fin, turning to his friend, "the
mention of Vinland reminds me that, when you and I met last, you did not
give me a full account of that discovery, seeing that you omitted to
mention your own share in it. Tell me how was it, and when and where
was it? Nay, have I unintentionally touched on a sore point?" he added,
on observing a slight shade of annoyance pass over Biarne's usually
cheerful countenance.

"He _is_ a little sore about it," said Leif, laughing. "Come, Biarne,
don't be thin-skinned. You know the saying, A dutiful son makes a glad
father. You had the best of reasons for acting as you did."

"Ay, but people don't believe in these best of reasons," retorted
Biarne, still annoyed, though somewhat mollified by Leif's remarks.

"Never mind, 'tis long past now. Come, give us the saga. 'Tis a good
one, and will bear re-telling."

"Oh yes," exclaimed Olaf, with sparkling eyes, for the boy dearly loved
anything that bore the faintest resemblance to a saga or story, "tell
it, Biarne."

"Not I," said Biarne; "Leif can tell it as well as I, if he chooses."

"Well, I'll try," said Leif, laying his huge hand on the table and
looking earnestly at Karlsefin and Thorward. The latter was a very
silent man, and had scarcely uttered a word all the evening, but he
appeared to take peculiar interest in Vinland, and backed up the request
that Leif would give an account of its discovery.

"About twenty summers ago," said Leif, "my father, Eric the Red, and his
friend Heriulf, Biarne's father, came over here from Iceland. [A.D.
986.] Biarne was a very young man at the time--little more than a boy--
but he was a man of enterprise, and fond of going abroad, and possessed
a merchant-ship of his own with which he gathered wealth, and, I will
say it, reputation also--though perhaps I should not say that to his
face.

"He was a good son, and used to be by turns a year abroad and a year
with his father. He chanced to be away in Norway when Heriulf and my
father Eric came over to Greenland. On returning to Iceland he was so
much disappointed to hear of his father's departure that he would not
unload his ship, but resolved to follow his old custom and take up his
winter abode with his father. `Who will go with me to Greenland?' said
he to his men. `We will all go,' replied the men. `Our expedition,'
said Biarne, `will be thought foolish, as none of us have ever been on
the Greenland sea before.' `We mind not that,' sai