s lifted the steering oar with a creak
now and then, he was motionless, looking steadily ahead under the
arch of the foot of the sail. The run of the deck set me higher
than him, and I could not see more than the feet of some men who
were clustered on the fore deck. But I could look all down the
length of the ship, and there every man was armed, even the rowers.
They had hung red and yellow wooden shields all along the gunwales,
raising the bulwark against sea and arrow flight alike by a foot
and more, and the rowers were fairly in shelter under them, if
there was to be a broadside attack.

I never doubted that a fight was intended, though I could not tell
why. Every man was at his post--two to each oar bench beside the
rower, one with ready shield, and the other with bent bow, and
these were looking forward also as they sang that hoarse song which
had roused me. I do not know that I have ever heard aught so
terrible as that. The wildness and savageness of it bides with me,
and of a night when the wind blows round the roof I wake and think
I hear it again. But it set me longing for battle, even here on the
strange deck, and I would that I might join in it.

And then I knew that my own weapons lay beside me, and I sprang up,
and grasped the sword and seax in haste to buckle them on. They
rattled, and the steersman turned his head and laughed at me. It
was old Thrond.

"That is right, lad," he said, turning his head back to watch his
course again. "None the worse for the wetting, it seems."

Truth to tell, I felt little of it, being altogether myself again
after the rest. So I laughed also, setting aside for the moment the
question of what my fate was to be. It was plain that the man who
saved me from the sea and gave me back my arms did not mean to make
a captive of me in any hard sort.

"Only mightily hungry," I said. "It seems that I have slept
heavily."

Thrond jerked his free thumb toward a pitcher and wooden bowl that
were set near me, without looking round.

"So I suppose," he said. "Eat well, and then we will see what sort
of a viking you make. You have half an hour or so."

Ale and beef there were, ready for me, and I took them and sat down
at the feet of the old chief, with my legs hanging over the edge of
the fore deck. Thence I could see that Thorleif was forward, and
that away to the northward of us a ship was heading across our
course, under sail only. The two other Danish ships were far astern
o