“Renegade
am I?” responded Tostig. “What my bailiffs did to your brother, I will
have done to you. Captain Otto, take
this man and string him up from yonder tree!” German mercenaries seized the man
and dragged him kicking and screaming toward the great shade tree in the center
of the marketplace. “Any of the rest of you who would care to cast dispersions
upon my honor will receive the same treatment,” pronounced Tostig
to the cowering captives before him.
“I’ve had enough of your insults.” The rest of the captives stared
disbelieving as their companion was being manhandled toward the tree. A rope was produced and tied around the
Barrow man’s neck. “God will curse all
of you,” declared the man. “May the
devil take…” The man’s curses and protests were cut
short as the rope was pulled tight around his throat. The other end was tossed up over a high tree
limb. Two Germans took hold of the rope
and yanked it hand over hand, pulling the Barrow man up in the air. The German mercenaries all seemed to take great
pleasure at this diversion. Hanging one
of the locals right away always seemed to set the right tone and ensure that
the rest of the population would obey them straight away. Mercenaries began to take bets upon how long
it would take the Barrow man to die. As the German executioners had not
bothered tying the Barrow man’s hands behind his back, he grabbed wildly at the
rope around his neck. It did no
good. He could not loosen the rope. A
woman rushed up to Tostig, falling upon her knees at
his feet. “Please, Earl Tostig!” pleaded the woman.
“Spare my husband.” Tostig shoved her
away. As the noose tightened upon him,
the Barrow man kicked desperately all around him. This motion started him swinging, moving him
back and forth a length of about eight feet.
The man grabbed the rope above his head and pulled himself up, hoping to
loosen the rope which was strangling him.
Then twisting himself, he changed the direction in which he was swinging
and swung out toward the two German mercenaries who were holding the rope that
was choking the life out of him. He
kicked out, striking one of the Germans full in the face. The German man at arms fell backwards into
his companion. Both of them lost their
grip upon the rope and the Barrow man dropped to the ground. “Damnation!” swore
Tostig. “Can’t
you Germans do anything right?” The Barrow man lay gasping upon the
ground. He didn’t have the strength to
pull the noose off his neck and make a break for it. Townspeople and mercenaries alike were
staring in awe of the man who had saved himself from the hangman’s noose. Tostig ordered his housecarle
captain, “Halfdan, get three others and take up the
rope. Show these German bastards how a
hanging should be done!” Halfdan designated three of
his fellow English housecarles to help him. He cut a short piece off the end of the rope with which the Germans had tried to hang the man, then
went over to the Barrow man and tied his hands behind him. The man was too exhausted to realize what was
being done to him. He continued to lie
there, almost surreal. Halfdan tied the man’s hands tight. Halfdan and his
companions took hold of the free end of the rope which looped over the tree
limb with its other end tied around the condemned man’s neck. They pulled fiercely on the rope and the
Barrow man shot upon again, much higher this time.