ch
interest.

"Ay, grapes! vines! Vinland! hurrah!"

"But are you sure?"

Instead of answering, Tyrker laughed again and began to talk, as he
always did when greatly moved, in Turkish. Altogether he was so much
excited that Krake said he was certainly drunk.

"Drunk!" exclaimed Tyrker, again using the Norse language; "no, that is
not possible. A man could not get drunk on grapes if he were to eat a
ship-load of them. I am only joyful--happy, happy as I can be. It
seems as if my young days had returned again with these grapes. I am
drunk with old thoughts and memories. I am back again in Turkey!"

"Ye couldn't be in a worse place if all accounts be true," said Krake,
with a grin. "Come, don't keep all the grapes to yourself; let us taste
them."

"Ay, let us taste them," said Karlsefin, advancing and plucking a bunch
from Tyrker's shoulders.

The others did the same, tasted them, and pronounced the fruit
excellent.

"Now, lads, we will make the strong drink from the grapes," said Tyrker.
"I don't know quite how to do it, but we will soon find out."

"That you certainly shall not if I can prevent it," said Karlsefin
firmly.

Tyrker looked a little surprised, and asked why not.

"Because if the effect of eating grapes is so powerful, drinking the
strong drink of the grape must be dangerous. Why do you wish to make
it?"

"Why? because--because--it _does_ make one so happy."

"You told us just now," returned Karlsefin, "that you were _as happy as
you could be_, did you not? You cannot be happier than that--therefore,
according to your own showing, Tyrker, there is no need of strong
drink."

"That's for you," whispered Krake to Tyrker, with a wink, as he poked
him in the side. "Go to sleep upon that advice, man, and it'll do ye
good--if it don't do ye harm!"

"Ease him of part of his load, boys, and we shall go back the way we
came as fast as may be."

Each man relieved Tyrker of several bunches of grapes, so that in a few
minutes he resumed his own ordinary appearance. They then retraced
their steps, and soon afterwards presented to the women the first grapes
of Vinland. Karlsefin carried a chosen bunch to Gudrid, who, after
thanking him heartily, stuffed a grape into the hole in Snorro's
puckered visage and nearly choked him. Thus narrowly did the first
Yankee (for such one of his own countrymen has claimed him to be) escape
being killed by the first-fruits of his native land!

CHAP