the
unexpected sight of Leif himself advancing towards him!

Poor Heika's heart died within him. He felt that all his long-cherished
and deeply-laid plans were crushed, just as they were about to be
carried into effect, and a feeling of fierce despair prompted him, for a
moment, to commit some wild deed of violence, but he observed that
Leif's head was bent forward and his eyes rested on the ground, as he
advanced slowly, like one who meditates. Heika drew swiftly back behind
the rock, from the shelter of which he had barely passed, and breathed
freely again when Leif passed by, without showing any symptom of having
observed him. Waiting till he had sauntered beyond the next turn in the
path, he started at his utmost speed, and was soon beyond the reach of
Leif's eyes, and back in Brattalid with a relieved mind.

Had the Scot waited to observe the motions of his master after passing
the turn in the path above mentioned, he would not have experienced so
much mental relief; for no sooner had Leif got behind a small but thick
bush than he turned abruptly, raised his head with an intelligent smile,
lay down behind the bush, and looked quietly through its foliage. He
saw Heika issue from behind the rock, observed his cautious glances from
side to side, and, with something like a chuckle, witnessed his rapid
flight in the direction of the settlement.

"Hem! something i' the wind," muttered Leif, rising and walking towards
the spot whence his thrall had issued.

He found the rugged path, descended to the inlet, discovered the boat,
and stood looking at it with a perplexed air for full ten minutes.
Thereafter he shook his head once or twice, smiled in a grave manner,
and slowly sauntered home absorbed in meditation.

"Hake," whispered Heika to his brother that night, as they sat down
together in the little sleeping-closet off Leif's hall, that had been
allotted to their use, "all my hopes and plans were on the point of
being ruined to-day."

"Ruined! brother. How was that?"

Heika related to him all that had occurred at the inlet near the western
skerries.

"Art thou sure he saw thee not?" asked Hake earnestly.

"There can be no doubt of that," replied Heika, "for he had no cause to
suspect that anything was wrong; and if he had seen me as I first stood
before him, motionless with surprise, he would doubtless have hailed me.
No, no; something was working very hard in his brain, for he passed on
without the leas