en I looked, and I saw all the northern sky glow red as glows the
light of a burning town on the low clouds when the host that has
fired it looks back on its work. And plain and clear in the silver
moonlight against the crimson sky sat the wraith of a king, throned
on the sand at the very water's edge, and round him stood shadowy
nobles, looking seaward.

And even as I saw it the first wave of the rising tide sent its
edge of foam shorewards, and it surged around the kingly feet and
sapped the base of the throne, and the stately wraith turned and
looked upon the nobles, and was gone.

Then faded the red light from the sky, and the waves washed over
the place where the throne and court had been, and Olaf rose up and
looked in my face. Nor was there fear of what he had seen and heard
written in his quiet look.

"What is this, my king?" I said, trembling with the fear that comes
of things beyond our ken.

"It is the fate of England that is falling on her," he said
quietly.

"Read it me, for I fear what I have heard and seen," I said.

"We have heard the going of mighty hosts to England, and we have
heard the sound of farewell. But we have heard no shout of victory,
or wailing for defeat. Little therefore will be gained or lost by
this sailing of ours. Yet all is surely lost if we sail not."

Then he ceased, but he had not yet spoken of what we saw, and I
waited for his words. Yet still he stood silent, and looked out
over the sea, until I was fain to ask him what the vision meant.

"Surely it was the wraith of a son of Swein that we saw," he said;
"but it will be long years ere Cnut bears that likeness, for that
was of a man full grown and mighty."

Now the reading of this was beyond me, for I have no skill in these
matters, as had Olaf. And he said nought for a little while, but
seemed to ponder over it.

"Now I know," said he at last. "What we have seen is the outcome of
the going of the hosts to England. There shall be a Danish kingdom
built upon sand. Cnut shall reign, but his throne shall fall. The
wave of English love for England's kings of her own race cannot be
stayed."

Then I was downcast, for hope that the Danes would be driven from
the land had filled all my mind, and I said:

"Surely the vision may mean that we shall sweep away the Danish
rule as the waves sapped the throne and swept over its place."

"Aye, may it be so," answered Olaf. "Often one may read these
visions best even as their bod