But no man could tell him how the girl had escaped, or which way she had
fled.
Roderic, having filled his ships with plunder, then set out for Kintyre,
where he was to join King Hakon. But entering the Clyde from Loch Long,
he encountered a terrible storm. Ten of his vessels were completely
wrecked, and his own galley was forced to steer clear of Bute, and take
refuge behind the islands of Cumbrae.
The measure of the Norwegian success was now full. Hakon had gained
possession of every island, great and small, on the west of Scotland. In
the far north he had established his footing not only in the Shetlands
and Orkneys, but he had made himself master of the whole county of
Caithness. In the south, Kintyre had been unconditionally ceded to him
by its timid lord. Bute, Arran, and the Cumbraes had been conquered; the
rich county of Lennox -- one of the most fruitful in Scotland -- had
been laid waste, and on the outer coasts of the mainland the Norsemen
had planted their banner on many a well-built castle. Hakon was now
intent upon conquering Scotland, so, gathering his whole fleet of nearly
two hundred ships, he sailed from Gigha round the Mull of Kintyre, and
anchored in Kilbrannan Sound.
In the meantime King Alexander, having received Kenric's early warning
of the coming of the Norsemen, had with many Scots and English noblemen
taken up his residence in Stirling Castle, there to await further news.
Pages:
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235