up?"

"I did," said Thrond. "He said somewhat about taking back a
promise, and wanted to go overboard."

Thorleif stooped and unbound me, and I thanked him.

"Well, you won't go overboard now," he said, nodding toward the
shore.

The great rock of Portland was broad off on our right, and maybe we
were five miles from the nearest shore. Astern--for we were still
heading out to sea--the smoke of burning Weymouth hung black
against the blue sky. It was just such a day as yesterday, fair and
warm, and the land I loved had never seemed so lovely.

"Let me go, chief," I said; "it is of no use for you to keep me."

"Why," he answered, "I don't know that it is. But your folk would
pay no ransom, and it would seem foolish if I had let you go
offhand. Not but what your folk have not proved their wisdom, for
they have got rid of us pretty cheaply. Odin! how they swarmed on
us!"

"Ay," growled Thrond. "I did not dream that so many men could be
gathered in so few hours; but they fought anyhow, and it was only a
matter of numbers. Well, the place is good enough, and it is but a
question of more ships next time."

"Why did not you try an escape when we were all busy in the fight?"
asked Thorleif, turning to me. "I have lost more than one captive
in that way."

I told him, and he looked kindly enough at me, and smiled in his
grim way.

"You were right in saying that a Saxon's word was good, Thrond," he
said.

"I am sorry we can in no way send you back now. Your cousin did his
best to win his folk to peace--and fought well when he could not.
Nay, he is not hurt, so far as I know."

"Let me swim ashore, if there is no other way," I said, with a dull
despair on me.

Thorleif looked at the sea and frowned.

"I could not do it myself," he said. "There is a swift current
round yon headland. See, it is setting us eastward even now."

But I did not wait to hear any more; I shook my shoes off, and over
I went. The wake of the swift vessel closed over my head as the men
shouted, and when I came to the surface I looked back once. It
seemed that Thorleif was preventing the men from sending a shower
of arrows after me, but in those few moments a long space of water
had widened between us; and I doubt whether they would have hit me,
for I could have dived.

Then I headed for shore and freedom, and it was good to be in the
water alone with silence round me. As for the other two ships, they
were half a mile away from Thorleif's