een arranged," said Hake.

"Good, good. Then, whatever betide us, the dear children are like to be
safe. Get you gone, Hake; and, harkee, if _we_ should not return, be
sure thou bear my love to Gudrid.--Away."

Hake bowed in silence and retired. In a few minutes the greater part of
the Norsemen stood before the old chief, and, by Karlsefin's command,
every man who chanced to have any trifling ornament of any kind about
him took it off and presented it to the savages.

Whitepow, in return, ordered a package of furs to be brought, and
presented each man with a beautiful sable. Karlsefin then made Utway
explain that he had seen much valuable cloth and many ornaments in the
Norsemen's camp, and that these would be given in exchange for such
furs,--a piece of news which seemed to gratify the savages, for they
possessed an immense number of furs, which were comparatively of little
value to them.

Thus amicable relations were established; but when Whitepow invited the
Norsemen to accompany him to his village and feast, Karlsefin intimated
that he intended to sup and pass the night on the spit of sand, and that
in the early morning he would return to his home, whither he hoped the
savages would soon follow him with their furs. That, meanwhile, a small
number might accompany him, if they chose, to view his habitation and
take back a report. This was agreed to, and thus happily the
conferences ended.

That night the Norsemen held high carousal on the spit of sand, partly
because they were rejoiced at the successful issue of the expedition as
far as it had gone, and partly because they wished to display a
free-and-easy spirit to the savages. They drew a line at the narrowest
part of the neck of land, and there posted armed sentinels, who
resolutely refused to let any one pass. On the outward edge of the
spit, other sentinels were placed, who checked all tendency to approach
by water, and who--in one or two instances, when some obstinate natives
attempted to force a landing--overturned the canoes and left the
occupants to swim ashore the best way they could.

The only exception to this rule was made in favour of Utway and
Whitepow, with the grandson of the latter, little Powlet. These three
came down to the spit after the Norsemen had kindled a magnificent
bonfire of dry logs, round which they sat and ate their supper, told
sagas, sang songs, cracked jokes, and drank to absent friends in cans of
pure water, with an