Part 44 (2/2)

No sooner was the man there than he shouted somewhat in broad Norse sea language, which made our skipper start and knit his brows.

”How many?” he asked.

”Like to herrings in a barrel.--More than I can tell,” the masthead man answered.

Then Thorgils turned to us.

”This is more than I can fully fathom,” he said, leaning on the helm a little, so that the s.h.i.+p edged up a trifle closer to the wind steadily. ”She has her weather gunwale packed with men, who are hiding under it--armed men. On my word, it is well that Eric is with us.”

Owen and I looked at one another. If I had been alone, or with him only, I think I should have rejoiced in this seeming chance of a fight at sea, but with Nona and her maidens on board there was a sort of terror for me in what all this might mean.

No honest vessel hid her men thus, and waited for the coming of two strangers.

”Get your arms on, prince and comrade,” said Thorgils. ”It is in my mind that these are desperate folk of sorts. We are pranked up with that dragon like any longs.h.i.+p, and here is Eric astern of us, and yet there is some look of fighting in the hiding of these men. Will they face two of us, or what is it?”

”We may not fight with the lady on board, Thorgils,” Owen said under his breath. ”If so be we can get away from them we must. Yet it will be the first time that Oswald and I have thought of flying.”

”There is no merit in staying for a fight if there is need why one should be out of it,” Thorgils said. ”See, she is going to try to get to windward of us, and now will be a bit of a sailing match.”

Then he called one of the men, and he came aft and took a pole with a round red board on its top from where it hung along the gunwale, and, standing on the stern rail with his arm round the high stern post, waved it slowly. He was signalling to Eric as Thorgils bade him.

The s.h.i.+p forged up into the wind closer and closer, and the spray flew over her bows as she met the sea. But the strange vessel was no less weatherly, and kept pace with us, and now Eric was bearing down on us more or less, sailing a little more free than we, though he also had to luff somewhat to keep near us, taking a long slant across our course as we sailed now.

I sent Evan for our arms, for the men were arming silently. They were in the chests in the fore cabin where I had once been bound, and Nona knew nought of possible trouble on hand. To keep her from it altogether I went to the low door of her rude shelter before I put on my mail, and looked in, telling her to keep the cabin closed against the spray that was flying, and had a bright smile for my thought. Then I went back to the deck and armed, and all the while the two s.h.i.+ps reached to windward, but even in that little time I saw that the stranger had gained on us. The man was at work signalling to Eric again.

”We shall know if he means fighting in no long time,” said Thorgils to me. ”If he does I think that he is going to be surprised.”

”How?”

”Well, unless every man on board is clean witless they must deem us both harmless. Maybe they have heard of a wedding party that is to cross and are waiting for us. Otherwise it seems impossible that they will face us and the Dane as well.”

Now Eric was back on his old tack, and pa.s.sing astern of us. I saw the glint of his oar blades, which had been run out from their ports ready to take the water if need was presently.

And then we knew that his help would be wanted. Suddenly the strange s.h.i.+p's head flew up into the wind and she was round on the other tack, paying off wonderfully quickly; and as she did so, from under her gunwale, where they could be hidden no longer, rose the armed men, seeming to crowd her deck in a moment. She was full of them from stem to stern, and our men shouted. She had won well to windward of us.

But Thorgils had known what was coming, and had kept his quick eye on the helmsman of the stranger. Even as her helm went down for the luff his went up and the men sprang to the sheets, and we were tearing across her bows even as her sail filled on the new tack, and heading away lift by lift toward Eric. And Eric hove to to meet us, and his sail fell and his oars flashed out and took the water, and he made for us like the sea dragon his s.h.i.+p seemed.

”Down with you men under cover!” roared Thorgils. ”Arrows, comrade!--Down with you!”

The strange s.h.i.+p was only a bow shot from us, if a long one yet, but she was overhauling us apace.

I saw her men forward bending their bows, and the Nors.e.m.e.n of our crew came aft with my men under the break of the deck on which we stood, where they were in cover. Evan ran to me with his s.h.i.+eld up.

”Evan,” I cried, ”s.h.i.+eld Thorgils.” And I set myself before Owen with my own s.h.i.+eld raised to cover him, and he laughed at me grimly.

He set his own alongside mine, and we three stood covering Thorgils. The Norseman's face was set and watchful, but his blue eyes danced under the knit brows, and I do believe that he was enjoying the sport.

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