e bank and were swept across in a few
moments, almost without requiring to use their paddles.

Landing at the edge of a dense thicket, they hauled the canoes out of
the water, secreted them carefully, and then, taking their arms, made a
detour through the forest in the direction of the cliff before referred
to by Karlsefin. In less than half an hour they reached it, and found,
as had been anticipated, that it commanded a view of the native
encampment, which to their dismay they now discovered was an immense
one, filled with many hundreds of men, besides women and children.

Here, prone on their breasts, and scarce venturing to raise their heads
above the grass, the two leaders held a consultation, while their men
kept well in the background.

"This is an unfortunate business," said Karlsefin.

"Truly it is," replied Thorward; "but the question is, can this be the
set of rascals who carried off the children? It seems to me that, being
a small band, as we know, they did not belong to the same set."

"That may be so, Thorward;--but I incline to the belief that the small
party was but an offshoot from the large one, and that our dear little
ones are even now with the people before us."

As if to put the matter beyond doubt, Olaf, with Snorro on his back,
issued at that moment from the woods on the opposite side of the river,
and went out upon the identical spit of sand where, on the previous
evening, he had held such bitter communings with his own spirit. The
Norseman leaders recognised the children at once, being almost within
hail of them, and it was with difficulty they restrained the impulse to
spring to their feet and shout.

"Thanks be to God for the sight of them at all events," said Karlsefin
fervently; "see, the dear boy has brought my darling there to amuse
him.--Ah! little dost thou know, Olaf, the hold that thy kindness has
given thee of his father's heart!"

"'Twould be well if he had a hold of the father's hand just at this
time," drily observed Thorward, who was not gifted with much of a
sentimental temperament.

"That is not easy of accomplishment," returned the other. "Even you
would scarcely, methinks, advise so small a band of men to make an open
attack on five or six hundred savages."

"I would not advise it," replied Thorward; "nevertheless, if it came to
the worst I would _do_ it. But what, then, is your advice?"

"Why, _until_ it comes to the worst we must try strategy," answered
Kar