verystern, but pale. It is probable that the poor wretch expected to betaken off summarily to have his eyes punched out, or to be roastedalive,--for the natives of Vinland, no doubt, expected from their foes,in those days, the same treatment that they accorded to them--althoughthe Saga says nothing to that effect. When, therefore, he was put intoa comfortable bed, had his wound dressed, and an agreeable thoughstrange drink given to him by the fair hands of Bertha, the expressionof his countenance seemed to imply that he believed himself to havepassed from earth and got into the happy hunting-grounds of his fathers.If so, the increasing pain of his wound must have perplexed him not alittle. However, it is due to him to say that he bore his surprises andpains with the uncomplaining resignation of a Stoic.

  Karlsefin employed the remainder of that day in strengthening hisdefences and connecting them in such a way with that part of the shorewhere his vessel lay, that there would be no possibility of surroundinghim in the event of future hostilities.

  This accomplished, he organised his men into three bands, which were tobe commanded respectively by Biarne, Thorward, and himself. These wereappointed to particular localities and duties in the little fortress--for it was now almost entitled to such an appellation. When night drewon, sentinels were posted as before. But there was no alarm during thenight. The savages appeared to have had enough of fighting for thattime, and next morning's sun arose, as it was wont to do, on a peacefulscene.

  "Do you think they will attack us again?" asked Gudrid as she sat atbreakfast.

  "I think not," replied her husband. "They cannot but know that we aretroublesome fellows to deal with, even when taken unawares."

  "I hope they won't go off without giving us a chance to show that wedesire to be friendly," observed Thorward.

  "No fear of that," said Biarne; "we have got one of their chiefs--atleast I think he is so, for he looks like one--and that is as good as astring tied to their great toe."

  "By the way, how _is_ the chief, Bertha?" asked Karlsefin.

  "Much better this morning. He slept well, and is even now sitting up onhis bed. He looked so well, indeed, that I took the precaution tofasten the door on the outside when I left him just now."

  "Ha! Didst fasten the window, wench?" cried Thorward, starting up andhastening from the room.

  "Truly, no," remarked the girl, with a somewhat confused look; "I neverthought of the window."

  Thorward returned a minute later with a peculiar smile.

  "He's all safe," said he; "I peeped through a small shot-hole in theparchment, and saw him sitting there meditating as deeply as if he hopedto meditate himself out of his prison."

  "Not a difficult thing to do that," said Karlsefin. "I suspect thatmost prisoners manage to free themselves in that way pretty often! Butwho comes here in such hot haste? Why, Swend, what's i' the wind now?"

  "The Skraelingers are coming," said he. "They come unarmed, and onlyten of them."

  "Oho! good," exclaimed Karlsefin, rising. "Come, methinks I see my wayout of this difficulty. Fetch me nine of our smartest men, Biarne. Iwill go forth with them unarmed, to meet those messengers of peace. Youand Thorward will keep the defences, to be ready for any emergency. Letthe Scottish brothers be among the nine."

  When the selected men had assembled, their leader took them aside andconferred with them for a few minutes, after which he led them towardsthat part of the defences nearest the woods, when they saw the tennatives approaching holding up their empty hands and making otherdemonstrations of a peaceful nature. Far away on the heights in thebackground the whole army of savages could be seen watching theproceedings of their messengers.

  When these latter had come within about a hundred yards of the hamlet,they selected a low grassy knoll in an open spot, in full view of bothparties. Here they sat down in a row and made signs to the Norsemen toapproach.

  "Now, lads, we will accept their invitation," said Karlsefin; "followme."

  With that he passed through the opening in the defences, holding up hishands as he went to show that he was unarmed, his followers doing thesame. Karlsefin went up to the native who appeared to be the chief ofthe band, and, with a bland smile, took his hand gently and shook it.

  If the savage did not understand the shake of the hand, he evidentlyunderstood the smile, for he returned it and sat down again. Karlsefinand his men did the same, and for a few moments the two rows of men satlooking benignantly at one another in silence. The savage chief thenspoke. Of course Karlsefin shook his head and touched his ear, brow,and lips, by way of intimating that he heard, but could neitherunderstand nor reply. He then spoke Norse, with similar results. Afterthat the savage leader rose up, touched his back, and fell down as ifbadly wounded. Upon this one of his comrades rose, pointed to thehamlet, lifted the wounded man in his arms, carried him behind hiscompanions, and laid him down exclaiming "Utway!" whereupon anothersavage took a small bundle of beautiful furs from the ground, and laidthem at the feet of Karlsefin with much humility.

  "Sure he wants to buy back the wounded chief with these furs," saidKrake, who found it difficult to conceal his amusement at all this dumbshow.

  "No doubt of it, and I suppose Utway is his name," replied Karlsefin;"but my object is to get them inside the defences, in order to show themthat when we have them in our power we will treat them well. If I lettheir chief go for these furs nothing will have been gained."

