The Fens

“ After the heavy, drowsy air of the Fens it was not only exhilarating but exciting, and we felt impelled to do something, to exert ourselves in some manner—this was no lotus-eating land—so for want of a better object we left the dogcart and started forth on a brisk walk. One would imagine that all the energy of the county would be centred in the Wold region, and that the dwellers in the Fens would be slothful and unenergetic in comparison. ”

“ Only the will-o'-wisps that danced fitfully and pallid at night over the treacherous bogs, and the poisonous miasma exhaled from the noxious beds of rotting sedge; only the myriad wild-fowl made the wilderness strange and eerie.
Guthlac was the prime romancist of the Fens, [Pg 198] but others nearly contemporary with him did not altogether lack imagination and inventive powers; as where one of the old monkish chroniclers gravely states that the Fen-folk were born with yellow bellies, like frogs, and were provided with webbed feet to fit them for their watery surroundings. ”

“ He stood for a while listening to the noises in the fen; the whispering and chattering, piping and croaking, with the loud splashings and rustlings among the reeds, mingled with the quacking of ducks and the scuttering of the drakes, while every now and then the bittern uttered his hoarse wild roar. ”

“ There are no springs in the Fens. Those who live near the rivers derive thence their tea water; river water is potable and harmless when boiled, that which is drawn from the peat is neither. Consequently the inhabitants of the Fens are compelled to drink something other than water, and instinctively seek that something other at [125] the public-houses. When the woman's work-day is over, she dons her patines and is off to the 'Fish and Duck,' or the 'Spade and Becket,' the 'Pike and Eel,' or the 'Sedge Sheaf,' to moisten her dust-dry clay. ”

“ ALDRETH CAUSEWAY AND THE ISLE OF ELY.
Two miles of green lane, solitary as though foot of man had not passed by for years, lead down to the Ouse. Fens spread out on either hand—Mow Fen, Willingham Fen, Smythy Fen, Great North Fen—fens everywhere. It is true they are now chiefly cultivated fields, remarkable for their fertility, but they are saved from being drowned only by the dykes and lodes cut and dug everywhere and drained by the steam pumping-station whose chimney-shaft, with its trail of smoke, is seen far off across the levels. ”

“ They paid no rent or tithe to anyone, for the Fens were common, or waste. And now the only life the Fenman knew was like to be taken from him. What could such an one do on dry land? A farmer put aboard ship and set to navigate it could not be more helpless than the dweller in those old marshes, dependent only upon his marsh lore, when the water was drained off and the fishes gone, reed-beds cut down, the land cultivated, and the wild-fowl dispersed. The fears of this people were quaintly expressed in the popular verses then current, entitled "The Powte's Complaint." ”

“ They tell of Iceni, of Romans, fierce Norsemen marauders, Saxons, Danes, and the conquering Normans, but they cannot, or do not, breathe the breath of life into those ancient peoples, and make them live and love and hate, fight and vanquish or be vanquished. The geologists, too, can speculate learnedly upon the origin of the Fens, and can prove, to their own satisfaction at least, that this low-lying, once flooded country was produced by some natural convulsion that suddenly lowered it to the level of the sea ”

“ Fenn's happiest efforts, and deserves to be read and re-read by every school-boy in the land. We are not exaggerating when we say that Quicksilver has nothing to equal it this season."—Teacher's Aid.
Dick o' the Fens: A Romance of the Great East Swamp. By G. Manville Fenn. With 12 full-page Illustrations by Frank Dadd. Crown 8vo, cloth elegant, olivine edges, 6s.
"We conscientiously believe that boys will find it capital reading. ”

“ For there, just before them, as if raised by magic, was the very building Mr Marston had described, and upon examination they found it very dry and warm, with a bed of heath in one corner.
“Some sportsman has forestalled us,” said the engineer. “One of the farmers, I suppose, from the other side of the fen.”
They came away, with the lads sharing the same feeling of disappointment, for the little island was robbed of all its romance. It was no longer uninhabited, and the temptation to have a hut there was gone. ”

“ To some people a walk of two miles through the fen in the stormy darkness of the wintry night would have seemed fraught with danger, the more so that it was along no high-road, but merely a rugged track made by the horses and tumbrils in use at the Toft and at Tallington’s Fen farm, Grimsey, a track often quite impassable after heavy rains. ”

