"Come hither, Heika," said Leif, pointing seaward, "I have somewhat to
show thee."

They went down the beach till they stood beside the boat, which was
ready for sea.

"This is a strange sight," he continued; "here is an excellent boat,
well found, well loaded, well busked in every way for a long voyage.
Knowest thou aught in regard to it, Heika?"

"I know," answered the Scot, bitterly, "that if ye had come hither only
half-an-hour later, that boat would have been on its way with me to
Scotland."

"What, with you _alone_?"

"Ay--with me alone."

"That is strange," said Leif, somewhat perplexed; "I had fancied that
you brothers loved each other passing well; but I suppose that a man who
can be guilty of ingratitude is not to be much depended on in the matter
of affection."

Heika winced at these words--not that the charge of ingratitude affected
him, but he could not submit calmly to the unjust supposition that in
his contemplated flight he had been actuated by selfish indifference to
his brother. At the same time he would not condescend to give any
explanation of his conduct. Drawing himself up, he looked Leif full in
the face.

"Norseman," he said, "small is the gratitude I owe to thee. 'Tis true,
ye have treated me and my brother kindly since we came hither, and for
that I owe thee thanks, and would gladly have paid this debt before
leaving, had such been consistent with flight; but kindness, however
great, is not a worthy price for liberty, and when King Olaf Tryggvisson
sent me to thee, I made no promise to sell my liberty at such a price.
But in regard to Hake--"

"Ay, in regard to Hake, go on; why dost thou stop?" said Leif, in a
stern tone. "There is some truth in what ye say about gratitude; but
what of Hake?"

The Scot still remained silent, with his lips compressed, and dropped
his eyes sternly on the ground.

"This seems to me a bad business," said Karlsefin, who had hitherto
listened with an expression of anxiety and disappointment gradually
deepening on his countenance. "I had thought better of thee, Heika.
Surely Hake's longing to be free and in his own native land must be to
the full as strong as thine. I am puzzled, moreover, for two were
better than one in the mad voyage ye thought to undertake."

Heika smiled at this.

"Truly," he said, "my brother loves his native land and freedom,
nevertheless he prefers bondage to freedom, and Greenland to his native
land. And yet would he