The Beacon Fire.

" Beware ! " roared Sweyn , menacingly ; " thou treatest mine offer of safety but lightly ; bethink thee , haclst thou been another I had given no such terms ; a blow from my mace had silenced thee for ever , but in pity to thy youth I spared thee . " " I thank thee for thy courtesy , " laughed Leofwine , carelessly . "But , " he addedindignantly" think not I would avail myself of such an offer ; honour

, , is dearer a thousandfold than life to the son of Denewulf ! Hearken , traitor ! I scorn thee , I will not buy my safety at thy hands , ancl this fire shall not be quenched till the last spark of Leofwine ' s life is quenched also ! " Enraged beyond measure at the bold defiance of a youth whom he had flattered himself he could easily subdue , Sweyn made an effort to seize him with his huge hand and fling him over the parapetbut Leofwine was too

, nimble for him ; he sprang lightly aside , and in another moment the fire was kindled . They struggled fiercely , Sweyn trying to extinguish the warning fire , Leofwine heaping on fuel with one hand , while with the other he endeavoured to keep his antagonist at bay . The wind fanned the flames and helped the sentinel to spread their was-sigmal far and wide - , hut it also Hew them in the faces of the combatants , whose limbs and hair were scorched and

singed by the heat . Hitherto Leofwine had made no further efforts against Sweyn than to keep him from putting out the fire , but when at last he saw an answering beacon shining on the cliffs to the west , he knew that the alarm had been caught ; shouts , the blasts of horns , and the tramp of hurrying multitudes assured him that those in the castle had been aroused and were marching to meet their foes ; then , indeed , he turned from the fire ancl regarded Sweyn with a look of triumph . As if by tacit consent they ceased the conflictand

, paused to take breath . Sweyn leaned on his great mace , his broad chest heaving , his eyes rolling wildly with wrathful ancl vindictive glare at the defeat of his schemes , to which the distant gleam of the responding beacon ancl the martial sounds from the castle bore unmistakeable evidence . Leofwine stood opposite to him , resting on the handle of the bri ght two-headed battleaxe with which he was armed . The youth was well-nih spent in his struggles

g with the gigantic Sweyn , ancl it was only his nimble activity that had saved him from defeat ancl utter annihilation ; his ' breath came thick ancl short , his yellow locks were tossed in wild confusion over his burning brow , but his courage was as undaunted , his spirit as unsubdued as when the struggle first began , ancl there was a proud , triumphant light in his eye as he regarded with calm satisfaction the vexation ancl rage of his opponent .

" I have kept my trust ; the castle is safe from th y harm ; come on now , thou traitor , ancl do th y worst in . fair combat ! Heaven judge 'twixt the false and true !" With these words the young Saxon swung his gleaming axe around his head ; Sweyn , finding his mace of little avail , drew his dagger , and the two combatants closed in a deadly embrace . The tower seemed to sway beneath them , the sky reeled overhead , and the moon looked clown from the tempestdriven clouds . Storm above ancl storm below !

Fierce and long was the conflict that raged upon the shore that night between Saxon ancl Dane—wind and wave—a wild turmoil that passes all descri ption . Towards morning the wind sank . It seemed as if Heaven had been fighting for the Saxons , and helping them in the defence of their island home ; for the war of the elements ceased not until the shouts of the Saxons proclaimed that they were victorious over the invader . Backward they drove them till and conquered were struggling together knee-deep in the

, conqueror seething foam of the stormy waves . Woe betide the warrior who fell exhausted m the combat , for , as he fell , the waters rushed over his prostrate form , and if he had not the strength to rise again he was hopelessly lost . Many a soldier , too , x-2