horage, and a man in a boat fishing.
Biorn drew alongside, feeling for his anchorage, and laughed to himself
when the man looked up from his fishing and presently raised his hand
and sawed the air once or twice. "Hail to you, father," said Biorn.
"I thought you would be coming along," said his father. "You have hit
me off to a nicety." Biorn said, "I don't know about the nicety of it.
I have been seven weeks at sea since I left Iceland, and no man alive
knows where I have been--least of all myself." "Be careful of my
lines," said his father. "I am in the way to catch monsters, and have
pots down and out all round me." At that Biorn threw his head up and
laughed till he cried. "A scurvy on your monster pots," he said.
"Here am I come from beating round the watery world to seek you, and
you think only of pots."

Gudrid was thrilled to hear of the new lands; but Orme, who knew
Heriolf, Biorn's father, was tickled to death with the old man's
quirks. "That is Heriolf all over," he said. "And to say that such a
man could get on with Eric Red. Greenland is not wide enough to hold
those two."

But Gudrid held Einar with the most beautiful pair of eyes in Iceland.
"And what country was it that Biorn found first?" she asked.

Einar said, "I can't tell you. He must have drifted south of
Greenland, south and by west. I believe that he crossed the western
ocean, which no man has ever yet done. It is a notable deed--but a
thousand pities that he made no landing."

But Gudrid still gazed at him, and into him. "And will you not go
yourself, and seek out that new country?"

Einar said, "I have often thought of it. It would be a fine adventure.
But just now I have another adventure in my mind, which may delay me.

"And what adventure is that?"

Einar said, "I cannot tell you at the moment. It is not a settled
thing by any means."

Halldis looked at Orme, and Orme nodded his head.

After that Einar saw much of Gudrid, and used to tell her tales of the
sea. He was busy, of course, most of the day, but found time in the
evenings; and in the mornings, too, he had the habit of going to church
at Mass-time and kneeling behind her. She was pleased to find him
there, and the first time showed it plainly. After that she was more
than pleased, but careful not to show it. They used to walk home
together, and sometimes did not go the straight road, but went round by
the frith and looked at Einar's ship lying out at her