en close alongside the galley
nearest to them the men on the upper deck, at an order from Edmund, ran
in their oars, and seizing their bows poured a volley of arrows into
the galley, killing most of the rowers. Then the Dragon was steered
alongside, and the Saxons, sword in hand, leaped down into the galley.
Most of the Danes were cut down at once; the rest plunged into the
water and swam for their lives. Leaving the deserted galley behind, the
Dragon continued the pursuit of the others, and overtook and captured
another as easily as she had done the first.

The other two boats reached the shore before they were overtaken, and
those on board leaping out fled. The Saxons took possession of the
deserted galleys. They found them, as they expected, stored full of
plunder of all kinds--rich wearing apparel, drinking goblets, massive
vessels of gold and silver which had been torn from some desecrated
altar, rich ornaments and jewels and other articles. These were at once
removed to the Dragon. Fire was applied to the boats, and they were
soon a mass of flames. Then the Dragon directed her course to the two
galleys she had first captured. These were also rifled of their
contents and burned. The Saxons were delighted at the success which had
attended their first adventure.

"We shall have rougher work next time," Egbert said. "The Danes who
escaped will carry news to London, and we shall be having a whole fleet
down to attack us in a few days."

"If they are in anything like reasonable numbers we will fight them; if
not, we can run. We have seen to-day how much faster we are than the
Danish boats; and though I shall be in favour of fighting if we have a
fair chance of success, it would be folly to risk the success of our
enterprise by contending against overwhelming numbers at the outset,
seeing that we shall be able to pick up so many prizes round the coast."

"We can beat a score of them," Egbert grumbled. "I am in favour of
fighting the Danes whenever we see them."

"When there is a hope of success, Egbert, yes; but you know even the
finest bull can be pulled down by a pack of dogs. The Dragon is a
splendid ship, and does credit alike to King Alfred's first advice, to
the plans of the Italian shipbuilders, and to the workmanship and
design of the shipwright of Exeter, and I hope she will long remain to
be a scourge to the Danes at sea as they have been a scourge to the
Saxons on shore; and it is because I hope she is go