he chief. "But I
suppose you have put in for food and water."

"For ale and beef--that is more like it," said the Dane. "Having
found which we are going away again. The sooner we find it the
better, therefore, and maybe you will be glad to help us to what we
seek."

"Our folk tell me that you are helping yourselves somewhat freely
already," answered the thane. "One may suppose that, like honest
seamen, you mean to face the reckoning presently."

"Oh ay, we always pay, if we are asked," answered the chief; and as
he said it he hitched his sword hilt forward into reach in a way
which there was no mistaking.

"It is a new thing to us that seamen should hint that they will pay
for what they need with the cold steel. We are not such churls as
to withhold what a man would seek in his need."

"No man ever withholds aught from us, if so be we have set our
minds on it," said the chief, with a great laugh.

Then he turned to his men, who were all round us by this time,
listening.

"Here, take these two down to the ships, and see that they escape
not; they will be good hostages."

In a moment, before we had time so much as to spur our horses, much
less to draw sword, we were seized and pinioned by the men in spite
of the rearing of the frightened steeds. Plainly it was not the
first time they had handled men in that wise. Then, with a warrior
on either side of us, we were hurried seaward; and I thought it
best to hold my tongue, for there was not the least use in
protesting. So also thought my cousin, for he never said a word.

Along the rough wharves there was bustle and noise enough, for the
place swarmed with the mailed seamen, who had littered the roadway
with goods of all sorts from the houses and merchants' stores, and
were getting what they chose to take across the gang planks into
their ships. Here and there I saw some of our people standing
helpless in doorways, or looking from the loft windows and
stairways; but it was plain that the most of them had fled. There
were several boatloads of them crossing the bay with all speed for
safety.

Next I saw that at the high stems and sterns of the ships stood
posted men, who seemed to be on watch, leaning on their spears, and
taking no part in the bustle. But every man worked with his arms
ready, and more men who had found horses rode out along the roads
as we came in. They were the pickets who would watch for the
raising of the country, or who would drive in the ca