ant
cloth with intense admiration, and expressed as much delight at
receiving it as if he had been a child--which, by the way, he was, in
regard to such fabrics and in his inability to restrain his feelings.

Rejoiced to observe the good effect thus produced, Karlsefin did his
best to assure the chief that there was plenty more of the same in his
possession, besides other things--all of which Utway corroborated,--and
signified that he, Whitepow, should have large quantities thereof if he
would restore the captives to their friends. In order to add force to
what he said, he drew from his pouch or wallet several small metal
ornaments strung together like beads, and presented these also to
Whitepow, as well as to several of the chiefs who stood nearest to him.
At the same time he uncovered, as if inadvertently, a magnificent silver
brooch which hung round his neck, under his leathern war-shirt.

This brooch was by no means a trifling bauble. It was massive,
beautifully carved, and hung round with little silver cups and
diamond-shaped pieces of silver about the size of a man's thumb-nail.
It was much prized by its owner on account of being an heirloom of his
family, having been carried to Iceland by his forefathers when they were
expatriated from Norway by King Harald Fairhair.

Whitepow's eye at once fell on the brooch, and he expressed a strong
desire to possess it.

Karlsefin started as if in alarm, seized the brooch with both hands,
held it aloft, and gazed at it in a species of veneration, then,
clasping it to his breast, shook his head by way of an emphatic "No!"

Of course Whitepow became doubly anxious to have it; whereupon Karlsefin
again stooped, and, placing his hand about two feet from the ground,
patted the top of the thing indicated, and said that he might have the
brooch for _that_ and the other things previously referred to.

Whitepow pondered a few minutes, and Utway said something very seriously
to him, which resulted in his giving an order to two of his chiefs, who
at once left the group. They quickly returned, leading Hake and the
children between them--the former being still bound at the elbows.

There was something quite startling in the shout of surprise that Olaf
gave on observing Karlsefin. It was only equalled by the shriek of glee
that burst from Snorro when he recognised his father.

Olaf instantly seized Snorro and ran towards him. Karlsefin met them
more than half-way, and, with an