ched the shore and the green hills, which looked so steady above
the tumbling seas, wistfully.

I went to them and told them that we must needs face the end of the
voyage in an hour or so, and that we would arm ourselves in case
the shore folk gave trouble.

"They will do no harm," he said; "but it may be as well."

"One cannot be too sure of that," I answered; but saying no more,
as I would not alarm Gerda with talk of wreckers.

"Bad for them if they do," he said. "We will not leave one alive to
talk of it."

I laughed, for he spoke as if he had a host at his heels.

"No laughing matter," he said, rising up; "but it is not to be
thought of that a prince of Maghera should be harmed in his own
land."

"What is that? Your own land?"

"Of course," he said, staring at me. "Will you tell me that you two
seamen did not know that yonder lies Ireland? Why, that hill is--"

I cannot mind the names, but he pointed to two or three peaks which
he knew well, and I had to believe him. He said that we were some
way to the westward of a terrible place which he called the Giant's
Causeway, too far off for us to see.

"Why did you not tell us this before?" I asked, as we took the mail
from the courtmen's chest where we had laid it.

"You never asked me, and therefore I supposed you knew," he
answered gaily. "Now, where you suppose you are going to find a
haven I cannot say, but I hope there is one of which I never
heard."

Then I told him of our case, and he listened, unmoved, arming
himself the while. Only, he said that it would be hard to be
drowned with the luck of the O'Neills round his neck, and therefore
did not believe that we should be so. But he knew nothing of the
island, nor whether it was inhabited. He had seen it from the hills
yonder once or twice, when he was hunting, and the chase had led
him to the shore.

I think that in his joy at seeing his own land again he was going
to tell me some story of a hunt on those hills; but I left him and
bade him help Bertric to arm while I took the helm. The shore was
not two miles from us at that time, and Bertric hastened, whistling
a long whistle in answer to me, when I told him Dalfin's news. Then
Gerda came aft and stood by me.

"Is there danger ahead, Malcolm?" she asked very quietly.

"We hope, little; but there is a great deal of risk. We may be able
to beach the ship safely, though she will be of no use thereafter."

"And if not?"

"She must break up, an