service. Many winters have passed since then."

"Indeed, Leif! then you must be a favourite with King Olaf," exclaimed
Karlsefin, "for I am the bearer of another gift to you from his royal
hand."

"To me?"

"Ay. Hearing that I meant to sail over to Greenland this summer, he
asked me to bear you his remembrances, and gave me two slaves to present
to you in token of his continued friendship."

Leif's face beamed with satisfaction, and he immediately filled and
quaffed a bumper of ale to King Olaf's health, which example was
followed by Biarne and the guests, as well as by the house-carls who sat
on benches in various parts of the hall drinking their ale and listening
to the conversation. Even little Olaf--who had been named after the
king of Norway--filled his tankard to the brim with milk, and quaffed it
off with a swagger that was worthy of a descendant of a long line of
sea-kings, who could trace their lineage back to Odin himself.

"The slaves," continued Karlsefin, "are from the land of the Scots.
Wouldst like to see a Scotsman, Gudrid?" he added, turning to the widow
who sat near him.

"I should like it much. I have heard of the Scots in Iceland. 'Tis
said they are a well-favoured race, stout warriors, and somewhat fond of
trading."

Leif and Biarne both laughed loud and long at this.

"In good truth they are a stout race, and fight like very wild-cats, as
Biarne and I can testify; as to their being well-favoured, there can be
no question about that; though they are rather more rugged than the
people farther south, and--yes, they _are_ good traders, and exceedingly
cautious men. They think well before they speak, and they speak
slowly--sometimes they won't speak at all. Ha! ha! Here, I drink to
the land of the Scot. It is a grand good land, like our own dear old
Norway."

"Brother-in-law," exclaimed Gudrid, reproachfully, "do you forget that
you are an Icelander?"

"Forget!" exclaimed Leif, tossing back his yellow locks, and raising the
tankard again to pledge his native land; "no, I shall only forget
Iceland when I forget to live; but I don't forget, also, that it is only
about 130 years since my great-grandfather and his companions came over
from Norway to Iceland. Before that it was an unpeopled rock in the
Northern Sea, without name or history. [Iceland was colonised by
Norsemen about the year 874.] 'Twas as little known then as Vinland is
known now."

"By the way, Biarne," said Karlse