with that other."

"That is to be seen," I answered, though I thought it surely would
be so. "Now go and see to the arms and all things needful, and send
the steward to me, for we have to victual the ship."

So I left Thormod with the steward and sought Ingild, telling him
what I would do. Whereat he, knowing my trouble, was very glad; and
then Egfrid would fain come with me also when he heard. That,
however, I would not suffer, seeing that there was Ingvar to be
dealt with. My mother wept, and would have me not go. But here my
sister helped me.

"Bring Osritha back if you can," she said. "Soon will our house be
built again, and we shall go, and you will be lonely."

For Egfrid's father had owned Guthrum, and his house and theirs
were nigh rebuilt.

In a day's time Thormod and I set sail, and once more I took the
helm as we went out over our bar. And the quiver of the tiller in
my hands and the long lift of the ship over the rollers seemed to
put fresh life in me, and my gloom passed away as if it had never
been.

The breeze was fresh, and the ship flew, yet not fast enough for
me, though so well sailed ours that when day broke the other was
hull down astern of us, and at night we had lost her altogether.
And the breeze held and the spray flew, and I walked the deck
impatiently, while Thormod from the helm smiled at me. Bright were
the skies over me, and bright the blue water that flashed below the
ship's keel, but my thoughts would even have brightened such leaden
skies as those that last saw me cross along this ocean path. And I
thought that I could deal with Ingvar now.

CHAPTER XVI. HOW WULFRIC BROUGHT OSRITHA HOME.

There was a haze far out at sea, and a fog was coming in with the
tide when we came to the mouth of Ingvar's haven; and rounded the
spit of land that shelters it from the southerly winds. Soon we
cleared it and then saw the town and hall above it at the head of
the haven, and what my longings were I need not write.

Now by the wharves lay two ships, and I thought little of that, but
on seeing them, Thormod, by whose side I was as he steered, seemed
to wonder.

"Ingvar has got another ship from somewhere," he said, "or has
built one this winter, for he sailed home with one only."

Then, too, the men began to say the like, for the second ship was
strange to them also, and, as seamen will, they puzzled over her
until we were close at hand. But I leaned on the gunwale and
dreamed drea