his blue cloak now, at the--"

He broke off and slowly rose to his feet, a look upon his face that made
Helga whirl instinctively and glance over her shoulder. She did not turn
back again, but sat as though frozen in the act; for behind the sumach
bush Leif stood, watching them.

How long he had been there they had no idea, but his eyes were full upon
them; and they realized that at last he knew truly for whom it was that
Helga, Gilli's daughter, had fled from home. His lips were drawn into a
straight line, and his brows into a black frown.

The voices came nearer and nearer,--until Sigurd's blue cloak fluttered
at the very foot of the trail. When he saw the chief's scarlet mantle
mingling with the scarlet of the sumach leaves, the jarl's son gave a
great leap forward. It was no longer than the drawing of a breath,
however, before he recovered himself.

His clear voice rose like a bugle call, "_Diable_! foster-father! I have
just made a very different discovery from the one I promised
you,--Tyrker has been left behind."

The chief was down the bank in three long leaps, shooting a volley of
fierce questions. Each member of the party instantly raised his voice to
defend himself and blame his neighbor. The remainder of the camp,
brought to the spot by the noise, rent the air with upbraiding and
alarms. When the shield-maiden suddenly sprang from nowhere and stood in
their midst, the men did not even notice her; nor did the appearance of
the Norman attract more attention. As an accident, it was incredibly
fortunate; as a diversion, it was a master-stroke.

Yet it did not take the chief long to quell the up-roar, when at last he
had made up his mind what course to pursue. Seizing a shield from a man
at his side, he hammered upon it with his sword until every other sound
was drowned in the clangor.

"Silence!" he shouted. "Silence, fools! Would you save him by deafening
each other? We must reach him before wild beasts do: he would be as a
child in their clutches. Ten of you who are fresh-footed, get weapons
and follow me. The least crazy of you who accompanied him, shall guide
us back."

Only as he was turning away and ran bodily into him, did he appear to
remember the Norman's existence. His eyes gave out an ominous flash.

"You also follow," he commanded.

As the little column moved over the hills in the fading light, Helga
looked after them, half dazed.

"What is the meaning of that?" she murmured to the jarl