n the least likely to succeed, I will cut
off my hair this instant."

In spite of his misery, Alwin laughed a little.

"Do you then imagine that the gold of your hair and the red of your
cheeks is all that makes you fair?" he asked. "No, dear one, I think it
would be easier to make Gilli generous than you ugly. No man who had
eyes to look into your eyes, and ears to hear your voice, could be
otherwise than eager to lay down his life to possess you. Trust to no
such rootless trees, comrade. And do not raise your face toward me like
that either; for, in honor, I may not kiss you, and and you are not ugly
yet, sweetheart."

Shouts from those around them recalled the lovers to themselves. The
returning boat was almost upon them; and from among her burly crew the
wan faces of several strangers looked up, while a swooning woman was
seen to lie in the bow. Her face, though pinched and pallid, was also
fair and lovable, and Helga momentarily forgot disappointment in pity.

"Bring her here and lay her upon my cushions," she said to the men who
carried the woman on board. Wrapping the limp form in her own cloak, the
shield-maiden pulled off such of the sodden garments as she could,
poured wine down the stranger's throat, and strove energetically to
chafe some returning warmth into the benumbed limbs.

While the boat hastened back to bring off the rest of the unfortunates,
those of the first load whom wine and hope had sufficiently revived,
explained the disaster.

The wrecked ship belonged to Thorir of Trondhjem; and that merchant and
his wife Gudrid and fourteen sailors made up her company. On the voyage
from Nidaros to Greenland with a cargo of timber, their vessel had gone
to pieces on a submerged reef, and they had been just able to reach that
most inhospitable of rocks and cling there like flies, frozen,
wind-battered, and drenched. The waves, in a moment of repentance, had
thrown a little of their timber back to them, and this had been their
only shelter; and their only food some coarse lichens and a few
sea-birds' eggs.

It was little wonder that when Leif had brought the last load on board,
and drowned their past woes in present comforts, the starved creatures
were almost ready to embrace his knees with thankfulness.

"It seems to me that we should be called 'the Lucky,' and you 'the
Good,'" Thorir said, as the two chiefs stood on the forecastle, watching
the anchor and the sail both rising with joyful alacrity.