ward's
hand and touching his sword-hilt, "if you are still inclined--."

"Well, well," said Thorward, whose visage, while his friend was
speaking, had undergone a series of contortions indicative of a wild
conflict of feelings in his breast, "well, well, I am a goose, and
deserved the buffet. After all, I did call you a liar, so we are quits,
Biarne--tit for tat. Come, let us shake hands and go up to Leif's
cottage. You said Freydissa was there, I think."

During that winter Karlsefin married Gudrid and Thorward Freydissa, and,
in the following spring, they embarked in Karlsefin's ship--with a large
party of men, women, children, and cattle--and set sail for Vinland.

CHAPTER FIVE.

FREYDISSA SHOWS HER TEMPER AND A WHALE CHECKS IT--POETICAL AND OTHER
TOUCHES.

The expedition which now set out for Vinland was on a much larger scale
than any of the expeditions which had preceded it. Biarne and Leif had
acted the part of discoverers only--not colonisers--and although
previous parties had passed several winters in Vinland, they had not
intended to take up a permanent abode there--as was plain from the fact
that they brought neither women nor flocks nor herds with them.
Karlsefin, on the contrary, went forth fully equipped for colonisation.

His ship, as we have said, was a large one, with a decked poop and
forecastle, fitted to brave the most tempestuous weather--at least as
well fitted to do so as were the ships of Columbus--and capable of
accommodating more than a hundred people. He took sixty men with him
and five women, besides his own wife and Thorward's. Thorward himself,
and Biarne, accompanied the expedition, and also Olaf--to his
inexpressible joy, but Leif preferred to remain at home, and promised to
take good care of Thorward's ship, which was left behind. Astrid was
one of the five women who went with this expedition; the other four were
Gunhild, Thora, Sigrid, and Bertha. Gunhild and Sigrid were wives to
two of Biarne's men. Thora was handmaiden to Gudrid; Bertha handmaid to
Freydissa. Of all the women Bertha was the sweetest and most beautiful,
and she was also very modest and good-tempered, which was a fortunate
circumstance, because her mistress Freydissa had temper enough, as
Biarne used to remark, for a dozen women. Biarne was fond of teasing
Freydissa; but she liked Biarne, and sometimes took his pleasantries
well--sometimes ill.

It was intended that, when the colony was fairly est