"

The words had scarcely left his lips when an arrow stood quivering in
the knot referred to.

With an exclamation and look of surprise Karlsefin said it must have
been a chance, and Biarne seemed inclined to hold the same opinion; but
while they were yet speaking, Hake planted another arrow close by the
side of the first.

"Once more, Hake," said Krake, who stood close behind the archer;
"there's a saying in Ireland that there's good fortune in odd numbers:
try it again."

The Scot readily complied, and sent a third shaft into the knot, with
its head touching the heads of the other two arrows.

"Enough, enough, your arms are as good as your legs," said Karlsefin.
"Ye are a valuable thrall, Hake, and Leif Ericsson has reason to be
grateful to King Olaf of Norway for his gift.--Here, two of you, sling
that deer on a pole and bear it to Gudrid. Tell her how deftly it was
brought down, and relate what you have seen just now. And hark 'ee," he
added, with a peculiar smile, "there is no occasion to say anything
about what occurred before the successful shot. It always adds to the
value of a good story that it be briefly as well as pithily told, and
disencumbered from unnecessary details. A wise tongue is that which
knows when to wag and when to lie still.--Come, Biarne, we will proceed
in our examination of this stream."

Leaving behind them the two men who were to return to the huts with the
deer, they proceeded down the banks of Little River, until they came to
the pool where Hake and his brother had seen the salmon leap. On the
way down, however, the leader had been convinced of the fact that many
salmon were there, having seen several rise, and observed others passing
over some of the pebbly shallows.

"It was here, was it not," asked Biarne, "that you and your brother saw
the salmon leaping on the occasion of your first visit?"

"It was," replied Hake.

"At what part of the pool?"

"Just below the tail of the island, where the water is deep, and rolls
with numberless oily ripples."

"Ha! a likely spot," said Karlsefin.

At that moment a salmon leaped out of the pool, as if to assure him that
Hake's statement was true, and immediately afterwards another fish rose
and flourished its fan-like tail, as if to make assurance doubly sure.

For some time they went about examining that part of the river, which,
the reader will remember, has been described as being divided for some
distance by a long island