Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 145: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

CONRAD THE SAXON. merry over his preparations for war, and he never speaks of defeat.” “Yet he has always been defeated,” sighed the thane. ‘‘ He hopes too much, and has too much confidence in himself. Guthrum has hoodwinked him time and again with empty promises and treaties, and when summer comes Guthrum and his pirates swarm over the whole land again, and we grow steadily less and less. I go to join the king, but it is my duty as his vassal; I do not go with confidence or hope.” Conrad sighed with him. He, too, had seen the rude might of the Dane, and wondered at the perennial rally of Alfred’s puny army. To dwell with the king and hear him talk of victory was inspiring, and it filled a man with his infectious spirit, but away from Athelney there was nothing to brighten the scene, and the outlook grew dismal. A flight of short arrows fell upon the party where it was halted, and two soldiers dropped lifeless where they stood. ‘““An ambuscade!” cried Eadgar, turning white like marble. “To the forest! Fly for your lives!” | His men needed no urging. They broke their column and scattered wildly over the field toward the forest, and a body of Danish troops broke out of their ambush on the other side of the road and charged across the open ground with fierce yells, sending arrows and javelins after the fleeing Saxons. “Craven coward!” Conrad shouted to Eadgar. ‘ They are but human beings like you!” He spurred his charger and rode after the panic-stricken men, galloping among them in the field. “ Back, Saxons!” he cried. “ Are you women? Turn back and follow me! Are the Danes such monsters that they turn your blood to water?”’ He could not turn their headlong rush, and he was carried with them to the edge of the wood. There, however, in the shel- ter of tree trunks, they stopped for breath and to look at the terror behind them, and they stared at the young man and listened to his impassioned words. 619 “Come back with me!” he implored them. ‘ Are you the men that were march- ing to King Alfred? © What would he do with chicken-hearted cowards? Come back and fight for your Saxon name!” “ They’re coming on!” yelled a stout yeoman, his face turning yellow with fear, “We'll meet them!” roared Conrad, flourishing his sword above his head and turning the white horse to face the enemy. “They outnumber us, Conrad!” groaned Eadgar, riding to his side, still pale and gasping. “Then give me your shield and sword— I need them!” Conrad cried, and snatched the heavy weapons of the thane from him. “ Now follow me, Saxons!” he shouted. “T’m a Saxon, too! Show these pirates that there are men in Britain!” He rode alone toward the advancing enemy, holding his shield aloft and offer- ing battle. Some hiding yeomen called him a fool and urged him to come back, but one brave soldier ran out of the cover alone, brandish- ing his spear and following the solitary leader. Suddenly a faint cheer rose from the thicket where they hid, and five more men darted out and joined the first one. Then there were cries of horror, as Con- . day spurred into the very front of the on- coming foe. The leader of the Danes was a big fellow, well mounted and heavily armed, but the young Roman charged and engaged him. The Dane swung his broad sword like an ax upon Conrad’s shield, pounding it down, but the oak and copper held, and Conrad kept his seat. The horses were wheeled about, and at the next encounter Conrad bent low in the saddle, evaded the other’s crashing blow, and slipped his own sword under the Viking’s shield and through his body. A howl like that of a wolf pack went up from the Danes as they saw their captain crash to the ground, and they charged upon his slayer to annihilate him. But now the Saxons were out of the wood, and the two forces met with a shock, catching the man on the white horse between them. Arrows from the heavy horn bows of the EOPMIG OO KS (C (E@)