from the walls of the houses. There was nothing in the stables. The
boat was gone.

Ingolf went out and stood on a high point of land that jutted out into
the water. Far along the coast he saw some little islands. He turned to
his men and said:

"The thralls have done it. I think we shall find them on those islands."

Then he went back to Leif and stood looking at him.

"What a shame for so brave a man to fall by the hands of thralls! But I
have found that such things always happen to men who do not sacrifice to
the gods. Ah, Leif! I did not think when we made those vows of
foster-brotherhood that this would ever happen. But do not fear. I
remember my promise. I had thought that a man's blood is precious in
this empty land, but my vow is more precious."

Now they laid all those men together and tied on their hell-shoes.

"I need my sword for your sake, foster-brother. I cannot give you that.
But you shall have my spears and my drinking-horn," said Ingolf. "For
surely Odin has chosen you for Valhalla, even though you did not
sacrifice. You are too good a man to go to Niflheim. You would make
times merry in Valhalla."

So Ingolf put his spears and his drinking-horn by Leif. Then the men
raised a great mound over all the dead. After that they went aboard
their boat and sailed for the islands that Ingolf had seen. It was
evening when they reached them.

"I see smoke rising from that one," Ingolf said, pointing.

He steered for it. It was a steep rock like that one in the Faroes, but
they found a harbor and landed and climbed the steep hill and came out
on top. They saw the ten thralls sitting about a bonfire eating. Helga
and the other women from Leif's house sat near, huddled together, white
and frightened. One of the thralls gave a great laugh and shouted:

"This is better than pulling Leif's plow. To-morrow we will sail for
Ireland with all his wealth."

"To-morrow you will be freezing in Niflheim," cried Ingolf, and he
leaped among them swinging his sword, and all his men followed him, and
they killed those thralls.

Then Ingolf turned to Helga. She threw herself into his arms and wept.
But after a while she told him this story:

"When springtime came, Leif thought that he would sow wheat. He had but
one ox. The others had died during the winter. So he set the thralls to
help pull the plow. I saw their sour looks and was afraid, but Leif only
laughed:

"'What else can thralls expect?' he said. 'Never f