rse with
some words or other of common farewell, as a tall Irish chief
passed with a scowl at us.

"Jealousies through and through this court," he said quickly, when
the man was out of hearing. "Already some pretend to be wroth with
me for having any dealing with Lochlannoch at all. I am the
youngest son, and my father favours me, more's the pity."

"Better quit it all, and come and help Hakon to the throne," I
said.

"If it were not for my father," he answered.

So then and there he bade us farewell, with messages to Gerda and
Hakon, and called some of his own men to see us to the ship. We
left him standing in the gate, looking after us somewhat sadly, as
we thought.

"Now," said Bertric, "it seems to me that one may guess why Dalfin
went to sea to find adventure. This court is not a happy home, take
it all round."

Halfway down to the ship we heard some one running after us, and
looked round. It was Father Phelim.

"Take me with you, my sons," he said, breathless. "I feared that
you would go without me."

"We had not thought you would care to sail with us again," I said.

He made no answer beyond a smile, and we went on. Men stood and
stared at us at every turning, axe in hand. In the lane they
wrangled over the spoils they gathered there from the fallen Danes,
and fought fiercely with the long helves of their weapons without
hurting one another at all by reason of their shock heads. One who
was felled thus would rise and laugh, and the quarrel was at an
end. They were a light-hearted folk to all seeming.

Once a handsome, frowning chief came past us at a gallop on his
swift horse. He was glittering with gold, but the steed had neither
saddle nor bridle. Its only harness was a halter, but the man rode
as if he were part of the horse, so that it was a pleasure to watch
him. It was more than either Bertric or I could have managed.

The Danish ship was afloat when we reached the waterside, for the
tide had risen swiftly in these upper waters, and the Irish had
helped to get her off, after plundering her. There were a dozen or
more of Hakon's men on board at this time, making her decks
shipshape again. But below the bend rose a black cloud of smoke,
for the other ship was on fire, and Hakon had sent a boat to see
that all was well with the ship he had left there.

There was no surprise at the message from Dalfin. Thoralf only
laughed, and Hakon said he would wait for half an hour in case the
supplies cam