lorious hay while yet the sun of war was shining.

"Mother," he said, stopping suddenly, and crossing his arms, as he stood
with his feet planted pretty wide apart, after the fashion of those who
desire to be thought very resolute--"mother, I had a dream last night."

"Tell it me, my son," said Herfrida, sitting down on a low stool beside
the lad.

Now, it must be known that in those days the Northmen believed in dreams
and omens and warnings--indeed, they were altogether a very
superstitious people, having perfect faith in giants, good and bad;
elves, dark and bright; wraiths, and fetches, and guardian spirits--
insomuch that there was scarcely one among the grown-up people who had
not seen some of these fabulous creatures, or who had not seen some
other people who had either seen them themselves or had seen individuals
who _said_ they had seen them! There were also many "clear-sighted" or
"fore-sighted" old men and women, who not only saw goblins and
supernatural appearances occasionally, and, as it were, accidentally,
like ordinary folk, but who also had the gift--so it is said--of seeing
such things when they pleased--enjoyed, as it were, an unenviable
privilege in that way. It was therefore with unusual interest that
Herfrida asked about her son's dream.

"It must have been mara [nightmare], I think," he said, "for though I
never had it before, it seemed to me very like what Guttorm Stoutheart
says he always has after eating too hearty a meal."

"Relate it, my son."

"Well, you must know," said Alric, with much gravity and importance, for
he observed that the girls about the room were working softly that they
might hear him, "I dreamed that I was out on the fells, and there I met
a dreadful wolf, as big as a horse, with two heads and three tails, or
three heads and two tails, I mind not which, but it gave me little time
to notice it, for, before I was aware, it dashed at me, and I turned to
run, but my feet seemed to cleave to the earth, and my legs felt heavy
as lead, so that I could scarce drag myself along, yet, strange to say,
the wolf did not overtake me, although I heard it coming nearer and
nearer every moment, and I tried to shout, but my voice would not come
out."

"What hadst thou to supper last night?" asked Herfrida.

"Let me think," replied the boy meditatively; "I had four cuts of
salmon, three rolls of bread and butter, half a wild-duck, two small
bits of salt-fish, some eggs, a little mil