the first questions that the man asked, for he spoke loudly.

"Whose man are you?"

"Sigurd's," answered my father shortly.

"Whose are the boats?"

"Mine, seeing that I built them."

"Why, then, there is somewhat that you can do for me," the horseman
said. "Is your time your own, however?"

"If the jarl needs me not."

"Tonight, then?"

"I have naught to do after I have carried the nets home."

"That is well," said the stranger; and after that he dropped his voice
so that I heard no more, but he and my father talked long together.

We waited, and at last the talk ended, and my father came hack to us,
while the stranger rode away northward along the sands. Then I asked who
the man was, and what he wanted.

"He is some chief of these Norsemen, and one who asks more questions of
a thrall, as he thinks me, than he would dare ask Sigurd the jarl, or
Grim the merchant either, for that matter."

Seeing that my father did not wish to say more at this time, we asked
nothing else, but went homeward in silence. It seemed as if he was ill
at ease, and he went more quickly than was his wont, so that presently
Raven and little Withelm lagged behind us with their burdens, for our
catch had been a good one.

Then he stopped outside the garth when we reached home, and told me not
to go in yet. And when the others came up he said to them, "Do you two
take in the things and the fish, and tell mother that Radbard and I have
to go down to the ship. There is cargo to be seen to, and it is likely
that we shall he late, so bid her not wait up for us."

Then he told me to come, and we left the two boys at once and turned
away towards the haven. There was nothing strange in this, for cargo
often came at odd times, and we were wont to work late in stowing it. I
did wonder that we had not stayed to snatch a bit of supper, but it
crossed my mind that the Norseman had told my father of some goods that
had maybe been waiting for the whole day while we were at sea. And then
that did not seem likely, for he had taken us for thralls. So I was
puzzled, but held my peace until it should seem good to my father to
tell me what we were about.

When we reached a place where there was no house very near and no man
about, he said to me at last, "What is on hand I do not rightly know,
but yon man was Hodulf, the new king, as I suppose we must call him. He
would not tell me his name, but I saw him when he and the jarl made
terms the other day