l should
die for one man's folly."

"Grieve not, lord," answered Skallagrim, "that is the world's way, and
there are worse things than to drown. Listen! methinks I hear the roar
of breakers yonder," and he pointed to the left.

"Breakers they surely are," said Eric. "Now the end is near. But see, is
not that land looming up on the right, or is it cloud?"

"It is land," said Skallagrim, "and I am sure of this, that we run into
a firth. Look, the seas boil like a hot spring. Hold on thy course,
lord, perchance we may yet steer between rocks and land. Already the
wind falls and the current lessens the seas."

"Ay," said Eric, "already the fog and rain come up," and he pointed
ahead where dense clouds gathered in the shape of a giant, whose head
reached to the skies and moved towards them, hiding the moon.

Skallagrim looked, then spoke: "Now here, it seems, is witchwork. Say,
lord, hast thou ever seen mist travel against wind as it travels now?"

"Never before," said Eric, and as he spoke the light of the moon went
out.

Swanhild, Atli's wife, sat in beauty in her bower on Straumey Isle and
looked with wide eyes towards the sea. It was midnight. None stirred in
Atli's hall, but still Swanhild looked out towards the sea.

Now she turned and spoke into the darkness, for there was no light in
the bower save the light of her great eyes.

"Art thou there?" she said. "I have summoned thee thrice in the words
thou knowest. Say, Toad, art there?"

"Ay, Swanhild the Fatherless! Swanhild, Groa's daughter! Witch-mother's
witch-child! I am here. What is thy will with me?" piped a thin voice
like the voice of a dying babe.

Swanhild shuddered a little and her eyes grew brighter--as bright as the
eyes of a cat.

"This first," she said: "that thou show thyself. Hideous as thou art, I
had rather see thee, than speak with thee seeing thee not."

"Mock not my form, lady," answered the thin voice, "for it is as thou
dost fashion it in thy thought. To the good I am fair as day; to the
evil, foul as their heart. _Toad_ thou didst call me: look, now I come
as a toad!"

Swanhild looked, and behold! a ring of the darkness grew white with
light, and in it crouched a thing hideous to see. It was shaped as a
great spotted toad, and on it was set a hag's face, with white locks
hanging down on either side. Its eyes were blood-red and sunken, black
were its fangs, and its skin was dead yellow. It grinned horribly as
Swanhild shran