A Sea Queen's Sailing

y, and then to hum to himself. I will not say that the music was much; but he sat barely a fathom from the open hatch, and presently the words he sang caught my ear. They were of no song I had ever h

sles to the east of us, and of a boat, and of tw

said, and my comrade

ment, and he seemed to

der the hatch and listen. Is it i

ss the break of the deck, and I could not be seen by the men, while Asbiorn was alone at the helm. It was almost as light as day, with the

to keep chiefs in thralldom thus; and I will not do it. Now, I am going forward,

my men?

e more ready to do so themselves when they have the chance. They shall have suc

aybe I shall be able to th

s in the boat, and the course is due east hence. If the wind holds you should make the land by t

ship was heading due north, and Heidrek's two ships were some three miles ahead of us. This ship

asked; and he answered that

st off the boat's painter and go over the side

the line, and swung myself overboard with as little noise as possible. The boat came up and nearly ran over me; but I had expected that, and was ready. The ship slipped away from

with that I left the boat to herself. There was a long, deep swell running, but it did not break, and I was maybe fourscore yards from him. The boat would drift after me with the wind, and I swam to his help with all my might. I could see him as the rollers lifted me on their crests now and then, and round him the white water flew as he struggled with s

d not swim. I cannot remember when I could not do so, and any one of us would have thought it shame not to be at home in the water, whether rough or calm. Nor had he warned me that he could not do so; and therein I hold was the deed

ll? Where is the

l me you could not swim? I would have

n seen," he said. "I

nd drifted her, and swam round him, while he splashed wildly as the bench lifted to the

of my depth," he said. "I shall be happier

e had been running northward dead before the wind when we wen

go, from amidships, and had managed to follow. So I hailed him, but the answering voice was strange to me. With a few strokes the swimmer neared us, and

ng fair Danish, but slowly, as if unused to it. "I have bee

id, being somewhat caut

my word, I have had no part in this

t was certain that no man would do as we

worthwhile to come back to pick up the boat, which was unlikely, as it would have been done at once if at all. Between us, the Saxon and I managed to get Dalfin into her, and then our n

ast and set sail at once, but it seemed safer not to do so.

ed into the cabin yet to see i

"I set back the cover on the ha

is that none of my poor folk will be harmed for this.

t seen by Asbiorn; for he went aft, and looked long toward the boat. I heard him say that she had gone adrift, and that some lubber must have made fast the painter ca

doubt," I said. "This

crowd who is worth a thought. It is the first time they have let me sail with hi

you get a

er the rail. I dare say Asbiorn saw me also. He would not care,

ttle. "It is very co

and looked for them, there were none. Only the short steering oar was there; but the new pair I had made myself this winter were gone. No doubt the pirates had put them in their own boat, for they were good. Not that it seemed to matter m

but I want to shout and leap with the joy of being free again. Nine month

ard with the oar, and there were yet t

ouble," I said, "it is likely that

efore, in the summer. In September I was homeward bound, and met this Heidrek outside the Scheldt mouth. He took my goods, and burned my ship, and kept me, because I was likely to be able to pilot him, knowing all that coast. Oh, aye, we fought him; but he ha

said, holding ou

nd therefore prone to be cautious with men. He took it with a steady grip, and smile

e we were both wanderers from home only. My folk will trouble not at all for me for a year or so, and a shipmaster may be away as long as he c

much about me. I am twenty-five, and took to the sea when I was seventeen. Well, if Heidrek has spoilt this voyage, we can afford it. Luck has

f me, for the first time, as these two talked of their people, and it fell sorely he

say which would help me. Bertric spoke again to Dalfin, asking him how it came to p

r place and state, lies inland. Truly, there is the great Lough Neagh, on which, let me tell you, we have fought the Danes once or twice; but if there is any swimming to be d

ave ships, if you fought

n them in the fishers' c

beat

o be expected; but

himself. She was a wide and roomy fishing craft, and weatherly en

nd," he said. "It

ve kept his footing as he did. I looked up sharply, and met

Bertric said. "No reason why we may not m

any man spies us by this tim

him to steer, but he said the boat was my own, and that I was likely to get more out of her than a stranger. The sail filled, and the boat heeled to the steady breeze; and it was good to hea

the calm we feared fell. The long swell sank little by little until we floated on a dead smooth sea, under brightest sunshine, with the

rve us hereabout?" as

pends on how we lie on the Orkney coasts whether it drifts us to the northward

e with the fl

the sculling rowlock aft, and did what I could in that way. At least,

possible troubles which were before us, knowing naught of th

it will only be a matter o

o the locker under the stern

had come. So I dropped six of your barley loaves into her as she lay alongside the wharf, and stowed them aft when I went to bale out the rain water that was

far enough," I said. "You are

have turned out thus in the end. Now do you s

amidships and rest. And the first thing that I noted was that the Saxon sculled bet

headed us too closely for that to be of much use. It was blowing from the worst quarter for us, the southeast, and freshening. The boat was fit for little but running, and

d have me sleep now, and I did so, for I was fairly worn out, and then the weather grew wild

of the boat by Bertric, I know we might have been swamped at times in the following seas, but Dalfin knew naught of the p

shared the last loaf in just such a calm as had fallen on us at first; and at last Bertric and I might sleep again, leaving Dalfin to keep watch. We might be in the track of vessels from Norway westward and southward, but we could not tell, and maybe we expected him to see

" he said. "I have watched it this half hour, and it grows big

in a moment, and we looked

down on us, and bringing an easterly breeze

ek again?" asked

ll find naught but help from any other, if we may have to work our pas

n the wind, but was either badly steered, or else was so light that with her yard squared she ran badly. At times the wind was alm

watching her in some puzzlement. "I only hope that