Part 25 (1/2)

”This is the great ! Look! he weeps like a child when he sees the water Drag him forth and aith him into the sea!”

”Little need for that,” cried Eric, and lo! the cloaks about hirim flew aside Out they came with a roar; they cahteyes' golden curls Whitefire shone in the pale light, and nigh to it shone the axe of Skallagriht the false heart of the rim shone and was lost in the breast of the carle who stood before him

”Trolls!” shrieked one ”Here are trolls!” and turned to fly But again Whitefire was up and that man flew not far--one pace, and noand after them came axe and sword They fled, they fell, they leaped into the sea, till none were left to fall and leap, for they had no time or heart to find or draw their weapons, and presently Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail stood alone upon the deck--alone with the dead

”Swanhild is a itch,” gasped Eric, ”and, whatever ill she has done, I will reood co his brow: ”to-day it works for our hands, to-ainst them”

”To the helm,” said Eric; ”the shi+p yaws and co to the tiller and put his strength on it, and but just in ti sea came aboard them and left much water in the hold

”We owe this to thy Baresark ways,” said Eric ”Hadst thou not slain the steersman we had not filled ater”

”True, lord,” answered Skallagrim; ”but when onceis left before it What course now?”

”The same on which the Gudruda was laid Perhaps, if we may endure till we come to the Farey Isles,[] we shall find her in harbour there”

[] The Faroes

”There is not rim; ”still, the wind is fair, and we fly fast before it”

Then they lashed the tiller and set to bailing They bailed long, and it was heavy work, but they rid the shi+p of , and it caly

For three days and three nights it blew thus, and the Raven sped along before the gale All this tirim stood at the helm and tended the sails They had little time to eat, and none to sleep They were so hard pressed also, and th so closely, that the bodies of the dead rew very weary and like to fall from faintness, but still they held the Raven on her course In the beginning of the fourth night a great sea struck the good shi+p so that she quivered fro up,” said Skallagrim in a hoarse voice

Eric climbed down into the well and lifted the bottoh which the water spouted in a thin streaarments from the dead men, and placed ballast stones upon theain

”Our hours are short now,” he said, ”the water rushes in apace”

”Well, it is tirim; ”but see, lord!” and he pointed ahead ”What land is that?”

”It must be the Fareys,” answered Eric; ”now, if we can but keep afloat for three hours an to fall, but still there was enough to drive the Raven on swiftly

And ever the water gained in the hold

Now they were not far from land, for ahead of theht light, and between the hills was a cleft that seemed to be a fjord Another hour passed, and they were no s from the mouth of the fjord, when suddenly the wind fell, and they were in calm water under shelter of the land They went amidshi+ps and looked The hold was half full of water, and in it floated the bodies of Ospakar's rim, ”but we may still be saved if the boat is not broken”

Now aft, near the tiller, a small boat was bound on the half deck of the Raven They went to it and looked; it hole, with oars lashed in it, but half full of water, which they ht; then they cut the little boat loose, and, having made it fast with a rope, lifted it over the side-rail and let it fall into the sea, and that was no great way, for the Raven had sunk deep

It fell on an even keel, and Eric let hirim to follow

”Bide a while, lord,” he answered; ”there is that which I would bring with me”

For a space Eric waited and then called aloud, ”Swift! thou fool; swift!