d all we can hope for is that she will not be
far from shore. We shall have to take to the boat or swim."

"I can swim well," she said. "I have heard you laugh at the prince
because he cannot do so. What of him?"

But those two joined us at this time, and I did not answer, at
least directly. Only, I told Dalfin that he had better get hold of
somewhat, which might stand him in as good stead as had Heidrek's
steersman's bench, in case it was wanted. Whereon he laughed, and
said that the luck of the O'Neills would be all that he needed,
while Bertric went without a word and cut the lashing of the ship's
oars, and set two handy on the after deck.

Now we could see the beach and the white ranks of breakers which
lay between us and it. Bertric looked long as we neared the first
line of them, and counted them, and his face brightened.

"Look at the beach," he said to me. "It is high water, and spring
tide, moreover. There will be water enough for our light draught.
Get Gerda forward, for the sea will break over the stern the moment
we touch the ground."

I looked at him, and he nodded and smiled.

"It will be nothing," he said, knowing what I meant. "One is
sheltered here under this high stern. I shall take no harm. Nay, I
am ship master, and I bid you care for the lady. There are no signs
of rocks."

For I hesitated, not altogether liking not to stand by him at the
last. However, he was right, and I went forward with Gerda, bidding
Dalfin get one of the oars and follow us.

Now, what that beach may have been like in a winter gale I can only
guess. Even now the breakers were terrible enough, as we watched
them from the high bows, though the wind was, as I have said, not
what one would trouble about much in the open sea, in a well-found
ship. But naught save dire necessity would make a seaman try to
beach his ship here at any time, least of all when half a gale was
piling the seas one over the other across the shallows. Only, we
could see that no jagged reef waited us under the surges.

Gerda stood with her arm round the dragon head which stared
forward. I minded at that moment how I had ever heard that one
should unship the dragon as the shore was neared, lest the gentle
spirits of the land, the Landvaettnir, should be feared. But that
was too late now, and I do not think that I should have troubled
concerning it in any wise, on a foreign coast. The thought came and
went from me, but I set Gerda's cloak round her l