E-text prepared by Chris Curnow, Lindy Walsh, Mary Meehan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 36054-h.htm or 36054-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/36054/pg36054-images.html) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36054/36054-h.zip) THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS. by JOHN BOWLING Author of "Brailsford: A Tale of West Riding Life," etc. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co. Leeds: Henry Walker, Briggate. Printed by Hazell, Watson, & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury [Illustration: SAXON AND VIKING. "THE CURSE OF SKULD BE UPON THEE, TRAITOR!"] CONTENTS. I. ETHEL II. STORM CLOUDS III. TRAITORS IN COUNCIL IV. DEFEAT V. DESPERATE RESOLVES VI. BARON VIGNEAU VII. ALICE DE MONTFORT VIII. VILLAINS PLOTTING IX. VILLAINS OUTWITTED X. A FRUITLESS EMBASSY XI. OSWALD'S DEFENCE OF HIS CASTLE XII. ALICE DE MONTFORT SETS FREE THE SAXON CHIEFTAIN XIII. BARON VIGNEAU BALKED OF HIS REVENGE XIV. THE SAXON CHIEFTAIN CONFRONTS DE MONTFORT XV. OUTLAWS AND WOLFSHEADS XVI. SIGURD THE VIKING XVII. EVIL COUNSELLORS XVIII. LOVE IS STRONGER THAN HATE XIX. ALICE DE MONTFORT AND THE SAXON CHIEFTAIN XX. WAR'S VICISSITUDES XXI. VIKING CHIEF AND SAXON MAIDEN XXII. A VIKING'S LOVE XXIII. A VILLAIN DEMANDS HIS WAGES XXIV. THE TRYST XXV. BADGER CRACKS THE NORMAN'S PATE XXVI. SAXON AND VIKING AT THE SWORD'S POINT XXVII. JEANNETTE AND WULFHERE; OR LOVE'S COMEDIES XXVIII. A GRIM TEMPLE, A GRIM PRIEST, AND A SAD HEART XXIX. EDGAR ATHELING XXX. PRINCE AND PARASITE XXXI. PRINCE AND VIKING XXXII. BADGER ON THE ALERT XXXIII. DOG ROBS DOG XXXIV. WILD DARING OF SIGURD THE VIKING XXXV. THE SAXON DEVIL AND THE WICKED ABBOT XXXVI. LOVERS PLOTTING XXXVII. THE JOUST: SAXON AND NORMAN XXXVIII. THE SAXONS' REVENGE XXXIX. BEWARE THE VIKING XL. THE HOUR BEFORE THE DAWN XLI. NOBILITY IN CONTRAST XLII. VIKINGS ALL! AN OLD TIME SAGA XLIII. THE CONQUEROR CONQUERED XLIV. THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS XLV. SUNSHINE HAS ITS SHADOWS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS SAXON AND VIKING. "THE CURSE OF SKULD BE UPON THEE, TRAITOR!" ALICE DE MONTFORT SETS FREE THE SAXON CHIEFTAIN. THE SAXON CHIEFTAIN CONFRONTS DE MONTFORT. NOTE.