in the cold keen light of the electric lamps, and the first act
of the visitors was to carefully remove and clear away this frost
coating. To their intense satisfaction this task was accomplished by
gentle brushing without the slightest difficulty, and they were then
able to minutely inspect the bodies of these ancient sea kings. They
were in a state of surprisingly perfect preservation, and indeed had the
appearance of having only recently fallen asleep, the intense cold
having seized upon them with such fierce rapidity that their bodies had
completely congealed before even the primary stages of decay had had
time to manifest themselves. Indeed, judging from appearances, they had
succumbed, in the first instance, to starvation, and, overcome by
weakness, had been frozen to death. They were all of lofty stature and
muscular build, with fair hair and tawny beards and moustaches, the
latter worn extremely long. They were fully clad, all in garments of
the same general character, excepting that those of the seated figure
appeared to be of somewhat finer material than those of his companions.
These garments, the outer ones, that is to say, consisted of a thick
leathern tunic confined at the waist by a broad belt, and leather
drawers reaching from the waist to the ankles, thick leather socks or
stockings, and sandals laced to the feet and legs by leather thongs.
The tunic of the chief was elaborately embroidered on the breast in
silk, a winged black horse being the central and most conspicuous
design. The trophy hanging at the back of the sitter's chair consisted
of a small circular shield, with a formidable axe, double-handed sword,
and mace crossing each other, behind it, the whole being surmounted by a
handsome bronze headpiece, or helmet without a visor, having a large
pair of finely modelled wings starting from the sides and near the
crown. The helmets of the other three occupants were of similar shape,
but without ornament of any kind. Two drinking horns were upon the
table, one being plainly mounted in bronze, and the other elaborately
mounted in silver and supported upon three legs modelled after those of
the horse, the fourth leg being lifted in the attitude of pawing the
ground.

But perhaps the most interesting object of all was a sheet of parchment
which lay stretched upon the table before the sitter, and which he had
evidently been studying when the drowsiness of death seized him, and,
sinking back in h