e, for fog will confuse
all things, and save a driving snowstorm, I dread nothing more at
sea.

Now the men began to speak in whispers, for the silence and
weirdness of the fog quieted us all. And, moreover, when the fog
lifted we had seen no ship, though there must be one close to us
now, and we wondered.

But Kenulf came to me presently with a scared face, and waiting
till the men had gone forward to find their food, he asked me if I
heard the voice that spoke.

"Aye, surely," I answered. "What of it?"

"Master," he said, "the voice was a Danish voice, as I think. And I
mind me of the fires we saw."

"What then?" said I carelessly, though indeed I could see well what
fear was in the old man's mind. Yet I would have him put the thing
into words, being ready to look the worst in the face at any time.

"The vikings, master," he answered; "surely they were in Orwell
mouth and saw us, and have given chase."

"We should have seen them also," I said.

"Not so, master, for the fog hung inland, and if a Dane lies in
such a place he has ever men watching the sea--and they will sail
two ship's lengths to our one."

"Supposing the ship is a viking, what should we do now?" I asked,
for I knew of naught to do but bide where we were.

"Go back with tide and slip past them even now," said Kenulf,
though I think he knew that this was hopeless, for if we rowed, the
sound of our oars would betray us, and if not we should be on a
shoal before long, whence any escape would be impossible.

"Hark!" I said in another moment, and we listened.

There was little noise beyond the lapping of the swift tide against
our sides. The men forward were silent, and I had thought that I
heard the distant sound of voices and oars.

It came again in the stillness; a measured beat that one could not
well mistake, as of a ship's boat leisurely pulled.

Then one of our men began to sing in an undertone, and Kenulf smote
his hands together in terror, for the sound would betray us, and he
was going forward to stop the song.

"No matter," said I, "they know we are not far off, for I think
they must have anchored when they heard us do so, as we heard them.
If they seek us they will soon find us."

"They are coming nearer," said Kenulf, and I heard the oars more
plainly yet.

Now the thought of calling my men to arms came over me, but I
remembered how Lodbrok had told me that resistance to vikings,
unless it were successful, meant surely dea