le Olaf, who was one of the explorers, observed dew
on the grass, and, remembering that Leif had said that the dew on one of
the islands which he met with was _sweet_, he shook some into the hollow
of his hand and tasted it, but looked disappointed.

"Are you thirsty, Olaf?" asked Karlsefin, who, with Biarne, walked
beside him.

"No, but I wondered if the dew would be sweet. My father said it was,
on one of the islands he came to."

"Foolish boy," said Biarne, laughing; "Leif did but speak in a figure.
He was very hot and tired at the time, and found the dew sweet to his
thirsty spirit as well as refreshing to his tongue."

"Thus you see, Olaf," observed Karlsefin, with a sly look at Biarne,
"whenever you chance to observe your father getting angry, and hear him
say that his beer is sour, you are not to suppose that it is really
sour, but must understand that it is only sour to his cross spirit as
well as disagreeable to his tongue."

Olaf received this with a loud laugh, for, though he was puzzled for a
moment by Biarne's explanation, he saw through the jest at once.

"Well, Biarne," returned Olaf; "whether the dew was sweet to my father's
tongue or to his spirit I cannot tell, but I remember that when he told
us about the sweet dew, he said it was near to the island where he found
it that the country he called Vinland lay. So, if this be the sweet-dew
island, Vinland cannot be far off."

"The boy is sharp beyond his years," said Karlsefin, stopping abruptly
and looking at Biarne; "what thinkest thou of that?"

"I think," replied the other, "that Olaf will be a great discoverer some
day, for it seems to me not unlikely that he may be right."

"Come, we shall soon see," said Karlsefin, turning round and hastening
back to the boat.

Biarne either had not seen this particular spot on his former visit to
these shores, which is quite probable, or he may have forgotten it, for
he did not recognise it as he had done the first land they made; but
before they left Ericsfiord, Leif had given them a very minute and
careful description of the appearance of the coast of Vinland,
especially of that part of it where he had made good his landing and set
up his booths, so that the explorers might be in a position to judge
correctly when they should approach it. Nevertheless, as every one
knows, regions, even when well defined, may wear very different aspects
when seen by different people, for the first time, from differen