tly from
them and hurrying back into the house.

"'Tis a sweet child," observed Swend tenderly, as he and his comrades
sauntered away.

"You must have a good opinion of yourself, Krake," said Tyrker, "to
fancy that you were once like it."

"So I have," replied Krake. "It's what my father had before me. It
lies in the family, you see, and with good reason too, for we were the
best of company, not to mention fighting. It was always said that we
were uncommonly fine infants, though a trifle big and noisy for the
peace of our neighbourhood--quite like Turks in that way, I believe!"

"I doubt it not, Krake," said Biarne, who came up in time to hear the
concluding remark; "and since you are such a noisy fellow I am going to
send you on an expedition in search of these vines, that seem to me to
have rooted themselves out of the land and fled, from mere spite, since
Leif named it Vinland. There is but one quarter that I can think of now
which has not yet been explored; you may take a party of men, and let
Tyrker go too; as he discovered them on his first visit, the stupid
fellow ought to have re-discovered them long before now. You can
discuss by the way the little matter you have in hand,--only see that
you don't fall out about it."

Thus instructed, Krake organised a party, and set off to search for the
celebrated vines, which, as Biarne said, had not up to that time been
found.

That day they searched far and wide without success. Then they sat down
to rest and eat. While thus engaged, Krake and Tyrker returned to the
subject of the reported noisiness of Turks, and the former became so
caustic in his jests that the irascible little Tyrker lost temper, much
to the amusement of his comrades.

After refreshing themselves, the explorers again set out and came to a
part of the country which was broken up and beautifully diversified by
rocky eminences crowned with trees, and shady hollows carpeted with
wild-flowers. It was difficult here to decide as to which of the
innumerable valleys or hollows they should traverse; they therefore sat
down again for a little to consult, but the consultation soon became a
discussion, and Krake, whose spirit of fun had got the better of him,
gradually edged the talk round until it came again, quite in a natural
way, to the Turks. At last Tyrker became so angry that he started up,
declared he would follow the party no longer, plunged into a thicket and
disappeared.

He was follo