as
taking badly to ale when I left."

There was something pathetic yet humorous in the tone and expression
with which Kettle said this which caused Alric to laugh. The Irishman
started, and for an instant his huge countenance blazed with a look of
wrath which was quite majestic, and overawed the boy, bold though he
was. But it passed away in a moment, and was replaced by a sorrowful
look as Kettle shook his head and said--

"Ah! boy, your laugh reminded me of the laugh of the villain Haabrok who
took the old king's throne at the time I was carried off, bound hand and
foot. Lucky was it for him that my hands were not free then.--Well,
well, this sounds like bragging," he added with a smile, "which is only
fit for boys and cowards."

Alric winced a little at this, for he was quite aware of his own
tendency to boast, and for a moment he felt a strong inclination to
stand up for "boys", and assert, that although boasting was common
enough with cowardly boys, it was not so with all boys; but on
consideration he thought it best to hold his tongue, on that point, at
least until he should have freed himself of the evil of boasting. To
change the subject he said--

"Was the old king fond of thee, Kettle?"

"Aye, as fond of me as of his own son."

"Was he like my father?" pursued the boy.

"No; there are not many men like thy father, lad; but he was a stout and
brave old man, and a great warrior in his day. Now I think of it, he
was very like Guttorm Stoutheart."

"Then he was a handsome man," said Solve Klofe with emphasis.

"He was," continued Kettle, "but not quite so desperate. Old Guttorm is
the most reckless man I ever did see. Did I ever tell ye of the
adventure I had with him when we went on viking cruise south to
Valland?"

"No," said Solve; "let us hear about it; but stay till I change the
oarsmen."

He went forward and gave the order to relieve the men who had rowed from
the land, and when the fresh men were on the benches he returned and
bade Kettle go on.

"'Tis a fine country," said the Irishman, glancing round him with a
glowing eye, and speaking in a low tone, as if to himself--"one to be
proud of."

And in truth there was ground for his remark, for the mists had by that
time entirely cleared away, leaving unveiled a sea so calm and bright
that the innumerable islets off the coast appeared as if floating in
air.

"That is true," said Thorer. "I sometimes wonder, Kettle, at thy
longing