  Karlsefin now did his best, by means of signs and encouraging looks, toinduce the ten natives to enter the hamlet, but no persuasion wouldinduce them to do this. They held stoutly to their originalproposition, and kept constantly pointing to the bundle of furs andgoing through the pantomime with the wounded man. At last Karlsefinappeared to agree to their proposal.

  "Now, Heika and Hake," said he, "nothing remains to be done but to trythe plan I have described to you. Up, and bring the wounded chiefhither without delay."

  The two men obeyed, and in a few minutes were seen re-issuing from thefortress bearing a litter between them, on which lay the wounded chiefwith a blanket thrown over him, only his head being visible. Carryinghim towards the row of natives, the brothers laid the burden at theirfeet as they sat still on the ground looking on with great interest.Karlsefin removed the blanket, and revealed the chief bound hand andfoot. Something covered by another blanket lay at his side. Karlsefintook hold of this. As he did so the Norsemen rose. The blanket wascast off, and ten naked swords were revealed, which were instantlygrasped by ten stalwart arms, and flashed with the speed of light overthe ten native heads!

  Taken thus by surprise they remained seated, and, supposing that to movewould be the signal for instant death, they were perfectly motionless,though the colour of their countenances revealed to some extent thestate of their feelings.

  A terrific yell from the distant heights told that the deed had beennoticed and understood. It was answered by a shout from the Norsemen asthey issued from their fortress, secured their prisoners, and carriedthem within the defences. In a few minutes thereafter not a man was tobe seen on the heights, and the region became as silent and apparentlyas deserted as it had been before the advent of the savages.

  "Now then, Biarne, get the things ready. Is the kettle boiling?" saidKarlsefin.

  "All is prepared," answered Biarne.

  "'Tis well. We must carry out our plan as quickly as may be," rejoinedKarlsefin. "We may be sure that these fellows have only retired behindthe heights to hold a council of war, and, in their present humour, itwon't be long before they come on to make an effort to retaliate upon usfor our
supposed treachery."

  The ten men were conveyed to the largest house in the hamlet, and thereranged in a row against the wall. They looked very grave, but were firmand stern. Evidently they imagined that death by torture was to betheir doom, and had braced themselves up to die like brave men in thepresence of their foes.

  Karlsefin hastened to relieve them from this state of mind as quickly aspossible. He placed before them ten plates of splendid boiled salmon.They regarded this proceeding with some surprise, but shook their headsand refused to eat. Doubtless their appetites were not good at thetime!

  "Fetch the wounded chief hither," said Karlsefin, "and tell Bertha thatshe is wanted."

  When the wounded man was carried in and seated opposite to his comrades,a box being placed for him to lean against, Karlsefin said toBertha--"Now, lass, do thy best to induce the chief to show his friendshow to eat. He has had some experience of you, and will doubtlessunderstand."

  With a winning smile that would have compelled any susceptible man toeat or drink, or do anything else that he was bid whether inclined ornot, Bertha put a plate of salmon before the chief and made signs to himto eat. He smiled in return, and began at once. Then Bertha patted himon the shoulder, pointed to the ten prisoners, and made signs again.The chief smiled intelligently, and spoke to his companions. Heevidently said more than was necessary to order them to eat, for theirfaces brightened perceptibly, and they commenced dinner in thesepeculiar circumstances without delay.

  It was clear that their appetites had not been much impaired by alarm,for the salmon disappeared in a twinkling. Then Karlsefin ordered tenplates of fried venison to be placed before them, which was done, andthey applied themselves to the consumption of this with equal relish.Having concluded the repast, each man received a can of warm water andmilk, highly sweetened with sugar. At first they took a doubtful sip ofthis, and looked at each other in surprise. It was a new sensation!One of them smacked his lips; the rest said "Waugh!" nodded their heads,and drained their cans to the bottom at a single draught; after which,observing that there was some sediment left, they scraped it out withtheir fingers and sucked them.

  "So far that is satisfactory," said Karlsefin, with a smile. "Now,Biarne--the gifts."

  A wooden tray was now brought, on which lay a variety of silverbrooches, rings, and other baubles. These were distributed to theprisoners. Last of all, each received a yard of bright-coloured cloth,and then they were ordered by signs to rise.

  They obeyed with alacrity, and were led out of the house, at the door ofwhich they found a litter similar to the one which they had seen before.It was simply a blanket fastened to two long poles, and rolled roundthem so as to form a couch of about a yard in width. On this thewounded chief was laid, and two of the natives were ordered to grasp theends of the poles and raise him. They did so, and were conducted by theNorsemen in single file out into the forest. Here, to their intensesurprise, Karlsefin shook hands with them all very kindly, and then,going back with his men to the fortress, left them to return to theirkindred!

  Karlsefin remarked quietly to Biarne, as he went along, that one of theprecepts of the new religion, which he had remembered well, because itseemed to him so very wise, was, that men should always try to "overcomeevil with good."

  Thus was established a warm friendship between the natives of Vinlandand the Norsemen; a friendship which might have lasted for ever--to thegreat modification, no doubt, of American history--had not unfortunatecircumstances intervened to break it up. As it was, it lasted for aconsiderable time.