t seemed to me that they were hard
featured and cruel looking, though towards me were none but
friendly looks. Yet I speak of the crew only, for Halfden was like
his father in face and speech, and that is saying much for him in
both.

They spread a great awning, striped in blue and white like the
sail, over the after deck, and there they set food and wine for us,
and Halfden and I sat down together. And with us one other, an
older man, tall and bushy bearded, with a square, grave face
scarred with an old wound. Thormod was his name, and I knew
presently that he was Halfden's foster father, and the real captain
of the ship while Halfden led the fighting men.

"Food first and talk after," quoth this Thormod, and we fell to.

So when we had finished, and sat with ale horns only before us,
Halfden said:

"I have sought tidings of my father from the day when he was lost
until this. Now tell me all his story from end to end."

And I did so; though when it came to the throwing of the line to
the boat I said naught of my own part in that, there being no need,
and moreover that I would not seem to praise myself. And I ended by
saying how Lodbrok was even now at court with Eadmund, our king,
and high in favour with him and all lesser men.

Many were the questions that the Danes asked me as I spoke, and I
answered them plainly, for indeed I was glad to see the look in
Halfden's eyes as I spoke to him of his father, I having naught but
pleasant things to tell of him, which one may say of few men,
perhaps. And by and by I spoke of his having taught me the use of
the Danish axe.

"Ho!" said Thormod; "hold your peace for a while, and we will see
what sort of pupil he had."

Then he rose up and took his axe, and bade me take Halfden's, which
I did, not over willingly maybe, while Halfden stood by, smiling.

"I will not harm you," said Thormod shortly, seeing that I was not
over eager. "See here!"

His ale horn stood on the low table where we had been sitting, and
now he placed it on the gunwale, going from under the awning. The
men who sat along the decks looked up at him and were still.

Then he heaved up the axe with both hands and whirled it, bringing
it down with such force that I looked to see both horn and gunwale
shorn through. But so skilful was he that he stayed that mighty
stroke so that the keen edge of the axe rested on the horn's rim
without marking it, and all the men who were watching cried out:

"Skoal