et his weapons with him, and
laid him in the boat that was the best--and a Saxon gave that--and
in it oars and mast and sail, and so covered him therein. And so he
waits for the end of all things that are now, and the beginning of those
better ones that shall be.

That thunderstorm was nothing to the land, for it skirted the shores and
died away to the south, and after it came the heat again; but at least
it brought a little hope. There were fish along the shore that night,
too, if not many; and though they were gone again in the morning, there
was a better store in every house, for men were mindful of Grim's teaching.

Now, of all men, Havelok seemed to feel the trouble of the famine the
most, because he could not bear to see the children hungry in the
cottages of the fishers. It seemed to him that he had more than his
share of the stores, because so mighty a frame of his needed feeding
mightily, as he said. And so for two days after my father died and was
left in his last resting, Havelok went silent about the place. Here by
the shore the pestilence hardly came, and so that trouble was not added
to us, though the weak and old went, as had Grim and Leva, here and there.

Then, on the third day, Havelok called Arngeir and us, and spoke what
was in his mind.

"Brothers, I may not bear this any longer, and I must go away. I can do
no more to help than can the weakest in the town; and even my strength
is an added trouble to those who have not enough without me. Day by day
grows the store in the house less; and it will waste more slowly if I am
elsewhere."

Then Arngeir said quickly, "This is foolishness, Havelok, my brother.
Whither will you go? For worse is the famine inland; and I think that we
may last out here. The fish will come back presently."

"I will go to Lincoln. All know that there is plenty there, for the
townsfolk were wise in time. There is the court, and at the court a
strong man is likely to be welcome, if only as one who shall keep the
starving poor from the doors, as porter."

He spoke bitterly, for Alsi, the king, had no good name for kindness,
and at that Withelm laughed sadly.

"Few poor would Havelok turn away," he said, under his breath; "rather
were he likely to take the king's food from the very board, and share it
among them."

That made us laugh a little, for it was true enough; and one might seem
to see our mighty one sweeping the table, while none dared try to stay him.

But many t