until noon; and the day which finally grew out of that sunrise had no end whatever!

led into the Vinland bay; but the banks kept on unraveling like witch's weaving that has no end. They had turned their atten

two in white-" "But the man in blue?" "Karlsefne is wont to we

were to reach camp, to run upon this portion of it in midstream was little les

l that Karlsefne

aint. "Other men wear blue mantles," he

nto meanings; the scuffle of feet on the deck above was like a blur over all other sounds. But finally the feet rushed down the ste

ell me before anything else if yo

ne word as they gazed into one

ars after that! "All here, Lawman! And all sound,-saving this eye o

limpse of the gunwale and a sinewy blue-clad form rising beside the fat helmsman like a tree beside a bush, a towering might-full figure with a face of rugged beauty framed in locks of iron gray. Even after the

en marred past mending! By no fault of mine, but through the blood-thirstiness of your brother's son; who has not only thro

eet-no one knows how-and

amazement and every one turned, gaping, he followed his voice through the door. "We endure him altoget

e door, where a sudden lurch of the ship caught them and rolled them in a struggling heap almost to Karlse

ruptly at a single word from the deep voice, and he had a glimpse of Brand's fiery locks drooping like captu

is act if he hangs me up like a sheep-killing dog, for little better has my service been," he murmured;

as seen the Skraellings! The day after you met the one on the Cape, a host of them appeared before the Vinland booths,-to see, it is likely, if the others had your mind toward them. But Karlsefne made so plain his good intentions that they went away aft

ripped Hjalmar's hand to the point of crushing. "

"It is an exceedingly useful thing for you. But see to it that you bear yourself bold

hat I would better tell him that he owes me

ed gravely; and Alrek laughed again, as he caught at the hu

was bewailing the evils to come out of such rashness, and Karlsefne was courteously explaining how luck had warded off such evils, t

lf; and the impulse came to him to try to push through the crowd pressing him mast-ward and impart this prognostication to the Sword-Bearer. But even as

of iron gray his mouth showed firm-lipped as a mouth of stone, and the gaze of the steel-bright eyes under the bushy brows was such as none with guilt in their

or starkness, and held my hand from you lest it deal unjustly. I thought, long ago, that I smelled hot blood which would one day

line on his lip; but he attempted no defense. For the space of a

has enabled me to ward off the damage which would otherwise have been caused by your deed. If you are a

out fear. "My fate is for you to decide over, kinsman, acco

se. After a moment's silence, he spoke slowly; "I think it b

or with you by finding out the news you wanted; and I think I should have remembered your order if the Skraelling had been where I first looked for him. But after I had given him up I saw him suddenly, hidin

ot flinch. "That is not in every respect as the helm

knows nothing whatever about the matter." Whereupon the

uth in the other things he told me about your behavior toward him;" then turned away and stood a long time pondering, his hands gripping his silve

aff. "Little order will there be in camp if they are turned loose on it

im; and he wanted besides to get back to his ale horn. "Since they are free-born, it seems that I can n

hould offer them to come under my rule?" Karlsefne

; then, slowly, he wrinkled into a fat smile. At

, I will feel as though you had given me twenty marks of gold," he

st of the Greenlanders and form yourselves into a band and build y

n gloomed in unbelief. Brand spok

s a pun

now no better that you act thus, there would be hard things in store for you. I take this way to show you why lawfulness is needful. Yet is there no trick to it;

t into jubilant chorus; "It will not tak

en's burdens. You must furnish your share of hunters and fishers and of workers in the fields; and you must do your share of guarding against outside foes

" they cri

t in jest. If you accept, I take you in grim earnest. You may not have men's liberty without men's

e enough to insure that. But in a moment

nhood if we would refuse a

enty echoed him wil

n the Red One. "It appears likely that you will be the chos

t. But before he could an

e the rest of us Greenlanders. I ra

eans!" Erland seconded; and

, all were shouti

e. "Yet I do not know that it would not be a punishment to answer for such a band!" Turn

chful gaze saw the Lawman's hardness break up like Greenland ice before a warm land wind. Taking a slow s

time before our ways parted." His voice softened to very grave gentleness. "Since you did not mean offense toward me, I will take none; and you shall accept this chiefship and use it to p

looked him full in the face, his eyes in a golden glow. "I accept the t

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