“ The day was hot as ever, but the heat was forgotten as the punt was sent rapidly along in the direction of the fir-clump island, for it was out there that the wilder part of the fen commenced, and the hope that he would there find the birds more tame consequent upon the absence of molestation made the laborious toil of poling seem light. ”

“ Not more than a quarter.”
“But it doesn’t look like a fishing-boat,” said Dick.
“No, my lad. As far as I can make out, it is the remains of an old war galley.”
“Then it must have belonged to the Danes.”
“Danes or Saxons, Dick.”
“But the wood’s sound,” cried Tom. “It can’t be so old as that.”
“Why not, Tom? Your people dig out pine-roots, don’t they, perfectly sound, and full of turpentine? This is pine wood, and full of turpentine too.”
“But it’s such a while since the Danes and Saxons were here, Mr Marston,” said Tom. ”

“ What have they got to do with it?” cried Squire Winthorpe. “You boys don’t make so much noise. I can’t hear myself speak.”
“Do you hear, Tom, howd thy row, or I’ll send thee home,” said the farmer; “recollect where you be.”
“Yes, father,” said, the lad.
“It wasn’t Tom; it was me,” said Dick quietly.
“Then hold your tongue, sir,” cried the squire. “Now look here, Master Tallington. If a big drain is cut right through the low fen, it will carry off all the water; and where now there’s nothing but peat, we can get acres and acres of good dry land that will graze beasts or grow corn.” ”

“ Fen's eyes shone—in "Twilight Land" people always clapped their hands to summon slaves. But now over the side appeared a most gorgeous personage. His fez was of the richest scarlet, his jacket was curiously braided with gold, about his waist was an ample red sash, and a long, curved sword swung at his side. His white teeth gleamed in sharp contrast to his dark-skinned face and short black mustache. Fen, entirely speechless, gazed at this picturesque creature, to whom Siddereticus was speaking in low tones and with frequent gestures. ”

“ The Danes! We must get the Queen away into the woods so as to be safe.”
“Why not stop in the big house, and shut up every window and door? We must fight. You can fight, Father Swythe?”
“I, my boy?” said the monk sadly. “Yes, with my tongue. No, I am only a man of peace. All we can do is to fly for our lives. There are not twenty strong fighting-men, Fred, my son, and those who are coming against us must, from the spears and shining iron caps with wings like the Norsemen wear, be quite a thousand. Quick! You can go faster than I. Run on first and warn the good Queen that it is time to fly!” ”

“ I should strike him down with the axe, sir.”
“But you might kill him, Swythe.”
“And if I did, sir,” said the little monk fiercely, “it would be a good thing too; for these Norsemen are wicked pagans, come to kill and slay.”
“You see, we must have fighting-men, Swythe,” said the King; and then he turned to the Queen, who was listening to what they said.
“Hah! yes, sir,” said the monk, with a sigh. “I suppose we must; and it does my heart good to see how clever the young Princes are with sword and bow; but they spend too much time learning to fight. ”

“ Where are they now?”
“Ah!” yelled Saint Simon, and snatching out his sword he made as if to prick the two sleeping grooms into wakefulness; but Denis flung his arm across his chest and cried angrily:
“Never mind them! The horses, man, the horses—the horses! They may be only in the field, led there to graze.” ”

“ Wind’s veered round to the north, and coming off the shore. Sha’n’t be getting on so fast now.”
“But these horses,” said the King; “they ought to have water and food.”
“Not they, master. They wouldn’t touch it if you gave them of the best. They want to feel solid ground under their hoofs.”
“And how soon will they get that?” asked Denis quickly.
“Two or three hours if the wind doesn’t drop,” replied the skipper; “and,” he continued, as he held up his hand and shouted an order or two to his men to stand by the sheets, “it’s chopping round again to the south. ”

“ My faith! I would I had been there to have seen you, you stripling, standing sword in hand in that lane to meet that ruffian’s charge with three horses abreast. And you wounded him too, and saved the beasts. I should like to see the young Englishman who would do a deed like that! Why, Saint Simon, you and I must look after our laurels. We ought to be proud of our companion, eh?”
“Oh, sir,” shouted Denis, giving a cry of pain, for as he spoke the King had clapped him heartily upon the shoulder that was nearest to him—unfortunately the right. ”

