d
if the boat is not broken."

Now aft, near the tiller, a small boat was bound on the half deck of the
Raven. They went to it and looked; it was whole, with oars lashed in
it, but half full of water, which they must bail out. This they did as
swiftly as they might; then they cut the little boat loose, and, having
made it fast with a rope, lifted it over the side-rail and let it fall
into the sea, and that was no great way, for the Raven had sunk deep.
It fell on an even keel, and Eric let himself down the rope into it and
called to Skallagrim to follow.

"Bide a while, lord," he answered; "there is that which I would bring
with me."

For a space Eric waited and then called aloud, "Swift! thou fool; swift!
the ship sinks!"

And as he called, Skallagrim came, and his arms were full of swords and
byrnies, and red rings of gold that he had found time to gather from the
dead and out of the cabin.

"Throw all aside and come," said Eric, laying on to the oars, for the
Raven wallowed before she sank.

"There is yet time, lord, and the gear is good," answered Skallagrim,
and one by one he threw pieces down into the boat. As the last fell the
Raven sank to her bulwarks. Then Skallagrim stepped from the sinking
deck into the boat, and cut the cord, not too soon.

Eric gave way with all his strength, and, as he pulled, when he was no
more than five fathoms from her, the Raven vanished with a huge swirl.

"Hold still," he said, "or we shall follow."

Round spun the boat in the eddy, she was sucked down till the water
trickled over her gunwale, and for a moment they knew not if they were
lost or saved. Eric held his breath and watched, then slowly the boat
lifted her nose, and they were safe from the whirlpool of the lost
dragon.

"Greed is many a man's bane," said Eric, "and it was nearly thine and
mine, Skallagrim."

"I had no heart to leave the good gear," he answered; "and thou seest,
lord, it is safe and we with it."

Then they got the boat's head round slowly into the mouth of the fjord,
pausing now and again to rest, for their strength was spent. For two
hours they rowed down a gulf, as it were, and on either side of them
were barren hills. At length the water-way opened out into a great
basin, and there, on the further side of the basin, they saw green
slopes running down to the water's edge, strewn with white stock-fish
set to dry in the wind and sun, and above the slopes a large hall, and
about it booths.