e took me unawares," replied the boy indignantly. "When
I saw it I did not wish to be hasty. It might have turned out to be a
cloud, or a fog-bank, and I might have given a false alarm; so I pointed
it out to him, and asked what he thought; but instead of answering me he
gaped with his ugly mouth and shouted `Land ho!' I could have kicked
him."

"Nay, Olaf; that is not well said," observed Karlsefin, very gravely;
"if you _could_ have kicked him you _would_ have kicked him. Why did
you not do it?"

"Because he is too big for me," answered the boy promptly.

"So, then, thy courage is only sufficient to make thee kick those who
are small enough," returned Karlsefin, with a frown. "Perhaps if you
were as big as he you would be afraid to kick him."

"That would not I," retorted Olaf.

"It is easy for you to say that, boy, when you know that he _would_ not
strike you now, and that there is small chance of your meeting again
after you have grown up to prove the truth of what you say. It is mere
boasting, Olaf; and, mark me, you will never be a brave man if you begin
by being a boastful boy. A truly brave and modest man--for modesty and
bravery are wont to consort together--never says he will strike until he
sees it to be right to do so. Sometimes he does not even go the length
of speaking at all, but, in any case, having made up his mind to strike,
he strikes at once, without more ado, let the consequences be what they
will. But in my opinion it is best not to strike at all. Do you know,
Olaf; my boy, some of the bravest men I ever knew have never struck a
blow since they came to manhood, excepting, of course, when compelled to
do so in battle; and _then_ they struck such blows as made shields and
helmets fly, and strewed the plain with their foes."

"Did these men never boast when they were boys?" asked Olaf; with a
troubled air.

Karlsefin relaxed into a smile as he said, "Only when they were very
little boys, and very foolish; but they soon came to see how
contemptible it is to threaten and not perform; so they gave up
threatening, and when performance came to be necessary they found that
threats were needless. Now, Olaf, I want you to be a bold, brave man,
and I must lull you through the foolish boasting period as quickly as
possible, therefore I tell you these things. Think on them, my boy."

Olaf was evidently much relieved by the concluding remarks. While
Karlsefin was speaking he had felt ashamed