ight boat rapidly
approached the shore.

Bissula no longer watched the disappearing Roman galley, but with a
throbbing heart sprang into the bow of the boat, where Adalo's
house-mark, the sixteen-branched antlers, rose proudly; she could not
help stroking it tenderly. The next instant she turned, laughing and
clapping her hands joyously, and exclaimed: "Now, Rignomer, you shall
see for once what rowing means. We are moving far too slowly for me!"

Lifting two oars from the bottom of the light boat she put them
skilfully into the willow holders, seized them with both hands and,
standing erect, her face turned toward the shore, rowed with such
strength and skill that Rignomer exclaimed in wonder: "By Freya's eyes,
girl, you might become a boatman on the Issala any day! You can do this
too? A pity that you are not going with me to my mother!" The boat shot
to the land among the marshes. Bissula reached the ground with a long
leap before the Batavian could help her. The steersman had kept a
straight course for the nobleman's hall: they saw the stately wooden
mansion towering directly above them on the hill.

"Oh, Donar be thanked," cried the girl joyously. "He has saved his
favorite beast, as the she-bear saved me."

"What? What are you looking at in the mire?"

"See! Bear tracks; very fresh ones! She was not drowned; she ran yonder
to the right along the shore on the old path where Sippilo and I always
went to fish."

"Who is Sippilo?" asked the Batavian. "Another Adalo?"

"Oh, nonsense! A child. And just see; from here the tracks go directly
to the hall. Come! Don't walk! Leap! Spring up the hill!"

"No, little one," said the Batavian gravely. "You can run; I will not go
with you. You seem to know the way, to know it very well. There is no
human being in sight far or near. You can reach the hall safe without
me. Aha, there too, a huge stag's antlers tower from the roof. That is
the reason you were so pleased with the one on the boat's prow.
Farewell, little one! I won't go to the meeting--I mean yours with
Adalo and all the rest who belong to his clan."

"They would thank you for having done so much for me."

"Never mind the thanks. I did not do it for them."

"Where are you going?"

"Home. To the north and west. No, have no fear for me; I shall make my
way through. Here in my breast, little one, I carry the pay and the
price of the booty won in seven years; and on my shoulder is this pole.
One can go far w