do:
deliver you, bound, to Ran, and leave her to deal with you as she may."

"Bethink you, sirs," said Eric: "this is a cruel deed and most unmanly.
We yielded to you in faith--will ye break your troth?"

"War has no troth," he answered, "ye are too great to let slip between
our fingers. Shall it be said of us that two men overcame us all?"

"Mayhap!" murmured Skallagrim beneath his breath.

"Oh, sirs, I beseech you," said Eric; "I am young, and there is a maid
who waits me out in Iceland, and it is hard to die," and he made as
though he wept, while Skallagrim laughed within his sleeve, for it was
strange to see Eric feigning fear.

But the men mocked aloud.

"This is the great man," they cried, "this is that Eric of whose deeds
folk sing! Look! he weeps like a child when he sees the water. Drag him
forth and away with him into the sea!"

"Little need for that," cried Eric, and lo! the cloaks about him and
Skallagrim flew aside. Out they came with a roar; they came out as
a she-bear from her cave, and high above Brighteyes' golden curls
Whitefire shone in the pale light, and nigh to it shone the axe of
Skallagrim. Whitefire flared aloft, then down he fell and sought the
false heart of the mate. The great axe of Skallagrim shone and was lost
in the breast of the carle who stood before him.

"Trolls!" shrieked one. "Here are trolls!" and turned to fly. But again
Whitefire was up and that man flew not far--one pace, and no more. Then
they fled screaming and after them came axe and sword. They fled, they
fell, they leaped into the sea, till none were left to fall and leap,
for they had no time or heart to find or draw their weapons, and
presently Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail stood alone upon the
deck--alone with the dead.

"Swanhild is a wise witch," gasped Eric, "and, whatever ill she has
done, I will remember this to her honour."

"Little good comes of witchcraft," answered Skallagrim, wiping his brow:
"to-day it works for our hands, to-morrow it shall work against them."

"To the helm," said Eric; "the ship yaws and comes side on to the seas."

Skallagrim sprang to the tiller and put his strength on it, and but just
in time, for one big sea came aboard them and left much water in the
hold.

"We owe this to thy Baresark ways," said Eric. "Hadst thou not slain the
steersman we had not filled with water."

"True, lord," answered Skallagrim; "but when once my axe is aloft, it
seems to fly of its