he young king that which had led him to crush
her as if her crew were vermin, and wondered to see us save one of
them.

"I have heard much of Heidrek, seeing that I am a Northumbrian," he
said. "The track of that ruffian lies black on our coasts; but I
have not heard of his son. We have naught against his name, at
least."

Then said Bertric: "I sailed as a thrall with yon ships for six
months or more, and have naught against Asbiorn here. He is the
only one of all the crew who follow Heidrek of whom I could say as
much."

"Faith!" said Asbiorn, with a grave face, "it is somewhat to have
no sort of character at all, as it seems."

Hakon looked at him and laughed a little.

"Take service with me and make a good name for yourself," he said.
"It is a pity to see a good warrior who will do a kindly turn to a
captive naught but a wolf's-head Viking. I have need of courtmen."

"I might do worse," he answered; "but hither comes my father, and I
have no mind to fight him at the very beginning of my service."

Hakon looked at the two ships, which were nearing us fast, though
we were still close-hauled, as when the boat was brought alongside.

"I had no mind to fight him," said Hakon.

"It is not his way to let a ship pass without either toll or
battle," Asbiorn said bluntly.

"Why, then, go forward and get dried," Hakon said. "We will speak
of this presently, after we have met your ships."

Thereon Asbiorn ungirt his sword and gave it to me solemnly.

"It is in my mind that this might get loose when our men come over
the side," he said. "Better that I am your captive for a while."

With that he walked forward, and Hakon looked after him with a
smile that was somewhat grim. Then someone touched my arm, and
there was Father Phelim, with a face full of trouble. With him were
two men, dressed in somewhat the same way as himself. They were
Hakon's English chaplains, and they could not understand his Erse.

"Malcolm," he said, "what of our brethren on the island? There are
the wild Danes yet there--on the shore. I can see them."

Hakon asked with some concern what was amiss with the hermit, and I
told him, adding that they had only too much reason to fear the
Danes. And when he heard he turned to Earl Osric, who seemed to be
his shipmaster, and asked him to send a boat with men enough to
take these Danes, if possible, and anywise to see that the hermits
came to no harm.

"If we are to fight this Heidrek," the earl