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rkling gilding, amid cheers and prayers and shouts of farew

is breast shone the silver crucifix that had been Olaf's parting gift. His hand was still warm from the clasp of his King's; no chill at his heart warned him that those hands had met for the last time, no thought was in hi

crystals and flashing in the sun, the polished blades rose and fell, as the "Sea-Deer" bounded forward. To those upon her decks, the mass of scarlet cloaks upon the pier merged into a pa

en giant walls. Passing out with the tide, they reached the ocean. The salt wind smote their faces; the snowy sail drew i

He cleared the decks, and plied the bailing-scoop, and stood long tedious watches. He helped to tent over the vessel's decks at night, and to stow away the huge canvas in the morning. He ground grain for the hungry crew, and kept the great mead-vat fil

the mystery of a half-seen shore; yet things could happen in it, Alwin found. The second day o

save him from offending. Among those of his own station, he dispensed even with discretion. And he had looke

two uncongenial spirits peaceably. One can imagine, then, how it fared when t

he foreroom where Alwin was working. "Get you quickly forwa

y drew together into two menacing slits, and his very clothin

now, you cub of a lazy mastiff! I told you

ding. Only after the fourth round he said coldly: "I

of Eric's free steward, who held the whip-hand over all the

csson to do the dirty work of a foreign whel

. Valbrand descended upon them, his new tunic drenched

l over precedence?" he roared. "The Troll take me if I do not t

drawn a knife and sharpening-stone from his girdle. "It is n

the unlucky man-of-all-work the st

u have him attend on Leif and do your work as well? You may choose on

yield in the face of a threat, that was too low for his stiff-necked pride to

d confusion, and he found himself stripped to the waist, his hands bound to the mast, a man standing over him wit

from him with his blood, they also were mistaken. The red drops came, but no sign of w

u if you are disobedient to

ooked unsteadily about him. When he found what he sought, his wits were cleared as a foggy night by lightning. With a hoarse cry, he ca

lbrand swore, after a mom

ited to feel the steersman's knife between his ribs. Instead, he was

ausing in his argument, he sent an impatient glance over his shoulder; whe

rand depicted him, the better he was pleased. Leif made no comment whatever, b

had finished, he as

nd feeling of his wounds. "Except a lump on his head,

led, his father would have taken it ill; and that would have displeased Eric and hurt my mission. It

abruptly and w

f the many knocks his insolence deserves. Let us end this talk,-only see to it that they do not kill

Valbrand's hand upon his naked shoulder,-roused Alwin's madness afresh

man under the feet of a churl. You are a fool to keep an accomplished man at work that any simpleton might do. I will

ut two fiery sparks showed of his eyes. Through Alwin went the same

ceased to be the grim curt Viking: slowly he became the nobleman whose stateliness minstrels celebrated in their songs, and

eated you as honorably as you deserve. Yet what am I to think of these words of yours? Is it af

ble. They stared at their master, then at each other, and finally gave it up as a whim past their understanding. It m

ad always surrounded her. Suddenly he saw, as for the first time, the roughness and coarseness of the life about him, and realized how it had roughened and coarsened him. A dull red mounted to his face. Sl

d with anger so that I did not weigh my words. I will

ubbed their ears, and gaped at one another. Leif smiled grimly as he caught

When they were gone he turned to Alwin and signed him to rise. "You understand a language that churls do not under

ns whirling through his brain,-relief and shame and gr

ener caught at the meanings hungrily, and pieced out their deficiencies with his keen wit and dressed their nakedness in his vivid imagination. Now his great chest heaved with passion, and his strong hand gripped his sword-hi

y be strengthened and inspired in my work." His face kindled with devout rapture. "It must have been by the guidance of Heaven that

superstition that was almost terror.

was himself again. He was eying the boy critically

e accomplishments of a holy priest should go garbed like a base-bred

black habits, lord. It is for that rea

n to my chests and clothe him from head to foot in black garments of good quality. And hereafter le

ld not oppose your will in this, any more than in other things; yet I take it upon me to remind you of Kark. If you make this cook-boy your bowerman,

? The Fates made Kark a cook-boy when he was born; let him go back where he belongs. I have endured his boorishness long enou

was silenced. "It shall b

g to kiss the chief's hand, raised the

his gratitude. "Lord-" he began again, and again he was at a loss. At last he finished b