"I will not promise that," replied Leif with a smile.

There was silence for some minutes, which was broken at length by a very
small voice saying:--

"'Norro go to G'eenland too?"

Poor Snorro was as regardless of the _S_ in his own name as he was of
the _l_ in Olaf's!

"'Norro may go, if Gudrid will allow him," answered Leif, patting the
child's curly pate.

"And O'af too?" added Snorro.

"Of course _I_ must go if Snorrie goes," cried Olaf who had just entered
the hall. "We could not live separate--could we, Snorrie?" He caught
up the child and placed him on his back in his wonted fashion. "Just
think," he continued, "what would it do in Greenland without O'af to
give it rides and take it out for long walks?"

"Ay, and go lost with it in the woods," added Biarne.

Olaf blushed, but replied promptly--"That would be impossible, Biarne,
for there are no woods in Greenland."

"If Snorro goes so must I," said Thora. "He could not get on without
his nurse."

"Methinks we had better all go together to Greenland," said Astrid, who
was busy preparing supper.

"Not bad advice," observed Biarne, somewhat seriously.

"Do you mean what you say?" asked Karlsefin.

"I half mean it," replied Biarne.

There was a pause here. Karlsefin then said--"It seems to me, friends,
that our minds are all jumping together. I have thought for a long time
of leaving Vinland, for it is plain to me that as we stand just now we
cannot make much headway. Many of our men are longing to get back to
their families, some to their sweethearts, and some to their native
land; while, from what you have said, it would seem that none of us are
very anxious to remain."

"Do not speak for _all_," said Thorward.

"Well, dost _thou_ wish to stay?"

"It may be that I do. At any rate, we have had much trouble in coming
hither and settling ourselves, and it would be a pity to lose all our
labours unless we can't help it. There may be others of my way of
thinking in the colony. It is my advice that before we discuss such a
matter we had better call a Thing, [an assembly for discussion] and do
it in an orderly way."

"By all means," said Karlsefin, "let us discuss the matter for
_decision_ in a Thing; yet our discussing here for amusement is not
disorderly."

After a little more conversation it was finally arranged that a Thing,
or general assembly of the people, should be called on the following
day, to discuss and decide on the propr