and, without
waiting to put on helmet or sword, ran out to meet Hengler.

Seeing this, the savages stopped, hastily fitted arrows to their
bowstrings and discharged them, the one at Hengler, the other at Leif.
The first just grazed the flying Norseman's ear; the other fell short,
but before a second discharge was possible Leif had sent an arrow
whizzing at the first savage. It pierced his thigh. Uttering a fierce
yell, he plucked the shaft out of the wound, and turning round fled back
to the woods followed by his companion.

"Not a moment to lose," gasped Hengler, as he ran into the hamlet.
"There are hundreds of them everywhere."

"Coming towards us?" asked Leif.

"Not when I saw them, but doubtless when these two return they will come
down like a mountain foss."

"Quick, get into the fort, lads!--Stay, Hengler, assist me with the
women."

"Do you think they really mean to attack us?" asked Gudrid, who, with
Bertha and Freydissa, came forward at the moment.

"Assuredly they do," answered Leif; "come, follow Hengler to the fort.
Whatever they intended before, the arrow in that fellow's leg will
settle the question. Where are Thora and Astrid?"

"In the dairy," replied Gudrid.

"Away, then; I go to fetch them."

"Would that I were a man!" exclaimed Freydissa, catching up a spear and
shaking it as she strode along with the rest. "_I'd_ teach them to
think twice before coming here to disturb peaceable folk!"

"Peaceable," thought Leif, with a grim smile, as he hurried towards the
dairy; but he said nothing, for he deemed that to be a time for silence
and action.

In a few minutes nearly all the population of the place had taken refuge
in the fort, and soon afterwards the livestock was driven into the shed
beside the rock. The gate was then shut and the men mounted the
battlements, or breastwork, to watch for the expected foe.

But no foe made his appearance. Hour after hour passed away; the sun
descended behind the tree-tops and below the horizon; the grey mantle of
evening overspread the scene; still the watchers stood on the
battlements and gazed intently into the forest--still there was not the
slightest sound or symptom of an enemy in the vast sleeping wilderness.

"Now this is passing strange," observed Hengler, who had been appointed
second in command, and stood beside Leif.

"Not so strange as ye suppose," replied Leif. "Many a time have I
fought with men in the mountains of Norway and on