"Listen, my lord, they come to our aid; listen, I hear the army of Edgar."
Alfred rushed to the window, the hope of life strong within him; at
first he could hear nothing for the noise below, but at length there was
a lull in the confusion, and then he heard distinctly the sound of the
coming deliverers. Another minute, and he saw the dark lines leaving the
shadow of the forest, and descending the hill in serried array, then
deploying, as if to surround a foe in stealthy silence; he looked around
for the object, and beheld Ragnar's forces all unconscious of their
danger, not having heard the approach in their own hasty preparations
for departure. Another moment of dread suspense, like that with which
the gazer watches the dark thundercloud before the lightning's flash. A
moment of dread silence--during which some orders, given loudly below,
forced themselves upon him:
"Fire the castle, every portion of it; fire the stables, the barns, the
outbuildings; we will leave a pile of blackened ruins for Edgar when he
comes; the halls where the princely Edwy has feasted shall never be his,
or entertain him as guest."
Meanwhile, the dark forces, unseen by the destroyers, were still
surrounding the castle, deploying on all sides to surround it as in a
net; for they saw the intention of their victims, and meant to cut off
all chance of escape.
But the position of the brothers seemed as perilous as ever--for how
could Edgar's troops rescue them if the place were once on fire? Alfred
gazed with pallid face upon Oswy, but met only a resigned helpless
glance in return.
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