hen he quietly loosened the golden clasp on his shoulder,
flung the mantle off with a sweep that sent the thrall staggering
backward, and marched away at the head of his men.

Valbrand had handled rebellious slaves before.

Shaking the fellow until he no longer had any breath to howl with, the
steersman said briefly, "It is very unlikely that we shall see any
ghosts, but it is altogether certain that your hide will feel my belt if
you do not end this fuss."

Kark made his choice with admirable swiftness. He got what comfort he
could, poor wretch, out of a carefully selected position. As between two
shields, he crept between the mystic Icelander and the dauntless Norman
warrior. Valbrand led the way, his flint face set to withstand the Devil
and all his angels; and three strapping Swedes brought up the rear, with
drawn swords and thumping hearts.

If only the way could have lain straight and open before them, even
though it bristled with beasts and foes! But for the whole distance it
screwed itself into a succession of crescent-shaped beaches, each one
lying between rocky spurs of the beetling crags.

Each point they rounded disclosed nothing more alarming than lichened
boulders and pebbly shore, with here a dead fish, and there a heap of
shining snaky kelp, and yonder a flock of startled gulls,--but who could
tell what the next projection might be hiding? They walked with their
fists gripped hard around their weapons, their eyes shifting, their ears
strained, while the waves hissed around their feet and the gulls
screamed over their heads.

Slowly the light faded from the mountain top and lay upon the next peak,
a golden cone against the blue. At last, even Valbrand's sense of duty
was satisfied. "We will turn back now," he announced, halting them. "But
first I will climb up the cliff, here where it is lowest, and try to see
a little way ahead, that we may have as much news as possible to report
to the chief."

As he spoke, he gave a great spring upward on to a shelving ledge, and
pulled himself up to the next projection; a rattling shower of sand and
pebbles continued to mark his ascent. Robert the Fearless walked on to
look around the rock they had almost reached; but the rest remained
where they were, following their leader's movements with anxious eyes.

They were so intent that they jumped like startled horses at an
exclamation from the Icelander. He was pointing to the strip of beach
which lay between Kar