g her crew. They dropped to where the curve of our deck
was lowest, and instantly the leader leapt on board and all but one
of his men followed, axe or drawn sword in hand. As I had bidden
them, not one of my men stirred save Kenulf, who made fast the line
and stood watching.

The leader was a young man, of about my own age, clad in golden
shining bronze scale armour and wearing a silver helm on which were
short, black, curving horns; and he bore a double-headed axe,
besides the sword at his side. He looked round on us--at the men
standing silent, at Kenulf, and at me as I stood on the after deck
resting on the tiller, and broke into a great laugh.

"Well," he cried, "are you all dumb, or fools, or wise men; or a
little of all three?"

But my men answered nothing, even as I had bidden them, and I
thought that my time was not yet come to speak.

"The fog has got into their throats," said a Dane; for with a great
lifting of my heart I knew their tongue, and it was Lodbrok's and
not Norse.

"Struck speechless with fear more like," said another.

"Ho, men," said the leader, "which is your captain?"

One of our crew pointed to me, and I came to the break of the deck
saying:

"I am master of this ship."

And I spoke as a Dane, for my long company with Lodbrok had given
me the very turn of his speech.

At that the viking stared at me, and one of his men said:

"When did Danes take to trading on this coast?"

"You are Saxon by all seeming," said the leader, "yet you speak
like a Dane. Whence are you, and how learned you our tongue so
glibly?"

"We are from Reedham in East Anglia, which is at peace with the
Danish host," I said; "and I learnt the Danish speech from one who
is my friend, Lodbrok the Dane, whom men call Jarl Lodbrok."

Now at that word the Danes all turned to me, and hardly one but let
fall some word of wonder; and the young leader took two great steps
towards me, with his face flushing and his eyes lit up with a new
look.

Then he stopped, and his face changed, growing white and angry, and
his teeth closed tightly as he looked at me. Then he said:

"Now if you are making a tale to save your skins, worse shall it be
for you. What know you of Lodbrok?"

I held out my hand, on which the jarl's ring shone white against
the sea-browned skin.

"Here is a token he gave me before I sailed, that some friend of
his might know it and speak to me," I said.

The viking dropped his axe on the deck an