nd Haldorstede may burn, but thou shalt not live to see it."

With that he plucked an arrow from his quiver, fitted it to the string,
and discharged it full at the Dane's throat. Quick as thought the man
of war sprang aside, but the shaft had been well and quickly aimed. It
passed through his neck between the skin and the flesh.

A cry of anger burst from him as he leaped on the boy and caught him by
the throat. He hastily felt for the hilt of his dagger, and in the heat
of his rage would assuredly have ended the career of poor Alric then and
there; but, missing the hilt at the first grasp, he suddenly changed his
mind, lifted the boy as if he had been a little dog, and flung him over
the precipice into the sea.

A fall of thirty feet, even though water should be the recipient of the
shock, is not a trifle by any means, but Alric was one of those vigorous
little fellows--of whom there are fortunately many in this world--who
train themselves to feats of strength and daring. Many a time had he,
when bathing, leaped off that identical cliff into the sea for his own
amusement, and to the admiration and envy of many of his companions,
and, now that he felt himself tumbling in the air against his will, the
sensation, although modified, was nothing new. He straightened himself
out after the manner of a bad child that does not wish to sit on nurse's
knee, and went into the blue fiord, head foremost, like a javelin.

He struck the water close to the vessel of his enemies, and on rising to
the surface one of them made a plunge at him with an oar, which, had it
taken effect, would have killed him on the spot; but he missed his aim,
and before he could repeat it, the boy had dived.

The Dane was sensible of his error the instant he had tossed Alric away
from him, so he hastened to his boat, leaped into it, and ordered the
men to pull to the rocks near to which Alric had dived; but before they
could obey the order a loud ringing cheer burst from the cliffs, and in
another moment the form of Swart was seen on a ledge, high above, in the
act of hurling a huge mass of rock down on the boat. The mass struck
the cliff in its descent, burst into fragments, and fell in a shower
upon the Danes.

At the same time Swart waved his hand as if to someone behind him, and
shouted with stentorian voice:

"This way, men! Come on! Down into the boats and give chase! huzza!"

The enemy did not await the result of the order, but pulled o