ent down to the beach, where he found his friend.

"Edwinsson," said Heika, after some conversation had passed between
them, "you have a good boat near Leif's wharf. Will you lend it to me?"

"Right willingly," replied his friend.

"But I am bound on an excursion that may chance to end in the wreck of
the boat," said Heika. "Will you hold me responsible if I lose it?"

"'Twill be difficult to hold thee responsible," returned Edwinsson,
laughing, "if ye lose your life along with it. But that matters not. I
gift thee the boat if thou wilt have it. I count it a small gift to the
man who saved my life."

"Thanks, Edwinsson--thanks. I accept the gift, and, if my venture is
successful, I shall try to let you share the benefit in some way or
other."

"Hast discovered a new fishing-ground, Heika? What venture do ye
intend?" asked the other.

"That I will keep secret just now," said Heika, laughing carelessly. "I
don't want to be followed at first. Ye shall know all about it soon.
But hearken, friend, make no mention of it. One does not like to be
laughed at if one fails, you know."

So saying, Heika went off to Leif's wharf, loosed the boat which he
found there, hoisted the sail, and dropped down with the tide to the
mouth of the fiord. Here a light breeze was blowing, under the
influence of which he soon ran round the point of land that divided
Ericsfiord from Heriulfness. In the course of another hour he reached
the western skerries.

The skerries or islets in question were little better than bare rocks,
which lay about fifty yards from the mainland, along which they formed a
sort of breakwater for a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile. Within
this breakwater there were several narrow and well-sheltered inlets.
Into one of these Heika ran his boat, and made it fast in a place which
was so well overshadowed by rocks, that the boat could neither be seen
from the land nor from the sea.

On the landward side this inlet could be reached by a path, which,
though it appeared somewhat rugged, was nevertheless easy to traverse.
Up this path Heika hastened after making the boat fast, intending to
return to Brattalid by land. The distance over land was much shorter
than by water, so that he could soon reach Leif's house, and his brief
absence would attract no attention.

Just as the Scot issued from behind the rocks which concealed the path
to the inlet, he was suddenly bereft almost of the power to move by