ted him to see nothing. But it may tell how wearied we were
that we left so untried a landsman to watch for us, though, indeed,
either of us would wake with the least uneasiness of the boat in a
rising wind. So we slept a great sleep, and it was not until near
sunset that Dalfin roused us.

"There is somewhat like a sail on the skyline to the eastward," he
said. "I have watched it this half hour, and it grows bigger fast.
I took it for a bird at first and would not wake you."

That brought us to our feet in a moment, and we looked in the
direction he gave us.

"A sail," said Bertric. "She is bearing right down on us, and
bringing an easterly breeze off shore with her. If only we can hail
her!"

"It is not Heidrek again?" asked Dalfin anxiously.

"No; his sails are brown. Nor does one meet men like him often. We
shall find naught but help from any other, if we may have to work
our passage to their port. That is of no account so long as we are
picked up."

In half an hour the breeze from the eastward reached us, and we
bore up across the course of the coming ship. She came swiftly down
the wind, but was either badly steered, or else was so light that
with her yard squared she ran badly. At times the wind was almost
spilt from out of her sail, and we looked to see her jibe, and then
she would fill again on her true course and hold it a while.

"She is out of the way badly handled," said Bertric, watching her
in some puzzlement. "I only hope that they may know enough to pick
up a boat in a seaway."

Chapter 3: The Ship Of Silence.

Soon we knew that she must be the ship of some great chief, for her
broad sail was striped with red and white, and the sun gleamed and
sparkled from gilding on her high stemhead, and from the gilded
truck of the mast. Then we made out that a carven dragon reared
itself on the stem, while all down the gunwale were hung the round
red and yellow war boards, the shields which are set along the rail
to heighten it when fighting is on hand. We looked to see the men
on watch on the fore deck, but there were none, though, indeed, the
upward sweep of the gunwale might hide them.

Presently she yawed again in that clumsy way which we were
wondering at, and showed us her whole side, pierced for sixteen
oars, and bright with the shields, for a moment, and then she was
back on her course. We could not see the steersman for the sail, in
any case, but we saw no one on deck.

Now we were ri