Chapter I: Front Matter

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KING PENDA’S CAPTAIN

All rights reserved

KING PENDA’S CAPTAIN

A Romance of Fighting in the Days of the Anglo-Saxons

by

MAC KENZIE MAC BRIDE

With Coloured Illustrations by John Duncan

London J. M. Dent & Company 29 Bedford Street, Strand MCMVIII

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. OF FEARGUS AND KING PENDA 1

II. OF FEARGUS AND TORFRIDA 6

III. THE BATTLE BY TRENT WATER 18

IV. THE FLIGHT 29

V. THE PARTING OF FEARGUS AND TORFRIDA 41

VI. THE FALL OF FEARGUS 47

VII. OF THE MEETING OF FEARGUS AND OSBERT 55

VIII. THE DEAD HERO OF THE WINWIDFIELD 63

IX. OF THE FATE OF FEARGUS 74

X. OF THE WOODSMAN OF SHERWOOD 81

XI. OF OSBERT AND TORFRIDA 85

XII. THE OUTLAWS OF SHERWOOD 93

XIII. AWAKE! 99

XIV. THE MEETING IN THE FOREST 101

XV. OF THE VILLAINY OF OSBERT 107

XVI. OF THE BURNING OF THE HALL OF EDMUND 119

XVII. THE WAY TO ALBAN 127

XVIII. HOW THEY LOST THEIR WAY IN THE GREENWOOD 138

XIX. THEIR ADVENTURES AMONG THE NORTH ENGLISH 149

XX. HOW FEARGUS FELL AMONG THIEVES 157

XXI. HOW THEY FARED IN THE WILD COUNTRY 164

XXII. HOW THEY FELL AMONG FOES 174

XXIII. HOW TORFRIDA WAS STOLEN 186

XXIV. OF THE CASTLE IN THE PENTLANDS 199

XXV. OF THE FEAST IN SIEGFRIED’S HALL 206

XXVI. THE RESCUE 220

XXVII. THE FIGHT IN FENLAND 227

XXVIII. THE HISTORY COMETH TO AN END 236

ENGLAND IN PENDA’S DAY 237

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Feargus stepped to the side of Edwy and drew his sword,
shouting, “I am your captain: stand back, Mercians!” _Frontispiece_

So Feargus put his hands between the hands of Penda
and became his man _Facing page_ 4

Feargus thrust his body through the opening and held
Torfrida in his arms and kissed her and she him ” 44

“Now,” said Penda, “cometh death, and I shall die in
the best company that ever I was in” ” 72

Feargus wrenched the sword from Osbert’s hand and
struck him to the earth ” 116

The feet of Feargus sank deep in the snow at every step
and made him weary, but he fared on ” 170

Then Feargus thought that Torfrida was like to die, for
she fainted, and lay for long as one in death ” 178

Torfrida drew forth a burning faggot and then stepped
to the windows and set the hangings alight ” 190

KING PENDA’S CAPTAIN