“ Denis, my brave lad, how is it with you?”
“You took too much care of me, my lord. I am only hot.”
“Well done!” cried the King. “And you, Saint Simon?”
“A bit battered with blows, sir,” replied the young man; “and I expect when the day dawns I can show some rags.”
“No wounds?” cried the King.
“Not a scratch, sir.”
“But what of you, sir?” cried Denis eagerly, “I am afraid you must have suffered badly.”
“I have,” said the King shortly. “I feel as if my beauty is spoiled by a blow one ruffian struck at my face. But he was the one who suffered,” he added, with a low hiss suggestive of satisfaction. ”

“ What did the captain say he was, doctor?”
“An Illaka, he called him, I believe, something of the same sort of black, as the Matabeles. But you have forgotten two more.”
“Two more, sir?” said Dean. “No, we have counted them all.”
“What about the two black forelopers?”
“Why, what are they?” cried Mark.
“The two blacks who go in front of the foremost bullocks.”
“Oh,” said Mark. “I say, we are beginning to grow.”
“Yes,” said Sir James; “we are getting to be a pretty good hunting party. What with ourselves, men and cattle, we shall have a good many mouths to feed.” ”

“ Still, in early morn, in Wicken Fen, precautions are taken by the autumn sedge-cutter against the [Pg 199] dew and the exhalations from the earth, heavy with possibilities of marsh fever. He ties a handkerchief over his mouth for that purpose, while to protect himself against the sharp edges of the sedge he wears old stockings tied round his arms, leather gaiters on his legs, and a calfskin waistcoat.
The modern Fen-folk are less troubled with ague than their immediate ancestors, but the opium habit has not wholly left them. ”

“ No one can hear us,” continued the lad eagerly. “Do give me a fencing lesson, Master Leoni. I remember how Saint Simon once said that you were the finest swordsman about the Court.”
“Did he say that?” said the doctor quietly.
“To be sure he did,” cried the lad, drawing his sword and putting himself on guard.—“Come on.”
“Better not now,” said the doctor. “We may awaken the King.” ”

“ A spasm shot through the Major, and his face contracted and looked older.
“There,” continued Dinah, “that is all at an end. Only we will economise, and live more simply, dear. But tell me I am right.”
“Always right, my darling,” cried the Major. “There, you have taken a heavy load from my breast. Hang it, yes, pet. We have our home and garden, and there is my preserve. A bit of bread of old Martha’s best, and a dish of trout of my own catching, or a bird or two. Bah! who says we’re poor?” ”

“ And now it was that, after studying the sky overhead for some minutes to make sure, Denis could control himself no longer, and involuntarily exclaimed; “Are we going right?”
“What!” cried Leoni sharply, for the King paid no heed, but galloped on, muttering to himself the while.
“Are we going right?” repeated the lad.
“What do you mean, boy?”
“The road is straight, sir, and we are riding to the north. Should we not be making for the south?” ”

“ The heat was great and it was rather exhausting toil, but at every turn the beauties of the place were quite startling to Mark in their novelty. Over the clear sun-spangled stream drooped the loveliest of ferns, whose fronds were like the most delicate lace; while by way of contrast other ferns clung to the boles of trees, that were dark-green and forked like the horns of some huge stag; great masses and clusters, six or seven feet long, hung here and there pendent from the old stumps. ”

“ Denis checked his horse now and waited till the others closed up.
“Shall I see if the people are awake,” said the lad, “and ask them of our way?”
“No,” replied Leoni coldly. “Ask nothing; but go and summon the people. Ah, there is some one stirring there! Look—coming out from the door. Ride on and tell him we want rest and refreshment—a chamber, too, for a gentleman who has had a fall from his horse. Denis, boy, we are in a perilous strait. I dare not let the King go further until he has had some hours of rest and sleep.” ”

“ Can’t you help me out?”
“Yes, I’ll get you out,” cried Alfred, and he waded towards his unfortunate tutor, trampling the reeds down with his bare feet, but sinking in up to his knees at every step.
“Mind you don’t get into a hole, Fred!” cried Bald.
“Mind the big luces!” shouted Bert. “There’s a monster lives among those reeds.”
“Oh, they all swam away when Father Swythe fell in,” cried Red. “You have got to mind your toes. The big eels are down amongst the mud.”
The monk groaned at this, and raised his dripping hands above the water, to grasp with each a handful of reeds. ”