in the greater business of
caring for themselves, and left him raving on the foredeck, to seek
shelter while they might.

Then I suppose the helmsman was shot, for the ship luffed
helplessly, and in a moment the stem of the viking was crashing on
her quarter, and the grappling irons were fast to her. Thorgils
laughed and luffed at once.

"Somewhat to sing of," he said cheerfully, as he hove to to watch
the fight.

That it was in all truth. We were but a bow shot off, and could see
it all. We heard the ships grinding together, and we heard the
shout of the Danes and the outland yells of the Welsh, and we saw
the vikings swarming on board while the axes flashed and the war
song rose again.

"Eric has a mind to pay them for nigh spoiling a wedding voyage,"
quoth our Norseman.

It was no long fight, for I suppose that there are men of no race
who can stand before the Northmen at sea, at least since we have
forgotten the old ship craft of our forefathers. From stem to stern
Eric led his men, sweeping all before him, some foemen even leaping
overboard out of the way of the terrible axes, and so meeting
another death. I think that the Welsh chief Daffyd was the last to
fall before old Eric himself. And then was a great cheer from the
two ships, and after it silence.

Then Eric hailed us, and Thorgils ran out his oars, and we went
alongside the Danish ship. And at that time Nona came from the
cabin, and called me, looking wonderingly at the arrows that
littered the deck at her feet.

"Oswald, what is it all?--Do the good Danes leave us?"

Then she saw my mail, and paled a little.

"Fighting! and I not with you?" she cried. "Is any one hurt?"

But I went to her side and told her how things had gone, asking her
to bide in the shelter yet, for we had things to see that were not
for her. And so she went back again and closed the door, being
assured that the danger had passed.

We went on board the Danish ship, for there was not enough sea to
prevent our lying gunwale to gunwale for a moment. Both Owen and I
would find out if possible how all this came about. There was a row
of captives on the deck of the enemy waiting question, and I looked
down on them from beside Eric.

Swarthy men and black haired they were, speaking no tongue which we
knew, and one of them was black as his hair. I had never seen a
black man before, and he seemed uncanny. The Danes were staring at
him also, and he was grinning at them with whit