So she smiled up in her face and waited for her
to speak.

When she did speak it did not seem at all remarkable that she should be
perfectly understood. "What is your name?" she said plainly.

Gudrid answered her simply, "My name is Gudrid. And what is your name?"

"My name is Gudrid," said the woman, and the real Gudrid laughed softly.

"Come then, Gudrid, and sit by me," she said, and held out her hand.
The woman stared mournfully at her, and seemed to have trouble in
speaking again. She turned her head about as if her throat hurt her.
Then she said, "No, I cannot--I may not." Again she struggled, as she
said, "Go from here. Do not stay." There came a loud cry from the
stockade, and Gudrid started and got up. She went to the door and
looked out. The woman was not there.

By that time she was very much frightened, and saw them fighting at the
entry. The outside of the fence seemed thick with savages, and
presently some of them rushed the opening and came in. Freydis was at
the door of her hut and saw them. Her face flamed. "Have at you,
devils!" she shouted, and snatched up a double-handed sword. With this
she went stumbling towards them, being so far on with child that she
could scarcely walk. She had the long sword in one hand, but needed
two to swing it. Her shift incommoded her, so she ripped it open and
let it fall behind her. Then bare-breasted she whirled the great sword
over her head and began to lay about her like a man. Her yellow hair
flew out behind her like a flag; her face was flame-red, and her eyes
glittering like ice. The savages fell back before her, and at the
entry were caught by Karlsefne, returning from chasing a horde of them,
and all killed. The others had gone or been driven off. Two of the
Icelanders had been killed, and many were hurt.

After this they had a council what had best be done. Gudrid told her
story. Nobody had seen the woman but she, and nobody could make
anything of it. Freydis thought that she was a ghost, but Gudrid was
sure of her reality. "I think myself," she said, "that she was a woman
of our own people either stolen by the savages from a ship, or cast
ashore from a wreck, or lost by some adventurers of a former day. I
never saw any woman with so much horror in her face. I would do a
great deal if I could find her again. But the fighting began, and she
went away without my seeing her go."

"I should like more to know how she came in," sai