d never
see him again. "Farewell, sweetheart," he said to her; "you leave this
world the better for having had you in it." He rode his old white pony
down to the quay, and sat there watching the ships go out with the
tide. His red cloak was the last she saw of the haven.

The voyage was smooth, with a fair wind all the way. First they went
round to the West Settlement, and Gudrid looked out for Lucefrith where
her darkest days had also been her brightest. She could not have told
it for herself, but Karlsefne showed it to her. The black cliffs now
looked warm grey in the sun, the sea was green, sparkling with light;
the creek was smooth flowing water lipping on silver sands. Karlsefne
told her that nobody lived there now. "Mariners run in there in
summer-time for water, and see the green flats and the mountains in a
haze of heat. They say: 'This is a sweet and wholesome country. We
will dwell here and work and be happy.' Then the winter comes upon
them suddenly, white fogs, madness and death. You, my child, know as
much of that as you ought." She shivered, and leaned her head against
him. There was great store of comfort in Karlsefne; she esteemed him,
she trusted him, she believed in his star; but Thorstan Ericsson had
given her wings, and she had shed them into his grave. She would never
fly again among the stars.

They took in water from the West Settlement and then sailed to the Bear
Islands--small rocky, flat lands lying low in the great western surges.
Thence with a north wind they came into the ocean and were two days
without sight of land. But on the morning of the third day they saw
land ahead, and came within reach of it, and cast anchor in a broad
bay. This was the country to which Leif had been before and called
Helloland.[1] Karlsefne had boats manned from either ship, and stayed
a couple of days to explore. It was a litter of rock, very barren, and
full of white foxes. They found plenty of fish, and laid in a good
store; but that was no country in which to settle, so they left it,
going south before a good northerly wind.

In two days' sailing they made out a land ahead, full of trees and
dense undergrowth. That was certainly Leif's _Markland_. South-east
of it, at no great distance, there was a large island. They saw a
great bear prowling the shore, and gave his dwelling-place the name of
Bear Island, out of compliment to him. Karlsefne did not stay to
explore it.

They ran on